As a fairly long standing Hebridean subscriber to The Shetland Times, I can say that I rarely set eyes on particularly offensive remarks in your paper. But I think that Da Whitrit has gone a bit over the top this time (16th January) when he states that “he cannot abide the sound of Gaelic”.

I cannot imagine that the sound of Gaelic will bother too many people on Shetland and I am not well versed enough in the Shetland dialect to know if you have a Shetland speak for helicopter or marmalade, but I think that Da Whitrit could do with a few lessons in the origin of some of the other examples quoted.

No Gaelic for Aly McCoist? Well Aly/Alistair/Alasdair or however you may wish to spell the name, is in fact the Gaelic version of Alexander and any surname with the prefix Mac/Mc (the Gaelic for son of) is again taken straight from the Gaelic language, whether it be the Scottish or Irish version … and I cannot think what the origin may be, but my guess is that the Coist part of the surname also originates from Gaelic or Irish given that it is prefixed by Mc.

As for place names … as in Lerwick, we have numerous place names and island names throughout the Hebrides that take their origin from the Norse language … for example Brevig, Sandwick, and islands Mingulay, Boreray, Berneray, Eriskay etc.

The examples I have given here are written in the Anglicised form but given that the names are as old as the Gaelic language itself and used long before English was ever spoken in the Hebrides, then of course there is a Gaelic version of every such place name on the map, spelt according to the way that the place name is pronounced in the language.

So, it follows that if the Gaelic weather forecaster is telling us about the weather in Sandwick in Lewis and referring to the place by its Gaelic name, why would he/she turn to English to tell us what the weather was like in Lerwick in Shetland? They simply would not do so, and so Lerwick is referred to using the same spelling and pronounciation rule as similar place names on the western seaboard of our country.

I wonder what your neighbours in the north would have to say if you told them that Da Whitrit cannot abide the sound of Faroese, in favour of the Danish language? Da Whitrit would be sent on the next boat to Iceland no doubt.

Alasdair MacEachen
Benbecula,
Western Isles.

Shetland Fishermen’s Association is positive after a meeting between skippers and Scottish fishing minister Richard Lochhead at the NAFC Marine Centre yesterday afternoon.

SFA chairman Leslie Tait said he was pleased with the frank and constructive discussion that took place.

“The industry in Shetland is fearful of the impact of any reform to the quota system,” Mr Tait said.

“We are also very concerned about the lack of clarity on how the discard ban which will come into force for the main white fish species next January will actually work.

“The minister left with a strong sense of the concerns among our skippers on these issues.

“As far as the discard ban is concerned he clearly agrees with our point of view, and he and his officials are lobbying in Brussels and at Westminster to ensure that the new management regime does not put any of our boats out of business.

“The minister offered us assurances that any reform introduced after the consultation on the way the quota system operates would not jeopardise our fleet.

“We share his aspiration to bring more young people into the industry and in Shetland we are already working hard to achieve this.

“But as ever, the devil will be in the detail and it was made clear to Mr Lochhead that radical change to the quota system has the potential to undermine confidence in the industry in these relatively buoyant times.”

Mr Tait praised Mr Lochhead for visiting Shetland to see for himself how important the industry is to the islands.

Retired lecturer BRIAN NUGENT, chairman of the Scottish independence campaign group Yes Shetland, alleges that people were “conned, bullied and panicked” into voting no in September’s referendum.

There was a no vote on 18th September, so how can we explain what has happened since in Scotland? Where has the rocketing membership of independence supporting parties come from? How can the opinion polls be so consistent over the four months since the referendum in showing, first a huge jump, and then consistent high support for the SNP?

Locally in Shetland, SNP membership is up by nearly 600 per cent, and the Scottish Greens membership is up too.
I did hear David Mundell, the lone Tory MP in Scotland, claim, rather lamely, that the Scottish Tories had had an increase in membership as well of 200.

