Burns Supper 2017...

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A leisurely start to the day as we got up and headed to Gloagburn for breakfast.

Thankfully I was able to buy a beautiful little knitted item for Becca's baby and a book with crinkly, noisy pages and a little bell inside.   

Back home to get organised for this evening's Burns Supper.   A final read through of my Reply to the Toast to the Lassies and we were off.  

Arrived at Gill's just after 6.30pm.  I volunteered to drive home so no lovely, chilled prosecco for me.  Was so lovely to see everyone and have a proper catch up. 

In no time at all it was time to be seated at the table as the soup was served up and Rona recited the Selkirk Grace.   Then haggis was piped in (these days from an iPod rather than a piper) and David M did his annual addressing of the haggis.  Superb!

After the haggis, tatties and neeps, it was time for Sheila's very boozy trifle. Just a spoonful for me!  Coffee, biscuits and cheese and Gill's homemade tablet and short bread had us hardly fit to move.  Delicious though :-)

Hamish got the speeches started with his Immortal Memory and it was excellent.  He focussed on Burns' influence on the world beyond Scotland from President Abraham Lincoln in the USA to Dunedin in New Zealand.  I was so fascinated by what he said, I came home and ordered two Burns biographies.  

I've always been so focussed on the works of Burns that his actual life story took second place in my mind, but I now look forward to learning more about the man himself and his life,  delving deeper that the superficial ploughman poet knowledge that I have.

After Hamish, Sandy delivered a very funny Toast to the Lassies, getting many a laugh, even from the women!  :-))  Then it was my turn.  Thankfully my Reply went down well and I was glad I had changed a chunk of it and made the effort to personalise it to cover the men there individually.   It was all taken in good part :-)

David was MC and did a grand job of the thanks at the end, including funny little anecdotes from the evening.  I always think that's one of the hardest jobs as you have to think on your feet.

Then in no time at all, the evening was over and it was time to head home.  Tired but happy.  Another load of wonderful Burns night memories in the memory bank.

I expect to receive an email from Lillemor by Wednesday at the latest with the details of next year's Burns Supper and her annual quest for volunteers for the speeches.  I think I can sit that one out :-))