The season’s Winter Lecture Programme, now known as Winter Club Nights, opened on 30th September with one of the best talks we have had for some time. My old friend Mac Creedon from Solway Offset took us back through the ages with his fascinating tales of “History of Printing with a Dumfries slant”. As I had a loose connection with reprographics for North British Rubber, I well remember some of the personalities from those halcyon days of the 1960’s. The biscuits were excellent and the event washed its face. This was the last gathering at the Globe before it closes for further repairs. Monday 4th October, the Executive Committee met in plenary session at the Moreig where the tables were laid out boardroom fashion which meant the office bearers had to bellow to be heard but no matter. Tickets were produced by the president featuring a bat. Numbers were taken for Hallowe’en and the signs are that this will be a fantastic night. Peter Kormylo appeared with a copy of his book of Burns in Ukrainian with superb illustrations from John Clark. There is talk of a launch in Kiev in October and in Scotland at some other time.
Meanwhile, busy with preparations for the October issue of “Howff Club News” in conjunction with Andy MacKay whose expertise money can’t buy. Hope the president and treasurer can meet Andy’s deadline for copy. Unfortunately most of the available photographs are unflattering.
As a member of a Focus Group, I had the pleasure of accompanying the president to the Birthplace Museum at Alloway for a look round before the official public opening followed by a snack lunch and a workshop. The £21M development is certainly impressive and state of the art but I wonder how it will be seen by Burnsians. Entertainment was supplied by Peter Westwood whom we collected at Castle Douglas on the scenic route to Ayr. Peter’s retiral as editor of the Burns Chronicle is a great loss to the Burns Federation and to the Burns world generally as his knowledge, contacts and collection of manuscripts and other material cannot be replaced easily. DS