Feedback from motorists passing through the Finstown roadworks has led to a number of tweaks to the site in an attempt to make delays a little shorter and large-vehicle manoeuvring a little easier.

The average wait at peak time is around ten minutes – however, this could be further reduced thanks to the manual working of the three-way traffic lights and the adjustment to timings to better suit the routes.

The Council’s Head of Neighbourhood Services, Lorna Richardson, and Service Manager Engineering, David Custer, were at the site this week to see for themselves how the traffic is moving.

Waterstones Children’s Laureate (2022-2024), Joseph Coelho, will visit libraries across Scotland – including Orkney Library & Archive - as part of his nationwide ‘Library Marathon’ tour from May to August.

On Monday 15 May, the award-winning performance poet, playwright, and children’s author will be at the Library meeting children from Shapinsay and Stenness Schools.

Get your Plus Fours on, dig deep into the bunker and support this intrepid quartet on their quest to complete four golf courses and a ferry trip in one day to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Orkney’s Justin MacIver, Paul Robertson, Shaun Robertson and Brian Garson are taking on the Longest Day 72-hole Golf Challenge for the charity on Monday 19 June.

We probably all know someone who doesn’t like to throw anything away – but when does hoarding become an issue and what are the real reasons behind it?

Hoarding can actually be a coping mechanism used to deal with a trauma or difficult period in someone’s life and it can be a very difficult condition to break.

The Learning Link, Orkney College UHI and Voluntary Action Orkney are working together, with the Council’s support, to launch Multiply in Orkney. Multiply is a new Government programme to help transform the lives of adults by improving numeracy skills.

The Council’s Community Learning Development & Employability (CLDE) dedicated adult learning centre, The Learning Link, has received £306,379 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for a three-year programme to deliver the Multiply programme.

The funding has been awarded to deliver free numeracy classes to anyone in Orkney aged 19 and over, with the majority of the provision being offered through The Learning Link.

Walter Gorman knows from personal experience the benefits that re-engaging with learning can have.

He left school with no qualifications and worked in a low-skilled factory environment before meeting a local community youth worker who helped set him on a new career path.

TJ White has shared her “life-changing” learning experience in a bid to help others living in a world where numbers and words are largely meaningless.

With the help of the The Learning Link, TJ has shown that age should never be a barrier to learning.

“In 2018, at the age of 45 I made a very anxious phone call to The Learning Link. I spoke to Chrissie and she arranged to meet me - from that first meeting my life really started.”

Carol Leslie is counting her blessings after someone else’s journey with The Learning Link led her to asking for numeracy support – a decision that ultimately helped her start a small business.

That was around seven years ago, and the 44-year-old has never looked back.

“Someone I knew featured in The Learning Link leaflet sharing their story and it gave me the push and the courage I needed to take that first step to getting help.

National Numeracy Day celebrates the importance of numbers for children and adults alike and builds brighter futures by inspiring everyone to improve their numeracy skills.

The Learning Link is leading the way for OIC.  They would love to see you at the Orkney Library & Archive in Kirkwall on Wednesday 17 May —where you can have a go at the numeracy-based activities on offer (11am through to 5pm).

However, if you cannot make it – why not partake in a The Big Number Natter with your work colleagues– the UK’s only nationwide conversation about numbers. Or take the Numeracy challenge yourself by following this link: www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/challenge/llo

Stromness couple Karl and Andrew Kemp are ‘Ooh Aah….Just a Little Bit’ excited about the upcoming Eurovision in Liverpool!

They had no difficulty in “Making their Mind Up” on whether or not to head south to be part of the 2023 extravaganza – and they have matching rainbow suits and shades for the occasion!

After the victory of Kalush Orchestra in Turin, Ukraine should traditionally host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. But due to the ongoing invasion of the country, the contest will instead be held in the UK as runner-up winners in 2022 with Sam Ryder’s ‘Space Man’.