The SNP has become the third biggest political party by membership in UK, never mind Scotland, at over 93,000.
Given the result, should membership and opinion polls not be going in the other direction? Independence is not going away; if anything it is more centre stage than during the referendum.

I believe that the UK scored a Pyrrhic victory in the last week of the referendum campaign. With 10 days to go and after two years of scare stories, one opinion poll showing a lead for yes of 51 per cent produced an initial panic and then the UK went into overdrive. Supermarkets, banks, insurance companies were all “persuaded” to speak out against independence.

The big thing was the “vow” in the Daily Record. The wording is mainly meaningless waffle. Somehow, the implication was that “devo max” was on offer although not in the wording.

The timing of the vow, on 16th September, showed sheer panic, sheer cynicism. One quarter of voters were postal votes, and had probably voted at that stage, so this was no planned entry into the campaign.

But, the vow, and the rest, had the desired effect. At least some of the no voters were conned, bullied, panicked into voting no. And that is why, I believe, the political situation today in Scotland is the one that we have. A lot of no voters woke up on the 19th and regretted their no vote.

How many opinion polls have shown since the referendum, since the dust has settled on the vow, that a majority would now vote yes?

The first ballot box is emptied at September’s count in the Clickimin Complex.

Independence is not going away.

We have had the Smith Commission, and now we have had a “command paper” and now we have had the UK Parliament on Monday 26th January fall at the first fence when it had a chance to implement a Smith Commission power, listed as clauses 69 and 70.

During the fracking debate in the House of Commons an amendment, to amend the Scotland Act, was voted down by 324 to 231. The amendment would have given the Scottish government responsibility for licensing and mineral access rights for onshore shale gas extraction. Scotland would have had control over fracking.

And our MP, home rule’s great advocate, if you listen to his bombast, voted against as well.

He welcomed the home rule that he saw being implemented in the “momentous” draft legislation command paper report published the previous week. As Mandy Rice Davies said, well he would say that, wouldn’t he.

Devo max, home rule, Smith Commission; what is on offer? Is anything worthwhile on offer or is it really just the devo minimum that that UK parties and politicians think that they can get away with?

In the vow, three UK party leaders agreed that “the Scottish Parliament is permanent and extensive new powers for the Parliament will be delivered”.

Extensive? What was missed in the proposals of the Smith Commission is extensive, and have since been watered down further in the command paper.

Among the missing are powers over the minimum wage, pensions, employment law, equality law, National Insurance, housing benefit, universal credit, broadcasting, corporation tax, inheritance tax, capital gains, renewable energy and oil.

What the UK parties should do is list the powers in the command paper, explain how they match “extensive”, and how the powers can be made to work in the Scottish Parliament.

There are further problems with what is on offer. One is that we get bits of powers, the appearance of power. Scotland can collect income tax but cannot alter rates or bands. Scotland will get half of the VAT take but cannot alter rates.

Another is that some of what has been reserved to Westminster and some of what might be devolved to Edinburgh will lead to conflict, a real mishmash of powers that do not appear to have been thought through logically, about how different powers work together.

Yet another is that a new benefit could be researched and modelled but not implemented by the Scottish Parliament because the secretary of state at a UK level would have to give permission for this to go ahead. Is this devolution of powers or is it just there to emphasise who is really in charge?

What chance is there of getting a future parliament to vote through extra powers for the Scottish Parliament when the current one declines its first chance?

The intemperate discussion on the BBC’s Question Time on powers for Scotland gives further clues as to how low down the priorities powers for Scotland is.

The UK parties have set a trap for themselves with their miserly approach to giving powers to the Scottish Parliament.

Had they been generous or, at least, logical in their distribution of powers they might have had a case. But they have none and everyone, whether a yes or a no voter, can see right through them and should vote accordingly in May.

• This article first in appeared in The Shetland Times, 30th January edition.

