Orkney Image Library

Hello there, my name is Kathleen Rush(Bruce) and I lived in Orkney but now in Maine USA. I mind I think his name was David Kirkness, his wife and he lost a baby with a cat smothering the baby, I thnk Mrs Kirkness, ws either a primary school teacher and a Sunday school teacher. Her husband had a wooden shop, I think it was on Palace Rd, he made Orkney chairs as well as coffins, they were a real nice couple, one thing I mind some one once said the chairs with the hoods were made that way, to keep the cold drafty winds off some ones face

You are fairly right, the wooden shop is still standing, it is now a Parliamentary Office for the Liberal-Dem Party, someone will certainly correct me if I am wrong! One of the last men to make Orkney Chairs in this workshop was Edwin Tait, Carpenter & Joiner from Toab via Tankerness. He had a marvellous pair of hands, it was said also that the hoods were to keep the sooty or paet flukes off the head and shoulders. Added by Phil Brough.