It has become traditional that the president of the Howff is invited to attend the Dumbarton Burns Club St. Andrews Night Dinner in the Dumbuck Hotel I'm really glad that this arrangement was started by my predecessors, else I would have missed an excellent evening in the company of many friend I have had the privilege to meet at various outing and boolin' matches.  I really like the idea that they have adopted their own club song - Piper o' Dumbarton. Which I understand is sung, usually by John Young, who gave our toast to Jean Armour this year, towards he end of the evening.  So come on Howff Club members what is our song?? 

So President Patrick Trust, Moir Nelson and members of Dumbarton Burns Club Thank you all for your hospitality and a superb evening.

It was a great honour and a privelage to attend the Dumfries Burns Club St.Andrews Dinner at the Woodlands.  It is alway good to meet friend and enjoy their company but also to meet new friends.  Ian McIntyre (JVP) and myself were well looked after and enjoyed some excellent entertainment.   A few of the entertainers were Howff Club members but I guess it just shows that there is no annimosity between other Burns clubs.

A great night thanks to president Isa and the members for the Dumfries Burns Club forthe invitation and your hospitality, I hope that we can extend the same hospitality on the 30th at our dinner. 

Big thanks to May and Les Byres for the welcome, the soup, pies and mushy peas.  not to forget the buscuits & cheese, coffee & mints too.

There follwed a night of recitation, song, stories and jokes. 
A super evening in that, probably the one of closest you could get to the Life of Robert Burns, kitchen at Ellisland Farm.  Everyone I've spoken to, seems to think, they enjoyed themselves.   

It was a delight to be invited to the initial launch of the compiled translations of popular works of Robert Burns into Ukrainian.

Less than a year ago Peter Komylo had suggested to the committee of the Howff club that he intended to start fund raising to compile and publish the translation and the club donated the proceeds of one of its raffles to the fund.  Other individuals donated various sums to the cause and before long we hear that production was underway.  The purpose of this meeting was to recognise those who had donated as we were each given a copy of the book, signed by the authors Peter & Hana.

The book is unusual in that it has the original verse on the left page and the translation in Ukrainian on the right page.  Club member John Clark has drawn many of the illustrations and sketches within the book.

I would like to thank to Peter and Hana and also all those who have contributed towards its production.

Jane Brown from the Globe Inn had arranged this in the theatre Royal in Dumfries and what a superb afternoons entertainment this was.  Although disappointing that there were so few local people to support the event thankfully people had travelled from far and wide to see the performance.

 This was an extraordinary achievement given that the cast of the Jolly Beggers were all still at school, the oldest was 16 add to that, they are from school 61 in St Petersburg, Russia and I'm sure that you will appreciate the enormous effort which has gone into learning the verse in auld Scots.

The performance was complemented by some of our own youths like young burnsian of the year piper Calum Brown.

Well worth the tie to see the potential and talent of our planets youths.  

The run up to Hallowe’en is always busy but this time further complicated by the temporary closure of the Globe but a meeting with Stewart Black at the Moreig on 14^th ironed out potential problems and things look good for the Supper on 1`st November. Friday 16^th Nov, invited for a meal at the Aberdour followed by the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra concert at DG One. Meal and company was excellent and the concert, MC’d by Jim McColl of the “Beechgrove Garden” was fantastic, featuring a superb Tenor and Mezzo Soprano as soloists and also the D&G Police Pipe Band. Every seat was taken. Good to see John Mason, the conductor, who brought the “Strings of Scotland” to the Academy Hall several time in the 1980’s, hosted by the club,  Locharbriggs Community Centre was the venue for a special meeting on 19^th to discuss the Website and how help can be offered to the Webmaster to keep the site updated. Agreed that John Caskie, Kenny McKinnon and I will prepare content for posting by Neil. The Moreig again on 21^st to meet with Peter Kormylo, John Clark, the president and librarian to discuss arrangements for the launch of Peter’s translation of Burns into Ukrainian. The sample featured superb illustrations by John Clark. Agreed to launch on 15^th November at the Globe with a reception for the sponsors and press. Nibbles and cheap plonk to be served. Excom meeting on the 25^th was constructive and harmonious due to the chairmanship skills of the president. Full house for Hallowe’en and a seating pan to be drawn up. Duties allocated to members and the programme announced. The second club night was held in the Moreig on 28^th when Marion Aitken gave a fascinating illustrated talk, on Robert Burns and “Annie Laurie at Friars Carse” dealing with the relationship between the Laurie family of Maxwelltown House and the Riddell’s of Friars Carse, the poets neighbours and friends. The attendance was disappointing and I wonder, not for the first time, why members ignore these interesting nights. Hallowe’en was a superb night. The guest artistes, Andy Kain and Liam Stewart on the fiddle and box respectively were pure magic and were the highlight of the night. Guest speaker Iain Scott was entertaining and the supporting artists from the club were excellent. Some amusement was caused when Past President Jim Haining “found” the silver 3d and accepted the half bottle of strong drink with alacrity. Good meal and service from the Moreig  but lacked the atmosphere of the Globe.

