'Our Heritage, Blairgowrie & Rattray' was formed less than a year ago. We are a fully constituted body recognised by our local development trust (Blairgowrie & Rattray Development Trust).

The need for a permanent local heritage centre was highlighted during the creation of our Community Action Plan and our group formed following this. It has the full support of our local PKC Councillors and we have received much encouragement (but no money!) from Culture Perth and Kinross who have allowed us to use our local library for two Pop-Up events during the spring and summer of this year and again for our most ambitious event planned for next month. The community was incredibly supportive of both events, footfall underlining the desire for a permanent centre.

This will form a commemoration of the centenary of the ending of the Great War and takes place [in Blairgowrie Library] over a long weekend - 17th to 19th November.

It will feature personal memorabilia from members of our local community, generic material form the likes of the Black Watch Museum. The well know Scottish group - 'Scots in the Great War' - will have a presence and will display materials from the conflict, their members will be dressed in replica uniforms from WWI. There will be material illustrating the horror of war and local High School pupils will be reading some of the famous war poets works as well as showing the results of their own project work about the conflict.

Sir William Macpherson, a well-known retired High Court Judge and local landowner, whose family has a long history of military engagement will be talking about the effect of the Great War on his family and is also providing memorabilia in support. He will be talking on the morning of the 19^th at 11.00am.

We will have a piper at various times over the weekend as well as our local bell ringers.

A centre piece will be a scaled down print of the commemorative window from Little's Restaurant - in memory of the Labour Corps whose presence at various times was a feature of life in the town during this war. Our members are currently carrying out their own research to add to the growing amount of information surrounding this critical group and its part in the war. The results will be on display along with the printed image. We will obviously credit the use of the image to Willie and his business.

We plan to have something of interest for all age groups!

Ian Richards, Chairman ‘Our Heritage’