World War Ii — Spirit of Orkney

Experience Orkney’s Churchill Barriers

December 1, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Looking out over the Churchill Barriers

What better way to enjoy the journey over the Churchill Barriers in Orkney, than by motorbike. The Churchill Barriers were constructed by Italian POW's during World War II and now form an important … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Tourism Tagged With: Autoplay, Chape, Churchill Barriers, Coastline, Gopro, Hd Camera, Helmet, Italian Pow, Journey, Lamb Holm, Lobster Creels, Motorbike, Motorcycle Rider, Orkney Islands, Prisoners Of War, Schooner, Ships, Vsw, Western Mainland, World War Ii, Yamaha Fjr1300

Painting by AR Woods found in Canada arrives in Orkney

November 29, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

A painting by AR Woods, found in a box of junk at an auction in Canada, has arrived safely in Orkney as the hunt for the mystery Ness Battery artist continues. A campaign to find more about a large … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Culture, Featured Tagged With: Amateur Painter, Archive Records, Art Magazine, Artist Albert, Auction Canada, Authority Staff, Beautiful Things, Born Artist, Branscombe, Brig, Curiosity, Eye Maple, Flett, Generous Gift, Global Search, Gravesend, Hollander, International Collaboration, James Payne, Julian, Mess Hall, Oil Painting, Orkney, Partnership Scheme, Port Of London, Port Of London Authority, Recollections, Rycraft, Scapa Flow, Script Writer, Seaman, Sixties, Television Script, Toronto Canada, Tower Bridge London, Vital Clue, World War Ii, Wwii

Painting by A.R. Woods found

July 3, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Tower Bridge - by AR Woods

Joan has been in touch, from Ontario in Canada, with details of a painting she thinks may be by the same painter as the mural at the Ness Gun Battery in Orkney. You may remember that towards … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, The Arts Tagged With: Art History, Artist Island, Bbc, Boats, Bridge Painting, Bw, Canada, Caption, Citizen, English Heritage, Farm Auction, Gun Battery, Left Hand Side, Mess Hall, Murial, Nbsp, Ontario Canada, Orkney, Orkney Isles, Paintings, Pats, Pencil, Purveyor, R Woods, Reminder, Tower Bridge, Two Painters, University Degree, World War Ii, Worldwide Search

In search of A R Woods

March 13, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Rural English Scene by A R Woods

Following recent publicity, could the net be closing in on the WWII Ness Battery mural painter? A mysterious World War II mural at the Ness Gun Battery in Orkney, painted by A R Woods, has led … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Military Tagged With: Bbc Scotland, Branscombe, Camp Buildings, Concrete Structures, Conservation Work, Defences, Gun Battery, Historians, Huts, Mess Hall, Ministry Of Defence, Mural Painter, Mysterious World, Observation Post, Orkney, R Woods, Scapa Flow, Woodwork, World War Ii, World War Two, Worldwide Search

Book review – Orkney’s Italian Chapel

June 11, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Orkney's Italian Chapel front cover

Over four years of research have led to the definitive book detailing the true story behind the little Italian chapel, built in Orkney during World War II. The Italian chapel created on the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tourism Tagged With: Artistic Talents, Artistry, Caption, Craftsman, Craftsmen, Definitive Book, Descendants, Descendents, Despair, Enemies, Fears, Flourish, Former Pows, Italian Chapel, Italians, Metal Heart, Nissen Huts, Orkney Island, Orkney Islands, Pows, Prisoners Of War, Rood Screen, Trials And Tribulations, True Story, Unseen Images, Wife Catherine, World War Ii

The Outer Islands

October 31, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Cliffs of Eday

The Orkney mainland is surrounded by a necklace of isles, some of which are uninhabited by man but offer a wealth of wildlife and heritage. Adventuring these isles can be habit forming as described … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Outer Islands Tagged With: Air Raids, Argiculture, Breeding Ground, Constant Reminder, Eastern Tip, Eday, Eight Miles, Gerald Durrell, Grey Seals, Mysery, Northern Isles, Oil Terminal, Orkney Mainland, Outer Islands, Salt Works, Sea Monsters, Seabirds, Sheer Cliffs, Standing Stones, The Islands, Uninhabited Island, Welcome Guests, Witches Island, World War Ii

HMS Royal Oak 70th Anniversary

October 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Scapa Flow, Orkney

On 14th October 1939, HMS Royal Oak was sunk by a German Torpedo in Scapa Flow, off the southern coast of Orkney. Scapa Flow had been a strategic Naval base since 1905, protecting Britain from … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Military Tagged With: 70th Anniversary, Amazon, British Warships, Cerem, Cover Of Darkness, Eastern Approaches, Fuel Leaks, German Invasion, GüNther Prien, High Tide, Hms Belfast, Hms Pegasus, Hoxa Sound, Magnu, Moonless Night, Oil Slicks, Paint Store, Royal Navy, Sound 3, St Magnus Cathedral, Target, Torpedo Attack, Two Ships, U 47, U Boat, World War Ii, World Warii

The Churchill Barriers

August 22, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

churchill_barrier588

Arrive at St Margaret's Hope on the Island of South Ronaldsay and head North on the A961 to Kirkwall. This drive will take you over the incredible four causeways linking the Orkney islands of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Military Tagged With: Africa Campaign, Balfour Beatty, Causeways, Churchill Barriers, Civil Engineer, Cover Of Darkness, Effort Works, First Lord Of The Admiralty, Gabions, Geneva Conventions, German U Boat, Glimps, Glimps Holm, GüNther Prien, High Tide, Lamb Holm, Naval Defence, Orkney Islands, Orkney Islands Scotland, Orkney Mainland, Prisoners Of War, Random Pattern, Royal Navy, Ships Booms, St Magnus Cathedral, Tawse, Tonne Blocks, Torpedo Attack, U 47, University Of Manchester, Winston Churchill, World War Ii, World War Ii In Europe, World War One

Orkney’s Italian Chapel

August 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Exterior of the Italian Chapel

A labour of love, exquisite artistic skill and craftsmanship transformed World War II nissen huts into a stunning Italian chapel on the isle of Lambholm. The distinct white and red facade of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Military Tagged With: African Campaign, Amenities, Artistic Skill, Artistic Talent, Available Materials, Barbed Wire, Candelabra, Churchill Barriers, Commandant, Craftsmanship, Eastern Approaches, Facade, Fellow Prisoners, Gioacchino, Holy Water, Italian Chapel, Italians, Labour Of Love, Madonna And Child, Massive Series, Nissen Huts, Orkney, Planting Flowers, Prisoners Of War, Santuary, Scenery, Second World War, St George, Tiny Island, World War Ii