Brian Nugent must be a believer in E B White’s quote: “Trust me, Wilbur. People are very gullible. They’ll believe anything they see in print.”

He makes the same mistakes he made during the independence campaign; he thinks we are all stupid.

Now some simple maths to show the truth of his assertions in last week’s Sounding off. Shetland SNP membership up 300 per cent? This actually equates out as from a total Shetland electorate of 18,000 we have a total SNP membership of around 300, which then makes SNP membership in Shetland a mere 1.6 per cent of the total electorate.

There were 5,669 yes votes in Shetland, a mere five per cent of which now make up the SNP membership.
Out of the 4.5 million voters in Scotland a mere 2.06 per cent are SNP members, so hardly the huge jump or rocketing membership Brian claims.

The SNP membership is obviously made up of the 37 per cent of Scotland’s electorate who voted yes, so Brian’s assertions are poppycock. All that has happened is a few yes voters have joined the SNP, leaving the no voters where they have always been, in the majority.

Brian also concocts a lament of dissatisfactions with the wide spectrum of new powers being given to Scotland. It is important to remember that these powers were promised not to those who voted yes but to those who voted for the union.

It was those whose loyalty to the idea of union remained, who won those very substantial extensions to Scotland’s ability to manage its own affairs.

The new powers were given to make Scotland stronger as part of the union, not to enable its disconnection from it.

In other words Brian, just to rub it in, as the old Greek saying goes, “to the winner go the spoils”, not to the loser go the spoils.

Just to put Brian right on another point: for two years those who were always going to vote no led in the numerous polls which were regularly conducted. Then, shock horror, a rogue poll indicated a lead for the yes camp shortly before decision day.

The talking shops went into overdrive as the YeSNP side attempted to profit from this poll and the no side worked to correct this apparent gain.

The YeSNP lost their attempt to split the UK in two. In essence, those who were always going to vote no did so, then in accordance with the predicted polling results over two years, went on and won the referendum as expected, to keep Scotland in the union and remain in the United Kingdom.

Therefore Brian, as the loser you should accept the result of the majority. Brian and the YeSNP are the vocal minority still out there, shouting about independence because they did not get what they wanted.

Unless I am mistaken, they wanted independence, not extra powers within the union. If that is what they wanted, then they must be the ones who changed their vote, yet funnily enough they are the same people who proclaim they voted yes.

They are entitled to nothing, except constant reminders that the democratic wish of the Scottish people is to stay with the union.

Gordon Harmer
Bayswater,
Brae.

The latest discussion on Shetland dialect is largely nonsensical. Language (including dialect) is a living and changing thing and no amount of angst is going to make a blind bit of difference towards “stopping the rot” as some would have it.

When my wife and I (with considerable help from Neil Anderson) set out to collect and record all the dialect words still known and used throughout Shetland, (Shetland Words, The Shetland Times Ltd – 2010 and revised 2014) it was not with a view to trying to apply some sort of a brake to the decline of usage but rather to provide a benchmark for future generations to observe the changes that have occurred since Jakobsen’s research over a century earlier.
The commendable activities of the group Shetland Forwirds and to a lesser extent the appointment of a dialect co-ordinatot cannot of themselves bring about a reversal in what is a natural trend towards a more cosmopolitan speech form.
One only has to observe the ludicrous attempts at rendering the dialect into phonetics on social media to realise that Jakobsen was right in his aim to standardise spelling. The pity is that he did not live to complete his work.
Variations in pronunciation should not be confused with standardised spelling. Without the latter, the former is always going to be doomed in my view.

Alastair Christie-Johnston
4 Steenbrae,
Aywick,
Yell.

Generous donations of almost £7,000 have been given after a young mother died from an undiagnosed heart condition.

A Just Giving page in memory of Anna Smith from Gulberwick has attracted more than £6,800 in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

In happier times: Anna Smith is cuddled by daughter Ava.

