Strathaven Probus celebrates Burns Night in verse
24 January-
The photograph shows the performers. L to R George Jamieson, Alan Findlay,Gordon McAllan, President Graham Findlay, Alex Naismith & piper David Muircroft.
President Graham Findlay welcomed members to the Strathaven Probus Club's annual Burns afternoon.
The haggis, carried aloft by press officer George Jamieson, was piped in by David Muircroft and addressed by Alan Findlay in braid Scots with a pronounced Yorkshire accent. The haggis was piped back out again by David- with a different set of pipes from his extensive collection.
After an excellent traditional repast of haggis with creamed potatoes and champit neeps followed by coffee & shortbread members were treated to "An English Teacher's Slant on Burns' poem - Tam O'Shanter" by guest speaker Gordon McAllan. Gordon used this single work of the bard's to illustrate the genius of the man - a man in total command of his language.
Burns’ greatness lay in his familiarity with so many different cultures and his ability to change from social commentator to philosopher within the space of a line or two. Gordon, dominies' hat firmly on his head, pointed out to members in the most amusing of ways how Burns used figures of speech to attract & involved his listeners and to then retain their attention. He compared these techniques with those used in more modern works like Hitchcock's "Psycho" to gain the same effect.
The afternoon was brought to a close by Alex Naismith, in his own, inimitable style reciting "Willie Wassell's Wife". The vote of thanks was delivered in person by the President.
The photograph shows the performers. L to R George Jamieson, Alan Findlay,Gordon McAllan, President Graham Findlay, Alex Naismith & piper David Muircroft.
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