Lerwick antiques

I am doing a bit of research on that stone pillar that stands in the centre of the Lerwick market cross.

I have found this out so far - Around 1870 it had a stone urn on top, then around 1900 the urn was removed and replaced by a gas light, then around the 1930s the gas light was removed and was fitted with a iron top with a round white glass shade on top which housed an electric light fitting.

It's a grade C listed monument.

It has a tube barometer and thermometer inside which was probably fitted around c1880s - 1910.

There is a theory that this piller was originally located in Scalloway and was then moved to Lerwick when Lerwick became the capital of Shetland. But however, I have not managed to come across any reliable source that supports this theory.

Can this pillar really be from the 1600s - 1700s?

If this is true, then why is this not common knowledge? You would think that something that is still standing with so much history would be well documented and would have a plaque errected on it or some where near by for the cruse ship passangers and visitors, after all they have several plaques fixed around fort charlotte, picts castle, etc, etc.

What is your thoughts?

Also if you can guide me to a reference that supports this theory then I would be most interested.

The Shetland Times has changed a lot over the years.

There used to be two weekly Shetland news papers, the Shetland Times that came out on Fridays and The Shetland News that came out on a Tuesday if I mind right which stopped in the mid to late 1960s.

There are very little news in the Shetland Times now and the classifieds are basically non existent.

Despite the lack of news in it, the Shetland Times has suddenly gone from £1.30 to £1.50, that is £6 per month if buying one every week.

Suppose the lack of classifieds and adds have left the paper hard to pay for it's self so the team has to keep the cost of the paper going up. 

Can't get on to the classifieds or my messages. Any ideas how I can? or is Shetlink still undergoing changes and not ready yet? Only thing I can get on is the forums.

I totally agree with you brochbuilder. But we now live in a world where folk won't walk to a shop unless they can get parked near as possible. What tends to happen is folk drives around trying to find somewhere to park their car close by, if they can't find somewhere to park then they go else were.

This just shows what like SLAP/SIC are.

HNP should have been left alone, but no, they were basically bullied out of their premises, for what? absolutely nothing.

Shame on SLAP/SIC and anyone else involved in nearly destroying a well established local business and nearly losing folk their jobs.

Do you honestly think it will attract more shoppers to da street?

I have a awful feeling it will be the end for da street. It's bad enough at the moment with folk not going to da street due to lack of parking and folk not wanting or not able to walk from their car to da street.

It looks like it will have a bad effect on the post office as folk wants to stop out side the RBS to post parcels, they will just go to Freefield post office instade.

Is it legal to ban blue badge holders? somehow I don't think it is.

I see there is a half page article in today's Shetland Times about the SIC plans to ban all cars from da street including blue badge holders. This is apparently going to happen next year. Will this be the final nail in the coffin for Commercial street?

He said "do you want to keep your dog" twice. If he was meaning something else or not, who knows, my mother is not a mind reader, but that was his exact words.

The small dog about the size of a cat was on a lead, harness and in her arms so wasn't going anywhere near him or the meter.

She was asked on the phone about dogs and she said she had one, the woman on the phone said long as the dog is restrained. Which the dog was.

So he should not have made any remarks about the dog and showed some respect, after all he is in someones home.

Wonder what training these Hydro workers get from their boss? Clearly manners and people skills are not included in their training.

The point is that the dog was on a lead/harness and in her arms (it's just a small dog) so the dog was not going anywhere. Why should a dog be locked in another room? long as the dog can't get to the meter or the man. What does "do you want to keep your dog" mean. Sounds like a threat.

The hydro should maybe think about employing folk that doesn't have a bad attitude towards dogs. After all the dog lives in the house, the meter man is a visitor and should show some respect.

Mother got a letter and a call about getting her meter changed from a card meter to a key meter. The time was arranged today from 2pm - 4pm.

She got a call around 2pm from this man asking where Lochside is at, as he didn't know.

Anyway he arrived, she went down to the door with her small dog in her arms on a lead and harness, he said "do you want to keep your dog" she told him that he is on is lead and harness and he asked again "do you want to keep your dog"

What does "do you want to keep your dog" mean, was he issuing a threat towards the animal? or what?

