North Mainland Notes 03.07.09

Muckle Roe barbecue

The Muckle Roe hall committee is continuing its year of fundraising by having a family barbecue which will take place next Saturday from 4pm till late, at the hall. The event was originally planned for the 18th but has been changed due to other clashes.

As well as some delicious local food from the barbie, there will be a licensed bar, ice-cream bar and teas and coffees. Music will be provided throughout the event by a host of local session musicians. During the day lots of activities are planned for bairns, including a bouncy castle, badge making and balloons. The committee hope the weather will hold for some fun, games and races for the bairns in a field near the hall. Organisers would like to remind folk that children should be accompanied at all times and that proof of age will be required at the bar. Everyone is welcome and the committee hope folk will go along and have a great day out in Muckle Roe.

Celebrations at Eshaness

It’s now almost two decades since a former church at Eshaness became a community centre. The committee plan to mark this special anniversary by hosting a buffet dance in the centre next Saturday night from 7.30pm. Music for the dance will be provided by the Waas band and a prize draw, for which tickets are available locally, will be drawn during the evening. Tickets for the buffet dance are available from Emily on (01806) 503219.

Shetland Nature Festival

Organisers of the second Shetland Nature Festival, which kicks off this weekend, have ensured that there is something to interest everyone in locations all over Shetland. There will be a number of events in the North Mainland including a “Braewick geology day” at Eshaness on Thursday. The event, which will help highlight the stunning geology of the area, takes place between 10am and 5pm. The geology day will be led by Robina Barton of the Shetland Amenity Trust and friends. Walks will leave the Braewick café at 10am and 2pm or the Eshaness Lighthouse at 10.15am and 2.15pm. Art and activities will take place throughout the day at Braewick Café. For further details phone (01595) 694688.

Thursday is also the day to “Go wild with your child” in Hillswick. The RSPB is hosting a morning of activity at the wildlife sanctuary from 10am-12.30pm. For further information please phone (01950) 460800.

Shetland Amenity Trust woodland team is having a walk and talk session at the plantation near the Loch of Voe next Saturday from 11am to 4pm. The team will explain how our trees evolve “from seed to sawdust”.

There are lots of additional events happening from Sumburgh to Unst and all points in between during the festival and further details can be found at www.shetlandnaturefestival.co.uk. Most of the events are free and do not require prior booking, but a few need to be booked and have a small admission charge, so to find out more please log on to the website.

Successful Sunday teas

The recent Sunday teas and car boot sale at the Ollaberry hall raised almost £1,000 for hall funds. Organisers would like to thank everyone who helped at the event, especially the bakers and all the folk who turned out to support the day. Fans and followers of Sunday teas should note that the next teas and car boot sale in the Ollaberry hall will be next Sunday from 3-6pm.

Great day at joint sports

Lunnasting and Olnafirth Primary schools held their annual joint sports day last Friday. Parents, friends and pre-school children came along and joined in to help encourage the competitors. Various games including the sack race, egg and spoon, throw the welly and tug of war were all played on what turned out to be a glorious day. Both schools would like to thank Elspeth Spence, PE teacher at Lunnasting and Olnafirth, for planning and organising such a successful event. The children were divided into three teams.

Viking invasion at Mavis Grind

To complement the theme of the Johnsmas Foy this year, the annual Mavis Grind Foy was raided by a hoard of hardy Vikings this year, complete with a galley. Visitors needn’t have worried about their safety – it turned out the Norsemen were rushing to get to the delicious food being served by Lowrie and his barbecue team!

The glorious weather brought a large number of visitors to Mavis Grind who lined the shore on the Atlantic side of the isthmus to watch the daft raft race. First across the line was a team led by Lorraine Johnson of Muckle Roe, followed by Keith Doull of Muckle Roe in second place. The prize for the most novel raft went to Kieran Hurson of Muckle Roe, while Daryl Titcombe of Hillswick ensured the isle of Muckle Roe did not claim all the prizes, when he won the prize for most effort. After refuelling at the barbecue and the teas tent, most folk browsed the craft tents, bairns took part in the activities or had their faces painted and many folk sat around yarning in the sunshine. Organisers of the event, the Sullom hall committee, would like to thank everyone who helped in any way and extend a special thanks to all those who supported the event.

