Perth’s journey from city to town and back again is recounted in a new book which has just been launched.
Perth: A City Again, by Jeremy Duncan, is an updated version of his book, Perth A Century of Change, reflecting the successful quest for city status to be restored.
A former Perth librarian, Mr Duncan’s book covers developments in every area from the arts, to sport, to architecture in a fascinating illustrated volume.
Lending his support to the book’s launch at the AK Bell Library, former provost Dr John Hulbert spoke of his experience earlier this year when he heard the news that Perth was once more a city.
”The title refers, of course, to the momentous event earlier this year when Perth recovered its city status, which was so unjustly removed in 1975,” Dr Hulbert told the guests gathered for the book launch.
”Perth is fortunate indeed to have a local author with impeccable credentials on site, as it were, to provide its citizens with the story of who they are and where they have come from.
”This book, and Jeremy’s other books, Perth & Kinross the Big County, and Lost Perth, are a treasure trove of information about Perth, its people, how they lived, the jobs they did, the houses they occupied.”
Dr Hulbert said that Mr Duncan deserved a vote of thanks from the people of Perth for capturing their history so well. He said the story of the city status campaign dated back to the council elections of 2007.
”Following that election, the SNP/LibDem administration decided on a five-year plan to raise Perth’s profile in Scotland and across Europe,” he said.
”The main goal was the restoration of city status and I was privileged to be asked to lead the campaign
”The history of the campaign, and the exciting last few days of it, are fully recounted in the first chapter of the book.
”There is nothing that I can add to that, except to say that it was indeed a long, hard campaign, with no certainty of success right up to the last few hours, but ultimately with a very happy ending.
”The question now is: what next? Where do we go from here and what do we do with city status?
”I think it was necessary to allow a little time for the implications to sink in.
“Also, there were the council elections in May, the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June, and the Queen’s visit in July. Now that the celebrations are over, it is the time to develop a programme to capitalise on our success.
”I am aware that the new council is committed to developing our original concept of Perth as a Dynamic Small European City. To that end, the Economic Development department has recently conducted a wide consultation involving businesses, sports and cultural organisations, other institutions and, of course, ordinary citizens, asking for ideas.
”The deadline for responses has just passed. These will now be studied, and dovetailed with the council’s own views, and in the spring of next year I expect that a well-developed programme with a timetable, and a budget, will be put before the council for debate and agreement.
”I am confident that this will be an ambitious plan that will build on the success of city status, move the campaign up a gear, and raise Perth’s profile in Scotland and across Europe.
”I expect it to bring new businesses to Perth, more tourists, more cultural and sporting events, more conferences and, in fact, more prosperity and help buck the depressing trends of this recession.”