Monday 8^th November, two fast cars left Dumfries with 10 members for a trip to the Mitchell Library in Glasgow where arrangements had been made for access to the famous Burns Room with its magnificent collection of 4500 volumes of Burn’s works and other material. Met by the Curator, Christine Henderson and a fascinating hour and a half spent in browsing. Peter Kormylo who met the party on arrival, regaled Christine with a rendition of “Scots Wha Hae” in Ukrainian and presented her with a copy of his translation. The lassie was almost overcome with emotion. Earlier, a call was made at the premises of Hurry Bros. Specialist Glaziers, on the London Road, to collect the facsimiles of the three window panes with inscriptions by Burns, removed from the Globe Inn in 1834. Our glazier, Matt Sempie, has produced superb copies of the panes, which together with three pieces of matching antique glass, will be reinstated in the Globe during their 400^th anniversary year.  Tuesday, 9^th, met up with the president, librarian, John Clark and Peter Kormylo to meet a journalist, Andrea Thomson, from DG Life, to discuss Peter’s book and arrangements for the launch on 15^th November.  It’s great when a plan comes together, have now had confirmation from Radio Solway, Dumfries Standard and the Courier, as well as DG Life, that they will attend.  Hey, Ho.  Meantime, met up with the president to draw up the programme for the St. Andrew’s Night Dinner and in my “spare time”, compiled the newsletter for the SSCBA Quarterly meeting on 4^th December.  DS

A full Car, na twa full car load of folk trundled up ta Glasgow, stoppin off for coffee on route.  the it was time to collect the facimilies of the pane of glass, inscribed by Rabbie himself, which were removed from the Globe Inn around 1834 and were sold at auction.  Matt Sempie has done an amazing job, we just need to agree how we are going to display them.

Anyway to oor tale twa full car loads of folk trundled up ta Glasgow stoppin off for coffee on route to the Mitchell Library and a visit to the Burns Room - it is I assure you well worth the visit the room itself is not what I had expected - you know the 16ft x 20ft with bookshelves round about - no quite the opposite, but take note if you do intend to go you will need to arrange in advance as a guide is needed as I suspect is a big ball of string to help you find your way back out.  The Burns room is a magnificant hall in which the collection ov over 4500 burns editions are housed unfortunately neither of the 2 Kilmarnock editions nor the actual manuscripts which the Mitchell own were on view but we were allowed to browse the books and newspapers many of which are from the 1780's & 1790's 

Les Byres was able to recite the curators favorate - the letter to William Nicol and Peter Kormylo recited in Ukranian before gifting a copy of his recent publication Burn in Ukrainian.

 

I know that we president are only here for a year but like others before me I always hope that everyone will have a great night, one of my objectives for the year is that people enjoy themselves wi' their friends, and whilst we weren't in the Globe Inn, I was quite sure that we would have a really good evening. 

We were again in for a treat as Andy Kain and Liam Stewart were performing for us again - last time they were at the Globe I was not able to appreciate their ability as I was through in the Snug but this time I really enjoyed their performance.  Added to that our own John Caskie, Les Byres, Frank Curran and our guest speaker Iain Scott, or Scottie fra Scocha and we had an excellent evenings entertainment but it just would have been better in the Globe.

My thanks to all the artists and guests for their contributions and also to Hon. Sec. DS for his organisational prowess   

I know that we president are only here for a year but like others before me I always hope that everyone will have a great night, one of my objectives for the year is that people enjoy themselves wi' their friends, and whilst we weren't in the Globe Inn, I was quite sure that we would have a really good evening. 

We were again in for a treat as Andy Kain and Liam Stewart were performing for us again - last time they were at the Globe I was not able to appreciate their ability as I was through in the Snug but this time I really enjoyed their performance.  Added to that our own John Caskie, Les Byres, Frank Curran and our guest speaker Iain Scott, or Scottie fra Scocha and we had an excellent evenings entertainment but it just would have been better in the Globe.

My thanks to all the artists and guests for their contributions and also to Hon. Sec. DS for his organisational prowess   

Marion Aitken has quite a CV and presented a superb take on the Friars Carse as it was when Robert Burns visited and the relationships and connections between it surrounding families.  This was an interesting talk which left you wanting to know more and it encouraged members of the club who were knowledgeable on the subject matter to explore the subject further with Marion. another enjoyable talk although once again not too well attended.