IN MY VIEW

I WAS born and bred in Perth and started my career here at Perth Theatre.

I owe the city my life and career.

It’s a beautiful part of the world and there’s so much happening.

The city is a real cultural crucible and has a certain something.

The people are proud of its culture and that has a lot to do with the arts and the history of Perth.

I live not far from the concert hall and I know a lot of people involved in the arts here.

To see how much support there is for the arts you only have to look at how many times the concert hall is packed out. There’s always something happening.

The local council has plans to create a “cultural quarter” on the edge of Perth city centre. That should be in place in about a year from now and will be just another bonus of visiting here.

I feel incredibly proud of my hometown.

Often when I am abroad I can’t help but tell people about the city and the fact the Romans had a settlement here.

Perth has already been active in attracting culture and people to come here but securing something as prestigious as the UK City of Culture title would give the city that extra boost.

There’s due to be a lot of money spent in preparation for the vote so putting a bid in can only be a good thing – even if we don’t win it in the end.