Stephen Clackson

The 31^st July marked the actual 50^th anniversary of the enactment of the Orkney County Council Act 1974  (on which Howie Firth gave a talk back in February, see Issue 134).  Curiously, it came into force after the first elections to the County Council’s successor, Orkney Islands Council (see Issue 136 and Issue 137).  I was disappointed to see that neither of these significant Orkney “Milestones” featured in in the Kirkwall Flower Arrangement Club’s 50^th Flower Festival at St Magnus’ Cathedral.  It would have been interesting to have seen what sort of displays they would have inspired !  The 1974 Act remains in force to this day, and it is hoped its provisions might provide the precedent that OIC needs to exert some control over the imminent wind-energy bonanza and to set up a structure that will lead to the developments benefiting everybody in Orkney.  Below is a parable I wrote, as a cautionary tale, 19 years ago, back in 2005 (originally for the newspaper Orkney Today, hence the title).

It has been a strange summer, if you can call it summer.  I don’t normally indulge in eschatology, but with 77 whales beaching on Sanday (the letter numbers of the word CHRIST add up to 77), our bees behaving bizarrely, and 3 times 3 consecutive days without eggs from our poultry, I must admit to scouring the Book of Revelation in case these events were a portent of the end of days.  Whereas the somewhat cryptic verse 1 of chapter 13,  “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy,”  could feasibly be interpreted as a pod of whales coming ashore, there is no mention of either bees or poultry.

Speaking of poultry, the Clackson family did fairly well at the Sanday Show this year, winning the trophies for both Best Duck/Drake and Best Goose/Gander.  I understand that one of our poultry rivals is planning to attend, prior to the next Sanday Show, a course at an “escuela taurina” in Spain, although that’s in connexion with one of his exhibits of the bovine variety.

I finished off the recess and started the new School Place term by getting out to some of the other North Isles:  North Ronaldsay to attend a transport meeting, and Stronsay and Shapinsay to be present at their respective community council meetings.  At School Place, I attended a confidential members’ briefing, I was at the Air and Ferry Services Consultative Forum meetings, and I undertook a very interesting whole day of site visits to sport and leisure facilities on the Mainland.

Drop-in events have been arranged as part of the public consultation on the draft Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan.  Two are remaining to be held in the North Isles:  24^th Sep (11 am – 7 pm) at Heilsa Fjold, Sanday; and 3^rd Oct (11 am – 6.30 pm) at The Höfn, Westray.  If you are in town on 19^th Sep between 2 & 7 pm, you can attend the event at the Pickaquoy Centre.  You can also see the Plan online at orkney.gov.uk/marine-plan-consultation and, if you wish, submit a consultation response there.