Burns Night Supper at the Hotel Tamisa Golf
The Hotel Tamisa Golf once again hosted one of its most popular traditional annual events, “The Burns Supper” from Scotland. As always it was fully booked with many guests dressed in traditional Scottish tartans, kilts and regalia as well as members of the the press, who were personally welcomed by the hotel’s popular owner Mr John Peach. The Burns Supper is an institution of Scottish life: a night to celebrate the life and works of the national Bard Robert Burns.
The evening formally began with the Piping in of the guests, as a Burns Night calls for a piper to welcome guests. The Piper Tom Givens played the bagpipes until the high table was seated, with a round of applause the host, warmly welcomed and int,roduced the assembled guests and the evening’s entertainment. This was followed by a short but important prayer called the Selkirk Grace was read to usher in the meal.
Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.
John Peach
Then came the popular entrance of the “Entrance of the Haggis” (a Scottish delicacy) and while addressing the haggis, all the guests rose to their feet as the main course, the haggis on a very large dish was brought in while the impressive presence of piper Tom Given resplendently attired in tartan, played his bagpipes and lead the way to the host’s table, where the haggis was laid down and then the traditional Address to a Haggis was recited by the attractive Dee Mc Math splendidly dressed in a beautiful Scottish outfit,
Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’ need,
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour dicht,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready slicht,
Trenching your gushing entrails bricht,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sicht,
Warm-reekin, rich!
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive:
Deil tak the hindmaist! on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
“Bethankit” hums.
Is there that o’re his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi’ perfect scunner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!
But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his wallie nieve a blade,
He’ll mak it whistle;
An’ legs an’ arms, an’ heads will sned,
Like taps o’ thristle.
Ye Pow’rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o’ fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinkin ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer,
Gie her a haggis!
Burns Night-Guests of the Tamisa
The enjoyable evening continued with an energetic display of Scottish and Irish dancing to the sounds of exciting music, by the Celtic Dancers, a group of lady dancers who were highly applauded for their dancing skills and the evening was completed by the super sounds created by radio presenter and talented musician Ian Jacks and his band who sang many popular hits and kept the happy guests dancing till late into the night.
Well done Tamisa for another superb evening.
Tom Given & John Peach
Sur in English Jan 28- Feb 3
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