Also in the news / Rising North headliner, museum exhibition and more…
THE RISING North music festival has announced English rock band Pale Waves as its second headline act.
The group have racked up three top ten albums in the UK so far, and have played at festivals such as Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds and Lollapalooza.
The Manchester band will headline the Clickimin main stage at Rising North on Friday 14 August. Also announced for the festival so far are Northern Irish rockers Ash.
SHETLAND Islands Council advises of timetable changes in its inter island ferry service as a result of delays of the ferry Geira returning from drydock.
From Monday 2 February to Thursday 19 February, Bluemull Sound will run on a single vessel operation.The new time table can be found here.
On the Whalsay route, the Hendra will go to dock on Monday 2 March. With Fivla unavailable to provide cover, the service will operate to a single vessel timetable from Monday 2 March to Thursday 12 March.
It is hoped to be able to add in additional runs using the Filla.
Anyone with prior bookings should contact the booking office.
AN EXHIBITION celebrating the life and crafting skills of Robert Gilbert Blance Simpson opens at Shetland Museum and Archives this Sunday, timed to coincide with Up Helly Aa season.
Known as Bobby, Simpson was a gifted Shetland craftsman whose carvings include Vikings, crofters carrying kishies, Shetland ponies, birds and fish.
The exhibition will be on display outside the archives and in the museum’s upper foyer, and includes over 60 of Bobby’s pieces, loaned by the Simpson family and friends.
A key highlight is the Viking case, featuring miniature figures depicting jarls from across the years, carved with extraordinary attention to detail.
Another striking element is the projection of a Viking-inspired chess set carved by Bobby, now held in Canada, which adds a bold visual dimension to the exhibition.
Karen Clubb, exhibitions officer at Shetland Museum and Archives, said the exhibition “honours Bobby not only as an artist, but as a gentle and modest soul whose work continues to spark memories, nostalgia and admiration”.
The Simpson family said Bobby left behind a “remarkable legacy, and we’re proud to see his creativity, craftsmanship and spirit celebrated together in one place”.
The exhibition runs until 11 April 2026.
NORTHERN Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has secured a House of Commons debate in parliament on the state of the UK fishing industry on Thursday (22 January).
In welcoming the debate, Carmichael noted the wide range of topical issues for the fishing industry including spatial squeeze, year-end allocation negotiations and the outcomes of the extension of the trade and cooperation agreement with the EU.
“This is an opportunity to bring the needs of our fishing and coastal communities back into the heart of parliament,” he said.
“I am calling on anyone with a stake in the future of the fishing industry to contact my office ahead of this critical debate so that we get the widest range of evidence possible.”
SHETLAND Analytical Services has announced that it has become an Employment Ownership Trust (EOT).
The company has confirmed that its management structure will remain unchanged, with managing director Steven Laidlaw continuing to lead the business.
Formerly known as SSQC, the company rebranded to Shetland Analytical Services last year, to reflect the “breadth of its specialist microbiology, chemistry, and water quality testing services”.
Laidlaw said becoming an employee-owned business “strengthens what we already do, while ensuring the business remains independent, resilient and focused on long-term quality and service”.
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