Things are ramping up on the Flame of Fusion project which, as most of you will know, is to make a film that parallels the 1971 documentary, Meigle: Our Village (which can be viewed at the bottom of the page).  Filmed and narrated by resident, Muriel Soutar, the film depicts the small, thriving community of Meigle, overlaid with a strong sense of pride as the narrator takes us on a tour of the village, filming businesses, local landmarks, the primary school and pupils, and even some of the residents that still live here today! 

 

The ethos of the new film is to unify  Meigle and Ardler, explore what it means to residents to be part of a community in the Covid-19 pandemic, and demonstrate the ways in which a community can pull together and ensure the welfare and resilience of its residents.

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As the pace and structure of modern life has changed over the past 50 years, so has the sense of community in the village. Residents have passed on and moved away. New residents have moved in and that strong sense of connection has been eroded by fast-paced modern living.

 

Wanda McGregor has been a resident in Meigle for nearly five years. Aside from being a recently appointed member of the Community Development Trust and a trained mental health nurse with 18 years' of experience, she gained an MLitt in Writing Practice and Study (with distinction) from the University of Dundee in 2020. A published writer and poet, Wanda has  been scriving away in the background and has written a poem entitled 'Clachan' which takes the reader on a walk around Meigle and Ardler in a celebration of the local landscape, heritage, businesses and community.

 

Wanda has also collaborated with Meigle Primary School who have worked hard to produce poetic fragments in the form of voice overs recorded by the pupils. These recordings, along with images from the village logo competition held by Meigle and Ardler Community Council will be incorporated into the film.

 

Wanda is optimistic that members of the community will take part in the film and she has been making connections with some of the residents who have witnessed these changes. She has met with Stan Williamson, founder of the Facebook page, Meigle Past and Present, who explained that there was an abundance of social activities in Meigle, so many in fact, at times, cancellations were inevitable because the Kinloch Hall was completely booked! Resident, Sheena Fraser, shares these memories and she is in the original film at the christening of her baby son who is now 50 years old! Both Stan and Sheena have many fascinating stories and memories to share, as do many residents in Meigle and Ardler.  

 

Wanda is keen to gather these stories that will otherwise be lost in the mists of time, and she has sought  guidance from Creative Perth & Kinross on recording oral histories, and she is eager to collect and collate resident's stories. Wanda is hoping to use fragments of these stories as footage for the film and to place them in Perth & Kinross archives.

 

Just imagine, 100 years from now, researchers may be listening to your stories of old!

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