Orkney Image Library

I was interested to see this picture as my maiden name was Corrigal and I had been told about this grave site. I have visited Orkney twice as my grandfather came from there. I have two poetry books written about Betty Corrigal which were given to me by the owner of a bookshop in Orkney I have always been fascinated by the Orkneys and hope to visit again someday

Craig Taylor commented on picture #1395 to the effect that Betty Corrigal's headstone was made of hollow fibrreglass by the late Harry Berry. I read or heard (forgotten where or from whom) that the scheme to erect the grave'stone' was hatched between Harry and Ken Bryant (Rev Kenwood D Bryant, an American minister on Hoy at the time). It was many years (13 sticks in my mind but is likely wrong) before the job was completed. Harry wrote to Ken, back in the USA, apologizing for the time it had taken, and got a reply along the lines of: 'Great! Well done! Some folk have forgotten a promise after 13 minutes and you've remembered one for 13 years!"
Ken Bryant was on a postgraduate course at Edinburgh University when I started there, and we were in the same student hostel. He was a very outgoing, energetic character, not averse to telling the odd blue joke or performing sleight-of-hand conjuring tricks - which he later used in his childrens' sermons - the tricks, not the jokes (I hope). I believe he was instrumental in the forming of The Heather Linties chidrens' choir, and was involved in several newsworthy exploits in the short time he was on Hoy. All this may already be on OIL, I forgot to search. I'll do so now - but where's the harm in a little repetition?