A VISIT to Fife Council’s Welcome to Fife Pavilion during the Open Golf Championship proved to be a stroke of luck for 13 year-old Peter Dewhurst, from Edinburgh.
Peter took part in the World Golf Tour Simulator competition in which entrants played the 11th hole of the Old Course. Peter’s drive took him within 1.9 feet of the pin, an outstanding shot which put him well ahead of the field.
Peter’s £2.00 entry fee for the competition earned him the prize of a replica Willie Park putter. All proceeds from the competition are going to Fife Charities Trust.
The putter is handcrafted by St Andrews Golf Company Ltd, considered Scotland’s last traditional golf club manufacturer. 174 putters have been produced to equal Willie Park’s winning score of the first Open Championship at Prestwick.
And just like Peter Dewhurst, Fife Council enjoyed a very successful Open Championship, courtesy of its Welcome to Fife Pavilion.
Over the four-day championship, several thousand visitors flocked to the Pavilion to experience Fife ‘in miniature’ and to enjoy a rich array of displays and demonstrations highlighting Fife’s unique environment and distinctive cultural identity and heritage.
Says a spokesperson: “Visitors enjoyed daily cookery demonstrations and live workshops from a selection of Fife businesses, and were entertained by performers from Celebrating Fife 2010: Our Year of Culture.
“Throughout the week The Pavilion was full with the curious, and sometimes the wet, keen to see what was behind the sights, sounds and smells on offer.
“St Andrews Golf Company, who delivered Peter’s winning putter to him, had a demonstration stand within The Welcome to Fife Pavilion. They enjoyed a busy week surrounded by golf enthusiasts fascinated with the displays of old clubs, the craftsmanship of Bill Peet and the eloquent and informative talks from Simon Barclay.”
Staff from Quaker Oats provided daily portions of porridge for the early birds which served to whet appetites in time for the cookery demonstrations.
Christopher Trotter, local chef, food writer, consultant, and a Celebrating Fife 2010 Local Hero, co-ordinated all recipes and served up mouth watering samples alongside Nichola Fletcher of Fletchers Venison, Steve Mitchell from Puddledub Buffalo, Bruce Bennett from the Pillars of Hercules, and Raphael Ceschi from The Italian Shop, to name but a few.
Amongst the variety of performers taking to the Celebrating Fife stage was King Creosote who brightened up a wild and wet afternoon with his rendition of Rikki Fulton’s La di dum song. Overseas visitors delighted in the Highland dancers from the Sarah Hendry School of Dance, while everyone watched in awe as Mary Law created stunning floral displays.
StAnza poets inspired and entertained, and there was even a sneak preview from performers at the Auchtermuchty Traditional Music Festival which starts this Friday, 6 August.
Soap by Susan, Wemyss Ware, the Kaleidoscope Company, Budzi Bags, Pittenweem Pottery and Scottish Gemstones were a few Fife businesses who highlighted their arts and crafts with daily demonstrations and talks on locally sourced and produced products.
Hollywood actor and local boy, Dougray Scott, and football legend and Celebrating Fife Local Hero, Jim Leishman, didn’t let the wet weather dampen their spirits during their visit to the Pavilion as they took in all the events and activities.
Fife Council leader, Councillor Peter Grant, was delighted with the success of the Pavilion, commenting: “The Open is one of the world’s biggest annual sporting events. As well as the obvious boosts this brings to our tourism industry it provided a unique opportunity for us to show the world what Fife has to offer.
“The Welcome to Fife Pavilion was a good example of Fife Council bringing together individuals and organisations from across the public, private and voluntary sectors to tell the world what a great place Fife is to live, work, visit and invest.
“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from visitors and, whether they came from the other side of the world or the other side of town, I think everyone discovered something new about Fife.”
MEDIA RELEASE posted by Fife Council. You too can post media releases (aka press releases) on allmediascotland.com. For more information, email here.
Contact: Frances Chisholm
Phone: 08451 555 555 Ext 44 26 89
Email: frances.chisholm@fife.gov.uk
Website: http://www.fifedirect.org.uk
