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" Burns Supper - Loweswater Style "

Date & start time:      23rd January 2025.  7 pm start.

Location of Start :     Loweswater Village Hall, Loweswater, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 140 211)

Places visited :          Loweswater Village Hall

Event details :            A celebration of the life of the Scottish poet Rabbie Burns.

Organised by :           The Loweswater 77 Club.

With :                        60 valley residents and guests, a full house tonight.

Weather :                  Cold, but dry and warm indoors.

                      With thanks to Lorna, Barbara and Anne Patterson for additional photos on the night.

                     

© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Licence number PU 100034184.

 

At one time, Cumbria was part of Scotland, but at other times part of Scotland were English, so the border has moved over the years.

Tonight it edged south again, if only for a few hours, as Loweswater Village Hall seemed to be invaded by men in kilts and ladies sporting tartan sashes.

It's Burns Night and the Loweswater 77 Club is in celebratory mood . . . okay it's a day or so early, but you just can't get a good piper to the village on the 25th for love nor money !

 

Poetry abounds as we celebrate Scotland's most famous writer of verse.
We found a great piper tonight . . . and he started the evening by welcoming guests to the Hall.

Tables were full with 60 locals and guests filling the Hall . . . a good night is in prospect.

[ I have to say that, for as Club Chairman I was responsible for getting everything organised !]

The guests included some who were to open the evening and also entertain us after the meal.

The Hall and the tables were suitably decorated for the occasion . . .

. . . as were the people.

- - - o o o - - -

As the clock struck seven, it fell to me to quieten the crowd,

to temporarily place their many conversations on hold,

and to open the evenings proceedings

by asking Harry Patterson to say the traditional Selkirk Grace.

- - - o o o - - -

Loweswater 77 Club Burns Supper
January 2025 Programme


7.00pm Welcome – Roger Hiley

The meal - The Selkirk Grace - Harry Patterson - then Cock-a-leekie soup

Guests please stand for the Haggis, piped in by Rowland Lawson
Toast “To the Haggis” – Harry Patterson

Main Course - (Haggis warm reeking, rich wi’ Tatties and Bashed Neeps)

Dessert - Cranachan … followed by tea or coffee

Toast “The Immortal Memory” – Roger Hiley
Toast “To the Lassies” – Chris Spencer
Toast “To the Laddies” – Barbara Robinson

Entertainment – by Niall and Harry Patterson

Raffle

Closing Remarks – Roger Hiley
All sing Auld Lang Syne

- - - o o o - - -

The first course was Cock-a-leekie soup,

a Scottish soup consisting of leeks and peppered chicken stock, often thickened with rice or barley.

- - - o o o - - -

 

 

Our Piper for the night was Rowland Lawson

whose playing accompanied the arrival of the Haggis.

 

 

His wife Anne carried the delicacy on a silver platter,

and together they paraded the fine offering

the length of the hall and back

as the people stood and applauded in unison.

 

The Haggis was placed on the top table, and then in true tradition

Niall Patterson "Addressed the Haggis"

with the words from the classic Rabbie Burns poem.

- - - o o o - - -

   
Fir fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftan o the puddin'-race !
   
His knife see rustic Labout dight, an cut you up wi ready slight.
And then. O what a glorious sight, Warm-reekin, rich !

Click her for the full poem of which Niall chose a slightly abridged version of four verses.

The magnificent offering was paraded once more . . .
. . . for all to appreciate the quality of the offering before us.

Round the tables while the guests were served their meal.

"Cheers" from Loweswater.

Taking the BYO theme to heart . . . don't panic, they're not all alcoholic bottles on the table !

A dubious crowd on the bottom table . . . including from the left, Jeff who would recite a poem later, Christine who wrote it, Lorna who helped me organise the evening,

Barbara, with Chris who volunteered (!) to propose a toast after the meal, finally Keith, Lorna's husband, on the right who also helped with the preparations.

I'll not name everyone . . . in order to protect the guilty !

Niall and Harry our speakers plus Barbara on the right, who would respond to Chris's "Toast to the Lassies" after the meal.

She's looking a little worried . . . or is that apprehensive ?

Our table . . . the less said the better.

Cranachan to follow . . . full marks to our caterer Ann Parry and to her serving staff.
It fell to me to give the speech "To the immortal Memory of Rabbie Burns".

Chris took to the floor to propose a toast to the "Lassies of the Village"

with a guide to the finer points of male company to look out for during the various stages of their lives.

A fine speech, sometimes humorous . . . sometimes serious.
Barbara, here on the left, responded in kind.
   

After the more formal part of the evening, the entertainment continued with a recitation from Harry Patterson.

This took the form of a Bedtime Prayer by Burns . . .
suitably supported by candlelight and costume.

Sometimes gentle, sometimes a plea, occasionally a rant . . . but very entertaining.

Niall also entertained with Burns poetry . . .
. . . and accompanied himself on guitar for a couple of classic Burns songs.
   

Before proceedings drew to a close, we mustn't forget to draw the raffle . . . with full appreciation to those that donated "gifts with a scottish theme" this year.

The evening closed with the singing of Burn's famous song . . .
. . . Auld Lang Syne . . . "for the sake of olden times".

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with my iPhone 11pro mobile phone camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . all the atmosphere of Scotland.

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Previous walk - 18th January 2025 - Cathy and Mark in Loweswater

A previous time up here - 24th January 2017 - Loweswater's Burns Night 2017

Next walk - 26th January 2025 - Mob Lords Seat and Whinlatter