The page was set up by Anna’s grieving husband, Darron, after dental nurse Anna suffered two heart attacks on 22nd January, the second of which proved fatal. She was 37.

Mr Smith set a target of £450, but the running tally of more than 350 donations has far exceeded his expectations.

Mr Smith, who works abroad for offshore company McDermott International, only set up the site after his work colleagues asked where to send charitable donations. He expected a three-figure sum to come in from workmates in Australia, Singapore and Dubai, where his company operates. However, the power of social media has resulted in funds flooding in from all quarters.

“I was working in Indonesia when I got the news, so I was two boat rides and five flights, just to get home.

“All my colleagues and work mates from overseas immediately started calling and asking about flowers and addresses for cards, and if there was any charity I could offer them to donate to.

“I set up the page really just for my workmates to be able to contribute. I was expecting just a few hundred pounds … and I sent the page to my HR manager in Singapore to distribute through the company, and I have a lot of workmates on social media.”

The link was quickly spotted on his Facebook page, and the donations quickly snowballed.

“What was meant to be for my colleagues overseas has turned into a far greater thing than I ever really imagined. It always seems to be able to surprise us, the power of social networking.”

Mr Smith described the support shown as “amazing”.

“Although it’s such a sad time, the support shown to the heart foundation is actually also showing support to me and my daughter, Ava.”

He has been printing off all the pledges of support from the Just Giving website for young Ava, four, to look back on in future years.

“Although she’s only four and a half, I’m printing off all the pages of support and all the donations from the heart foundation and putting it in a memory box, and she’ll be able to have that.”

Describing Anna’s condition, he said: “It was something she had had from birth that had never been picked up. It wouldn’t necessarily have ever been picked up, unless you were specifically looking for it. It showed itself on Thursday 22nd, and within 24 hours she had survived one cardiac arrest, and the second one took her.”

• To donate, log on to www.justgiving.com/Darron-Smith/

All school across Shetland are closed today because of overnight snow.

The SIC confirmed the closures shortly after 7am and said that all tonight’s youth clubs were cancelled too.

Details of any disruption will be updated throughout the day but bus services are affected.

Cancelled services include the 7.55am number five Burra feeder service and service 12 – the 8am from Aith.

Service 19 – Vidlin – is operating but delays are possible and service six – Sumburgh – is operating but is unable to access side roads.

• Send snowy photos to editorial@shetlandtimes.co.uk

Scalloway Health Centre.

The Scalloway Health Centre will take on more patients over a wider area when the new practice opens in the former primary school building later this year.

Medical staff will cater for up to 700 new patients in an area stretching as far as Gulberwick. Scalloway’s current boundary extends to Whiteness and Weisdale, the Tingwall valley and parts of East Voe. Some patients in Wester Quarff also go to Scalloway – historically, because the GP used to go there by boat.

The latest move, due around May, should give the village practice responsibility for 4,000 patients. It has been made possible by the deal brokered between the NHS and Shetland Islands Council, which has already seen Scalloway school pupils move into the old junior high school building that had been vacant since 2011.

Gulberwick patients will be split between the practices in Lerwick and Scalloway. Those who are registered in the town will have the option to transfer to Scalloway should they wish to do so. Letters will be sent in the near future to help keep folk informed.

The news emerged at last night’s meeting of the Lerwick Community Council, where health officials outlined plans for four new advanced nurse practitioners, or ANPs, to begin in the town practice from next month.

Primary care service manager Lisa Watt

Primary care service manager, Lisa Watt, was accompanied by community health and social care director, Simon Bokor-Ingram and serving ANP Joan Sandison. Medical director, Roger Diggle, was also present at the meeting.

The appointment of more ANPs were largely welcomed by members.

But SIC convener Malcolm Bell questioned whether problems lay in having one GP surgery – Lerwick – covering half the population.

Ms Watt said Scalloway would soon be getting a bigger health centre, which would help spread the numbers.
“From today, we’re looking at expanding the Scalloway practice boundary, which will give capacity of up to four thousand.”

