Orkney Image Library

Did a fella Gordon Robertson? drive that roller, I remember it and that name seems
to come to mind.

That looks like Gordon Robertson standing in front of the lorry. He used to drive the road roller right enough.

You are correct Jimmy, Gordon Robertson did drive the roller, and he was also the forman on the roads in Hoy.

When we took the new Lifeboat home we called along Donnaghadee in Ireland and there to meet us was Gordons son Norland who was formerly a Lifeboat inspector in Ireland. My it's a smaa world.

Jock Stout used to drive the road roller in the later 50's and 60's.
Gordon Robertson left Longhope and moved into Kirkwall round about 1955/56 so I think you could be right Jimmy.

John- I did a passage with Norland from Sandbank to Howth in an old open Watson in 1971, he was known as Robbie Robertson to the Irish crews.

I have a correction to make Gordon was not the Foreman.
Willie Doull was in charge. Gordon was roller driver and it was him who took the above photos.
Now there is only one man employed on road works on Hoy, is that progress??.

My hang, Jock Stout could fork shaves, and single neeps. I can mind him helpan at Garson no long after the war. Unloading the coal boat was another of his tasks, driving one of Bill Donalds larrys. Did the council have 2 lorrys at the time of this pic? They look like Morris Commercials. Bill had a Bedford and a Dodge about that time.

The above Jimmy Manson was known with the nick name o Doggy Manson, I dont know why
it seems no one at that time was called by thir proper name.

I think that the man named as Jimmy Manson is in fact my father Malcolm "Big Mac" Manson who drove the lorry at that time with Billy Doull's squad.

Jack I dont think the Jimmy Manson is your father although I have heard your father did work on the Roads on Hoy . I got this Photo from my late Cousin Colin McKay and he had them named . I do remember That Jimmy Manson but not your father .

John you must be right, Colin would have known as he worked with my father at that time, I just thought that the man in the picture looked like my father but the photo is blurry, thanks for your comment.

Hello: Thanks for continuing to forward these pictures. I'm interested to learn about John Falconer in the family. My mother's gg gran-in law, Jemima Mitchell Bruce, was married to Alexander A. Falconer. They had no children but Alexander did by his first wife. Jemima was from Orkney and her died there is 1939. Her sister was Margaret Gowans who had to children and they ran a local store.
With thanks. Wilma