Top table spot at night in honour of Saint Mackay
Fair City business Exel Wines will once again be hosting the popular event in the Salutation Hotel, which is opposite their shop on South Street.
Exhibitors will be travelling from across Scotland, bringing along countless whiskies to display and try, along with some other spirits.
This year, the festival will start at 1pm – with a special welcome by Perth and Kinross Provost Dennis Melloy.
A ticket includes 10 tokens, which can be exchanged for samples. Three of the tokens allows festival-goers to try a more premium drink.
As well as tasting some fine drams from distilleries and independent bottlers from across the country, there will also be two masterclasses – one exploring the whiskies produced by Bruichladdich, and the other examining whisky-based cocktails. A pop-up shop will also be available. Tickets are required, and can be bought at www.exelwines.co.uk/ home-of-whisky-festival-ticket-2017. St Johnstone’s official poet-inresidence is well-versed in the art of public speaking.
So Jim Mackintosh was delighted to accept an invitation to join the top table at the Booker-sponsored Dave Mackay Testimonial Dinner being held at Perth’s Dewars Centre on September 2.
The event is on course for a 350 sell-out, with only a handful of tickets remaining and a deadline looming next Friday.
Saints fans have seized the opportunity to pay tribute to their 2014 Scottish Cup-winning captain, who was forced to quit the game with a persistent hip injury.
Lifelong supporter Jim, who broke new ground when he was appointed ‘The Makar of McDiarmid’, certainly won’t be fazed by the size of the audience in the Dewars marquee.
He delighted fans at the club’s Hall of Fame dinner at Perth Concert Hall and recently addressed an army of ex- military personnel tackling the Cateran Yomp.
“I’m looking forward to this tribute night to a genuine club legend and hopefully I will do ‘Cuptie’ justice. It’s fantastic but no surprise that the testimonial committee are looking out the sold-out signs,” said Jim.
“The Hall of Fame night went well, despite probably being my toughest ever gig! It was well into the Sunday night before I went on in front of 350 St Johnstone supporters who had entered into the spirit of the evening.
“I suppose my biggest audience this year was prompted by a commission for The Soldiers’ Charity and The Cateran Yomp. There were 1200 taking part in the event and the marquee held about 800. That was quite a daunting prospect but thankfully it passed off well.”
Jim played a key role as editor of a ground-breaking poetry anthology, ‘Mind The Time’, which was launched at Hampden in June.
Inspired by the ‘Football Memories’ project supporting dementia sufferers, it drew together football-themed contributions from more than 100 poets from across Scotland.
“The first print run has been sold out. It has been hugely successful,” said Jim, who lives within a wayward goalkick of McDiarmid Park.
“It has been a hectic spell, with appearances on everything from Off the Ball with Stuart Cosgrove and Tam Cowan to various events featuring poets who contributed to the book.”
In addition to the testimonial dinner, he will join fellow ‘Mind The Time’ contributors at book festivals ranging from Wigtown to Inverness and Dundee in autumn. Jim Mackintosh
The Fair City’s Salutation Hotel