Past Times: Highlights of 1961
From The Shetland Times, Friday 29th December 1961
Shetland Chamber of Commerce considered the time ripe for the re-opening of the question of protecting the name “Shetland” in connection with the local woollen industry, and offered S.W.I.A Ltd. all support towards that end. The latter organisation has of course been unobtrusively doing just that for years.
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Lerwick Town Council fixed the rents on their 15-site caravan stance at the Knab at £5 per annum for permanent residents and 10 shillings per week for casuals and “landlords” who rented out their caravans. towards the end of the year seven caravans on site, and three expected, comprised the tenants. Several were still at Garthspool, and the ground owner was to be told he was under an obligation to licence the site, while the caravanners were to be informed that it was an offence to continue using that site under the new Act.
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When a National Trust cruise on the liner “Meteor” arrived at Shetland, Lord Polwarth, the chairman, stated that the Trust would be willing to put up a “fairly substantial sum” towards providing an electricity scheme for Fair Isle. With Mr Tom Henderson, county convener, Mr J.P. Moar and Mr R.H.W. Bruce, members of the Trust’s council discussed the possibility of a water scheme for the island.
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Because the Highlands and Islands Advisory Board had “an unfortunate history” as far as Shetland was concerned, the County Council considered a motion that the convener be not reappointed Shetland’s representative on the Panel. Several councillors criticised the work of the panel.
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A few days after the opening of the new lavatories on the Esplanade, all the ash trays in the ladies’ section disappeared.
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“We cannot economise any further…we have always been careful of the pennies,” were two comments made by Provost R.B. Blance when the Town Council were considering a circular from the Scottish Home Department detailing economy measures which the Government were to put into effect.
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Grave news from Yell. No-one answered the advertisement for a gravedigger at Mid Yell, and the District council decided to hold a public meeting to appeal for a volunteer.