She said the decision to appoint another four ANPs followed long-running difficulties, mirrored nationwide, to fill GP vacancies. The town practice should have 7.2 GPs on its books, but has been saddled with a 1.7 full time equivalent vacancy for almost two years.

Dr Diggle said a number of Shetlanders were going through GP training, giving Shetland a slightly more positive picture than the nationwide shortage. Across the UK, more than half of GPs were aged between 50 and 65. Most of those training, he said, were women who wanted to work part time.

Ms Watt said appointing ANPs was within the health board’s budget and would help the NHS offer more appointments to those in need.
Responding to questions from town councillor Michael Stout, she said ANPs would be on hand to deal with acute

patient care. That would leave GPs able to tend to other patients with long-term needs, which would help maintain a continuity of care.

Mr Bokor-Ingram stressed ANPs were people who were “highly experienced and educated members of the care team.”

The meeting heard Ms Sandison had been in the Lerwick Health Centre for 26 years, and had a key involvement in the walk-in clinics at the Gilbert Bain Hospital on Saturday mornings.

The four new recruits will be less experienced, said Dr Diggle, but would be supported by two GPs, who would make themselves available to see any patient if requested by the ANPs.

“I think it will be a huge step forward,” he said.

Questions were also asked about the number of GPs working in Lerwick. SIC member Jonathan Wills queried how

GP figures in Lerwick now compared with 10 or 20 years ago.

The health experts worked out an historical figure of six. But that had to be seen against a backdrop of growing demand among more patients, with 4,000 appointments being seen now compared with 2,000 in previous years.

Dr Wills said there was a need for a third or half as many more GPs.
“Or you use other members of the team, and that’s effectively what we’re doing?” Dr Diggle interjected. “It is a way of creating capacity.”

Speaking after the meeting, Ms Watt stressed the change of Scalloway’s boundary had not come about in order to help the Lerwick practice.

“It’s because Scalloway are getting a bigger health centre and can take more patients,” she said.

Fresh hope has emerged that a resolution could be found to the industrial dispute between ferry mates in the Unite trade union and the SIC, according to a senior union official.

The development comes ahead of the latest round of strikes tomorrow – which for the first time will last six hours – in the row over pay grades for mates who act up as masters.

Late this afternoon Unite union official John Taylor said a statement had been released to members. Although he would not reveal its contents, it could mean that the situation is moving towards resolution.

He said that independent conciliation service Acas had formed the opinion the job evaluation of mates’ jobs should have been done differently.

The people doing the evaluation had looked at the environment the mates work in, which is partly on deck and partly in the wheelhouse. They deemed the wheelhouse to be “office” work and graded it accordingly.

John Taylor of the trade union Unite.

But, Mr Taylor said, the wheelhouse is still at sea and Acas has apparently accepted this.

He said: “The people doing the job evaluation looked at it as an office, but you could be in the wheelhouse in a force 10 wind. It is believed they [the job evaluators] made a mistake and it would appear Acas supports that view.”

SIC councillors will next week consider proposals from Acas as a possible solution to the ongoing dispute.

Ferry mates who are Unite members have been taking industrial action on council ferries for the last two weeks in a grievance over their pay grades. Tomorrow morning ferry services will see the first of the full six-hour strikes when almost two-thirds of the council’s ferry mates will stop work. In previous weeks work has resumed around 9am.

Last month, representatives of trade union Unite and SIC met at Acas to discuss the dispute. The meeting ended without resolution and it was agreed that Acas would present a paper detailing Unite’s position to councillors.

The outcome sought by Unite is to re-grade ferry mates using an additional weighting to account for their “outdoor exposure” in a marine environment.

The mates’ posts had previously been assessed and reviewed independently, under the national Job Evaluation Scheme, agreed by the Scottish Joint Council (SJC), comprising representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) and three trade unions: Unite, Unison and the GMB.

