The Orkney Image Library
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I was told when I was a bairn that this was a Christmas Dance in the Hoy Hall from the early 1950’s. It’s Jim Taylor raising the half bottle and my dad David Gillespie beside him, some other faces in the crowd are Jimmy Cromarty, Billy Mowat, Leslie & Jimmy Wilson, Jimmy Moar, Isaac Moar, Jock Spence, Eric Heddle, Morna Heddle, Jimmy Manson, Tommy Shand, Leslie Sinclair, Eric Sinclair, Ronald Cload, Brian Johnston, Morris Groat, Jim Baillie, Bill Peace, Kathleen Hay, Mrs Wallace, Jimmy Johnston, Bill Morrison, Nora & Marjory Seatter and Jack Rendall.
There was plenty of employment at Lyness then but within a few years of this photo being taken a lot of the people in the crowd had left to find work on the Orkney Mainland, Dounraey and Rosyth.
View Large VersionPicture added on 19 October 2006
That's fantastic. I happened to stumble onto this site while searching for Tommy Shand (my grandfather) who was based on Hoy @ the Lyness Navel Base. My father Kenneth talks about heading up to Hoy for his holidays with his father in the 50's & 60's. I'm sure the social club was the place to be. I'm looking at the image of my grandfather & it's like looking in the mirror. Many thanks for the picture Phil Shand (from Fraserburgh now residing in Sydney, Australia).
Added by Phil Shand on 18 September 2008
Tommy Shand and my dad (Jim Wylie) worked together in Naval Stores in Cylon as well as at Lyness Naval Base. Tommy stayed in the Officers Mess Lyness, which my mum (Mary Wylie)looked after from 1964ish until the Base closed in the 1970's (we lived in the bungalow attached to the mess). I remember Tommy well. I also remember your father Kenneth & his sister Lorna? coming to Hoy with their mother for holidays. This picture is in the Hoy Hall not the Socal Club where Tommy was barman. Lovely picture and I can recognise a few faces.
Added by Mabel Besant on 07 November 2010
Hi Mabel, yes my father Kenneth does have a sister Lorna. My father is now in his 70's. The barometer that was presented to my grandfather on his retirement still hangs in my fathers house in Fraserburgh. There is an inscription "To Thomas Shand from his friends at Lyness Social Club". I think it was presented in 1974 to him. I believe my grandfather Tommy Shand passed away on Christmas Day 1979.
Added by Phil Shand on 12 February 2014
The person sitting behind the boy to the left of Jim Taylor is my father Ian Mckay (Shetland).
Added by Ian Mckay on 02 June 2015
Just noticed my uncle Jimmy Cromarty between my father and Jim Taylor.
Added by Ian Mckay on 02 June 2015
Billy Mowat is my uncle. He married my Mum's sister Chrissie Smith.
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Added by Ian Sinden on 20 January 2016
Hoy and Walls
