In the first of a three-part series, Courier reporter Graeme Ogston visits one of Dundee’s City of Culture rivals, Swansea Bay.
“What do I know about Dundee?” ponders the first Swansea resident I quiz. “Not a lot mate, to be honest.”
”The closest I’ve ever been to Dundee is Berwick-upon-Tweed. I should know more about it, I suppose.”
It would be fair to say that Swansea Bay’s cultural competitor was not on the radar of many of the people I spoke to on my travels there.
As one person pointed out: “If you asked the average person in Dundee to tell you something about Swansea, they’d be hard pushed to as well.”
Responses ranged from the city’s football teams (one man once saw Dundee United lose to Celtic in a cup final) to Dundee Cake.
“I know of Dundee’s existence.” said one woman philosophically, adding she had been there 20 years ago on a day trip after a rugby match. “But I can’t remember a thing about it.”
Shrug after shrug followed embarrassed silence after embarrassed silence.
“Whisky?” offered one man, before his friend said: “No, you get that all over Scotland.”
“Castles?” tried someone else. “Are there castles in Dundee?”
Luckily, one man saved the day.
“The main thing I think of about Dundee is football. But I’ve heard about it and I get the impression it has a very strong sense of civic pride.”
He had not visited, though.