Cosla have now commented on the possibility of local changes to a national job evaluation scheme and the difficulties that this would present. Councillors will hear detail of this in private at next week’s SIC policy and resources committee in a report from director of infrastructure services, Maggie Sandison, that will also include the Acas proposals from Unite.

Chairman of the SIC’s environment and transport committee Michael Stout said: “I find it difficult to see how the local branch of Unite can raise this industrial action and have issues with the Job Evaluation Scheme, when nationally, Unite have been central to its formation. I’m also disappointed that ferry mates are taking this action again to disrupt our lifeline inter-island ferries, before the council has had a chance to consider the report and options before us.

“We have already offered to recognise the ability of mates to act as master when necessary and to therefore pay them at the higher grade.

“During this extended period of disruption we will do our best to minimise the impact for ferry users.”

Tomorrow’s strikes will start at 5.45am and will affect the North Isles, Whalsay and Skerries.

The first ferry for Bluemull Sound will leave Gutcher at 12.05pm, the first one across Yell Sound will leave Ulsta at 12.15pm, the first Whalsay ferry will leave Symbister at noon and the Skerries sailing from Symbister at 12.15pm will go direct to Lerwick. Bressay and Papa Stour services are not affected.

Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael, has said it is “unthinkable” that 16 and 17 year olds will be unable to vote in the 2020 General Election.

His comment came after he introduced legislation in the House of Commons to devolve responsibility for setting the voting age to the Scottish Parliament.

This was one of the commitments set out by the Smith Commission and has been moved forward to make sure Holyrood can enact legislation ahead of the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections and the 2017 local authority elections.

Speaking in the House of Commons this week Mr Carmichael, said: “My view is that there is every reason to believe that the tide has turned in favour votes at 16.

“When it comes to extending the franchise in this country, the liberal, progressive argument always wins in the end, and afterwards there is a consensus that it was the right thing to do.”

He also spoke of young people in the Northern Isles taking part in the referendum.

“One of the more positive memories that I will take from that campaign is of a packed meeting in Kirkwall town hall, which was addressed by me, by my noble friend Baroness Williams of Crosby, and by a 15-year-old Orcadian school pupil, Jack Norquoy, who was not even old enough to vote in the referendum.

“It was both humbling and inspirational to observe that level of engagement and participation. It is, indeed, that level of engagement and participation that has brought us to this point, and it is for that reason that I am immensely proud to invite the house to agree to the order.”

After the debate he said: “The referendum was an opportunity for young people to show why they deserved the vote and they seized it with both hands.

“Record turnouts and the role of young people in the yes and no campaigns showed us that the time is now for 16 and 17 year olds to get the vote.

“Last night’s [Monday’s] vote is the first part in that process. We brought forward the motion to enable the Scottish government to lower the voting age in time for the next Holyrood elections. This was part of the Smith recommendations and I am delighted that we have been able to not only keep our promise, we have been able to deliver it quicker than originally thought.

“I want to see the voting age lowered nationally and shall be making the case to my colleagues in government. It is unthinkable that by the time we come to an election in 2020 that we will not see that election on a franchise that includes 16 and 17-year-olds.”

MSYPs Catherine Hannah (left) and Kaylee Mouat who is pleased that votes for 16 year olds are moving closer.

Shetland MSYP Kaylee Mouat, said: “To have 16 and 17 year olds given the right to vote in Scottish elections is an immense achievement by everyone who has been involved and is a historical moment which no one will forget.

“This will empower young people to use their voice and know that their opinions matter.

“The recent independence referendum has demonstrated how engaged young people are in politics, illustrated through the very high turnout of 16 and 17-year-olds at polling stations throughout Scotland.

“These young people are ready to have their say and they deserve the vote.”

Looking ahead to the general election in 2020, she said it would be amazing for 16 and 17 year olds to have their say, and such an empowerment for young people.

