‘Harry will never be forgotten’: Tributes to respected Wick historian

Wick historian Harry Gray will be remembered for his “encyclopaedic” knowledge of local heritage and his willingness to share it with others.

Mr Gray, who has died aged 86, “set standards for others to follow”, according to Ian Leith, who succeeded him as chairman of the Wick Society, the voluntary group that runs Wick Heritage Museum.

The present chairman, Donald Henderson, said: “Harry will never be forgotten in the town.”

Mr Gray gave many talks on local history and his written works included the books Wick: Places and Stories and A Tale of Two Streets: Story of Wick Town Centre in the Mid 19th Century.

He is survived by his wife Phyllis and their daughters Alison, Valerie, Amanda and Gillian and their families. The funeral will be from St Fergus Church on Tuesday, July 30.

In his working life Mr Gray was a partner in McAllan’s menswear business until retiring in 1997.

He had a lifelong association with Wick Old Parish Church (now St Fergus) and was ordained as an elder in 1964. He also conducted services there.

He was involved in the 1st Wick Company of the Boys’ Brigade for 47 years, becoming captain.

Mr Leith, who in 2017 replaced Mr Gray as chairman of the Wick Society, said: “Harry Gray invited me to become a trustee of the Wick Society and on his retirement from the role of chair it became my honour to have succeeded him.

“Harry’s quiet diplomacy, efficient governance, passion for all things heritage and his belief in people made him an effective and successful leader. Harry set standards for others to follow.

“In respect of local history, Harry was my mentor. His knowledge of our heritage was encyclopaedic.

“Over the years I have frequently sought to learn from this knowledge – something Harry was always willing to share.

“Mentor, yes, but more importantly, a good friend.”

Mr Henderson, the present chairman of the Wick Society, said: “There are still a lot of volunteers, particularly within the Johnston section, who worked with Harry through the years and he is fondly remembered for his knowledge of the town and his humorous touches he added in when he gave a talk.

“Harry visited the museum a couple of years ago and we were delighted he approved of what was being done. He then kindly sent us a letter of encouragement and support, which, from such a well-respected former chairman, meant an enormous amount to us.

“Harry will never be forgotten in the town and beyond through the associations he was involved in, his books on our history and his easy manner.”

Mr Henderson added: “Several years ago, some local men were given the opportunity to have their DNA tested as part of the research for a book [The Scots: A Genetic Journey] and Harry and myself were among the people tested. We were both proud to be classed as Vikings.”

Thurso historian Alan McIvor said: “I was deeply saddened to hear of Harry’s passing. I first met him in the 1990s. He was always a gentleman – friendly and helpful.

“We often bumped into each other when Harry and Phyllis visited Thurso and exchanged phone calls and messages, especially when he was chair of the Wick Society and I was chair of Thurso Heritage Society.

“He was one of those go-to people to speak to about local history. Whenever I asked him a question about Wick, he knew the answer, and was enthusiastic and generous in sharing his knowledge.

“I recall seeing him give a talk. Though he had notes in front of him, he never glanced at them, but he still filled the presentation with loads of information, interest and humour.

“His passing is a massive loss for his family and for Caithness.”

Harry Gray was born in Wick in 1937 when the family home was in Willowbank. In a recording for the Wick Society’s oral history project, Wick Voices, Mr Gray recalled: “We had a vast playground to muck about in.”

During wartime there was an anti-aircraft gun in a field in front of the house and he could remember bombs falling on the town.

As a schoolboy, making his way home on an icy winter day, young Harry had a lucky escape after plunging through the frozen surface of Wick River.

“I found myself underwater and then it got darker, and I think that was when I was passing under thick ice,” he recalled many years later. “Fortunately I came up through a thin patch and there were two or three people on the ice.”

One of these bystanders, William Williamson, came to the rescue. “He got down on his stomach and somebody held his ankles and he slithered across the ice and got a hold of me and pulled me out. It was a very cold walk home from the river to Willowbank that day.”

In Wick High School, he was grateful to history teacher Madeleine Thomson who “brought history to life”. He explained: “She really opened my mind to what history was all about.”

Mr Gray was active in the Boys’ Brigade from 1946 to 1993, describing it as “an absolutely fantastic organisation”. He ran a gymnastics team there for a time.

He began his working life as a message boy for James H Miller, gents’ outfitter, and went on to enjoy a long-term business partnership with Willie McAllan.

“I loved the customers, they were absolutely brilliant,” Mr Gray said as he looked back on his time working at McAllan’s shop in High Street. “There were some very difficult people sometimes but I used to say to the staff, when difficult people or rude people come in, do your best to be nice to them, and at the end of the period of time you spend with them, if you’ve put money in the till, you’ve won! Be as nice as you can to every single person who comes in.”

Mr Gray met his wife-to-be Phyllis at a dance in the Parish Church hall.

Mr Gray did his national service in the Royal Marines, successfully coming through commando training school and being awarded the green beret. One experience in particular, while undergoing desert warfare training in Libya, made a lasting impression.

He recalled: “During my service I was spat at, I was stoned, I was shot at, I was bombed, and at one point I even came under friendly fire in the Libyan desert when we were doing a mock attack... After all that, I thought there’s no point in getting upset or getting offended by anything.”

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.