Dundee Flower and Food Festival

On Sunday afternoon I was delighted to have a great family day out at the Dundee Flower and Food Festival. This is a really excellent event and I was delighted that reports that the City Council's Administration were going to scrap the festival have proved to be unfounded.

The festival is a great collaboration between the private, public and voluntary sectors. I would like to pay tribute all those who worked hard to make the festival such a success. The festival though is anchored by the City Council and it is council workers who go the extra mile to make sure that the festival works. This is in many respects local government at its best with council staff leading in the delivery of an excellent event for the people of Dundee and for the many visitors which the festival attracts.

It was particularly good that visitors to the festival were able to visit Camperdown House today. I think that the council and the new trust, Leisure and Culture Dundee, should be looking at ways in which a sustainable, long-term, public use for Camperdown House can be found.

I had a great time at the festival today. I met many people from right across the city who were having a great time at the festival, which was good to hear. I also thought about my friend, the late Tom Mitchell, who was the political lead behind the creation of the festival nearly 30 years ago.

Well done to everyone involved and I look forward to the festival in 2012.