A teenager who sparked a major incident after arming himself with an airgun has been sentenced to three years in custody.

Samuel Barlow, 16, from Wester Skeld, will also be subject to a supervised release order for one year after his release from a young offenders institution.

Barlow had previously admitted four charges of assault and one of behaving in an abusive manner, following a major incident which saw him involved in a stand-off with armed police officers.

Sheriff Mann told Barlow he was fortunate not to have been shot when he carried out the offences. He paid tribute to the work of the officers who demonstrated “professionalism and restraint”.

• More to follow and full story in Friday’s Shetland Times.

A smoker was taken to hospital with burns on his hands, after setting fire to bedding at the Islesburgh hostel.

At 2.10am on Wednesday a small fire broke out in one of the rooms.

The man is thought to have caused the fire while he was smoking a cigarette in one of the bedrooms, setting alight the bedclothes.

He was able to put the fire out, but not before the smoke detector and fire alarm went off.

The man was the sole guest in the hostel and the overnight duty manager helped him from the building.

Two fire engines from Lerwick went to the scene and police also attended.

There has been some fire damage to the bed, mattress and floor but the hostel remains open.

Hostel manager Dale Smith, said: “We obviously have strict fire procedures in place that were swiftly put into place by our overnight staff member last night [Wednesday].

“I am pleased that it was a quiet night in the hostel and that the damage is confined to just one room. We do remind all our residents that smoking is prohibited in Islesburgh and will continue to do so in future.”

A teenager has been placed on supervision for two years after assaulting an elderly man at the Gilbert Bain Hospital on Christmas Eve.

Rory Smith, 17, of Burgh Road in Lerwick, admitted pushing the man against a wall and pinning him to the ground.

He also obstructed and hindered two nurses and a doctor before struggling with them as they restrained him from carrying out the assault.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said Smith was at the hospital after being taken there by ambulance. That came after he had been found in the street drunk.

He said an 81-year-old man went into the cubicle to see Smith. But Smith attacked him, pushing him against the wall and then onto the floor.

“That created a significant disturbance,” Mr MacKenzie said.

At first a nurse attended and tried to pull Smith off the man. Another nurse and a doctor joined in the effort when that proved unsuccessful.

Things got no better on Christmas Day when Smith threw a duvet over a woman at Coastguard Houses and placed her in a headlock, shouting and swearing as he did so.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said Smith believed his drink had been spiked.

“There’s more than a strong suspicion that, although he accepts he was drinking quite heavily, his drink had been tampered with. Somebody he thought was a friend put something into his drink.”

Hay & Co. Buildbase, Shetland, part of Buildbase, “National Builders Merchants of the Year 2013” and one of the UK’s fastest growing builders merchants, require a Showroom Assistant.

Duties include: dealing with customers both in person and by telephone; planning and designing kitchens and bathrooms etc.; quoting and processing customers orders; filing and other associated duties as required. This is a full time position although part-time would be considered.

Applicants should be of a friendly disposition with good communication skills and have the ability to work as part of a team.

This position attracts all the benefits you would expect from a large successful company.

Please apply in writing including current CV to:

Jim Moar,
Branch Manager,
HAY & CO BUILDBASE,
Freefield,
Lerwick,
Shetland,
ZE1 0NH.
Tel. 01595 693057.
www.buildbase.co.uk

Childsmile Oral Health Support Worker
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Post 1: Part Time – 30 hours per week (Ref: IRC2896)
Post 2: Part Time – 22 hours per week (from April 2015) (Ref: IRC2898)
(Rotational posts requiring both day and night shift working)

If you require assistance with your application, please contact the HR offi ce on 01595 743694.

In promoting equal opportunities, we welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We currently have the following opportunities – visit our website for more information on www.shb.scot.nhs.uk

At Shetland FM we deliver a distinct service style to our Clients, a style reminiscent of the people and the stunning islands from where we take our name.

