July (1) ' The Old Boatyard ' restaurant tips it's cap to the harbour's vibrant past & helps steer the area towards a bright future. The impressive new eating & meeting place stands on the site of the 1955 - 1995 Gerrard's Boatyard. July (13) 'Smokie Blues' host a blues/rock special in Panmure Hall, Hill Street with L'il Jimmy Reed, Tracy Conover Band & Wolftrain. July (14) As part of the Hairst traditional music summer sessions, Angus Folk & Nigel Jelks perform outside Arbroath Library. July (19) The 'Angus Ahead' web portal ( ) welcomes it's 1,000,000th visitor to the birthplace of Scotland. July (28/29) The first Fish & Farmers Market is held on Beacon Green. Entertainment is provided by Rosely Ceilidh Band. July (31) The level crossing at Wellgate re-opens after being closed for almost two years. During that time it was threatened with permanent closure. Aug (3) The Red Lion Holiday Park's 'Seafront Leisure Centre' opens to the general public, it's ground floor facilities including a heated swimming pool, toddler pool, spa & steam room. The upper floor features a soft play area, pool table room & amusement arcade. The Seafront bar offers regular live acts, disco & karaoke. Aug (6) Kevin & Karen Baker open 'Wee One's Wardrobe', baby attire, at 128 High Street Aug (8) To address housing difficulties being experienced by migrant workers (Angus may now have as many as 4,000), Lucyna Rutkowska is appointed Development Officer (international communities). Aug (18) Halfords open at Westway Retail Park, creating 14 jobs. Aug (24) Mackay's jam production begins at their James Chalmers Road plant, at a rate of 150 jars per minute. The firm expect over 100 staff to be employed in Arbroath by 2008. Aug (25) Arbroath's Harbour Visitor Centre is officially opened by Angus Provost Ruth J. Leslie Melville MBE. Aug (25-26) Arbroath's 11th Seafest with two days of exciting activity in & around the harbour. The Bell Rock Blues Festival blows us away with a long list of afternoon & evening gigs. Bar venues are: 'Beckets', 'Cliffburn', 'Crown', 'Foundry', 'Lorne', 'Millgate', 'Pageant', 'Station', 'Victoria', 'West Port', 'Commercial', 'Newgate', 'Burns', 'Fishermans', & 'Central'. The Stars are: 'Baba Blues', 'Daniel Smith', 'Harmonica Mac & The Groove Cats', 'Blue Hyenas', 'Gerry Jablonski', 'Lyndon Anderson Band', 'Little Miss Debbie & The Scumbags', 'Son Henry', 'Bacchanal', 'The Deal', 'Bourach Bros.', 'Heavy Mama', 'The Sidekicks', & 'Juke Joint Rollers'. Sep (3) The Scottish Executive become the Scottish Government. Sep (6) Ian 'Smokie' Gray dies aged 69. An Arbroath Folk Club member & shepherd, he was also Sub Chief of 'The Beano' comic for D.C. Thomson of Dundee, scripting Dennis The Menace, Biffo The Bear & The Bash Street Kids. Sep (11) The 'Angus Alliance' have deemed it fit to replace the Saltire on County buildings with an Angus County flag. 10 are replacing our national flag at a cost of £4,500 pounds. Fireworks for the unfurling are not planned - that will no doubt follow automatically. Sep (22) Arbroath FC's hospitality suite opened by David Longmuir, Chief Exec. of the Scottish Football League. Sep (25) The initial proposal for an East Cliffburn development of 121 dwellings by Stuart Milne Homes is rejected by Angus Council's Development Control Committee because a) there are too many houses, b) it is not wheelchair friendly & c) insufficient open space has been left within the development. (right) Sep (27-29) Arbroath's High Street hosts a colourful continental market, with vendors from Holland, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy & Spain sporting traditional costume. Oct (8) Major roadworks commence on Burnside Drive between the Harbour Visitor Centre roundabout & Guthrie Port. The work, including resurfacing & signal improvements, should be complete by November 23rd. Oct: At Knockhill, Fife, motorcyclist Bruce Birnie of Knowes of Boysack, Froickheim, becomes the Scottish 1000cc Sports Production Champion, 2007. Oct: A 300k roof refurbishment of St Vigeans Kirk makes steady progress: Oct (22) Phase 3 of Auchmithie improvements begins, with a completion target of January 2008. An access road leading to a new car park behind the village hall will be created, together with an extensive recreational area. The street lighting will also benefit from improvements & landscaping will complete this phase. Nov (6) The old Seaforth Hotel site will not be allowed to accomodate a residential development. The Scottish Government Reporter, Mr Scott Ferrie, has backed Angus Council's position on the matter. Meanwhile the remnants of the Hotel, destroyed by fire on August 9th 2006 and left uncleared during the summer season of 2007, unbelievably still remain the visitor's welcome to the town as they pass under the railway bridge on Dundee Road. Nov (14) Clearance thankfully begins at the site of the demolished Seaforth House / Hotel. Nov (19) Paul Reid opens a photographic studio, 'Angus Pictures', at 23 Market Place. Nov (22) The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, in their ranks Arbroath piper Corporal David Dodds, have signed a 1M pound record deal with Universal Music. Their new CD is 'Spirit of the Glen'. Nov (26) Highly respected Arbroath resident David Gerrard dies aged 63. He has served the town in many ways, as Arbroath Lifeboat crewman between 1962 and 1999, Commanding Officer of the Sea Cadets since 1980 & a Seafest Director since it's inception in 1997. Son of Andrew Gerrard of Gerrard Bros. boatbuilders, he worked there from leaving school and in the 1980s became joint partner. Dec (6) The deteriorating condition of the concrete barrier along the seafront at Victoria Park has been the subject of discussion by Angus Council's Infrastructure Services Commitee. A capital spend of in excess of 5M pounds for a sea wall rebuild has been agreed in principle. Dec (19) A marble plaque, mounted on rock from Waulkmill Quarry, commemorates the selfless bravery of Mick Smith & J.E. Dyer of 7 (Sphinx) Commando Battery who have died during the current Afghanistan conflict. Dec (20) The absence of the traditionally flown Saltire welcoming all to Arbroath's seafront is questioned. Following the recent Saltire / Angus flag fiasco, the allergy to our national flag by the 'Angus Alliance' is causing considerable concern. Dec A 23 million pound contract between John M. Henderson & major international Korean steel company Posco, completes it's 1st phase. The entire project, expected to be completed by April 2008, covers coke oven requirements including minimising environmental damage through tight emmision control. Dec During this year, Arbroath's Lifeboats (RNLB 'Inchcape' & inshore RNLB 'Duncan Ferguson') have been launched 34 times & have carried out 27 rescues. ' In 2007' Merchants Hair Salon opens at 17 Keptie Street.

Seafront Spectacular 2007 : Part of the happy throng in Victoria Park on the 14th of July

Bruce Birnie