Kinross group to help rekindle Auld Alliance with Bastille Day celebration

The group, which is celebrating 50 years of twinning, has been invited by Perth Provost, Xander McDade, to be part of the Bastille Gala Day which will take place around the Loch Leven Community Campus on the afternoon of Sunday, July 14. The invite has gone to organisations within the region which have twinning links with French communities.

The communities will celebrate the links with a local festival which highlights the continuing relationship between the two nations in a non-political fun way.

The event will officially open the Bastille Gala festivities with Provost McDade throwing the first boule at the Pétanque Mêlée competition before acting as starting marshal for the Paris style Waiters’ Race. The Pétanque Mêlée is open to all. Cost of entry is £2 per person. Competitors are asked to register at the Campus Pétanque Courts from 1:00 pm with the competition commencing at 1:30 pm.

Competitors will be drawn into teams of three with each player having two boules. Three ends will be played and each player’s scores will be recorded.

The Paris-style Waiters’ Race is open to all Perth & Kinross establishments and is a unique take on an egg and spoon race. Competitors should register between 1:30pm and the start time of 2:00 pm with an entry fee of £5. Waiters should dress in white shirt (waistcoat optional) and apron carrying a tray which will have a bottle of water, a plastic glass tumbler and a croissant.

A number of other events will take place throughout the day - including a shop window dressing competition. local traders asked to have a French theme somewhere in their window displays between 13 July and 10 August.

The winning window will be selected by a sub group of the local twinning committee and a trophy presented during the official twinning visit of the Gacé visitors. A flea market is also set to take place in the form of a car boot sale from 1:00pm till 4:00 pm with a £10 entry, payable on the day,