Whit’s on this weekend
At a loss for what to do this weekend? Have no fear! The Orcadian is here with a few peedie suggestions…
The Pigeon Detectives, The Sound Archive, Kirkwall
Tomorrow night (Saturday) will see indie rock band The Pigeon Detectives play Kirkwall’s newest venue.
This band made a big splash in 2007 with their debut album Wait For Me. Now on their fifth album, they are sure to attract fans old and new.
John Rae 204th Birthday Celebrations
The John Rae Society are set to host a series of special events, this weekend, in celebration of what would have been the explorer’s 204th birthday.
The festivities kick off tonight (Friday) at Stromness Town Hall, where Alison McMorland and Geordie McIntyre will debut their John Rae-inspired song, Hudson Bay Man, starting at 7.30pm.
This will be followed by a lecture from Dr Claire Warrior, exhibitions curator at The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Claire, who has been part of a team developing an exhibit on the John Franklin, will be sharing some of her research into the story of John Rae and his discovery of Franklin’s ill-fated expedition in search of the North-West Passage.
The celebrations continue tomorrow (Saturday) with a ceremony posthumously granting John Rae the freedom of Orkney. In the afternoon, the doors of The Hall of Clestrain will be thrown open to the public for an Open Day.
Tomorrow evening will see a second performance of Hudson Bay Man at the Orkney Theatre, Kirkwall. Then, local storyteller Tom Muir will introduce the main event — a showing of docudrama Passage — which delves into the story John Rae and his search for Franklin’s lost expedition.
Sheila Scott Memorial Exhibition, The Old Library, Kirkwall
An exhibition and sale of the final works of renowned artist Sheila Scott, who passed away earlier this year, opened today (Friday), at The Old Library, Kirkwall.
Born in Hampshire in 1944 Mrs Scott and her husband, Jim, bought Blackhamer in Rousay in 1971, and she will perhaps best be known to Orcadians for her mosaics on display at Kirkwall Airport.
In an appreciation published in The Orcadian in July, Rousay resident John Vetterlein wrote: “Sheila’s watercolours have appeared in exhibitions from London to Orkney itself, including Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Suffolk, Kent, Leicestershire and elsewhere.
“Her concern for the natural environment is reflected in the work she has done for both the National Trust and the RSPB over many years.
“For the 1988 Winter Olympics at Calgary, Canada, her designs were used in many areas to help promote and sponsor the games.
“A large number of Sheila’s productions are to be found at visitor centres across the land, including Cockley Cley Village and Museum, Norfolk; Lullingstone Country Park, Kent; Leicestershire Trust for Nature Conservation; Anglian Water, Rutland; Cannock District Country Park; Tilgate Park, Crawley Borough Council Visitor Centre; Orkney Tourist Board, Kirkwall.”
The exhibition will be on display until Saturday, October 28.
Girls’ Day Out, Kirkwall
Join Kirkwall BID for a Girls’ Day Out, tomorrow (Saturday). During the day great opportunity for shopping, new season products, special promos, food & drink tastings, pampering and fabulous menus.
Local shops are offering a range of different offers some providing discount, treats while you shop, new products.
In the evening treat yourself to dinner, drinks and dancing with a girls night out. Some of the pubs will offering special cocktails, or you can enjoy a spot of live music in some venues ranging from Pigeon Detectives in Sound Archive to traditional music in Reel and Legion — there’s something for everyone!
Constellations and Shaping the Void, Pier Arts Centre, Stromness
Exhibitions by two young Orkney artists will run in parallel at the Pier Arts Centre this autumn. constellations by Nick Gordon and shaping the void by Louise Barrington both open tomorrow (Saturday).
Louise Barrington and Nick Gordon grew up in Orkney, studying in London and Aberdeen respectively. They have both recently returned to the County and are among the first artists to rent space at the Stromness WASPS Studios.
Nick is interested in collecting, connecting and re-interpreting objects and materials. He assembles discarded objects, transforming them into artworks and in the process creates new stories, often tinged with a dark and surreal humour.
Louise’s work has an essentially abstract subliminal character, taking visual elements – form, line, pattern and colour and transforming them in a poetic way.
These two exhibitions are scheduled to be on display until Saturday, November 4.