Orkney Image Library

I wid say hids at the "Noddle" by Mill Burn.

This is near Mill Burn, Lyness and across the road from "Jock O' the Noddles" as I always knew the house. It was a Sutherland family that lived there.

I passed my driving test in an A-40 Devon and I remember having to double de-clutch. I think the number of my fathers car was DRG976.

Our number was KLK 102 and I failed my test in it. I didn't keep up speed Falconer wrote on the slip :-) Told dad "I wasn't taking that old thing again with indicators that half the time wouldn't pop out without a bang on the side o' the car." Did better next time when I got a loan of Ian Williamson the policeman’s car. The joys of motoring back then, so many makes and all so different to drive. My favourites were Ford Consul MK 11 and the Zephyr MK11 but it was a snag the day that the brake fluid was nil in it, the fluid container had rusted right through not a nice experience when my foot went to the floor and I didn’t have the strength to pull on the hand brake on the dash. I coasted through the open security gate at the PFR at Dounreay - if that was now in these times of terrorist attacks I don’t know what would have happened probably have shot me but anyway security flagged down a man and asked them if they would give me a lift. After that it was a year or two of bean tin 1100 and 1300's :-(

Were you all in the wan car Beryl?

I think we were likely all piled in tae two cars. Bertie's old Jag held a good few. The Coopers and Scholes family usually came over on a Sunday but the mystery is where was dad. I have a feeling it might have been the day after the barn dance that they used to have every July up at Melsetter and the number o' folk was a grand excuse for him to stay home and have a snooze. :-)

Beryl, surely he is takin' the photo

I too passed my driving test in an A40 Devon (1949). It had synchromesh on all gears except first (and reverse of course). Didn't learn to double-declutch until I drove an elderly Daimler - as a student summer vacation job - about 3 years later.

Think it was me that took the photo Jimmy, there is a b/w one much the same that I'm in and Isabel Scholl's née Cooper must have taken it for she is missing in that one. Might have been a week day because for some reason the Kirkwall Town Council workers and the County Council men had different holiday dates. Bertie and Jimmy worked for the Town. I think it was the first 2 weeks in July and County was end July first week in August back then.

I went to KGS with the little girl in the picture - Karen Scholes, we left in 1981.

I think the men that lived there were relations o me grandfather, as I visited them once when I was peedie.

[Who was your grandfather? You forgot to add your name - Steven]

The car reminds me of father's 1957 Morris Minor which we travelled about in the late 1970's. My father now lives in Kent and will be 79 on the 8th January. He was the manager of the motor taxation office in Kirkwall and got on very well with Joe and Lady Grimond.