Now councillor Nickerson quits Shetland Amenity Trust

Shetland south councillor Rick Nickerson, who resigned as the council’s culture and recreation spokesman in protest against the proposal of charging for musical tuition, has now resigned as a trustee from Shetland Amenity Trust.

Mr Nickerson was nominated to become a trustee after becoming culture and recreation spokesman, but after resigning that post he felt that it was “logical” to resign the trusteeship. He will also resign as a trustee of Voxter House.

He said he was “so opposed” to the idea of tuition charges for music that he could not continue as culture and recreation spokesman. However he will carry on his duties with the amenity trust until someone else is appointed.

Mr Nickerson said: “I have enjoyed my time with the trust and will continue to promote and support their objectives.”

The resignation was announced at a meeting of Shetland Amenity Trust this week, at which trustees called the proposed charging a “backward step” and said heritage, including knitting, should not be seen as a luxury but as integral to the isles’ future.

Trust general manager Jimmy Moncrieff said the biggest “interest group” to come to Shetland Museum and Archives was concerned with textiles, and 30 per cent of the sales at the museum shop were from textile-related goods.

A major international conference, In The Loop, would be coming to the museum in September, he said, and stressed that Shetland knitwear was a “world-class product”. “We have to have pride and confidence in it.”