The old, ruinous, three-storied manse on Stronsay - its near Whitehall Farm and is the largest building on the island - has now been bought by a young family who have lived on Stronsay for about 13 years. They have been unsuccessful in their search to ascertain when the manse was built and I was wondering whether anyone had any ideas. The latest date in the archives so far is around 1858 when the minister was asking the presbytery to carry out repairs to rotten window-frames in the servant's quarters. -- Bruce Fletcher Stronsay, Orkney <www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont> "99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name"