The Shetland and Orkney Connection

The Shetland Islands are situated in the North Sea 200 miles north of Aberdeen, Scotland and 250 miles west of Bergin, Norway. They consist of 100 islands, with only about a dozen of them inhabited. Its weather gets a bad rap but its people are intensely hospitable and neighbourly. In April 2002, a small group of enthusiasts – Jack, Irene, Barbara and Nan – first gathered to explore the possibility of creating a regular radio programme. Nervous at their lack of radio experience as producers, they wondered if they would measure up. Over the months, as they got to grips with broadcasting, the local café kept them buoyed with coffee and muffins as they met to discuss programme ideas and confidence slowly grew. There was a hunger in the community for contact with stories and people from The Shetlands. People wanted to gain an understanding about their family histories, so the backing of the local Shetland Society was key. Irene was the authority on Shetland music so listeners got to know some fantastic modern groups who rode the wave of the renaissance of fiddling music. Barbara went on a huge learning curve and made connections with her island-dwelling great, great grandmother. Both Nan’s parents immigrated to NZ in 1922 and she visited Shetland four times – each time in a different season. For Nan, doing the programme is “like giving something back for the fantastic upbringing my mother and father gave me – including the great pride in our strange heritage.” “Don’t just talk about the past….” was the message given very strongly from the organisation. The Shetland character is very droll so over the years the team has included fun pieces about life in Shetland today (bizarre cricket matches, letters from “home” and even the Unst bustop), themes matching NZ celebrations like July’s KidsFest when they linked in with children, grand-children or even great grandchildren. Stories, poetry and recollections from both world wars abound. Visitors to the city are snapped up if they have Shetland connections, and the hope is to one day interview ex-Prime Minister Helen Clarke – she had a great uncle.. The aim is to get a balance between nostalgia pieces and contemporary issues, experiences and music.