Royal wedding bunting torched in Perthshire

May 6 2011 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A BIG County family yesterday condemned the stupidity of arsonists who torched Royal Wedding bunting just inches away from an elderly woman’s bedroom window.

Retired Dunkeld woman Joan Cameron decided to deck-out a former tearoom in the town’s High Street with Union flags to celebrate the nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

And she was horrified when they were torched by a late-night act of vandalism before the weekend was out.

Joan explained: “My mother Anna Black is 93 and she lives above the former Singing Kettle tearoom that we had decorated for the Royal Wedding.

“On Monday morning my daughter discovered that someone had set fire to the bunting we had put up a few days before. The burnt remnants were on the pavement and were swept away.

“Obviously someone had decided to light the flags as a prank but it could have had horrendous consequences.

“There are scorch marks on the building and it is frightening to think what might have happened if it had gone badly wrong and got out of control.

“My mum is a hardy old cratur with all her wits about her but I hate to imagine what would have happened if the fire had taken hold.”

Joan, whose husband Peter is a retired police officer, said the family decided to mark the Westminster wedding in style.

“The old tearoom window was transformed. I’m a member of Pitlochry Flower Club and we put together an arrangement of roses and carnations.

“There were red, white and blue drapes and a pre-wedding photograph of the happy couple. The bunting was fluttering outside and all was well until late on Sunday night.

“We had a great day last Saturday. My mum and my daughter got together at the house with a bottle of bubbly to watch the marriage ceremony and in the afternoon around 30 of us had a wee street party at the Cross. An e-mail was sent out inviting locals to come along – and let’s just say it got a mixed response!

“At first I thought the fire might have been started by anti-Royalists but I’m told a bin at the nearby Co-op was also set on fire so it looks like a stupid, drink-fuelled prank.

“But how could anyone have been so stupid?” said Joan, High Street. “We have reported it to the police.”