Burns Night!

....or "You don't have to be Scottish."

I think the nearest thing we had to a real Scot last night was Richard Evans, resplendent in Davidson tartan, who did marvellous renditions of 'To a Louse' and the Wee Mousie. I had a shoulder sash of Graham tartan secured by a big silver plaid pin (that's the family tartan, though I'm not really a Scot).
The evening started in the art gallery attached to Salem Chapel, with hot whisky (it would have been spicy, but they lost the spices!) and a meal of haggis, neeps and tatties provided by Catherine and Shelley. The haggis was first brought out and presented to the company while Chris the Bookbinder recited the Address to the Haggis. And very good it was too (that's the haggis and the Address).
Then we all moved next door into the chapel itself for the music and recitations. Catherine Hughes sang, Malcolm the Busker played the accordian, and various others sang and recited poetry. We finished off with 'Wild Mountain Thyme', so everyone could join in the chorus, by Burns' contemporary the Tannahill Weaver.
Quite a few of us then moved on to Kilvert's, where the open mic night was in full swing. There were a couple of people singing who I hadn't seen before, as well as some of the regulars. I tried the Otley Porter, which was excellent. The piano came out again late on in the evening - and Chris read out the latest bit of Olwen Ellis. I was outside by this time, on my way home, but I did overhear one member of the audience remark that this was a book that could keep you warm for a whole evening, if you fed it into the fire a few pages at a time!