Lively Sandwick reflects on the past and looks to the future

When I last spoke to Rosemary Inkster and Neville Martin, who are two of the leading figures in Sandwick Social and Economic Development (a charity), they were putting the finishing touches to some major improvements at the Hoswick Visitor Centre. They were also able to point to progress of other kinds: you can read about that here.

This time, I found them in reflective mood, for they’d put together a fascinating retrospective exhibition featuring three of the major events that the community has hosted in the past thirty years or so. In fact, they’d originally intended to do something last year to mark the 20^th anniversary of the establishment of the Sandwick Community Development charity, but – as with so many things – Covid intervened.

However, as we’ll see, their efforts are far from over.

1993: The European Association of Student Architects

One striking thing about the community’s achievements is the level of ambition involved in all of them. That was certainly true of the visit in August 1993 by the European Association of Student Architects, who had decided on Shetland – and Sandwick – as the venue for one of their annual meetings.

Rosemary explains that the theme they had chosen was “an isle” and the isle on which they’d wanted to focus was Mousa, site of the best-preserved broch (an Iron Age stone tower) anywhere. “So, it made sense for them to come to Mousa and Sandwick was the nearest to that.”

Around 600 students from all over Europe made their way to Sandwick and it’s clear that the community really rose to the challenge of welcoming and accommodating them. As Neville explains, it was a good time to be hosting them. “We had good facilities here. The swimming pool had just opened, and we had the school with its cafeteria. Carnegie Hall had kitchen facilities and there were the youth club and social club, too, and they had shower facilities..” Marquees were also pitched.

Rosemary reflected that it’s important to appreciate the circumstances in Europe in 1993. On a practical level, there was no such thing as the card payment that we all use nowadays, “so the bank came to the Carnegie Hall every morning. It was a different way of working.” Eastern Europe was only just emerging from Soviet rule: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had, as Neville says, “only just got independence”.

Their students didn’t have much money – two or three of them would share a pint of lager – and some of the countries involved were at war with each other. But that wasn’t an issue. Rosemary recalls that, despite it being August, the weather was cold “and the crew in the bar at the Carnegie Hall introduced them to hot toddies”, which became popular.

The students intended the event to be a “terrific creative explosion” and they achieved that. They organised events of all kinds and food played a big part: the eclectic menus created by different national groups are fondly remembered to this day, as is the pop-up Greek cafe shown above. A few physical reminders have survived, too, including a relief model of the area, including Mousa.

July 2001: Noye’s Fludde

The memories of Sandwick’s next achievement linger, too. At the turn of the millennium, Sandwick Junior High School hosted an extraordinarily ambitious production of Benjamin Britten’s one-act opera, Noye’s Fludde. There was another anniversary involved here: the show was put together to mark the 50^th anniversary of the local youth and community centre, originally known as the recreation club.

The opera was written by Britten with amateur performers and children mostly in mind, although the parts of Noah and his wife were to be taken by professionals; it was first performed at the Aldeburgh Festival in 1958. Based on a 15^th century mystery play, it tells the story of Noah’s Ark. Britten wanted the production to be staged in halls or churches, not in opera houses.

In all these respects, the Sandwick production followed Britten’s prescription and the school proved to be a perfect choice. Audiences were hugely impressed, and 1,080 tickets were sold.

On entering the school, I recall that we moved past a series of beautiful settings that evoked desert, polar, seaside, farm and countryside. In each of these, primary children played the parts of appropriate animals, wearing beautifully-made masks. These were retrieved for the exhibition from the school loft and lots of them are on display. Rosemary is “really pleased to find that the curlew had survived!”

These tableaux were a magical introduction the evening and the opera itself was brilliantly realised. The production was directed by Eve Jamieson. Nigel Hayward – a well-known local music teacher, whose idea it had been, directed the music. The staging was superbly done. The use of professionals in the leading roles anchored the production but the performances by the children were terrific.

As an example of what can be done when a community works together, it could hardly be bettered. “We were very pleased how it all came together,” says Rosemary. Many of those who were involved in the production have visited the exhibition. Shetland fiddler, Chris Stout, was leader in the orchestra, and has said what a privilege it was to take part.

It happened that two years later, in 2003, Sandwick experienced a real flood, when a cloudburst of extraordinary intensity led to overflowing streams and numerous landslides in the hills nearby. The main road linking Lerwick to the south mainland and Sumburgh Airport was severed for a time. At some point, Rosemary and Neville intend to mark that occasion, too.

July 2005 – The NatWest Island Games

The third community achievement marked in the exhibition is the staging of the 2005 NatWest Island Games. This wasn’t an event confined to Sandwick, being hosted by Shetland as a whole, but Sandwick was one of the principal venues.

These games bring together island sportspeople from many parts of the world; teams had travelled to Shetland from as far afield as St Helena and the Falkland Islands. In total, 24 different islands were represented, sending 2,400 competitors and officials. The Faroese contingent arrived in a fleet of motor cruisers. As with the student architects, inventive solutions were needed to accommodate so many visitors, including the use of two cruise liners.

Overall, Shetland put in an impressive performance, ending in seventh place in the medal table and – among other achievements – carrying off the gold medal in the men’s football competition, defeating Guernsey 2-0; and it was in football that Sandwick played a major role. The matches played here were Aland versus Guernsey, the Isle of Man and the Falkland Islands, and Bermuda versus Guernsey.

Again, the community pulled together – and pooled its resources – to make sure that the event was a complete success. Barbecues were set up adjacent to the football pitch and Neville says that these were “very well received.”

Neville observes with amusement that, having hosted international matches, the village’s football pitch is now inspected and accredited as an international venue. “There are people going round to visit every international football ground in Britain, and because we hosted these matches, they count as international football pitches!”

The Sandwick school hosted the table tennis in the games hall. Many visitors to the exhibition ask where such a large venue was located, not realising how large the hall is. Some rooms were used for dormitories for visiting teams.

In the 16 years since the Island Games, much else has been achieved, as my earlier article explained. Paths have been created or improved, many trees have been planted and the visitor centre at Hoswick has become an essential stop on any tour of the south mainland.

However, it’s clear from talking to Rosemary and Neville that they are as determined as ever to move forward with further enhancements, promoting the area – and Shetland – as a place to come and to stage events. Equally clearly, there’s strong community support, evidenced through well-organised consultation.

The next item on their agenda involved the ferry terminal at Leebitton, from where a summer passenger service runs to the island of Mousa, celebrated for the best-preserved broch anywhere and as a valuable wildlife site, noted especially as a seal haul-out - though seals are frequent visitors to the Leebitton pier, too!

The pier at which the ferry ties up – a Listed Building – was sensitively and painstakingly reconstructed some years ago, again as the result of a huge community effort. There is a small visitor centre and waiting room, with some excellent interpretation. However, there’s a lack of car parking and a need for much-improved toilet facilities, and these are the next priorities. According to Rosemary, the activity here has just “taken off” and more space is needed for all the folk that turn up, whether in cars, camper vans or buses.

Land for a car park has been earmarked across the road from the visitor centre and toilets are envisaged at the back of the beach, in an area partly devoted to boat parking. They’re also thinking about offering cycle hire, because it’s easy to tour from here to places such as St Ninian’s Isle. Fundraising for all this is getting under way.

And that’s not all that’s in mind. Other potential projects include upgrading a woodland path and expanding a community garden.

It’s clear that the Sandwick community, which has won several awards for its past achievements, is as determined as ever to make progress in realising its ambitions. To learn more about the work of Sandwick Social and Economic Development, you can watch this video.