Halkirk Highland Games

Tug 'O War winners Inverness with event sponsors Babcock Dounreay Partnership



Sinclair Patience




Mike Pockoski, USA, just fails at a record height of 37 feet with the 16lb sheaf




Rusty Price, USA, just fails at 37 feet




Dumbarton & District pipe band play on Bridge Street




A record 14 cyclists battled it out on the 200m track




The cyclists jostle for position




200m race




Sam Grammer, USA, in the 56lb weight for distance, wearing a pink kilt for breast cancer awareness




Murray Gunn in the hammer event




Dumbarton and District pipe band led by Thurso's Drum Major Willie Angus




Alistair Gunn in the hammer event




Over 40s veteran's race. David Blackwood and Jay Mackay getting beat by the ladies.




Chieftain John Thurso MP with the U15-U18 piping champion




Mike Pockoski, USA, won all 3 Scottish Championship medals and was the overall heavy champion

 The weather held for the Halkirk Games yesterday and a record breaking crowd of approx. 5,000 packed the Recreation Park for 9 hours of action packed events. The piping started at 10am and the record breaking international field of 15 "Heavies" finally finished the sheaf tossing at 7pm.

Rusty Price, USA. broke two records in the shot putt events and Thurso's Andrew Raeburn broke two local records in the long jump and hop step & leap. Rusty Price and Mike Pockoski cleared 35 feet in the sheaf tossing, believed to be a ground record. They just failed at 37 feet.

I was on the microphone and could only take photos now and again.

Thurso High School Class of '73 reunion

The Thurso High School class of 1973 are having their 50th birthdays this year and a reunion party was held in the Park Hotel this evening ( Friday 29th July). The disco played lots of favourites from the 70's with "Tiger Feet" by Mud and lots of Bay City Rollers songs going down a storm. This was the third time the 1973 intake have got together.

With lots of news to catch up on, I gave my camera a rest and only took a couple of snaps.

Thurso Golf Club - Wilson Cup winners

Alan Swanson, Jim Sangster, Peter Sangster, David Dunbar

Thurso Golf Club retained the prestigious Wilson Cup after travelling to Shetland to compete against clubs from Caithness, Orkney & Shetland. They beat Kirkwall by 5 holes in the final. Next year the event will be held in Lybster.

The club has won the trophy 4 times in the last 5 years, with Jim and Alan competing in them all.

Thurso vs Brora Rangers



Brora's James Murray is felled in the box by Stuart Sinclair to win a penalty

 Thurso played Brora Rangers today in the North of Scotland cup and lost 4-1. Thurso had a glimmer of hope when they scored to make it 3-1, but it wasn't to be. There was a large crowd at the Dammies even though the entrance fee was £5.

Thurso Golf Club Championships

Alan Coghill (handicap winner), Dougie Thorburn (Scratch winner), Lenny Murray (seniors winner)



Lenny Murray




The evergreen Jim Buchan




Dougie Thorburn misses a winning 6 foot putt on the 14th and had to go onto the 15th to clinch the title




Dougie Thorburn




Brian Ronald




Alan Coghill watched by Steve Grogan




Alan Coghill lines up a putt on the 16th




The gallery watch Alan Coghill drive off at the 17th tee




Steve Grogan




Steve Grogan congratulates Alan Coghill on the 18th green

 Thurso Golf Club held its annual club championships last night (Friday 22nd) in near perfect conditions (slight breeze). A good sized gallery of spectators watched 3 finals played - seniors, scratch and handicap.

Results;
Scratch - Dougie Thorburn beat Brian Ronald, 4 and 3
Handicap - Alan Coghill beat Steve Grogan on the 18th
Seniors - Lenny Murray beat Jim Buchan, 6 and 5

The 19th hole was packed for the BBQ that followed the completed matches.

Thurso Swifts vs John O'Groats

I caught some of the action of the match between Swifts and John O'Groats on Thursday night at the Dammies. It was 2-1 to Groats with 60 mins played. Groats won 7-1, so I missed a barrowload of late goals!

Pentland Utd beat Halkirk 7-1 at Dunnet.
Castletown beat Staxigoe 4-2.
Wick Groats beat Thurso Acks 3-2 in controversy. Groats scored in the 4th minute of injury time to win, but there was great debate as to whether the ball crossed the line. I believe several Acks players and officials were sent off after arguing with the ref.

Circus

The Circus of the Orient visited Thurso yesterday and today. I went on Monday night and it was packed out. The two Shaolin Warriors were the stars of the show. They were so fast that I had trouble snapping them in mid air as they flew around the ring. The circus continues its travels around Scotland and finishes at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.