Orkney Image Library

During the early 1960's Pipersquoy Road, Buttquoy Cres and Garriock St were all closed to traffic to allow safe sledging - imagine trying to do that now!
Date on photo might be earlier look at the absence of hedging/trees. Note the old style lamp-post. My parents were one of first occupants in the new houses at Quoybanks Cres in November 1957.

i remember sledging down this road 10 years later and the shout of MCC would be heard everyone then knew that a motor car was coming

Dont mind on sledging down this road but i do mind on having a black ice slide gan doon craigie crescent in 1977. The council was eventually called oot to put salt on it we were all very mad at the cheek o them taking away our fun

Yea I remember sledging down this road when the gritters had ruined our 'home' patch (top of Quoybanks and down into 'Kirky). Note the different attire between the big and peedie boys - you had come of age when you went sledging with the tops of your rubber boots turned down and the 'duffle' was replaced with just a woollie jersey. Raymie - Talking about things done then - remember when we used to push the school bus up Quoybanks to make sure we got to school -ahh bless the angels!!

Come on Administrator give us a larger version - may be able to put names to faces. Likely people would be my brother, Balfour Wylie, Mike and Brian Anderson, Ed Barnett, Billy Sutherland, Ed and Stuart Harcus.
Mind the driver (Archie Wylie?) of the Co-op Butcher van taking the barricade at the end of Laverock Rd down so he could go up Pipersquoy to go home to Kirklands for his dinner - we pushed him back into Laverock Rd. To say Archie was wild wasn't even close!!!
Aye it wis a hard life pushan the school Bus up the hill and the Butchers van doon the hill.

I can remember sledging right down to the hospital car park. We used to have "trains" one long sledge and smaller ones at the back, you had to hang on for dear life otherwise you'd go flying of. We were one of the first families to move to Quoybanks. We lived at no.10.

[And my family was the second to move into number 10 in 1968, and my folks are still there... - Steven]

Mind you fine Sylvia, you and your peedie brother Michael. You moved to Laverock Road where your Dad still lives. We lived in No.20, which is only a couple of doors away from No.10, the Thomson's were next to us and they also moved to Laverock Road.
We did try sledging from top of Quoybanks at Holm Road to the bottom of Pipersquoy but the lower half of Qouybanks was too flat so we used have a little push (a sort of paddle with hands!)to keep going. But I do remember Colin Campbell taking myself and Laurence Rendall down Craigie Cres across Quoybanks and down Pipersquoy one Sunday night - with today's traffic it wouldn't be safe, in those days we didn't see many cars moving about during the day let alone at night. What a speed on that run. The theory at night was we would see the car lights much easier so could roll off the sledge if in danger. How we planned to stop sliding on the icy surface if we came off the sledge wasn't in the plan!!
Anyone remember Anthony Rees going under Jolly's Coal lorry on Pipersquoy where it had stopped outside the Sutherland's? He couldn't steer around the lorry, and went under the it, seemed to think he stopped when he hit the back wheel.
I still have the original "family" of wooden sledges my father built all those years ago. In fact my "boys" (21 and 18) used them when they were peedie and it has been known that given the right conditions I still sledge. Eastquoy Road where we live is brilliant as it is short and straight, stopping at bottom can be a problem though. Last winter there were nights when there was a gathering of adults sledging down Eastquoy Road, including the "trains" you mentioned Sylvia.
Nothing like snow to bring out the "child" in us all providing you don't have to go to work!
My father had a huge sledge stored in the Orkney Herald that he had used. He said the two runs they did were down East Road from Eastbank Hospital, down Garden St onto Albert Street getting as far as Mounthoolie Lane or maybe even where Woolies was. The other run was from Warrenfield down School Place and either go for the Strynd or down King Street. This sledge had a steering system at the front and everyone sat upright, totally different from the designs we used where it was best if you lay down.
Also have skates that he used for skating on the Duckie Pond. These where obviously made by a Blacksmith/Engineer as they are adjustable so that they can be clamped on any size of boot or shoe.

And before that it was the Clay loan, School Place
and East road that were tha favorite places to sledge. Quite steep and very fast.
Many a time you needed to choose between Queen Street or Garden Street coming down East Road.
I seem to remember the house in the middle got quite a few "hits"

Ahh those wre the days! We were all so young and innocent! Kids nowadays don't seem to have the same fun we all did.

Hi. I lived in Quoybanks Cresc in the early 60s. I broke my nose sledging on Pipersquoy. My name is Gillies Buchan. I doubt whether anyone remembers me. My dad was a lawyer and my mum was a teacher at KGS.

well have just found this and like you all i remember this well, they closed pipersquoy for us to sledge pity things have changed so much,there was me and me two sisters and the summers girls and the harcus girls and many more . good times folks.

Gillies your mother taught me English. She used to park her big Jaguar Mk9 at the back entrance to the Grammar School, it was black if I remember correctly

Clay Loan was by far the best and another good run was to start at Warrenfield down Dundas Cres. and on down School Place. You could take your pick then East Road or Berstane Road. I mind Alex Logie and Juicy Leonard built big sledge that would seat 5 or 6 called it the Sputnik after the satellite and peedie sledge to guide it.It could move some. I dont envy kids today as if youve never sledged down Clay Loan youve never lived.

I remember it (the Clay Loan run) well. Real fear, but you always walked back up for another shot.

I also remember sledging down Pipersquoy,my nana stayed just @ the top of the road.

This picture brings back memories. Its hard to tell but the guy kneeling on the sledge could be me. my sledge had cut outs along the sides, which that one appears to have. Im Ian Finlayson and lived at 2 Quoybanks Cresent until 1964. Stuart Harcus and Sylvia Walker were at primary school with me.