Community / Skerries heritage day hailed a big success
THE FEEDBACK from a Skerries heritage day held last weekend has been “overwhelmingly positive”, according to its organisers.
The event was held at the local hall last Saturday (13 July) after a grant was secured from the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund.
Organised by Violet McQuade and Louise Robertson, it was part of Skerries Development Group’s project to provide six interpretive boards in Skerries.
People had the opportunity to browse through information and items about Skerries’ past, see a knitting demonstration from McQuade and have a go at splicing rope or mending a net with guidance from Davie Anderson.
There were also crafts, organised by Julie Arthur and Lynsey Hall, while the weather allowed for a scavenger hunt – led by Jilly Ash – to go ahead, with both activities said to be very popular.
Chris Harris dressed up as a Viking, and enthusiastically got into character to welcome people into the hall, while Zoe Anderson brought along some of her finds from her archaeological digs in Skerries, including pottery that was 3,000 years old.
Ryan Arthur, who has been working on the project ‘History from Houll’, which involves scanning and preserving hundreds of old family photos, had set up a sideshow of old images, as well as drone footage of local scenery.
RSPB conservation officer Matt Wilmott also delivered a talk about plants, trees and birds and how residents would have made use of this in the past.
He also gave an overview of the rare birds that been had been spotted in Skerries, one of which – the Red-headed Bunting in 2010 – was the first accepted sighting in the UK.
Wilmott also took Donna Smith’s samples of wool that had been naturally dyed using plants from Shetland.
A Skerries heritage quiz, featuring questions on notable events and dates as well as Shetland words, rounded things off.
Organisers said feedback from the event was “overwhelmingly positive” – not just on the range of activities on offer but also the homebakes provided by the community and lunch from the hall committee.
Those behind the event also thanked the crew of the Filla and the council’s ferry services team for altering the timetable to allow visitors to come for the day.
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