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Radio Orkney's Diary for Thursday, 17 May 2012.

Thursday diary

As part of Fostering and Adoption Fortnight, Orkney Health and Care’s Fostering and Adoption Service will be in the Orkney Library today from ten o’ clock till seven and again on Saturday from ten till five. Anybody wanting to find out more about the service and becoming a foster carer in Orkney should go along today or on Saturday.

The U3A will be meeting at two o’ clock in the St Magnus Centre when Julian Branscombe will give an Illustrated Talk on the Work Undertaken by the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership, and it’s open to everyone.

The Orkney Sling Library will meet in the Carnegie Room of the Library this afternoon between one o’ clock and three, when anyone interested in finding out more about Baby Slings and Carriers is welcome.

Father Peter Kelly will be in Sanday today and will celebrate Mass at the Sacred Heart Chapel at Saville at half past twelve when everyone’s welcome.

A Christian Aid Study Group will meet in the Stromness Church Hall tonight at half past seven.

And a Faroese Male Group will be in the Stromness Gospel Hall tonight at eight o’ clock.

The WRI’s are on the move tonight – the Quoyloo Rural will be going on a visit to the South Ronaldsay branch.

The Firth WRI will be getting a visit from Firth Flower Club at half past seven in Firth Community Centre.

The Deerness WRI will get a visit from the Burray Branch, and their competitions are ‘a Jam Filled Victoria Sponge’, ‘a Floral Arrangement in a Bowl’ and ‘Pate’.

And the St Ola WRI will have an Evening with Rena Paterson showing some of her Collection, and there’ll also be a Sales Table. Their competitions are ‘a Handsewn Patchwork Article’ and ‘a Victoria Sponge with Jam Filling’.

A group of runners from Jog Scotland Orkney have been busy training for the Edinburgh Marathon on the 27th, and they’re aware there could be many more runners out training for this event – so they’re inviting anyone who’s competing in the Edinburgh Marathon and who’d like to be part of a Group Photo to go along to the Picky Centre Foyer this evening at six o’ clock.

The Clay Pigeon Club will be holding a Fifty English Skeet at Hatston tonight at half past six.

Kirkwall Kayak Club folk should meet at the Guide Hall carpark at half past six.

An AA Support Meeting starts at seven o’ clock in the King Street Halls.

Orkney Strathspey and Reel Society has a Practice Session in The Reel.

All the tickets for the Junior Orchestral Course Concert have been sold – so unless you have a ticket you won’t be able to get in tonight.

Both Library Vans are out today – Betty is in Shapinsay and the Mainland Mobile is in Sandwick.

The Citizens Advice Bureau will be in Stronsay next Wednesday and to make an appointment or arrange a home visit, phone the C.A.B. on 87 5266 before closing time tomorrow.

An Archaeology and Birds Guided Walk is held at the Ring of Brodgar today – meet at the carpark at ten o’ clock.

The Archaeological Work at Braebuster in Hoy continues with Walkover and Survey Techniques being shown today and tomorrow - just meet at the Braebuster Cattle Grid at half past ten.

Film-maker Mark Jenkins will be in the Reference Library at the Pier Arts Centre from half past ten till five o’ clock each day this week, demonstrating the Editing Process on the film exploring Scapa Flow and the Lives of the Servicemen and Women who were stationed there during both World Wars.

To coincide with the In-Print exhibition at the Pier Arts Centre, there’s going to be a Day of Image and Verse this Sunday, loosely following a Renga Session. Anyone interested in trying either Renga or Printmaking is welcome – the cost is £3 and you must book with Carol Dunbar on 850 209 or email: carol.dunbar@pierartscente.com.

A Garden Pass It On Day will be held this Saturday at Steptoze Yard in Stromness from ten till two. There’ll be lots of Garden Related Themes and some enthusiastic local gardeners to help with any queries. They’ll also be opening the new Compost Interpretation Garden, built with recycled materials. They needing donations of plants, garden equipment, seeds, books – anything garden related – Steptoze is open on Friday from ten till two to take in goods – or you can take things along with you to the event on Saturday.

The annual Flotta 10K Race / Fun Run / Walk is this Sunday and to get information on boat times give Isobel a ring on 701 219.

