In Partnership with Helmsdale Primary School
“Join us for a series of engaging conversations with Helmsdale Primary School and guests, as they discuss their lives, memories and insights about the changing climate.”
In 2025, Timespan partnered with Helmsdale Primary School to create six climate podcasts. The pupils led the project, interviewing members of the local community and people working in environmental sustainability, climate planning and resilience in the North Highlands. The conversations were based on objects from the museum’s collection with interesting climate stories, aiming to highlight climate change and the challenges young people face growing up in remote Highland communities. Youths aged 9 to 11 learned about climate issues and the planetary emergency from the experiences and stories of the interviewees.
Episode One – Andy Sutherland (DJ Torrish), Yvonne Grant, Mary Findlay & Crispin Aske
In this two part episode, our guests reflect on their childhood and school days in Helmsdale. They share their experiences of working on the croft and fishing at sea, recounting memories of harsh snowy winters and changing seasonal weather. They discuss the advantages of shopping at local shops and share an intriguing story about whale sightings in the North Sea, as well as a local harbour seal named “Scarface.”
Episode One (Part One)
Episode One (Part Two)
Interviewees
Andy Sutherland (DJ Torrish) is a retired fisherman and lobsterman from Helmsdale
Yvonne Grant is an award-winning local businesswoman (Glencoast) from Helmsdale
Mary Findlay comes from a crofting family in Marrel and now lives in Helmsdale
Crispin Aske is a retired crofter from West Helmsdale
Episode Two – Christine Cowie
In this episode, Christine reflects on her childhood in Helmsdale, sharing memories from her time at Helmsdale Junior Secondary School and her experiences winning the Gaelic Mòd. She fondly recalls sledging down the ‘Plumber’s Brae’ in winter and taking Sunday afternoon walks to the old castle ruins. Christine shares a heartwarming story about the Trawler Band Radio, an essential communication tool for local fishermen to stay connected with their families while at sea. This radio served as a crucial lifeline for the fishing communities.
Interviewees:
Christine Cowie (née Mackay) is a former teacher and the wife of retired fisherman David Cowie from Helmsdale.
We would like to thank everyone involved in making these podcasts, including Shelly Taylor (Head Teacher, Helmsdale Primary School) and the other teachers who assisted during the interview sessions. A huge shoutout to the amazing and brilliant youngsters who led and participated in the interviews, asked challenging questions, and made the interviewees feel so welcome. We are indebted to the interviewees who generously gave their time and shared their incredible knowledge and climate insights about the area, creating a valuable resource and legacy for future generations. We also thank everyone at Timespan who assisted in producing the podcasts and providing training and opportunities for intergenerational learning and practice.