I totally understand that some folk are afraid of dogs, but he didn't appear to be.

She asked him for identity and he showed her a clip card on his trousers.

He claimed he has lived in Shetland for 8 years, but he was very poor english and didn't know where Lochside is.

So if you are getting a meter changed and you have a dog, beware.

She says she is going to make a complaint to the Hydro about this.

HMP should have been left alone where they were.

I started counting all the cafes and eateries in Lerwick. The results are as follows

17x cafes/eateries

3x chip shops

8x Indian/Chinese restaurants

4x hotels which has dining facilities for the public

2x cafe vans/trailers

It's an awful lot of places for one small town.

I have thought for many years that fireworks should only be available to responsible organizations to set off a display like what they used to hold at Clickimin.

Personally have no interest in it and struggle to see what other folk find so attractive with it. Hold a half hour firework display on the 5th Nov and that is all that is needed.

Mind the old folk used to tape up the letter boxes incase a prankster decided to put a lighted firework through their letter box for a "laugh"

Mind many years ago someone decided it would be a laugh to tie a firework to a cats collar and light it.

Fire works are very dangerous in the "wrong hands"

I saw today that a certain shop in town has big banners out side advertising fireworks for sale, but business is business.

Whats wrong with a bon fire in the back garden? Long as folk has a grain of wit and responsible then you can get toasted marshmallows and a good way of getting clear of a old shed, broken furniture etc

Can't recall anyone getting injured with a bon fire but recall a few folk getting their hands etc burned with playing with fireworks.

I think on the whole da street has improved a lot this year with a few new places opening up. The chocolate shop is moving into where the chemist was at the cross and there is supposed to be a barber opening up in the place where the chocolate shop was. Some shops have also had a revamp, so things seem to be looking up. Hopefully it will attract more folk to da street on a more regular basis. Us shop keepers are trying and will welcome you.

Changing the subject a little. What does folk think of these new Living Lerwick managers? do you think Living Lerwick has improved under new management? just the same? or worse?

I wonder why the SIC narrowed the turn between the Esplande and Church road? Now two buses, vans or that can't pass without one stopping to let the other pass. Cars can pass fine but anything larger can't. I personally think that was the stupidest thing the SIC did last year with the road works. It stops the flow of traffic and will just be a matter of time before both vans/buses etc scrape against each other if it's not happened already.

 

There was an article in the Shetland times on 12th October 2018 about the trade on street etc. Living Lerwick manager says (I quote) "Lack of parking in town an urban myth, says Living Lerwick manager" What planet do these folk live on?

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It is an urban myth - there are plenty of parking spaces. The problem is that too many able-bodied drivers are unwilling to get off their backsides and walk the relatively short distance from them to the street.

 

The new business owners who were interviewed for the same article generally seemed positive about its future – and for those that have started up just this year, the heinous speed bumps clearly didn’t deter them from deciding to invest. That suggests to me that if you have a business that offers folk what they want (be it on price, product, good customer service etc.) parking or traffic calming isn’t necessarily a deterrent.

 

Another headline article in the same paper reported that levels of obesity are still too high locally. Which comes back to my first point….

 

It is not a urban myth, Folk often says they are put off going to da street due to no parking. I for one avoid taken my van to any where near da street as I would just end up going in circles looking for somewhere to park it and having to carefully maneuver around that cars that keep parking at the market cross. 

So, going by your last paragraph, you think the problem is obesity? what about infirm folk that can't walk far? might seem a good idea parking behind the grand hotel but it's a steep hike back up which a lot of elderly or disabled folk aren't able for.

It would be a good way of thinking that folk would make a special trip to get something they want, but the reality of it is they don't unless they have easy access.

Any one that thinks that parking, difficult access and speed clamming measures don't put folk of is living on a different planet and needs to get out there and speak to the public.

But I do agree that it is nice to see new businesses opening and I wish them all the best.

You will find it's mostly for cruise ship passengers. Da street has had cars, trucks and buses going through it for many, many years. They even widened "da roost" to allow cars to go through.

They are trying to make the town into something it is not, never been, or ever will be.