Photos and teas at Hillswick

This Sunday the Hillswick hall committee is having afternoon teas at the hall from 3-5pm. There will also be a display of photos from prolific local photographer, Alex Williamson of North Roe.

Film premier at North Roe School

Last Wednesday was a much anticipated day at North Roe as everyone turned out to the primary school dressed in their best threads for a movie premier. Guests were treated to cocktails and nibbles on arrival while they waited for the arrival of the stars of the film – pupils from primaries five, six and seven.

Daina Murray, Jim-Duncan Feather, Lewis Calderwood, Shona Robertson and Stuart Clark all looked every bit the celebrity as they made their entrance on the red carpet to a rousing round of applause from the invited audience.

Once everyone was seated in the auditorium (classroom), head teacher Hazel Cranie thanked everyone for coming along and the first film of the afternoon began. This film – rated H for hilarious – highlighted a fabulous day pupils had spent at Dunrossness during a horse riding trip. The bairns were able to pay for the trip themselves as a result of income earned by the school enterprise company “Angel Enterprises”. Pupils produced a calendar depicting the history of the North Roe School which sold extremely well and part of the funds were used to enable the bairns to go on a trip of their choice.

The giggles from the audience subsided as the horse riding film finished and the main feature began. The Little Tramp was an after school drama club production which the pupils of primaries five, six and seven rehearsed, performed and filmed with the help of Izzy Swanson and Mrs Cranie. The silent black and white movie featured the hilarious antics of waiter Jim-Duncan Feather, upper-class diners Shona Robertson and Daina Murray, hapless police officer Lewis Calderwood and a hungry little tramp, played by Stuart Clark. As the movie was silent, the actors relied solely on facial expression and body language to help portray the story and the atmosphere during the film. Each actor did a fantastic job in putting across the story and drawing the audience into the film. The final scenes where the penniless little tramp manages to scoff his way through several main courses in the restaurant and is chased by both the waiter and the policeman as a result had the audience in stitches. The entire cast put in excellent performances and were rightly proud of their achievements.

Pupils at the North Roe School might be small in number, but they are certainly benefiting from a hugely rounded, confidence-building education. Well done to everyone involved and we hope to see the film available to a wider audience soon.

Enterprising Lunnasting pupils

This year at Lunnasting Primary, the pupils of primaries five to seven decided to produce Eco-bags and a Year Book for their enterprise projects. The class was divided into two groups who quickly came up with company names, “Vidlin Bags Forever” and “DDSH Books” – this title uses the first name initials of the group members.

Both groups applied for, and received, funding from Shetland Islands Council to aid the development of their projects. This involved submitting business plans and filling in the required forms. Everyone was then kept very busy planning, designing and producing their final products. Pupils chose to sponsor a tiger with the profits from the enterprise projects. Congratulations to all the young entrepreneurs.

New clerk at Delting

It’s the end of an era at the Delting Community Council as Vera Clark, who has held the post of clerk for a long number of years, has set down her dictation pad and retired. Vera was an integral part of the community council and we wish her a happy retirement. The new clerk is Alison Foyle, Grace Dieu, Skellister, South Nesting, ZE2 9PP, and she can be contacted on (01595) 890213.

Summer fayre

The Urafirth School Summer Fayre held on Sunday was a very successful event which helped raise well over £900 for school funds. In addition to the usual side stalls, visitors also had the opportunity to sample the Gladiator challenge, have a jump on the bouncy castle and take a run with the quad bike. The Parent Staff Association were particularly pleased that Ewen Balfour from Brae came along to demonstrate the art of kishie making and they would like to thank everyone who helped make the day so enjoyable.

Maree Hay