Stromness .....

Notes from a North Sea Island

"Draped like grey lace on an emerald shore,
the Orkney town of Stromness recalls a past of
whaling, war and trade."
Bill Bryson

Orkney’s second town has a quaint old fashioned feel about it as one walks up the long, narrow winding main street. The narrow odd-shaped houses set close together afford a little shelter from the buffeting of winter gales. Once or twice the street widens out to reveal a square where a wooden bench may offer respite to the weary legs of Stromness’ older residents. Visitors may think they have been temporarily transposed back to another era. On the surface nothing much appears to have changed for decades. It is easy to imagine what life might have been like here in times gone by. It quickly becomes obvious that this town started out as a fishing community of close knit, hard working folk. Even today many houses have their own slipways and a fishing or rowing boat secured alongside it.

Historically Stromness is much newer than Kirkwall, Orkney’s main town, although there is some evidence of earlier settlements where the town now stands. The earliest houses of what could be termed ‘modern’ Stromness began appearing around 1620. In 1627 it will have been home to at least 500 people, since parish records show 480 registrations.

Stromness' real development as a major town occurred during a series of wars between Britain and France when conflict made the English Channel increasingly dangerous to navigate and the shipping route around northern Scotland became the preferred one. This, of course, led to an increase in trade and economic growth and by 1750 two hundred families lived in the town.

In 1791 Stromness’ already close association with the Hudson Bay Trading Company (the company’s ships regularly came into Stromness to stock up on supplies and hire labour) was further reinforced when a Stromness merchant was appointed as the local agent. By the end of the eighteenth century, three-quarters of the Hudson Bay Company's workforce in Canada was made up of Orcadians.

During the late 19th Century the herring boom was hugely influential in promoting its importance and for a time Stromness was larger than its neighbour and rival Kirkwall. During the First World War, Scapa Flow became the base of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and Stromness assumed the role of a Naval HQ. The Second World War brought another influx of military personnel onto the Islands and the Stromness Hotel became the Orkney and Shetland Military HQ. Following the War the population witnessed a slow, but steady decline (at the beginning of the 20th Century it had been at its peak with about 3,100 residents.) By 1961 the population had dropped to below 2,000, but has since then settled at around that figure.

At one time Stromness boasted its very own whisky distillery. Founded in 1817 it operated for forty three years before falling silent (being mothballed) between 1860 and 1878. Sadly the distillery was demolished in 1940. The reasons for this remain a mystery to the present day.

Yesterday I went through to Stromness with my best friend who had some errands to do there. It’s a most scenic drive from Kirkwall (about fifteen miles) and if one had to commute between the two towns, as I did for about a month the first year I lived in Orkney, one couldn’t really wish for a more scenic route along which to do it. The sea lies to the right, quite sheltered here, but apt to become wilder further out. To the left fields, vast expanses of heather covered countryside and some houses when passing through villages.

It had been quite a while since my last visit and yet there I was, as though transported back a hundred years or so. We parked the car at one end of ‘the street’, as the main thoroughfare of the town is known, and walked to where we needed to go. I always experience a slightly odd sensation I can’t really explain when wandering through this place where time seems to have stood still and seeing present day products displayed in the shop windows I pass. Modern boutiques, hairdressers, estate agents, paper shops (news agents), shops selling electrical, audio and lighting equipment. Stromness boasts the only butcher left on these Islands, the advent of a major supermarket in Kirkwall about thirteen years ago made it very difficult for smaller, local shops to survive and gradually more and more are forced out of business.

Naturally I couldn’t pass up the opportunity of visiting Stromness’ tiny, but well stocked bookshop. It appears to be run more as a hobby, to satisfy the owner’s fascination with books (how many of us can identify with that feeling) than as a profit making concern. The shop’s owner is more than willing to discuss books, the local community or what makes the world spin with anyone entering his sanctum. Tam (I’m sure there is an interesting tale behind his name) claims to be able to obtain any book in print. He still searches the suppliers’ and publishers’ databases using microfiche and a reader. There is no computer or credit card machine in Tam’s shop. If you’re not happy paying for your purchases by cash or cheque (you won’t be asked for a cheque guarantee card) this shop is not for you.

There are a couple of bookshops in Kirkwall, but in my view neither of them understand the meaning of ‘customer service’. Tam’s bookshop has been one of my favourite places ever since I’ve known Orkney. The very first week I was here I decided to update my collection of reference books, to make sure I had the most current editions available at the time to celebrate the beginning of the rest of my life. I don’t have a car, so took the bus through to Stromness and headed straight for the bookshop. I found several of the books on my list and Tam offered to order the others I wanted.

It was early on a Saturday morning when my telephone rang. It was the first time I’d ever had my own phone – not a payphone in the hall or one I had to share with several other people who all seemed to indulge in unbelievably long calls – so it was still a thrill to me every time someone rang. It was the assistant at the bookshop letting me know my books had arrived. I was impressed, it had only been a few days since I’d been in the shop. I said I’d pick them up some time during the following week. Less than ten minutes later there was another call. It was the young man at the bookshop again. He realised I had a Kirkwall number. He said he could send the books through to the local library if that would be more convenient. I could collect them from there. I admit I was stunned …. talk about customer service …. amazing. And so it has been ever since. If I know the book I want, all I do is pick up the phone and call Tam (well sometimes his assistant will take the call). The book will be ordered and a few days later Kirkwall library will ring to let me know there is a package for me to collect.

Oh, and about paying for the books. A few weeks later, sometimes even months later Tam will send me an invoice – to pay at my convenience, you understand. I think he’s probably surprised to receive my cheque in the post just a few days later. I know myself though. If I didn’t send off the cheque straight away, I’d most likely forget. I’d hate to abuse old fashioned trust.