Letter: Happy memories of Papa Stour

I WAS pleased to learn that the Papa Stour school is to reopen (News, 10 October) and I hope that the new family make a go of it there.

My four children attended this school in the late 70s/early 80s and have good memories of their early lives there.

The problem, as I see it, arises when they go to secondary school. They live in the Anderson High School hostel in Lerwick or alternatively in lodgings and in the winter they cannot get home at weekends. Papa Stour suffers regular severe gales which prevent the ferry or plane from coming to the isle. In emergencies the coastguard helicopter or lifeboat would be sent in.

We moved off the island and on to the Shetland mainland when the oldest one was ready for secondary school as I was not prepared to give up responsibility for my child's development at this early age. I felt that I wanted to maintain parental influence over them at least until they left school.

Eventually they all left the islands for further education or to go travelling and the result was that with great sadness I left too.

Vicki Coleman, Dalbeattie