A Charity Quiz will be held in the Masonic Club this Saturday in aid of the Belarus Kids. It’s for teams of up to four, at £5 a team, and there’s £50 on offer to the winning team. Names must be in by eight o’ clock on Saturday night.

Marty Flett and Bruce Ruthven will be cycling 500 Miles for Clan - leaving this Friday. You can support them on their Just Giving Pages, and you can take part yourself on the Static Bike Challenge next Sunday the 20th by contacting Alex at Cycle Orkney.
Papdale School’s Funday is on Saturday and the Finale is the Celebrity Charity Gunging. You can vote at the participating shops, at Picky or at Papdale School – and half the money raised will go to the charities chosen by the four celebrities. Then on Saturday it’s either Andy Cant, Fraser Macnaughton, John Ross Scott or Dave Gray, who gets covered in Orange Goo!

A series of events called Underwater Orkney will be held next month, running from the 2nd through to the 9th, offering nine days of Talks, Events, Workshops, a Boat Trip and a chance to try Snorkelling. A couple of event that need pre-booking are the British Divers Marine Life Rescue Course on the 2nd, it says you don’t have to be a diver – just someone who’s keen to help stranded or injured marine mammals in Orkney. The cost of this is £90 and to book contact Anne Bignall on 852 039. And the Finale is a three hour cruise round Scapa Flow on the Pentalina, with commentary, music and cake. The cost is £20 and book through Pentland Ferries on 0800 688 8998.

The St Magnus Festival has a Four Day Advanced Course for Singers, to run from the 27th to the 30th of June, and will finish with a Concert in the Cathedral on Saturday the 30th. Any singers who’re interested in developing their solo performance skills under the tuition of two internationally renowned professionals, can apply through the Festival Office on 871445 or email: info@stmagnusfestival.com.

And the Festival is putting on a second Ness Battery performance of It Ain’t Half Cold Mum, which will be on the Sunday the 24th at half past seven. There are still tickets for the performances in the Arts Theatre on Monday the 25th, as well as a chance to see the show at the Gable End Theatre in Hoy on Saturday the 23rd of June.

Registration is open for the Clic Sargent Street Conga on Broad Street on Saturday 23rd June starting at half past seven. Led by Live Music – the route is Broad Street, Victoria Street, Union Street, Junction Road, Castle Street and back to Broad Street. With a Latin-American theme, Fancy Dress is encouraged with prizes on offer. Registration and Sponsor Forms are available from Bruces Stores, Nimms and Sinclair Ices or email: conga4clic@live.co.uk.

An Exhibition by Sheila Scott is on display in the Waterfront Gallery, Stromness, till this Wednesday the 16th.

The Pier Arts Centre has an exhibition of Printmaking including items from Soulisquoy Printmakers, on display till June the 9th. And also at the Pier is an Exhibition of Paintings by Kenneth Dingwall showing till July the 14th.

New Work by Jenna Hume is on display in the Loft Gallery in the Hope till June the 12th.

An exhibition featuring Derby Stewart-Amsden is open in the For Arts Sake Gallery.

Orkney Wireless Museum is open each day at Kiln Corner when this years theme is Shipwrecks and Their Radio, and there’s the story of the Strange Events at the Bothy.

The Stromness Museum’s summer exhibition features stories & gifts brought home by mariners who sailed all over the world – the Museum is open every day.

Suzie Woodward’s Exhibition of Dolls Houses – It’s A Small World – is open at Vestlaybanks, Burray, each Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday - for details phone 731 305.

Guided Tours of the Ness Battery will run each week throughout the year, and can be booked by phoning 07759 857 298 or email: info@nessbattery.co.uk. You can find more details on the website at www.nessbattery.co.uk.

The Wild Orkney Photographic Competition is now open, and you can get entry forms and rules from the RSPB Office in Stromness and the Tourist Office in Kirkwall or online at orkneycommunities.co.uk/orkneycameraclub, and you have till next March to capture the right four pictures to enter.

The Steptoze Yard in Stromness has extra opening hours from now on, so instead of just a Saturday, Steptoze will also be open on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays.

Restart Orkney is always looking for furniture & household items – there’s a free collection service for Mainland Orkney – phone 87 6605 or visit the website at employabilityorkney.co.uk.