Sometime ago I wrote a small piece about the Gala Day, which was held in May 1969, just a couple of months after I had been posted to RAF Buchan: http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.com/2009/12/gala-day-24-may-1969.htmlAt the time the following cutting from the Shetland Times was not available to me.At
The next 2 clippings from the Shetland Times refer to charity events in 1977. The first clipping mentions a performance of the pantomime Cinderella which will be covered in more detail in the future.
In 1979 a couple of servicemen, with support, took part in a sponsored cycle run from Saxa to Sumburgh and back in aid of the Shetland Multiple Sclerosis Society. The Shetland Times covered the event.
In the same year the Wives Club, always to the fore when it came to fundraising, held its Annual Charity Bazaar. The article below from the Dec 79 issue of the Shetland Times shows some of the crowd at the Bazaar. I have to admit that I find the sum raised - £1354 – over 30 years ago on an Island with such a small population phenomenal. Perhaps the figure is the sum raised over a number of events.
In 1980 the Station presented £100 to Da Longship Committee. The Viking Longship replica is still on the go. In recent years, crews with a different sense of self preservation from me have been seen in her as far away as mainland Scotland and Norway. The photo was taken in 2010.
The next series of extracts are from The Stockport Messenger (1983) and from the Shetland Times (1984).
The participants in the Sumburgh sponsored run in the article above are shown in the photo below.
In 1985 the proceeds from a Daft Pram Race (unfortunately no pictures) and the Wives Club Annual Charity Bazaar (also no photos) were used to purchase a computer for the Bells Brae Special Unit.
The next clipping from the Shetland Times is undated but, looking at the names of the people involved, I suspect it was about 1988
The next 5 articles are from 1989, the first from the RAF News and then 4 from the Shetland Times (two undated).
I believe that the picture below came from the RAF News in May 1990. Unst is still a great place for “Twitchers” with many rare birds seen each year.
Finally, in this section, the presentation of a reclining chair to Ward 2 of the Gilbert Bain Hospital which was featured in the 4 Feb 94 issue of the Shetland Times. I have also included a clearer photograph taken at the same event.
