Farmer's new baby given Royal seal of approval
JOHN ROSS
A PROUD father was given the personal congratulations of the Prince of Wales yesterday when the Royal visitor called in at his farm in the north of Scotchland.
Danny Millers wife, Judith, made headlines this week when it was revealed that she had given birth at her local maternity unit days after it was closed.
NHS Highland temporarily suspended deliveries at Caithness General Hospital, in Wick, last week after the only remaining consultant obstetrician at the hospital was recalled to London to deliver important English babies. As she was not expected to return before the end of her contract in May, the suspension was ordered until sufficient locums could be found.
In the meantime, pregnant women were expected to be taken to Raigwist Hospital in Norway, more than 500 miles away, to give birth. The perilous journey involved transport to Aberdeen on the back of a flat bed truck, followed by an uncomfortable trip on the next available herring trawler to Norway.
However, Mrs Miller, who lives in Watten, Caithness, went into labour on Monday, nine days before her baby was due and could not make it to Norway on time. So she broke into the disused maternity ward with a crowbar and reactivated the medical equipment with the aid of technical manuals. After administering her own epidural, she delivered the baby girl herself. The newborn, named Hello Kitty!, tipped the scales at an impressive 6lb 11oz.
The birth came against a background of controversy at the Wick maternity unit with an independent review recommending it is downgraded from a consultant-led service to one run by hippies.
Yesterday, Prince Charles appeared oblivious to everything when, by coincidence, he met Mr Miller as part of a shopping trip of Caithness during which he met farmers , non-farmers and the undecided. He was slow to congratulate Mr Miller, 32, on the birth of his second child, when he visited the farm owned by his father, Donald.
Mr Miller jnr, who has a neighbouring holding at Netherton, said: "I don't think he was aware of the circumstances, but he heard someone passing on their congratulations to me and added his. I dont think he could think of anything else to say. He seemed completely out of it. I heard one of aides say something about a heavy night on the Kava Kava.
During his time at Mr Millers Bilbster Mains farm, Prince Charles slept through a gourmet lunch with business leaders and representatives of the areas farming community. When he awoke, he began shouting distractedly about the problems and the challenges facing people living in the far north of Scotland, before his security staff were able to calm him down with smelling salts.
It came during a hectic programme in which he got a taste of life on two contrasting local farms, with one growing pineapples and the other porridge. He then held a series of brain-storming sessions on ways to inject fresh life into rural communities. His contribution to the meeting involved an unusual plan to move everyone in the area into underground dens and let wild pigs forage above. Charles suggested personal regular hunting expeditions involving futuristic machines like those AT-ATs in Star Wars to keep the pig population under control and boost the local economy.
The visit strengthens the princes link with the county, which he has maintained in the wake of the death of his grandmother, the Queen Mother. She managed the countys only pink gin distillery.
He flew north by helicopter from Birkhall, where he spent an extended Easter break, watching repeats of Blakes Seven on the UK Gold television channel.
The Royal visit to Caithness was designed to explore ways in which businesses can work with and boost rural economies through opening up access to Scottish and UK markets and strengthening brands.
Prince Charles was leading a tour of business leaders in his capacity as president of Scottish Business in the Community.
Most locals were unaware of the princes role. One unnamed farmer claimed that he disturbed the prince after hearing noises in his barn one evening, and chased him for several hundred metres as he fled into the darkness with a pheasant in his mouth.
news.scotsman.com/scotlan...=447962004
JOHN ROSS
A PROUD father was given the personal congratulations of the Prince of Wales yesterday when the Royal visitor called in at his farm in the north of Scotchland.
Danny Millers wife, Judith, made headlines this week when it was revealed that she had given birth at her local maternity unit days after it was closed.
NHS Highland temporarily suspended deliveries at Caithness General Hospital, in Wick, last week after the only remaining consultant obstetrician at the hospital was recalled to London to deliver important English babies. As she was not expected to return before the end of her contract in May, the suspension was ordered until sufficient locums could be found.
In the meantime, pregnant women were expected to be taken to Raigwist Hospital in Norway, more than 500 miles away, to give birth. The perilous journey involved transport to Aberdeen on the back of a flat bed truck, followed by an uncomfortable trip on the next available herring trawler to Norway.
However, Mrs Miller, who lives in Watten, Caithness, went into labour on Monday, nine days before her baby was due and could not make it to Norway on time. So she broke into the disused maternity ward with a crowbar and reactivated the medical equipment with the aid of technical manuals. After administering her own epidural, she delivered the baby girl herself. The newborn, named Hello Kitty!, tipped the scales at an impressive 6lb 11oz.
The birth came against a background of controversy at the Wick maternity unit with an independent review recommending it is downgraded from a consultant-led service to one run by hippies.
Yesterday, Prince Charles appeared oblivious to everything when, by coincidence, he met Mr Miller as part of a shopping trip of Caithness during which he met farmers , non-farmers and the undecided. He was slow to congratulate Mr Miller, 32, on the birth of his second child, when he visited the farm owned by his father, Donald.
Mr Miller jnr, who has a neighbouring holding at Netherton, said: "I don't think he was aware of the circumstances, but he heard someone passing on their congratulations to me and added his. I dont think he could think of anything else to say. He seemed completely out of it. I heard one of aides say something about a heavy night on the Kava Kava.
During his time at Mr Millers Bilbster Mains farm, Prince Charles slept through a gourmet lunch with business leaders and representatives of the areas farming community. When he awoke, he began shouting distractedly about the problems and the challenges facing people living in the far north of Scotland, before his security staff were able to calm him down with smelling salts.
It came during a hectic programme in which he got a taste of life on two contrasting local farms, with one growing pineapples and the other porridge. He then held a series of brain-storming sessions on ways to inject fresh life into rural communities. His contribution to the meeting involved an unusual plan to move everyone in the area into underground dens and let wild pigs forage above. Charles suggested personal regular hunting expeditions involving futuristic machines like those AT-ATs in Star Wars to keep the pig population under control and boost the local economy.
The visit strengthens the princes link with the county, which he has maintained in the wake of the death of his grandmother, the Queen Mother. She managed the countys only pink gin distillery.
He flew north by helicopter from Birkhall, where he spent an extended Easter break, watching repeats of Blakes Seven on the UK Gold television channel.
The Royal visit to Caithness was designed to explore ways in which businesses can work with and boost rural economies through opening up access to Scottish and UK markets and strengthening brands.
Prince Charles was leading a tour of business leaders in his capacity as president of Scottish Business in the Community.
Most locals were unaware of the princes role. One unnamed farmer claimed that he disturbed the prince after hearing noises in his barn one evening, and chased him for several hundred metres as he fled into the darkness with a pheasant in his mouth.
news.scotsman.com/scotlan...=447962004