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The full details of all our current Shetland FM vacancies can be viewed by visiting us on our Current Opportunities page on our website www.shetlandfm.com

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BARS & CATERING ASSISTANTS

Various salaried hours available including Full Time £16,165 to £18,120 (Pro Rata inclusive of £1,928 islands allowance)

Understanding what it means to deliver exceptional customer service and be able to exceed customers’ expectations is imperative in this role. You will have previous experience of working in a customer-focused bars environment, you will be able to work effectively as part of a team and you will be flexible and have a passion for creating a welcoming and relaxing environment.

KITCHEN ASSISTANTS

2 x 25 hour a week salaried posts £16,165 to £18,120 (Pro Rata inclusive of £1,928 islands allowance)

Understanding what it means to deliver exceptional customer service and be able to exceed customers expectations is imperative in this role. You will have previous experience of working in a commercial kitchen environment and will want to deliver great food to our customers. You will be able to work effectively as part of a team and enjoy the challenges of a busy developing cafe/bar environment.

JOIN US
This is a exciting opportunity to join an innovative and entrepreneurial organisation that supports the creative life of Shetland as we enter a new era in our development.
Do you want to join us?

Closing Date for both jobs: Saturday 21 February 2015

APPLY
More information & application details: shetlandarts.org/opportunities or jobs@shetlandarts.org

Mareel,
Lerwick,
Shetland,
ZE1 0WQ.
www.shetlandarts.org
T +44 (0)1595 743 843
Email info@shetlandarts.org

HEAD OF FINANCE

Full Time – 37 hours per week Salary: £39,089 to £41,746 (depending on experience) inclusive of £1,928 island allowance

You must be able to demonstrate a high level of technical accounting skill and experience, you will possess well-developed theoretical and practical knowledge of financial and management accounting procedures. Managing a small team, you must be able to work autonomously and will play a key role in the organisations development by providing strategic and business planning advice.

MARKETING MANAGER

Full Time – 37 hours per week Salary: £25,627 to £28,160 (depending on experience) inclusive of £1,928 island allowance

You will combine a passion for delivering audience-focused marketing campaigns to the right people at the right time, resulting in strong ticket sales, with a clear understanding of the arts and leisure sector.

You are energetic, creative and level-headed, able to balance the practical with the strategic, happy to translate data into workable marketing insights, and keen to make an impact. Managing a small team, you must be able to work autonomously and will play a key role in the organisation’s development.

JOIN US
This is a exciting opportunity to join an innovative and entrepreneurial organisation that supports the creative life of Shetland as we enter a new era in our development.

Do you want to join us?
Closing Date for both jobs: Saturday 28 February 2015

APPLY
More information & application details: shetlandarts.org/opportunities or jobs@shetlandarts.org

Mareel,
Lerwick
Shetland,
ZE1 0WQ.
www.shetlandarts.org
T +44 (0)1595 743 843
Email info@shetlandarts.org

Three bedroom end-terrace property at Mossbank in the North Mainland of Shetland, within easy reach of Sullom Voe & Brae. Lerwick 26 miles. Mossbank has a local primary school and shop, further amenities, including a high school & swimming pool / leisure centre, being available at Brae.

Double glazed accommodation comprising a living room, goodsized dining kitchen, attractively finished modern bathroom with bath & separate shower, and a single bedroom or study on the ground floor, plus two good-sized double bedrooms, both with a built-in cupboard / wardrobe, on the first floor. Heating is by electric storage heaters.

Externally there are fenced low maintenance yard areas to the front & rear, and two sheds.

Viewing – please contact our reception.

Have the following vacancy in their busy office:

Duties to include Sales and Purchase Ledger work, Sage payroll, and general office tasks.

Accounting experience preferred but not essential.

To apply, please send a CV and cover letter to:

L. Leslie,
The Brakes,
Virkie,
ZE3 9JW.

www.nessengineering.com