For the past 11 months, researcher Katrina Macleod has been involved in an oral history project, recording the last living witnesses to a significant period in Perth’s past.
Next week, members of the public will be able to hear exclusive extracts from those interviews as part of an illustrated talk.
The ongoing project, funded by the Friends of William Soutar Society, the Gannochy Trust and Perth Common Good Fund, has two goals firstly to collect memories from people who knew Perth poet William Soutar, or his family and friends.
Secondly the aim is to gather reminiscences of Perth during his lifetime, placing the man in the context of his community.
Working with two students on the audio engineering course at Perth College, Katrina has talked to a range of people, including former neighbours and the children of Soutar’s friends.
Interviews have been recorded in video and audio form and will become part of a permanent archive available via the Friends of William Soutar website and on Youtube.
The National Library Scottish Sound Archive and the Scots Language Centre is also interested in the material.
As Soutar died in 1943 and anyone who remembers meeting him is now well over 70, the project involved something of a race against time.
Sadly, a number of potential interviewees have died since Katrina began the task of tracking people down.
However, she has been able to record material from other people who remember visiting the bedridden poet at his home in Wilson Street, now the Soutar House.
William Soutar’s Time, an illustrated talk, is at 7.30pm on Thursday April 30 at the Soutar Theatre at the AK Bell Library.