From the Northern Times 25, 50 and 100 years ago
25 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of May 5, 2000
The plight of the stricken Hunters of Brora wool mill, now four weeks into receivership, and the 44 workers recently made redundant by the firm, was yesterday brought to the attention of the Scottish Parliament. MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, Jamie Stone, tabled a Parliamentary question designed to highlight the general downturn in the textile industry and more particularly the crisis currently affecting Hunters.
World famous Helmsdale restaurant La Mirage has been put on the market by owner Nancy Sinclair. Offers over £150,000 are being invited for the thriving family business in Dunrobin Street. Flamboyant Mrs Sinclair took over the restaurant 15 years ago and built it up to reflect her own unique style and personality.
A new trophy has been donated to the Caithness and Sutherland Provincial Mod in memory of Gaelic stalwart Joseph Mackay of Talmine, Melness, who died last year. This week his grand-nephew Joseph Mackay of Helmsdale handed the Joseph Mackay Memorial Quaich to local Mod committee chairman Finlay Mackay.
50 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of May 9, 1975
The charter of the royal burgh of Dornoch dated 1628, which had been in the safekeeping of the House of Sutherland at Dunrobin Castle for very many years, was returned to the Town Council last Tuesday night. The ceremony was the climax to a very emotional occasion when the council, headed by Provost Harry Clunie, were meeting for the last time before the reorganisation of local government from next Friday, May 16.
Helmsdale and District Community Association are hoping that they will have the final plan, along with a model, for the village’s new community centre by next month. There is every chance that the outer shell of the building to be converted will be retained.
Retiring banker, Mr Alexander Maclean, and his wife got a real Highland send-off last Friday night at a gathering in Lairg Restaurant, when a company of over 150 from a wide area were present. Mr Maclean was presented with a cheque and a new pipe and Mrs Maclean with a handbag. 100 YEARS AGO
100 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of May 7, 1925
In the Dornoch Sheriff Court on Tuesday, before Sheriff J. W. Forbes, six complaints were brought by the procurator fiscal against William Gunn Moore, tailor and clothier, Castle Street, Dornoch, for failure to pay National Health Insurance and Unemployment Insurance in respect of three tailors employed by him. In the case of one of the employees the failure to pay had commenced in 1923, and in the case of the other two the failure commenced with their becoming employed by him early in 1924. These employees were paid fortnightly and on each occasion when wages were paid the employees’ share of the contribution was deducted from the wages. Moore, in pleading guilty, explained that his son was in charge of the payment of wages to the men and to the stamping of cards. He admitted that he had exercised no supervision over the son and attributed the whole affair to laxity. The sheriff told the accused he would have to pay a fine of £7 for each of the six complaints - a total of £42 - or go to jail for 30 days. On the accused's application the sheriff granted a month in which to pay the fines.
