Tag Archives: haggis

Dunoon Grammar School goes mega with a Burns Supper for 1,100

Posted on by

Dunoon Grammar School went large.  On 23rd January the school marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns with all 1,100 of the school’s pupils and staff taking part in a traditional Burns Supper.

The school canteen served up traditional Burns haggis, neeps and tatties. The pupils presented a celebration of all things Scottish during the meal – with Highland Dancers, readings from Burns and a stirring set from the school’s pipe band.

Councillor Isobel Strong, Argyll and Bute Council’s Education Spokesperson, congratulated the school, saying: ‘It’s wonderful to see the children of Dunoon Grammar School taking part in this wonderful occasion and celebrating the work of Scotland’s national bard’.

Pupils from the school’s TV station, whose recent launch on 16th January was extensively covered by For Argyll, also broadcast their own version of this year’s Homecoming Scotland video. Pupils and staff of the school took the places of the Scottish celebrities who appeared in VisitScotland’s original promotion; and stunning images of Dunoon replaced the various location shots in the official version.

Dougie MacLean who wrote Caledonia – and who will probably never want to hear it again by the end of this year – had already given the pupils the go-ahead to use the song in the broadcast.

During the Supper, the school’s S1 IT and Enterprise Club also produced and sold tartan ribbons to mark the event and are donating the proceeds to Children 1st.

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

On Rabbie Burns’ 250th anniversary, Inveraray reminds itself that he wasn’t impressed with the town

Posted on by

Inveraray 250th Anniv Burns SupportHomecoming Scotland 2009 begins with Burns and ends with St Andrew and Inveraray Burns Club held its 3rd Burns Supper on the 250th birthday of the Bard, Rabbie Burns. The event was a sell out and the guests ate well on the traditional Burns supper of Haggis and Neeps.

The location was the Argyll Hotel where the Bard stayed on his only visit to the town. The Club’s President, Jim McMillan, delivered the Immortal Memory and reminded members of the bards not so happy visit to Inveraray.

Burns was not impressed with by the welcome he got when he arrived at Inveraray in June 1787. In fact he was so un-impressed that he left his feelings for posterity, scratching the following verse on the hotel window:

Who e’er he be that sojourns here
I pity much his case
Unless he come to wait upon
The Lord, their god, “His Grace”
There’s naething here but Highland pride,
And Highland scab and hunger:
If providence has sent me here,
T’was surely in an anger.

(Robbie Burns June 1787)

In mid June 1787 Burns saddled up his faithful mare, Jenny Geddes and rode out of Inveraray for the West Highlands. It is assumed that Burns was collecting subscriptions for the Edinburgh Edition on this tour and that he was accompanied by Dr George Grierson and Mr George Gairdner of Ladykirk.

The farthest extent of this tour was Inveraray, seat of John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll. It was unfortunate for Burns that the committee of the British Fisheries Society, of which the Duke was President, was meeting at Inveraray prior to selecting Tobermory as a new fishing port in the Island of Mull. The result was that the castle was full, the local inn was crowded with guests and Burns got very poor service – hence the rage he vented on the window pane.

At the Supper last night (24th January), the guests were entertained into the wee hours with song and verse. The highlight of the evening was an extremely energetic and amusing recital of Tam O’ Shanter by Secretary Kenny Stark.

The photograph shows Blatherskite delivering the entertainment at the Inveraray Burns Clubs’ Burns Supper on 24th January 2009.

Put your Burns Supper on the map – your village, Mount Aconcagua or Ben Nevis

Posted on by

Piping the HaggisA new website – BurnsSupper2009 – has been created to capture everyone’s plans for celebrating this landmark Burns Night and establish a new World Record for the greatest number of Burns suppers ever held. So far more than 670 suppers have been registered so if you have not recorded your event – now is the time to do it.

Every supper registered will be flagged on an interactive world map – demonstrating the global reach of Burns today. The site provides a range of Burns material: a step by step guide to hosting a Burns supper complete with menu ideas from some of Scotland’s leading chefs, invitation templates, poems, songs, film clips and music downloads.

Chris Dunlop - highest haggis eaterPaul Bush, of Event Scotland says they are also looking for some zany responses: ‘We hope to hear of a vast array of different celebrations including the largest ever Burns supper and perhaps the highest, such as one held on the top of Mount Aconcagua in Argentina last year.” This odd record was created by Chris Dunlop from Paisley (pictured), who will eat his haggis on the top of Ben Nevis this year.

Haggis sales world-wide have soared as an unexpected by-product of Homecoming 2009, as a record number of sometimes weird and wonderful Burns suppers are taking place. Haggis producers Stahley’s and Macsween have benefited from the launch of a Homecoming campaign to create the world’s biggest Burns Supper Celebration, and the launch of a new website. Ken Stahley says: ‘We are seeing record sales of our Burns supper pack, particularly in Canada’.

If you are involved in a Burns Supper anywhere this one is for you. The World Famous Burns Supper Celebration intends to unite both experienced Burnsians and Burns novices around the world encouraging them to come together online, registering their celebrations – big, small, traditional or unusual. The aim is to show the world that Burns’ legacy is still alive and kicking today and that his message of friendship and Auld Lang Syne lives on, joining people all over the world.

Reporter: Mark Morpurgo