http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/fred-pope-some-recollections-of-saxa.html
After that inauspicious beginning he became a very keen member
of the sailing club, taking part in many of the local regattas throughout
Shetland. Fortunately he also enjoyed photography and is happy to share some of
his pictures on this blog. All of the photos in this section belong to Fred
Pope. The Shetland pictures used here
were taken at Lerwick, Cullivoe and Baltasound. Near the end is a copy of a
short piece from the Shetland Times about the Mid Yell Regatta in August 1968
and a couple of photos from an expedition Fred took part in.
The first 2 photos were taken in Lerwick, Left click on pictures to enlarge). :
The next batch of photos were all taken at, or when sailing
from, Cullivoe in Yell:
The 2 photos which follow feature RAF Albacores at Baltasound.
Many young (and not so young) servicemen learned to sail whilst serving in
Shetland and a significant proportion continued sailing after being posted south.
RAF participation in the Mid Yell Regatta was popular and, during Fred's time, he participated in the
1968 event. The Safety Boat had left Unst with plenty of “provender” aboard –
at this time Yell was still a “dry” island with no legal sales of alcohol. The regatta received coverage in the local
paper - the Shetland Times - and a couple of extracts from the appropriate issue
are reproduced below. Despite the depletion of the cargo from the Safety Boat,
the RAF crews did well:
My thanks to Fred for permission to share his photos.
CONTENTS LIST
