We were delighted to receive funding from the Orkney Islands Council Culture Fund towards a new exhibition, Picturing Hoy – a selection of ten images – but which ones? We are asking the Hoy community and the wider community to select which ten they would like to see in the exhibition.
The selection has been put together to augment what we already have at Hoy Heritage Centre rather than duplicate anything, and we have looked for images that put people in the picture. We will be accompanying each image with text and audio where suitable.
So help us make the choice. Which ten are your Hoy choices?
Send in your ten number choices in the comments box or by contacting us here.
1. Return from fishing, Rackwick
2. The 1952 Hoy Dance at Hoy Hall. (We have names for nearly everyone in the photograph thanks to Cathy Clark.)
3. Cathy Rendall serving in the shop at Rackwick
4. Mary Mowat and her mother with Jack the ox collecting peats
5. Rackwick School
6. Ivy Mowat and brothers outside the shop in Rackwick
7. Visitors to the Dwarfie Stone now the view from the Sea eagle’s nest
8. Peat cutting in Hoy
9. Cathy Wilson of Whaness on her motorcycle
10. The old Moaness Pier
11. Before the pier was built
12. Harvest time
13. Hoy School pupils
14. Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (Max) at work in his croft Bunnertoon in Rackwick -Gunnie Moberg Archive
15. Building the new road to Rackwick 1926 (we have names for most of the men)
16. The Hoy Half Marathon which has been going for 33 years – Robert Ionides
17. Filming at the Old Man of Hoy
18. Betty Corrigall’s grave – the tragic story of Betty Corrigall’s grave can be read here
19. The Hoy Express – a popular Edwardian postcard subject! See more here
20. Isaac Moar Hoy Postmaster, Chick Chalmers (we have the Hoy post stamp in this photograph on display following the PO closing in 2017).
21. Stevie’s Boat. Here it is the Triton but Stevie Mowat also captained the Scapa Ranger, the Jessie Ellen and MV Graemsay before retiring in 2012. Whatever her name it was always Stevie’s boat.
images: Hoy Heritage Archive, Orkney Library & Archive, Gunnie Moberg Archive, SCRAN.
Hoy Heritage Centre HOY KIRK ORKNEY 
I Think 21 as it shows no matter what no matter how the world changes Orcadians remain
Thanks! You can choose another 9, it’s not easy!
Brilliant, thanks Josephine.
1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 15, 20, 21
Definitely 21, 20, 14, 5
Possibly 15, 19, 13, 12, 11, 2, 3, 4
Just counting up your votes Josephine, I’ve noted your 4 definites but you’ll have to drop 2 possibles!! Which ones?
2,3,4,5,6,9,13,14,21,12
2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10 12, 16, 18, 21,
Brilliant photos!
Great Catherine that’s your choices logged!
A great selection. The ones that stand out for me are:
3,5,6,10,11,12,14,18,20,21
Thanks David that’s your choices in the mix, cheers.
1,3,5,6,9,11,15,17,21
Some excellent photos here. Seems just right that the Rackwick road builders would need a brass section.
Thanks for your choices. Interestingly the hut remained in a place name long after the hut was gone. Marion Talbot recalls her Mum (Cathy photo 3.) called a part of the road Brae of the Hut or Hut bend – I must ask her and get it recorded right! The photograph was donated by Ivy (photo 6.) and on the back it says that it was taken by Edwin of Happy Valley.
Here are the results from The Talbot jury!
Marion 1 2 3 4 5 9 12 16 20 21
Iain 1 3 5 6 10 12 19 20 21
Thank you. It’s like the Eurovision Song Contest getting results coming in from all over.
Trish 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,12,13,14
Thanks Trish that’s your votes in.
3,5,6,12,17,21,
Thanks Fay, that’s your votes counted – you can still use another 4 is you wish
20, 11, 1, 21, 13, 15, 2, 4, 8, 7
Remember my husband speaking about Isaac Most and Ginger Brown’s boat when he visited as a 16 year old in 1965
Marvellous Linda, thanks.
My choice of the photographs are as follows: 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 16, 18, 20 and 21.
Thank you Eddy, your choices are noted.
Hi again. Don’t know what happened last time but here are my slightly altered choices. If I balls it up again I will choose blindfolded next time, as I was once accused of doing in a physics multiple choice at school! 1 3 4 5 9 11 12 15 20 21 Tarrah
Donald your choices are in! Thanks
Lovely selection, I’d go for 3,4,5,6,8,,9,12,15,20,21…. Cathy Wilson looks rather good on her motorbike… is the bike still around I wonder? Fiona
Thanks Fiona, Wouldn’t that bike make a lovely exhibit!
Hi Bec Difficult and I’m sure on different days I’d put in Max and the cameraman.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 9. 12. 13. 15. 20. Some great photo’s. Try and get the original Rackwick fishing print instead of the p.c.
Great Puck. Do you mean the black & white Rackwick fishing one rather than the hand tinted version?