Provost: 2010 important year for Perth

Mar 12 2010 by Alison Lowson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

2010 is going to be a most important year for Perth and the whole Council area. Many more than a hundred events are planned to celebrate the Octocentenary of the granting of the Royal Charter to Perth by King William the Lion in 1210.

And so I am delighted that the Perthshire Advertiser has given me the opportunity to write a monthly column, which will highlight the most important events, and provide some background information.

Some of the celebrations have already started, and will be continuing throughout the year. Important among these is the “Skin & Bone Exhibition – Life and Death in Mediaeval Perth” which is in the Museum and Art Gallery all year long. Find out how your ancestors lived in Perth, and see the 14th century copy of the King William Charter.

In February, the first tree was planted in the “Perth 800 Orchard Project” in the grounds of Perth College. Perthshire's famous orchards were established by monks around 800 years ago. By the 19th Century, one Carse of Gowrie orchard alone had 10,000 trees. Now the few remaining orchards are derelict. Orchard800, a non-profit organisation, aims to redress the balance and enable local people to create new orchards. The objective is to plant 800 fruit trees this year, and so provide a legacy for the next 800 years of Perth's history.

Over the next four weeks the main events will be:

l The British Isles and Home International Bowling Championships at Dewar’s Centre from March 11-19.

l Chess Simultaneous Display (Concert Hall – March 20). The winners at the Chess Festival in January will take part in a simultaneous match against the International Grand Master Johnathan Rowson. Mr Rowson will take 10 – 15 seconds at each table to make his move, and then pass on. See how many can beat him.

l The Niel Gow Festival (Birnam & Dunkeld, March 19-21) celebrates one of Perthshire’s most famous sons. Some of Scotland’s finest fiddlers, and other musicians will take part.

l The World Rotary Curling Championships will bring many overseas contestants and their families to Perth (Dewar’s) from March 28 – April 3.

l I will be opening Perth Photographic Society’s Exhibition in the Concert Hall on April 3. Perth was the home of Magnus Jackson, one of Scotland’s pioneering landscape and social photographers. The exhibition honours his memory, and illustrates how far the art has developed in 150 years. In August, the exhibition will go to Pitlochry, and next year to our twin city of Aschaffenburg.

I am delighted that an international element features so prominently in so many of the events. We intend to use the opportunity of Perth 800 to raise Perth’s national and international profile, and provide the foundation for our City Status bid. The programme will peak on Perth Day, Friday, July 2, and the rest of that weekend, when we will be entertaining guests from our five twin cities, and from Perth in Canada. More of that next month.