Blairgowrie Regeneration Option

Regarding Allan Seggies review of the consultant’s suggestions for the regeneration of Blairgowrie, Blairgowrie Advertiser letters 6th December. "You might well think that; I couldn’t possibly comment".

I did speak to Roy Sim, Chairman of the initial steering group, last year, when I was looking for a property to start a development strategy business. In respect of previous work, independent assessment suggests ours is second to none in £ for £ terms regarding global influence and cost/benefit analysis, but Blairgowrie Merchants chose to spend their money, without consultation, in the Swansea economy, not Blairgowrie’s.

Some members of the Blair business community did ask why I never raised any points or questions at the meeting. Quite simply Blairgowrie Merchants decided to engage another company, so professionally I kept quiet. Parts of the presentation were smoke and mirrors. If Blairgowrie Merchants had hired an illusionist for the evening to entertain the audience, the last thing they want is another in the audience heckling, "It’s up his sleeve, it’s behind his back".

Living in Blair I would have to say it could do better. So here’s a deal. Celtic Lion will produce a development strategy and do a presentation to regenerate Blairgowrie for £25,000.

This will be the most appropriate, practical, effective, workable, advanced, exciting, blow your socks off, leading edge proposal available anywhere. If it isn’t I will personally sit naked in a set of stocks in the Wellmeadow and Blairgowrie Merchants can charge visitors to throw rotten fruit at me all summer. While I hang my head in shame.

A Blair audience has seen what a Swansea company can do, let’s restore the balance, have some pride in the town and allow a Blairgowrie company to show what it can do. Astute business people will have realised £25k is a bargain. Producing development models requires initial but reassessable goals. I would suggest consider putting an extra £25k a day into the local economy a realistic initial goal. Would a supermarket consider 1000 customers a day spending an average £25 a viable proposition?

£25k a day over a 5 year project is £45.5 million. Project initiation and conceptualisation being only 0.05% of total return based on the initial development model. Those taking the logic to the next step will have realised Blair gets the most advanced appropriate development strategy for free. By using a local company the money is spent in the local economy, reinvested and contributes to the goal attainment.

Blairgowrie Merchants please consider local expertise and services first.

Blairgowrie Community Radio Meeting

The next meeting for the Blairadio project is on 5th February 2008 in the Conference Room at the Royal Hotel Blairgowrie. The guest will be Brendan Murphy from Heartland Radio.


Celtic Lion's view is perhaps we still should do something else now as well.

Letter Blairgowrie Advertiser 15th November Tourism Opportunities

Blair on the Air Waves. Community Radio Meeting 6th November 2007

A very interesting meeting was held on Tuesday 6th November at the Royal Hotel Blairgowrie, regarding the setting up of a ‘Blairgowrie Broadcasting Company’. (Blairie, 18th October, Blair on the airwaves?). Organised by Strathmore and the Glens it was hosted with a certain va va voom by Councillor Caroline Shiers.

The meeting immediately gave an overview of the importance of such a venture. Communication, the ability to bring people together, to work together, to create something greater than individuals or organisations can achieve on their own. Whatever ones political affiliation, or even if you haven’t one, my own view is the importance of supporting the Scottish Governments aspiration to make Scotland the best country in the world. We are part of that country and all that we sense, do and strive for is within the context of that country. A country is not just people or economics, it is the land, the animals and plants, everything that combines and relates together to make the spirit or essence of this place we call Scotland. Something which transcends party politics.

An positive aspect of the meeting was those who attended presented ideas relating to community broadcasting in Blairgowrie which covered a broad agenda. Involvement of young people, schools and colleges. The learning of new skills, the striving for quality, the sense of dynamism and achievement etc.

There was a strong feeling community broadcasting would contribute and enhance existing events already operating in Blair. Braemar Night amongst many was one example given. A live internet broadcast would give a potential global audience with an interest in Scottish, Celtic and Highland culture. Ex-pats all over the world could ‘tune into Blair broadcasting’. Closer to home it gives access to events in the town for the elderly, disabled or anyone who could not get out to attend.. With a greater audience this allows the enhancement of Braemar Night, if your going to broadcast to a wider audience, give them something to hunger for. Lights, lasers, projection screens, anything is possible. An opportunity for young people in the area to practice and display their skills in communication technologies, event management.

