Kirriemuir’s cultural cock-up has been remedied with some carefully chosen words to spare the blushes of Peter Pan.
Following The Courier’s revelation that a quote selected as an inscribed centrepiece in the six-figure revamp of the square in the wee red town may have owed more to film fantasy than the writings of Kirrie son J M Barrie, council chiefs have quickly moved to pick a new phrase of unimpeachable provenance.
The carved quote in the town centre’s granite paving was unveiled just in time for an influx of thousands to the 10th anniversary BonFest celebration of another famous Kirrie figure, AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott.
But the chosen phrase of ‘Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting’ immediately struck a discordant note with local historian David Orr, who didn’t recognise the quote as one of Barrie’s best known and it quickly emerged that the words may have come to be commonly associated with the playwright through more modern big screen adaptations of his favourite tale about The Boy Who Never Grew Up.
Red-faced Angus Council chiefs promised to quickly repair the misquote and the steering group of the transformational Kirriemuir Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) has now agreed a replacement phrase which should be set in stone within weeks.
“Come on! We’ll fly…….I’ll teach you how to jump on the wind’s back and then away we go” will be the new quote, with its authenticity being traced to both the third chapter of Barrie’s book Peter and Wendy and the first act of the play Peter Pan.
Among those to give their fulsome endorsement of the new quote is the Peter Pan director of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSHCC), Barrie having gifted the rights to famous work to the hospital in 1929.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf00mEe9EOs
Mr Orr said he was delighted that the mix-up would be so quickly remedied, and hoped that the embarrassing chapter might even encourage more visitors to enjoy the new-look square after its six-figure spruce up.
“People have been commenting on it since it came up and at least they are moving as quickly as possible to sort it out.
“As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining and anything that draws attention to Kirriemuir and J M Barrie should be a positive.
“Peter Pan is an international icon so anything promoting the association with the town might encourage even more people to visit, and see this quote in place in the town centre beside his statue.
“There was huge interest in the Bon Scott weekend as well and I don’t think Kirrie can have too much of a good thing,” he said.
