Another year has gone by and we are rapidly approaching the OHS AGM, which this year can be held in person in the St Magnus Centre at 7.30pm on Thursday 17^th November 2022. 

Following the conclusion of business, Dr Andrew Lind will give a talk entitled, ‘Royalists, Rebels & Clubmen: Orkney and the Carbisdale Campaign, 1649-50.’  This is a much-anticipated talk, which will cover a poorly understood part of Orkney history.

For those that cannot attend in person, you can join online. To receive a link for the meeting via Eventbrite please use this link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/457226957137 

You will then receive an email in which there will be a link to attend the meeting. This allows us to collect e-mail addresses and so confirm which attendees of the meeting are members.

The 2022 AGM Agenda and supporting papers can be accessed on the OHS website here: https://orkneyheritagesociety.org.uk/membership/members-resources/

This year the Society has made a big saving in sending out PDF copies of the Newsletter, but we are concerned that some members may not have received their copy if the email to which it was attached went into their junk or spam folders.  Please do check and get in touch if you still have not received your copy of the 2022 Newsletter (email chair@orkneyheritagesociety.org.uk).

Also, there are still seven unclaimed pre-ordered copies of HMS Hampshire, a Century of Myths and Mysteries Unravelled.  Please get in touch if you have an order form or know of anyone that has one.  Otherwise, the books will go back into stock.

The AGM provides an opportunity for members to get together to exchange ideas for future activities of the Society.   As ever there is an opportunity to get involved and we are always keen to welcome new board members.
Normally, meetings are held every six weeks on an evening in Kirkwall and last for up to two hours.   Please email chair@orkneyheritagesociety.org.uk or secretary@orkneyheritagesociety.org.uk if you would like more information.

The 2022 Linklater Prize

In the 1999 newsletter, OHS published the following information on a brand new award, The Marjorie Linklater Writing Award:

OHS wish to found a memorial to the late Marjorie Linklater, one time Secretary, Chair, Vice President and President of the Society, in recognition of her work and effort in looking after Orkney’s Heritage. This is to be in the form of an award for an original piece of writing submitted by any student in classes 5 or 6 of KGS, Stromness Academy, or of the same age group from Orkney College.

A different subject was to be chosen each year, but by 2002 the format was changed slightly with the stipulation that the writing was to have some bearing on Orkney. Each year would alternate between prose and poetry. By 2005 however, entries were standardised to be prose only, which is how the competition was run for the next 15 years.

This year we are relaunching the award with a slightly different name and a slightly different format. Rather than asking the schools to help run the competition, we are opening it out to anyone living in Orkney between the ages of 15 – 18, and entrants can choose whichever format they prefer between poetry and prose. There will also be a yearly theme. The inaugural theme is the colours of Orkney. This is open to interpretation, and we look forward to a wide range of entries.

The prize winner will be published on the OHS website, and may be published in a future newsletter.

Monetary awards:
First prize: £50
Second prize: £40
Third prize: £30

• The closing date for entries is 16th November 2022.
• Entries must be accompanied by an entry form.The form can be downloaded in MSWord here,  or PDF format here.

Marjorie Linklater, 1909-97. ‘As chairman of the Orkney Heritage Society, she persuaded the oil industry to fund a full-time archaeologist to supervise the islands’ phenomenally rich prehistoric heritage, and when the nuclear industry proposed to mine uranium in Orkney, she led a long, successful ‘No Uranium’ campaign against it.’