Also in the news / Best Lerwick garden, women’s health event, sail trainees off to Mariehamn and more …

23 July 2024 16:42

A view of the winning garden. Photo: LCC

CHRIS Horrix’s garden at 1 Twageos has been named the winner of this year’s gardening competition organised by Lerwick Community Council.

Judges said the garden “really nailed the biodiversity theme, with over 100 plant species, a well managed wildflower lawn, native plants, year round food and shelter for wildlife, a long flowering season for pollinating insects, wood piles, a big compost heap and many areas left wild for insects to nest and thrive”.

Judge Frankie Valente added: “What was so lovely was how much energy and enthusiasm everyone had for their gardens. “So many of the plants had been grown from seed, or from cuttings from friends and neighbours, so it wasn’t simply a matter of spending huge sums of money to get a great result.”

There were also seven runner up prizes for gardens with different strengths”

Colourful Garden: this award goes to Tommy Sinclair, whose King Harald Street is packed with flowering plants over a long season that is great for bumble bees;
Bird Garden: Shona Bright of Scalloway Road is the winner for a small garden that has been lovingly transformed to give lots of food and habitat for insects and birds;
Pollinator garden: Dorothy Fraser’s leafy garden in Burgh Road had a high bee count, with a great range of plant species, encouragement of wild flowers, several water features and a wonderful hand knitted fence;
Designed Garden: A small walled garden in Nederdale belonging to Pat Leask and Mark Anderson was carefully planned and constructed so that the household can get maximum use from it all year;
Creative Garden: Jim and Margaret Johnson’s large garden in Leog is meticulously kept and full of fun and interest, not just from the many plants but from recycled objects and garden furniture imaginatively used;
Annuals garden: In a year that has seen some flowers held back for weeks due to grey weather, Mida Hawick still managed to nurture a riot of colour at her South Lochside garden, almost all from annuals grown from seed;
Starter/shared garden: Robina Barton at Twageos didn’t have time to manage her whole garden, so Nathalie Pion has taken over the back, creating a vegetable garden, compost heap, wormery and lots of wild species habitat.

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TEAMS from NHS Shetland and a number of other local organisations will host a first ever Women’s Health and Wellbeing event at Islesburgh Community Centre on Saturday 3 August from 1pm to 4pm.

The aim is to provide a social space to stop by, engage with local services, have one to one discussions, receive support and practical help, signposting to services, and informative resources. C

hief midwife and child health manager Jacqueline Whitaker said: “I am the lead for women’s health, and my portfolio is obstetrics, gynaecology and sexual health.

“Women’s health is more than that though, but it’s outside my sphere of influence, so I was looking at what I could do to let women know what’s available.”

Local organisations participating include Shetland Women’s Aid, The Compass Centre, MS Society Shetland, Parkinson’s Shetland, Voluntary Action Shetland, Citizens Advice Scotland, Shetland Resolve, Sands and Hjemli Reflexology.

Whitaker said that it is hoped the event will help to improve awareness and understanding of women’s health, empower the community, and become a recurring event that will evolve and grow.

Excitement is building for sail trainees setting off to the Tall Ships Races 2024; Left to right: Ailish Goodlad (STS voyage coordinator), Jasmin Chapman, Calum Mackay, Aaron Priest of sponsor Arven, Caitlin Spence, Iona Nicol and Amber Johnson (STS committee member). Missing from the photo are Emma Sandison and Alannah Thompson. Photo: Dave Donaldson for Sail Training Shetland

SAIL Training Shetland (STS) has announced the six trainees selected to take part in this years’ Tall Ships Races on board the Roald Amundson, a German A class tall ship.

Emma Sandison, Jasmin Chapman, Iona Nicol, Calum Mackay, Caitlin Spence and Alannah Thompson will participate in race three of the annual event between Mariehamn in the Aland islands and the Polish port of Szczecin, later this month.

During the race to Szczecin the international team of 31 sail trainees and 17 permanent crew will need to work together in all aspects of operating the ship,

Jasmin Chapman said: “Sail Training Shetland’s scheme is such a great opportunity. It is an honour to be chosen to represent Shetland at the Tall Ships Races. I am incredibly grateful to Sail Training Shetland and its sponsors.”

The trainees will head off tomorrow (24 July) and will travel to join the Roald Amundsen in Mariehamn, where they can get to know their fellow crew mates with some host port activities before the spectacular parade of sail on 27 July.

SHETLAND MSP Beatrice Wishart has welcomed the news of a multi million pound UK Government grant towards a sub-orbital rocket test at SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland by Glasgow-based HyImpulse.

“UK Government funds for Scotland’s space sector is a boost to Shetland’s role at the new frontier of space technology. This is very welcome news,” she said.

“Unst’s SaxaVord spaceport is a testament to the hard work of their team, working with companies like HyImpulse, ensuring a long term future for Shetland’s local economy and Scotland’s burgeoning space sector.

“Unst will be at the centre of a new space age and I call on the Scottish Government to invest in greater connectivity infrastructure across the isles to maximise this unique opportunity.”