Dull and Bland are very, very positive
Provost adds Boring to his list of exciting towns
Life has been far from dull - or bland or boring - for Perth and Kinross Provost, Dennis Melloy.
He described the international media focus on the townships with tedious names - Dull in Perthshire, Bland in Australia and their ally, Boring, Oregon - as “positive coverage money cannot buy.”
The Provost, plus Ian Campbell the council leader and local community councillors from Dull spent the tail end of last week giving sound bites to TV and radio teams from the UK and all over the globe.
Everybody wanted to hear what, if anything, happened in Dull, Highland Perthshire.
On Friday a civic reception was held in nearby Aberfeldy attended by the Australian mayor of Bland-shire, Tony lord and his wife Ros.
Bearing gifts from Down Under, Mr Lord explained how he had been tourism officer for his area when the world noticed the fledgling relationship being formed in 2013 between Dull and Boring, an American logging town.
“I was struck that this was gold dust and that we in Bland should get on board too.
“So I suggested forming ‘the League of Extraordinary Communities’ and it was signed soon after,” the Australian mayor and health practitioner explained.
The optometrist by trade
The Mayor of Bland in Australia, Tony Lord (centre) with his wife Ros and Provost of Perh and Kinross, Dennis Melloy had arranged to visit Scotland of greater tourism spin-offs.” last week as a natural “cultural He praised the Sleeper train add-on”, having been invited service from London and to visit an optical equipment was delighted to be besieged conference in Munich. with global media interview
“We wanted to cement the requests. words of friendship with an “I just could not believe actual visit to Dull,” Mr Lord the media interest, it was told the PA. “phenomenal,” he declared.
“I spent the last 12 years on Having seen the Provost’s the tourism and development special car, Mr Lord joked that committee at Blandshire he would be advising of the Council where I live in West need for something similar Wyalong, New South Wales. for him to go around Bland in.
“The conference trip to “But given that we are gold Germany for our delegation mining, cereal and sheep was being funded by the farming country, a 4x4 might suppliers, so adding a mere be more appropriate,” he 1000 miles on seemed worth quipped. the extra expense in the name Provost Melloy was delighted for Mr Lord to sign his civic visitor’s book - which is taken away, stuffed with interesting contacts, by each Provost at the end of their five year tenure.
At a civic reception at Aberfeldy’s community cinema on Friday evening, a news crew from US TV channel, NBC, vied for a word with the Dull and Bland representatives.
“I’m really pleased. This coverage we’re getting, you just cannot buy it,” said Provost Melloy.
“And I’m pleased to say we have tracked down two more candidates for sharing the Dull resident Jamie Pringle
love with in America: The US settlements of Dreary and Ordinary.”
“While the premise is fun,” added Ian Campbell, the PKC council leader. “But on the serious side, this has been of tremendous benefit to Perthshire’s international profile,” “It’s actually easier to name the ones that didn’t want an interview, the phone has never stopped!”
BBC radio stations as far away as Guernsey and Essex had requested interviews about the cementing of Australian-Scottish friendship. And BBC Radio 1, BBC Worldwide, ITV and Australia’s Channel 7 had followed in the stampede to salute the benefits of living in Dull, on the quieter side of Perthshire.