Orkney Image Library

What a fantastic sight.
Unfortunately like too many other places in the middle of Kirkwall it has now been built on.
What a shame.
What's next? Brandyquoy, Bignold Park or the Keelies?

Fond memories of my Aunt Sarah and Uncle Bill -he used to drive us all over the island in his Ford Anglia -- and I remember listening to the juke box in the pavillion as we tried to reach the snooker tables ( I was only 6!!)

How lovely to see this pic. Great, great Uncle Bill and Great, great Aunt Sarah. . . . . my grandmother's aunt and uncle! Could that be my wee brother peeping through the wire fence?!

As a young boy I spent many hours on the snooker tables playing against Roger Robson and John Findlay. Guess my claim to fame we learned Roger Robson to play snooker! obviously did a good job! Costies was a mecca for all us young lads. Cost us a fortune at the time. Remember it was a shilling(5p) for half an hour on the table.

..... and Costie's ice cream was legendary!

Really excited to see this, as i have been trying to find a pic of Costies for some time. I used to live in Laverock Rd and spent all my free time playing snooker in Costies, when Bill Smith owned it. Such a happy memory. Thank you for sharing xx

I remember those days so well. From the left, the people in the foreground are:- J.D.M. (Jock) Robertson; Bill Costie; Elizabeth Hourston (late father was the Optician in Kirkwall); Sarah Costie; Elaine Park (eldest daughter of the famous sportsperson, Anne Park.) The lady on the extreme right is familiar to me although I cannot remember her name. I should think this picture would have been taken around the mid 50s.

@Lex Craigie; I think you're right about the pic having been taken in the 50s ..... maybe two or three years later than your guess, but not much. I'm only guessing from my memories of Aunt Sarah and Uncle Bill as an 8 or 9 year old ('59/'60. I'm sure my Mum had a (distant) cousin called Jim Craigie - a farmer, married to Molly.....any relation?

Sorry, I didn't intend that last comment, for Lex Craigie, to be anonymous. I posted it! (Lisa Mackenzie)

There used to be a copy of this photo on the wall in Costie's and I think I remember Russell Park saying that he was one of the small boys watching the tennis and the young man in the left foreground was his brother. But I may have remembered that wrong.

No, Paul, it is Jock Robertson! Russell's brother, Ronnie, suffered a serious spleen injury playing football from which he subsequently died in late 1940s or early 1950s.

Lisa. I sent you a short e-mail but, unfortunately, it has been returned. Can you provide me with your present address?