'Anarchy Over The Water', Nhat Hong, (1980)
A visit to Cienfuegos Press and conversation with Stuart Christie
various
November, 1980
'Brits Out', County Show Day, Kirkwall (1979)
Stuart Christie: 'Ross McGilchrist (then lighthousekeeper at Cantick Head, Longhope, Hoy) spreading more light (and the word) at the ‘Free-Winged Eagle’ stand'.
Stuart Christie
'Have You Seen the Writing on the Wall?' Cienfuegos Press Advert, New Statesman (1979)
19 November 1979
'The Book Shop', Over The Water, Orkney (1979)
Stuart Christie: ''The Bookshop', 'Over the Water', 1979: as far as the 'Wee Free' minister of Papa Westray was concerned this was Orkney's equivalent of the caves in the Bora Bora Mountains...'
Stuart Christie
1979
Alexander Goodfellow, 'A Visit to the Island of Sanday' (1978)
Various
<a href="https://thesparrowsnest.org.uk/">The Sparrow's Nest</a>, Nottingham
1978
Brenda Christie and Branwen Christie, Sanday, Orkney (1980)
Stuart Christie
1980
Cienfuegos Press Advert, New Statesman, 1979
12 October 1979
Cienfuegos Press at the County Show Day, Kirkwall (1979)
Stuart Christie: 'Kirkwall, County Show Day, August 1979: We didn’t have a tent for ‘The Free-Winged Eagle’ (given the ever-present possibility of rain on show day) so we rang Territorial Army HQ in Inverness (who always had an army recruitment stand at the show) and told them we were an Orcadian 'self-help group' and could they help us out by lending us a tent. Not only did they kindly agree to provide us with a tent, they also erected it for us — right next to their marquee (see the TA flag). You can imagine their surprise — and embarrassment — when we turned up with anarchist flags, badges, records, magazines and of course anti-militarist and ‘Troops Out’ publications. Mind you, the OC handled it all very gracefully, but no doubt they learned to ask a few more questions in subsequent years. What larks, Pip.'
Stuart Christie
Free Winged Eagle, No.1, 1979
Various
<a href="https://spiritofrevolt.info/">https://spiritofrevolt.info/</a>
https://spiritofrevolt.info/
Free Winged Eagle, No.2, 1979
Various
<a href="https://spiritofrevolt.info/">https://spiritofrevolt.info/</a>
José Vicente Ortuño, 'Over The Water', Sanday (1979)
Stuart Christie
1979
Letter from Stuart Christie to Phil Ruff [10/03/1978]
Phil Ruff
Stuart Christie Memorial Archive, Mayday Rooms
10/03/1978
Stuart Christie Memorial Archive, Mayday Rooms
Letter
English
Phil Hixson, José Vicente Ortuño and Vince Stevenson ("Persons Unknown"), Sanday (1981)
Stuart Christie
1981
Spanish exile, José Vicente Ortuño, Sanday (1980)
Stuart Christie: 'José Vicente Ortuño, comrade, author of 'Bitter Roots' and 'Legion of the Lost', former French Legionnaire, sword cane master and an all-round Renaissance Man you could rely on in a tight corner. Even the 'kye' were impressed ('Over the Water' in the background).'
Stuart Christie
Stuart Christie in the editorial office of Cienfuegos Press, Orkney (1980)
Stuart Christie: '1980, (the Steading) ‘Over the Water’, Sanday, Orkney: the then editorial address of Cienfuegos Press, ‘Black Flag’ and ‘The Free-Winged Eagle’, monthly scourge of Northern Isles’ malfeasors, the Orkney Islands Council, the agents of Hyperborean reaction and all the rest of Satan’s little helpers in the region. This photo was taken soon after the nationwide hoo-ha that followed the publication of our guerrilla warfare manual, ‘Towards A Citizens’ Militia. Anarchist alternatives to NATO and the Warsaw Pact’. Apart from ‘questions being asked in the House’ we were anathematized from the pulpit by the then ‘Wee Free’ minister of Papa Westray who warned his congregation not to subscribe to — or read — ‘The Free-Winged Eagle’ as it was the provenance of the Devil (who had taken up residence and was running a children’s bookshop on Sanday, me!).
* As a matter of historical interest, or next-door neighbour, Davie Matches, was not only the last Norn-speaker on the island, but also the last surviving member of the island’s once thriving ‘Society of the Horseman's Grip and Word’.
Stuart Christie
1980
Stuart Christie, Over The Water (1980)
Stuart Christie: '‘Over the Water’: making sure the polis had gone! A sergeant and a constable had just delivered a letter from the Chief Constable of Grampian Police notifying me that my application for a shotgun licence had been rejected. One argument was that I could then purchase an untold number of shotguns with which I could provision the Orcadian Citizens’ Militia — which was then very much in the news over a proposed SAS exercise linked to possible uranium mining on the island. The sergeant and constable studiously ignored the empty shotgun cartridges scattered around the yard and driveway.'
Stuart Christie
1980
Stuart Christie, Over The Water (1980)
Stuart Christie: 'Over the Water, Sanday, Orkney (Dec 1980): with Megan (left) and Mirk (right). Megan is looking slightly cowed as she's just been told off for chasing sheep. Mirk, on the other hand couldn't give a toss. The original owner of 'Over the Water', built sometime in the 18th Century I believe, was a sneaky Jacobite by the name of King ... ('The King — over the water!')...
It was around that time the the Chief Constable of the Grampian Police sent me a letter (hand delivered by a Sergeant and Constable specially flown up to Sanday — from Inverness via Kirkwall) to say that he was refusing my application for a shotgun licence (because of my conviction by a Francoist Council of War) and that if I wanted to challenge his decision I would have to deposit £1,000 with the High Court in Edinburgh. All this happened at the time we (a loose conglomeration of anarchists and libertarians in Orkney) successfully halted (among other things) a major SAS manoeuvre to secure Orkney's uranium deposits. A letter to 'The Orcadian' from Ross McGilchrist (an anarchist lightkeeper at Cantick Head, Longhope, How) spoke of an Orcadian 'Citizens' Militia' waiting for them with shotguns to shoot them out of the sky if they decided to drop in. Our local (alternative) paper, 'The Free-Winged Eagle' (published from 'Over the Water') was also responsible for exposing the role of Brigadier Malcolm Dennison, Lord Lieutenant of Orkney, as MI6's 'surrogate' security 'adviser' to Sultan Qaboos of Oman (after having helped overthrow his father!); we also played a small part in helping to halt the proposed major seal cull at the time (a large and ongoing part, of course, being played by Ross Flett). Not really surprised the Chief Constable opposed my shotgun licence application. I learned later that the argument was in fact that with a licence I could purchase multiple shotguns and rifles and, possible, arm a militia! As he handed me the letter in the gravel-ash yard outside 'Over the Water', the sergeant studiously avoided referring to the empty, discarded shotgun cartridges strewn around the place....'
Stuart Christie