The recently introduced tradition of a Burns’ Night supper was very well attended this year with 38 members and guests sitting down with wee drams of the Famous Grouse, all the better to add flavour to the obligatory haggis. Georgia the Chef faced not only the challenge of cooking haggis for the first time ever but also the biggest one yet prepared and cooked by William the Tartan Butcher here in Faversham. The haggis refused to be lifted from its oven dish and collapsed in stages with the effort. Thankfully President David Kirsch-Mills had a sufficiently large section to ceremoniously parade round the guests and to stab with the dirk handed to him by Billy Rae, our regular guest with the most wonderful baritone voice.
Simon Moore delivered a very evocative speech on the immortal memory of Robert Burns, which was warmly applauded. John Blackford recited from memory the first verse of Burns’ touching poem “John Anderson, my jo” in a toast to the lassies, to which Clarissa Hanna replied with a contemporary poem, “Mrs Midas” from the Scottish poet Carol Ann Duffy, followed by a reference to Melania Trump’s inauguration hat, which clearly puzzled some of the audience.
“Ae Fond Kiss” sung beautifully by Billy Rae silenced the room and the evening ended with the traditional joining of hands to sing “Auld Lang Syne” . Some guests have already signed up for Burns’ Night next year…