Removing the Courthouse Steeple - Sunday 30th June 2019 video and images

All went well today and quite a few folk turned out to see the removal of the Courthouse steeple as the renovation works by the LTM Group continued assisted by a crane from the Stoddart company.



A picture below of the some of the team involved today and also images from Murray MacRae. More Gurn images of the operation coming soon.

Picture Murray MacRae - click to enlarge 

Picture Murray MacRae - click to enlarge 

A single Community Council representing Nairn just now

With River CC in abeyance then that is the case, if you wish to take your concerns to a public meeting and get an airing in a forum where Highland Councillors and the press will be present then you only have one option just now until the Community Council elections in November when sufficient candidates may come forward to allow Nairn River CC to be restored. Tonight at the regular meeting of West and Suburban CC however there was an invitation to all those remaining River members (left in limbo by the decision of Highland Council to shut them down) to join West and Suburban as non-voting associate members. A decision that, for now, effectively gives us a body that has representatives from most areas of the town. 

There was talk too of the future of Community Councils in Nairn and whether sufficient people could be attracted to the forthcoming elections this winter, particularly younger people who, it was mentioned, seem happy to comment on issues on social media but unwilling to take the further step of attending meetings, let alone stand for membership. One option for after the elections might be another attempt at a single council officially representing Nairn or a return to the idea of joint meetings.

There was a lot of stuff that folk might have found interesting tonight, perhaps the CC should experiment with a live Facebook broadcast to enlighten folk of how issues are discussed and how contributions can be made. Tom Heggie and Peter Saggers (two Highland Councillors) present were

Picture from Dec 2012 - concern expressed by Community
Councillors over the lack of action on flood prevention surveys
and works for Nairn although we are high on the list for action

asked about a number of issues such as car parking charges (nothing yet), the failure to come up with a new flood prevention scheme (nothing new yet). News emerged that Highland Council are talking with the BID about a deep-clean of the High Street and surrounding areas. The CC in conversation too with the BID about the nascent improvement organisation paying for £4,000 for the installation of the Christmas Lights this year (a price that Highland Council will be demanding). Talk too of the BID taking the fireworks cash from the CC in the future and then organising a display but that could be some way off.

And there was talk of the A96 bypass inquiry results being with Scottish Ministers by the summer (that'll be starting soon no doubt). The Courthouse works have gone over budget according to Tom Heggie but the Council will be paying out for that. There were one or two other things mentioned as well and no doubt the Leopold Street Thunderer will have some details for interested citizens to digest next week.

It was an hour and a half of the issues affecting the town, very interesting, it's all we have in the way of a democratic forum for the town – will sufficient people come forward in November to allow one or both of the town's Community Councils to continue?

PS only just seen some comments on previous articles, they have been published now - used to get an e-mail notification when they came through but that has stopped for some reason. Apologies for the delay.

Armed Forces Week 2019 ceremony at the Legion - Picture Murray MacRae

Car park closure for Nairn Courthouse Steeple removal

Highland Council Press Release:

Residents and visitors to Nairn are advised of forthcoming works involved with the ongoing refurbishment project to Nairn Courthouse.

On Sunday 30th June the top of the Courthouse steeple/viewing tower will be lifted off by crane and placed in the rear car park to allow repairs to be made to the wooden and lead structure. This operation will be weather dependant.

To allow crane access and carry out the lift, the full rear car park will be closed overnight at both entrances from the A96 from 10 pm on Saturday 29th June until 10 am on Sunday 30th June.

Crane set up will take approximately an hour and a half from 7 am on Sunday 30th with the actual lift likely to take half an hour from 8:30 am. For public safety, the High Street will be closed off in the immediate vicinity of the Courthouse for the duration of the lift. Areas adjacent to the Courthouse will also be cordoned off for safety reasons.

Once the steeple has been removed, it will be lowered into a secure compound in the rear car park for works to take place.

Replacement of the refurbished steeple is programmed for the end of July 2019. The construction works are currently on programme and the public are able to view the various stages of works required at Nairn Service Point.

