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

70’s Fashion Fiasco !

“O What a Night, early January…” (to paraphrase Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons)!! It truly was a night to remember the passing of a HUGE age milestone for FWB !!

In case you don’t recognise the lovely to the left, it is in fact Rodger “Norman Bates” Maguire who just couldn’t decide whether he preferred to be a blonde woman or a dark haired hippy!.

No such issues with our own Bay City Roller Woodie, aka Acky Thomsom, who made doing the splits look easy (not!)

Flares, The spy who s*****d me, and black forest gateau. O What a Night!

Friday’s Burns Bash

Anybody out there have any idea whether we will be eating first and then being entertained or whether the two elements will run concurrently?

Have you Picked up the Wrong Scarf?

After Fiona's birthday party in the village hall on Saturday, a scarf was left on the coat rail. It is a long stripey scarf with mostly orangey/brown tones.

Could you have left this scarf and picked up another similar scarf (long, with many muted coloured stripes) by mistake?

Could you please take a look at your scarves and let Fiona know if you think you may have mine. Or alternatively leave a comment here.

Many thanks.

Stenton Phone Box

I think it is lovely that Stenton has its own original red phone box. Many generations of youngsters have congregated around it!

That is all

Katie :) x

Stenton Singers @ Burns Words & Music

The Stenton Singers added their talents to a Sunday afternoon celebration of the words and music of Robert Burns at Prestonkirk in East Linton.

Our programme included, Ae Fond Kiss, Ye Banks and Braes, Scots Wha Hae, Ay Waukin O, The Piper O Dundee (actually not written by Burns) and the gathering ended traditionally with Auld Lang Syne.

Fiddle & piano performances, vocal duets (feat Stenton's answer to Peters & Lee, our own Lynda & Simon!) and a masterful recital of Tam O' Shanter added to a rounded birthday bash.

A highlight of a programme was undoubtedly the Minister who was obviously keen to demonstrate his acting ambitions with what was generally opined to be a most magnificent (and very nearly revealing!) rendition of Holy Willie's Prayer.

Kelvin
A "Three Tenor" and VC SCA

Spring Lunch 2009

A note for the more chronologically challenged of us (bus pass holders !) that the annual Spring Lunch will be held in the Village Hall on Thursday 30 April. Please keep this date free.

I'll post further information as it becomes available and invitations will be sent out nearer the time.

Next SCA Committee Meeting

Note: this is not a joke !

The next meeting of the SCA will be held in the Village Hall on Wednesday 1st April !

See you there (with all actions complete (not!))

Singa-Longa Mamma Mia

Just a quick post to remind folk about the fund raising Singa-Longa Mamma Mia pot luck supper in the village hall on Saturday 21st February @ 7.30pm

There will be a raffle (donations welcomed) and you should BYOB (or should that be BYOBS!) (That's Bring Your Own Bottle(s) for the acronyminally challenged!)

Anybody need tickets can get them from the Post Office, committee members or drop me a line at stentonvillage@googlemail.com

See you there

Kelvin
VC SCA

The Revival of the Stenton Handsel Games

Hail to Angela Foster, who after much research, has successfully revived the century old tradition of the Stenton Handsel (can apparently also be spelt Hansel) Games.

The games began with a Round-the-Village race which was won by George Brown. Fiona Wilson-Beales was the first lady home, Katrina Maguire was the first girl and Arthur Sinclair was the first boy.

Well done to all who competed.

Next on the agenda was the Tug-of-War. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Sales of Deepheat at ASDA in Dunbar went through the roof after this one!!

Four teams of 5 unsuspecting fools (well actually 3 teams of 5 unsuspecting fools and one team of highly trained and motivated semi pros !) did battle with a long length of rope. It was hard going for most.

The winning team was pulled to victory by the same George Brown (nice double). The event was overseen by Ray Peters "The Man with the Big Stick".

Thanks must also go to the kitchen stalwarts (you know who you are) who plied the tuggers, hangers-on and other interested, if bemused, spectators with mulled wine (best to drink it outside in the cold) and afterwards with bacon rolls in the village hall. Angela did the honours at prize giving time.

Unbelievably, Andy Halliday still has a piece of the last tug-of-war rope to be used when the Games were last run and Rae Halliday kindly offered to make it into a trophy for the winning team next year. (Sally start dusting the mantelpiece!).

Kelvin
VC SCA
stentonvillage@gmail.com

New Year, New Technology

This is the first of, hopefully, many posts to the new Stenton Village Blog.

What's a Blog? I here you say

Well to quote Wikipedia;

"A blog (a contraction of the term "web log") is a web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order."

So, basically it is another way for those who are interested in the Village of Stenton, in East Lothian in Scotland, to have a say about their village and to learn from others about their news and views.

Initially I expect to have to maintain the blog, but for those of you who want to post directly it is simply a question of getting the username and password.

All very straightforward and if you feel the urge to post a comment or news or views then let me know and I'll pass on the secret information (and handshake (not !!)).

Kelvin
VC SCA
stentonvillage@googlemail.com