Last Day of the Year

Notes from a North Sea Island

The Orcadian, Orkney's local newspaper, is 150 years old today. It's the weekly 'fix' of most people here. Somehow one feels deprived and strangely disloyal to the community when one is unable to catch up with local events on a Thursday. The paper has a huge following, not just at home, but abroad too. Each week hundreds of copies are sent out all over the world. Young people leaving the Islands to continue their education at college or university, people going 'south' to pursue their careers, visitors who have been bitten by the 'island life' bug, relatives of those living here and many, many others look forward to keeping abreast of the news and issues from this group of rocks in the North Sea.

During its 150 year history The Orcadian has of course seen some changes, but always its unfailing purpose has been to inform the residents and friends of Orkney accurately and truthfully of news and the newsworthy as it unfolds and develops. From its humble beginnings of four pages written in a very formal tone, to its present day size of around forty pages it has only had eleven editors. The last one remained in the post for thirty six years. He retired in 1983 and was awarded the MBE for his services to journalism the following year.The Orkney Blast. It's role was to act as a moral booster to the men and women in the troops who had left the County to participate in the D-Day landings. At least 6,000 copies were printed and distributed each week and helped to entertain and inform service personnel of the happenings back home.

Today the Orcadian's voice is rather more chatty and accessible. Like any other quality regional newspaper it does a superb job covering local news. It often also reports on well known local people or celebrities who have left the Islands for one reason or another. The most recent of these was of course Cameron Stout, winner of the 'Big Brother House'. Then there was the family who embarked on a round-the-world trip gypsy-style in a horse and carriage as well as other tales of folk working in Brazil, Argentina or Australia. It goes without saying that there are 'Entertainment' pages listing all the local events, festivals, concerts, cinema movies and a round-up of reviews of shows and events throughout Orkney. The 'Letters' page often sees some fairly heated discussions and last, but by no means least, several pages are devoted to sport events in and around the County.

Happy anniversary! Please raise your glasses and let's toast the next 150 years.