Piece from The Orcadian 13/02/1969

“Kirkwall Squash Club Formed

At a meeting held in the Community Centre, Kirkwall, on Wednesday, February 5 it was decided to form the Kirkwall Squash Club.

The court is presently being renovated and it is hoped that play can start in about three months time.

The annual subscription was fixed at £3 3/- for men, £2 2/- for ladies and £1 for students, school children and juniors of 18 years and under.

The following office-bearers were appointed:-

President – Mr J D M Robertson; Secretary – Dr S N Heywood; Treasurer -  D Kemp, CA; Committee – J D M Robertson, Dr S N Heywood, D Kemp, M Gilbertson, N Rushbrook.”

The Formation of Kirkwall Squash Club

The Club was formed in 1969 when it obtained from Kirkwall Town Council the war time squash court at Hatston on a rent-free, rate-free basis for a period of five years.  At that time the building, then in poor condition, was being used as a potato store.

Money was raised for renovation – the installation of a wooden floor by Nicolson Brothers, and the plastering of walls by Andrew Tait & Son – by inviting a number of people to provide advance subscriptions.  This produced £700, the annual subscription being set at three guineas for men, two guineas for ladies.

The undernoted were the subscribers, some of whom had never played and would never play squash.

John D M Robertson

David Oddie

Sidney P Robertson

Laura Grimond

Rev H W M Cant

David L Kemp

J A W Lee

P A Sutherland

James Steen

R A A S Macrae

Rita Jamieson

S N Heywood