Reclaim Dignity Lost

A photo of The Fair Maid of Perth in the Fair City of Perth, but Perth is no longer a city. Perth lost its city status in the 1975 local government reform act, legislation which destroyed the ancient network of counties throughout Britain.

In Perthshire, the effect was to undermine centuries of tradition, hiving off parts of the historic county to new and more powerful local authorities in Dundee and Stirling. For the former "Fair City" described by Sir Walter Scott, the effect was disastrous, relegating the place to a commuter town servicing Edinburgh and Glasgow.

So now there are moves afoot to have the city status restored. There is a 2012 competition for city status to be held among towns throughout Britain, and has been designed to coincide with the celebrations of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. This will be similar to the events in 2002, the Golden Jubilee, when four new cities were created - Stirling, Preston, Lisburn and Newry - and also to mark the Millennium where Brighton and Hove, Wolverhampton and Inverness were granted city status.

However Perth is hoping to not have to wait for the formalities of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and campaigners have lobbied MPs and Peers at Westminster to make this year - the 800th anniversary of Perth's Royal Charter - the year that Perth can once again be truly the Fair City.

I tried to ask the Fair Maid as to whether her barricading herself in was a protest along the lines of the suffragettes chaining themselves to railings, but she refused to comment. I think her silent protest showed great dignity and hopefully in time her vigil will prove worthwhile and Perth will Reclaim Dignity Lost.