Sick Kids / Lifeboats Burns Night, Eastfield

To quote the Scottish bard,

"There is no such uncertainty as a sure thing"

Perhaps these thoughts may have gone through Dick Irwin’s mind when he was planning and organising this triumphant fund raiser.

He need never have worried as, from the warming winter Pimms to the heartily rendered Auld Lang Syne, there was no doubt that everybody who was lucky enough to have bagged a ticket had a great night.

The evening started on a high moral note with the event supremo informing the gathered throng on fire and other health & safety topics (..”and the emergency exits are located here and here and lifebelts are underneath the seats. We do not anticipate any geese on the programme..”)

So, after the haggis was piped in and lauded, Doreen Thomson took a stab at [sic] “Holey Willy’s (not got a) Prayer!”

Following the traditional rendition of Tam O’Shanter and some fine accordion accompanied singing, our host David Shaw-Stewart recited perhaps the best (or should that be worst) poem of Scotland’s #2 poet William Topaz McGonagall, “The Tay Bridge Disaster” (which will be remember'd for a very long time!).

The first half was ably rounded out with “Ay Waukin O” from a small but keen contingent from The Stenton Singers and John Anderson beautifully sung by choir mistress Lynda Jeffrey.

I have never seen so much Tupperware (other plastic food containers are available) in one place! The cook books and new fangled interweb recipe sites had definitely taken a beating if the wide variety of menus was anything to go by. Lesley Calder continued her good work at the Footlights by conducting the raffle (with the help of assistant Alec Brown) (BTW Alec, have you got planning permission for the New red plastic roof at Newbarn!!).

The second half of the entertainment was dominated (in a good way!) by a sketch, with Ian McAndlish narrating a history of Burns’s travels and travails. The story was amazingly illustrated by Dick playing what seemed to be thousands (OK hundreds!) of different characters from the Bard’s life. Pieces by Barbara Wyllie, Moya Buchanan, Angela Foster and Ray Peters brought the experience to an end.

Roger Maguire spoke for all present in thanking everyone who had helped to organise the night and in particular the driving force, Dick Irwin

Well done Dick

K VC SCA stentonvillage@gmail.com