Burns Night was celebrated in great style this year, when a party of 118 members of the Association and their guests attended our annual celebration on Saturday 26th January at Harewood Downs Golf Club. The event was hugely enjoyed by all present, and we had some wonderful speakers. The Haggis was piped in by our Piper, Alan Rouse, and the Toast to the Haggis was proposed by Eddie Fraser. The Immortal Memory was given by Peter Aitchison, who travelled down from Edinburgh for the event. Peter is a Scottish writer and broadcaster, and his speech was both informative and hugely enjoyable. Jim McKendrick proposed the Toast to the Lasses, and Jean Kelly replied on behalf of The Lasses – both speeches were great fun, and raised a lot of laughs.
We also had a selection of pipe tunes played by Alan, and this year the songs of Robert Burns were sung by Tim Venner accompanied by his wife, Rosemary both of whom are members of the BBC Symphony Chorus. They gave a very professional and varied performance, greatly enjoyed by all. Alan Rouse was presented with a quaich to mark the Association’s grateful thanks for over thirty years of piping for the Association, both at our events and at family celebrations. A Toast to the Association was given by Douglas Hume, a friend of our President, who has greatly enjoyed some of our events in the past. The evening was rounded off by our President, Isobel Lang, who gave the vote of thanks to everyone participating, and also thanked Harewood Downs for a super meal and service. The evening finished with the singing of The Star of Rabbie Burns and Auld Lang Syne.
Peter Aitchison, who gave the Immortal Memory, with his wife Gillian and his long-lost cousin, Craig Aitchison and his wife Eileen,
Our President for this year, Isobel Lang
with her husband Bill.
Eddie Fraser proposed the Toast to the Haggis with great gusto!