Bloomers ‘sold down the river’ as showdown looms

Jul 22 2011 by Denis Brown, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A PERTHSHIRE in Bloom contender fears the loss of a key heritage prop – an old fishing boat – may torpedo its chances in horticultural showdowns.

The boat – an 80-year-old Tay salmon cobble – became a local icon after Bridge of Earn’s Brig in Bloom group filled it with plants and placed it at the village’s bridged gateway more than 10 years ago.

Along with other artefacts such as old horse carts reflecting a local fishing and farming heritage theme, the colourful green and red landmark had played a significant role in triumphs at annual In Bloom contests.

So when the decaying vessel finally gave up the ghost after a decade of being exposed to the elements, Brig “oarsman”, Jack Redford, cast a wide net in an effort to locate a replacement cobble.

“These old cobbles are synonymous with the fishing that went on 100 years ago and while they’re Tay icons, the Earn is a tributary and these boats were also a common sight around here,” said the 68-year-old.

“And we wanted to be as true to our local heritage as possible.”

But when members of the 30-strong volunteer group – which won a gold medal in last year’s coveted Take a Pride in Perthshire contest – started preparing the boat for this year’s contests, it went pear-shaped.

“It literally fell apart and the sides crumbled as the paint was the only thing holding it together,” he said.

“But it was about 80 years old and had spent its life in the river and then in the back of a farm shed for years before we got it,” he said.

“It had a chequered career with us too – one Saturday night a car crashed into it so we had a ‘shipwrecked’ sign on it for a while.”

So began a frantic search, which to the group’s delight ended with the offer of another vintage cobble from a Perth man for £750, including a paint job, with the cash to be donated to Tay Regeneration Project.

But when the boat arrived three weeks ago, jubilation soon turned to despair.

“What a mess, they broke the back of it when it was being unloaded, so it’s totally useless,” he said.

Brig in Bloom chair, Avril Fulton, was clearly not impressed.

“It was a huge blow, we felt like we’d been sold down the river,” she said.

“The guy had said he’d take it down to the boat yard, get it sorted and painted, but what a disappointment when it arrived – I could have done a better paint job myself!”

The upshot was, with Take a Pride in Perthshire looming on August 2, that an alternative had to be found fast, so a fibreglass boat was swiftly snapped up on eBay for £150.

“We’ve painted it and filled it with flowers but it wasn’t what we wanted at all as heritage is the common thread in what we do, so it’s really an unsatisfactory replacement but will just have to do,” said Mr Redford.

Mrs Fulton, however, said she wasn’t sure if competition success hinged on having an authentic cobble.

“I don’t know if it’s that crucial but we’ll tell the judges the background to what happened,” she said.

“Meanwhile, we’re still on the lookout for another cobble, but there’s now less than two weeks to go before Take a Pride in Perthshire.”

Can you help? If so, please contact Jack Redford on (01738) 815 940.