Orkney Image Library

I can see my old house no.6. Second row up and second house in.
Playing in and around the old air raid shelters, there was little regard for the shelters other inhabitants (the rats!!). Life seemed so simple back then in the days before health and safety. I'm sure there are alot of people around, like me who have fond memories of growing up at hatston.
I wonder what the kids now would make of it?

Is the green lorry carrying egg crates? I seem to remember that the egg packing station was nearby but I might be wrong. What I do remember from my childhood is collecting, washing, drying and packing buckets of eggs every day on the farm in Sandwick. Cleaning the hen houses with a shovel and barrow seemed light work compared to the cleaning the byres. As Bruce says, I wonder what the kids would make of it now?

I am not sure what house it is but I was born at 3 post office houses at hatston.

a real doonie!

I seem to recall that the Post Office houses were blue painted ones round the back of hatston, near where Colin Gregg's previous showroom was, i.e. before you get to Flemings. Can anyone confirm this?

Yes you are correct, in part. I moved to number 10 PO houses shortly after and they were the houses below Hells Half Acre on the other side of Jim Bob Baikies garage.

3 PO houses was on the lower side.

Like Bruce i have fond memories of growing up at Hatston and can see my old house no.9, third row up and second house in, being brought up in Hatston was an adventure i can vouch for that, we were never bored playing in the Hangers and the Dump kept us happy.

yes i remember the good old days at hatston too, no 25 third row down left side not shown in picture, lots of good times at hangers and the humps as we called them, never forget it.irene eunson(priaulx)left 1968 come home each year.take lots of photos.

Irene - was No 25 opposite the phone box? I stayed next to Robbie Harcus at the other side of the road. Can you tell me what the concrete building (just above the washing line) was - I remember playing in it while it was flooded

My family was in 23 Hatston for about a year till February 1968, but I don't remember much about as I was only 2 when we left!

John, I remember my sister Sylvia used to babysit you and your brother david, do you mind? Don't know what the concrete building was, I slightly remember it. I mind the flat slabs of concrete half way down the camp we used to play on, i used to boss you. I am sorry but you should have done what you were told. I mind robert harcus he was a lovely boy I would love to hear from him. Are you still in Orkney? I will be up in August, it would be nice to see you.added by irene eunson

Irene - Yep still in Orkney (Kirkwall). Been all my life and would hate to have to leave now. No, I can't remember the babysitting bit and if I had a pound for every time (when a boy) I had been in trouble for not doing what I have been told I would be able to retire. Ref Aug, give me a shout on my e mail address.

John Foulis, The concrete buildings are the remains of what was the Hatston Camp garrison theatre, I remember going to a show there around 1955, It was a grand night out in that days. The building was a large round shaped nissan hut type building with a foyer and ticket office facing out towards the slip.
The concrete foundation with blue hut, shed and caravan just above, was the living quarters for the actors and show business people.
During and after the war that was the purpose of these buildings
I lived at number 17 for a few years around the mid to late fifties.
added by Ron Birnie. March 30 2008

Showing your age now Ron!! HeHe

Thanks Ron - is that Magnus Ritch my old chemistry teacher??

No, he died over a year ago

For Rae's information the green lorry was loaded with empty 30 doz. egg boxes and belonged to Pomona Egg Packing Station, Hatston. It would have been setting out on a Monday morning to collect eggs from Orphir and the West Mainland. The cattle used to be kept over the weekend at Hatston and then driven on Monday mornings back into the old mart for the Monday sale.

john foulis, irene here, i have changed my email address if u want to write me i did write you twice to no avail, it would be nice to hear from you.

I stayed at no 24 opposite the phone box from 1969 till we moved to meadowbank. There used to be a row of 3-4 houses behind the shop down the side of Heddles Hatchery at that time. The caravans in the photo- I remember paul & leslie miller staying there. Some great places to play in.S chool bus collected us from outside the shop, the fare was a thrupenny.

Home sweet home, the caravan called navarac, after returning from Kenya. The blue building is Mr King's (Islander skipper's) house. Top right ,masts of sailing boats in the walled area. Great for football in summer when boats out as it had goal sized openings at opposite ends. Nobody had much but we wanted for nothing, great place to stay when you were young.

It was a fair push up to the Post Office houses with a pram base full of messages - and a baby in it of course! We were there from '73 to '75. There was a petition at one point to have the council build permanent housing there but it was already earmarked for an industrial estate by that time, I think.

Would the gentleman with the stick on the left be Colin Poke.
Jim Shearer in front of the green lorry.
James Norquoy behind the animals.
Johnnie Inkster behind the washing.
Robert Foubister coming down on the right.
Am I very far wrong??

Irene, would the Robert Harcus you are refering to be around 10 years in the later 1960s? Mother Ivy? They moved to Scotland in 70s. He is still lovely. married 3 kids. I knew a Sylvia Eunson from those days.Her mother was disabled and I enjoyed talking to her. I remember making fudge at her house by boiling a tin of Carnation condensed milk for hours. (In the tin) Could it have exploded? Does anyone still do this? I never lived at hatston but had some good times there.

hi i also lived in hatston but up at the square,my sister christine+me used to play around the air raid shelters+on the big concrete slabs we also knew the eunson girls i think my sister still is in touch with irene,i was a terrible child in those days can any of you mind on my peedie sister+me,i now live in stornoway.

Yes, Anne Miller (Nee Laird) Sylvia is me sister, mother had MS.She passed away about 20yrs ago,she moved to Aberdeen to be near us all. The Robert Harcus would have been about 10 in the 60's so it must be the same one. He did come to see me about the 70's in Aberdeen but don't no where he is now. He was a lovely boy, my sister Sylvia used to babysit for his mum (Ivy)she was a nice lady too. Do you no where he lives now?

Hi Irene, good to hear from you. Ivy lives in Muir-of-Ord, Ross-shire. Robert and his family lived next door to her for many years but moved a couple of years ago. I saw them about six years ago. Will try to get in touch with her. She married a Garrioch he died 15 or so years ago. She is an amazing person travels abroad doing some sort of missionary work. She must be over 70 yrs.
Did not know it was MS your mom had. That is so common in Orkney. She was always so upbeat and loved her TV! How is Sylvia?
Maybe Ivy is in the phone book. I am on the USA and can't check. My sister is in touch with her. I will try to find any information on Robert from her.

Thanku Anne Miller,i would love to speak to Robert or Ivy after all this time she was a lovely lady she was so pretty nice x thin to,i remember Robert's dad he was a handsome man,i used to look out for Robert when the boys teased him he was a lovely peedie boy,not so peedie now ehe!r u tucker's sister? he was a great guy he came up to our house all the time x we all had a good laugh,good old days then,Sylvia is fine i c her all the time we both live in Dyce in Aberdeen x have peedie drinkies some weekends,I'll have to look up the phone book c if i can find her.

Think the lorry is an Austin "LOADSTAR".

The lorry was a 1954 Austin K2 (series II) 3 tonner.