Orkney Image Library

Aye, that building should have been listed and kept as a memorial to Danny and his cronies.

By fegs yir right Stewart, the owld Club wiz some place. There wiz niver any bother in the club, only if the Aberdeen trawlers were in wae bad weather, and owld Shand could sort them oot!!.
I mind a bit o a scuffle atween a couple o trawler men wan night I wiz in, Shand came oot through the serving hatch nailed ane o them by the arm and took this poor fellas thumb that hid a bandage on hid in the ither hand the poor begger gead oot the door on his tip toes squeelan like a pig never to return again.
In the photo it looks like it might be Colin Walls-Robby Peterson-dont know who is in the suit and tie, might hid be Magnie Sinclair? Then along wae the fixtures and fittings is the one and only Danny Ritch!!-is it Sheela Wilson in the bar?
Good to mind on them times well done Alan.

Danny could lean against the wall beside the bar and fall asleep wi a pint in his hand and never spill a drop.

Yes it looks like Sheila behind the bar but we did not come to Lyness until 1974 could Allan's date be out? I agree it is Magnie, Robbie and of course Danny but not sure who the other person is. Many a good time was had in the Club, I remember when we took over from Tommy Shand he told Sheila off for giving the men to much beer in their glass - give them a bigger head on the beer that's what they are used to he said. Saturday nights being our busiest with a game of bingo and then the dance of course, the first one being the Eva three step. Danny not only a postman but a magician as well, never have I seen anyone else able to have a drink in one hand a row of drams along the arm and a cigarette in the mouth and be sleeping standing up and never spill a drop. After seeing this photograph of the Club I must look out the ones we have.

A picture I thought I would never see. "Oho" as Danny would say as a greeting. Danny and Colin appear to be taking interest in a conversation which was unlike them. I spent some happy times with both of them in the very same place with usually Stanley Thompson as barman. Great to see this photo

Danny travelled all over the island with the post and knew all that went on but was never a gossip. A man who is no longer with us had a way of getting confirmation of a rumour out of Danny. He would say "Weel Danny thats what I've heard bit hids likly no true." If indeed it was true Danny would say "Oho, I think hids right anoghh."
No more investigation needed!

The late Danny Ritch was on a charge of driving under the influence of drink and was brought tae court in Kirkwall, but Danny had his pal Jock Gray as a defence witness, Jock having been in the van at the time of the police stopping Danny and charging him with the offence. Jock was called to give his side o the story,"Weel I dinna ken whit aal the fuss is aboot furr amm seen Danny driivan wae far far more drink in him than he hid that day"!!!!!. The case wiz dropped and no charges were brought on Danny!!.
Noo if all the people who came before the courts were as honest and straight talking as Danny and his pal Jock wid hid no be a better world furr hiz all. There wid be no need for whur lerned men in wigs would there!!.

Much has been said of whur own Danny Ritch and why no a bit more!!.
I think Danny was maybe brought up by an aunt or some other relitive, and Danny was never much o a looker as I mind him!!. I think I have heard it said was very fast on the push bike untill he had a tirl up breaking his collar bone and dislocating his shoulder which left him with a rather strange hunch. This coupled wae flat feet made him a bit noticable tae sae the least!

Danny never was involved with the girls and lived on his own in a humble abode. I mind him pulling a wet paper bag of raw stewing meat from his pocket in the club one saterday night saying "What the haael is this?" Well I am glad he never asked me round for sunday dinner for stuck tae the soggie bag o meat was fag ends threepeny bits and every other pieces o rubbish from his pocket,aye he was a one off indeed.

Danny was indeed a bit of a cyclist and competed in road races in his younger days even across the firth, heard a story that he repaired a puncture wi a postage stamp once and still won the race.. I always thought he broke his collar bone in a car accident, went ower the ouse in a wee tourer soft top car, now I might not be right but think Stanley might have owned the car, or been in it as well, there must be some een aboot yet that wid ken for sure.... he never had attention to his injury and it gave him his posture for the rest o his days..

Stanley Thomson didn't pass his test until about the same time as me maybe even the same day. Feb 1970