The works are being carried out by Laing Traditional Masonry, and project managed by The Highland Council’s Development and Infrastructure Service

Works in Progress - Pop-Up exhibition in Links Studios, Grant Street, Nairn - Sat 22nd June and Sunday 23rd

Climate Emergency school strikers moving to alternate Saturdays on the High Street

Eric told the Gurn this morning that the Friday School Climate Emergency strikers will be coming to the High Street on alternate Saturdays. The first Saturday action will be on Saturday 29th between 1-2 pm on the High Street.

Climate Change "Heading for Extinction" Talk in Nairn Community Centre Monday 1st July 7 pm

Armed Forces Day a Flag Raising Ceremony will be held at Nairn Royal British Legion on Monday 24th June 2019 at 10.45am

In recognition of our Armed Forces a Flag Raising Ceremony will be held at Nairn Royal British Legion on Monday 24th June 2019 at 10.45am. All veterans and members of the public are welcome. pic.twitter.com/JvCeZA9fu7

— Murray MacRae (@MurrayMacRae) 19 June 2019

Team Hamish event brings crowds, colour, joy, motion and much more to Nairn today - pictures

A fantastic event and the weather mainly held off as an amazing event took place with the Team Hamish 10K and fun runs getting underway. Click on the image below to browse or a several pages of Individual larger images here. 

Please note we have had to put the images into two flickr albums now due to a technical difficulty. The second album now added below. 

Individual larger images of second album here. 

Missing cat Rose Street - 1st June 2019

Update: 22/6/19 Sadly Sam was found deceased yesterday.

Julie Hatton's cat has been missing since Saturday, 1st June in the Rose Street area. This is her post on Nairn Rocks.  

"My poor cat got out last night as I had moved house. He is not well and on medication. His name is Sam and he is a very shy cat. No collar as he had a cut on his neck. Moved from Belivat Terrace town centre Nairn to Rose St if you see him please pm me."

If you live in or around the Rose Street, High Street, Belivat Terrace area, could you please take a moment to check your house, garages, sheds, greenhouses, conservatories, etc, in case Sam has got shut in.

If you see him please pm Julie on the Nairn Rocks post.

"The Scottish Government must deliver on its promise to the people of the Highlands to make railway travel to Inverness competitive with road travel"

"The Scottish Government must deliver on its promise to the people of the Highlands to make railway travel to Inverness competitive with road travel according to the Scottish Greens Parliamentary Co-Leader Patrick Harvie MSP. 

Both the Welsh and Scottish Governments have recently declared climate emergencies and this week the Welsh Government announced it has scrapped plans to build a new motorway.

Mr Harvie highlighted this at First Minister’s Questions this afternoon, asking that since the FM insisted, “Everything is under review” whether the government would look again at the A9 and A96 dualling projects and instead redirect public expenditure from road building to a modern affordable and efficient rail network.

Patrick Harvie MSP said:

“More than ten years ago an SNP First Minister made a promise to the people of the Highlands that rail travel would become competitive with road. In the meantime, little has happened on the rail front, while huge investment has been committed to the A9 and A96 dualling projects.

“If these projects continue as planned this would mean that there were effectively four lanes of road heading to and from the Highland capital, but only one lane of rail. 

“This week we’ve seen a welcome u-turn from the Welsh Government, scrapping its plan to build a new motorway in the face of the climate emergency. If the Scottish Government’s climate commitments are to be taken seriously, it must too rethink its polluting road plans, and instead invest in reliable alternatives.

“Dualling and electrifying the Highland Mainline could be done at a fraction of the cost of the road projects, and would bring huge environmental and economic benefits to the region. It’s time for the Scottish Government to deliver on its promises and provide a modern, affordable and efficient rail network which is fit for the 21st century.”

D-Day 75th Anniversary - Memorial service on Nairn LInks

A good turnout today for the service organised by the Nairn Branch of the Royal British Legion despite the weather, as those that trained in this area during World War 2 and then went on to participate in the D-Day landings were remembered.