Knitting a new chapter at Costie’s

Breathing new life into what was once the favourite haunt of Kirkwall youngsters is no mean feat — but Annie Glue hopes to knit a new chapter at Costie’s Pavillion.

Like her mother Judith before her, the designer will offer shoppers a chance to browse and buy quality Orkney knitwear.

The former snooker hall, which once boasted backyard tennis courts, comes with a lot of history. Annie hopes to celebrate that past while giving the building a new lease of life.

“When we got the keys, we opened the door just to have a look at what we’d bought — and as soon as we did there was people looking in and having a nosey,” she said.

“They have memories of playing pool or snooker and playing badminton, and I heard from one person about how he broke a window at the back and he had to apologise. He was scared at the time about being banned, but he wasn’t in the end — all the funny stories.”

Read more about Annie’s plans in The Orcadian, available now — in shops and online.