THE ARCHIVES

After the lapse of six years the Perth Hunt balls have been revived. The first of these took place last night and seldom has there been a more brilliant function. The County Buildings, Perth, so long associated with these balls, was ablaze with light and presented a picturesque scene. Everything possible was done for the comfort of guests. Most of the ground floor was utilised and transformed into comfortable sitting-rooms and card-rooms. The area was draped with red baize and festooned with red, white and blue. Pitlochry Theatre has no plan for another season. This shock announcement was made yesterday by Mr Kenneth Ireland, the theatre director. He said that the 19th season must end in the red “because it is no longer possible to bridge the gap between rising costs and a subsidy situation that has remained virtually static for four years.” Attendances at the theatre have dropped by 12½% on last year’s record of 72,000. The Festival Company are not to undertake a third tour after this season ends. A fun run held in Camperdown Park, Dundee, was described as “a shambles” and left thousands of children disappointed and their parents angry. Police were called in to deal with a number of lost children separated from their families in the chaos. A police spokesman later said that the organisers had “insufficient” helpers to cope with the situation. More than 5,000 children from all over Tayside went to take part in the event to raise funds for the Cancer Research Campaign. Organisers had catered for 2,300. Hundreds of criminals and suspects from Tayside are on the run because warrants for their arrest have not been executed. More than 600 arrest warrants remain outstanding across the region, leading to fears from campaigners that justice is being evaded. A Freedom of Information request by The Courier revealed the number but no further details could be provided by police. The force said because a legacy computer system is being used, data on the type of crime could not be provided.