That cruise ships is just about the worse thing that has happened to the town. Only folk who benefit is LPA and the bus tours. Most locals avoid da street when these cruise ships are in, so more cruise ships that come makes more days of zero income to Shop/business owners.

The town is ruined, not the town I grew up in.

The SIC have made access and parking as difficult as they can over the years. It's a real problem for customers and for us who tries to run shops and businesses on da street or Esplanade.

There was an article in the Shetland times on 12th October 2018 about the trade on street etc. Living Lerwick manager says (I quote) "Lack of parking in town an urban myth, says Living Lerwick manager" What planet do these folk live on?

One of the biggest problems with Commercial street and esplanade is that the SIC and LL are both hell bent on pleasing these cruise ships. That speed bumps etc they installed last year was for cruise ship passengers. Everything they do is to "improve" for cruise ships and bend over backwards to "set an example" to these cruise ships.

It's the same with this "car fee" street, it's for the benefit of cruise ship passengers.

This is all very fine and well as wouldn't want to give a bad impression to visiting cruise ships, but it is having a terrible effect on shoppers and shop/business trade.

No one asks the general public or shop/business owners what they think, this is where Living Lerwick is supposed to come in, as they are supposed to be a voice for business owners and the public, and take on board opinions to put across to SIC. But how can they seeing as they are in league with the SIC? Anyones opinion just falls on deaf ears and the SIC will bomb ahead regardless of what anyone says.

Be a sad day when the town gets completely destroyed and all left will be empty buildings with a hand full of shops, sure the SIC will be happy then.

I think the co-op layout is far better. But they have installed that self service checkouts which seems to cause problems. I was along the Co-op last week and there was a lass trying to use one of the self service checkouts and needed assistance, but she had to wait at least 5 minutes before a member of staff came to help, wouldn't care, but there was two members of staff standing beside the checkouts but they were to busy speaking to help. They would really need to have someone employed just to stand at them ready to help customers who dares to use them. Also hear that they are planning to replace the flooring in the Co-op, I don't know, but think I would have replaced the flooring before giving it a new layout.

Having said that, the co-op is one of my favorite shops as I usually get what I want and know a few of the staff.

Tescos seems to be lost their way in the last year or so, I can go to tescos and come out with a couple of items and usually it is just the case of buying something so it's not a wasted trip. I thought it was good them doing works to the car park but that is before I realized they have installed very harsh speed bumps, the ones on the esplanade etc are a joy to go over compared to these ones Tescos have installed. I creep over the ones in Tescos but still gives my van a terrible rattle, swear it will do damage to the suspension or something. I personally think this is a bad move for Tescos.

Also note that Bolts has had a revamp and Alex Morrisons has changed a bit in the last few weeks.

Why does the uk courts still have the oath of holding the bible and saying "I will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" or something like that. The whole court system follows christian believes and the bible.

If I am right, the court follows the bible and that's where the laws comes from. Like, for example, who said it's a crime to murder? it's been made a crime as that is what is in the bible. When they used to hang criminals then that would have been the high court following "an eye for an eye" in the bible.

Also, witches or witchcraft was another old believe, don't know if it could be called a religion though. But it was illegal to practice witchcraft and many women were drowned or burned due to the witchcraft laws. Think the last woman to be tried under the witchcraft law in Scotland was Helen Duncan, who was a medium, that was in the 1940/50s.

Does "religion" not mean "folks believes"

It's hard to imagine how a nation of "believers" can be taken in by the bible, as there is no evidence any of this is true or exists.

I think it's more of folk believing what they want to believe. To some folk, going to heaven after death is a comforting thought, being reincarnated is a comforting thought, some find eternal darkness as a comforting thought, some find "going to paradise" a comforting thought.    

Many folk get into religion after doing a crime, drugs etc and confession their "sins" helps them make peace with what they have done to folk, society or themselves.

As for spirits/ghosts, strangely there is more evidence to support that theory through sightings etc, but I would also discount this until I see a ghost of a dead person then might believe that.

Many folk are follow religion as it's what they want to believe and what brings them comfort.

Bearing in mind, there has been many occasions where folk has committed terrible crimes against society or a person as this is what they claim to be correct through their perception of the bible.