The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra will top the bill at Scotland's newest community arts festival. And popular musician Scot John Martyn is also expected to be a big draw.
Organisers of Clydesdale Cantrip are delighted at the number of top quality musicians and entertainers who have agreed to perform at the Lanarkshire festival.

Festival co-ordinator Robert Davidson said that the BBC concert in Carluke Recreation Centre on June 19 was the 'jewel in the crown' of the musical events. He said: "The orchestra's visit to Clydesdale is a major event in the cultural calendar of the district. Normally local people have to travel to Edinburgh or Glasgow for events like this. I am really delighted. We are also running a version of television's Friday Night Live with musicians and comedy acts. John Martyn will top the bill that night."

Mr Davidson said that local people and community groups had responded well to the festival plan and that two local schools were putting on musicals during the program which runs from June 17 to 25.

Lanarkshire Grammar School will stage The Dracula Spectacular, a rock opera, and Lesmahagow High is putting on Calamity Jane.

A play about Robert Burns by local writer Alan Hayton will be performed by Glasgow company Annexe Theatre.

Dads will be urged to join in the festivities on Father's Day June 19 with a Father's Day Family Fun Day being organised at New Lanark. Entertainments will include a mock battle.

An English theatre company is putting on Alice In Wonderland and starring at a Mad Hatter's Tea Party in Biggar.

Caption:
JOHN MARTYN ... the singer songwriter is always popular in Scotland

sitenotes:
This article was published in the Evening Times of Thursday 19 May 1988 on page 14 and was provided by John Neil Munro. Apparently John was planned for a Friday night, which could be 17 June 1988 but other sources indicate the festival, called the Clydesdale Cantrip, had John programmed one week later, Friday 24 June, at Lanark Memorial Hall where he played for a packed audience.