Such potential needs strategy, direction and channelling. 2009 presents an opportunistic goal. Edinburgh will host "The Gathering", the largest meeting of the clans in 200 years, with 8000 clan members and 30,000 visitors it is expected to put £5 million into the Scottish economy. How can Blairgowrie contribute and benefit from this?

From the ideas expressed by those attended the meeting, combined with the challenges the Braemar Association want to resolve, (Event organisers fear for the future, Blairie 29th March) i.e. lack of young people involved and diminished audience, an effective strategy could develop. By combining community broadcasting with Braemar Night, a spectacular event for 2008 could be delivered.

Conceptualise this as something like ‘Heralding the Gathering’, supporting the Edinburgh event. Do a live audio-visual internet broadcast of the event. Make the broadcast available as a podcast, especially see if this can be linked from the ‘The Gathering’ website. The 2008 Braemar Night, is the ‘practice’ then for the next event. Something like ‘Welcoming the Gathering’, coinciding around the time of the event in Edinburgh in July 2009. With the communication infrastructure in place and tried out, this can be a total Blairgowrie initiative, an opportunity for every individual and organisation to take part and benefit. It also provides a foundation for the future. If young people from Blair have an ambition to do something like the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth games, here is the opportunity to get the experience. As was said at the meeting there is so much talent in Blair.

The opening point of the meeting was communication. This is our most important asset, The Blairgowrie Advertiser, both in it’s paper and online form. Then the various websites of all the organisations in Blair and covering Blair, Blairgowrie Merchants, Heart of Blair, BEPTA, VisitScotland, Strathmore and the Glens etc. With these comes the drive, the conversation in the streets, churches, pubs, schools and shops etc of our community.

One thing the meeting forgot to do was record itself. Broadcast to a wider audience it would have been pure entertaining current affairs.

The Scottish Government has the aspiration to make Scotland the best country in the world. At the heart of that country is Blairgowrie. If they want a Celtic Lion, let community broadcasting help give them a town they can have a pride in, and an example and model for the rest of Scotland.

Blairgowrie Regeneration Meeting

For the second time in a month The Royal Hotel hosted another interesting meeting. First a community radio project and on Monday 26th November a Blairgowrie Regeneration Presentation. For those who attended there are a few points that may be relevant.

The Blairgowrie Merchants Association engaged consultants who by their own admission are niche specialists in sport, tourism and leisure. The meeting was excellent as basis for discussion, but there is also a broader spectrum of development opportunities available than what was presented at the meeting.

The consultants liked to use the word ‘sustainable’ many times. It is becoming a marketing buzz word. Be aware of the of it’s proper and full implications when applied to development strategy.

A 4 star Spa Hotel was suggested. Careful to avoid the ‘Tesco Syndrome'. Outside investment or control will automatically move profits out of Blairgowrie. Look at the cost benefit analysis. Roy Coles Accountants, Blairgowrie has a banner on one of their web pages quoting Alfred Marshall, Principles of Economics, "The most valuable of all capital is that invested in human beings". The Executive Summary of the Scottish Government’s Economic Strategy (November 2007), begins with a quote by First Minister Alex Salmond "Scotland has real strength in the most vital factor for modern economies - the human capital offered by our greatest asset, Scotland's people." Consider whether you want regeneration building led or people led.

The main benefit of the meeting was that it was a meeting. A catalyst for communication and discussion. I refer to our letter Blairgowrie Advertiser, 15th November, regarding a project to take advantage of the major tourist event in Scotland in 2009. The Gathering. "The opening point of the meeting was communication. This is our most important asset, the Blairgowrie Advertiser, both in it’s print and online form. Then the various websites of all the organisations in Blairgowrie and covering Blairgowrie, Blairgowrie Merchants, Heart of Blair, BEPTA, Visit Scotland, Strathmore and the Glens etc. With these comes the drive, the conversation in the streets, churches, pubs, schools, and shops etc of our community."

In our letter 13th September lyrics were quoted from the band Big Country. In part to use popular culture to highlight Government policy and also an attempt to capture the zeitgeist. A month later they were voted all time best ever Scottish album. This is from We’re Not in Kansas (1993). "Sat me down to wonder. What kind of place this really is. Well, maybe it's in the parks. Ah, maybe it's in the stores. But I know, if we're being honest. It's in the people".