WEARING ma brent new Scriever in Residence bunnet that ah hae juist goat frae the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, ah taen aff at the weekend tae tak pairt in a couple ae Bard-relatit events!

The first o these wis a select an intimate soiree at Ellisland Fairm, Dumfries. This nicht wis the brainchild o Ellisland’s new curator Stuart Cochrane – wha raicently taen ower frae the indomitable Les Byers. Stuart is setten his ain stamp oan Ellisland an is fir certes makkin it a verra waarm, frienly an hamely sort o place.

Ah drave doun tae the event oan sic a nicht “as ne’er poor sinner was abroad in” – sae the coal fires luntin in the hearths, an the caundles glentin in evri windae an mantelpiece wir a walcum sicht oan ma arrival. Stuart an his co-host Catherine Elizabeth Braid

(a fantastic cook, baker an mine host at Moniaive’s Green Tearoom) made aa the guests feel richt at hame, an syne 15 o us sat doun tae a byordnar feast in the Bard’s ain kitchen! The denner wis a splendid concoction – aa the courses wir designed tae copy as closely as possible the banquet Burns an Jean Armour gien fir their guests when they hud their original hoose-warmin at Ellisland; leek an tattie soup; a muckle smoked salmon; roast beef; tipsy laird, etc.

Eftir aa their “wames wir bent lik drums” the guests aa retired throu til the Bard’s ain room, the Spence. The Spence wis the room that sic immortal warks sic as Ae Fond Kiss, Scots Wha Hae an Tam O’Shanter wir aa written in – haly grund fir Burnsians! The guests aa taen a turn at entertainin the company. Scott McEwen, a big polis man wi a mellifluous vyce, gien us a tremendous rendeetion o Tam O’Shanter. The Twa Dogs, a musical duo comprisin Sheila Hall an John Shirreffs, performed a wheen o the Bard’s best sangs – My Love is like a Red, Red Rose, The Highland Widow’s Lament etc – that touched the hairtstrings tae the core. Eileen Daniels, frae Durham, gien a braw version o The Soldier Laddie frae The Jolly Beggars.

Ah jined in masel wi Death and Dr Hornbook an twa/three sangs. The nicht wis in fine tune an fettle an things wir weel lubricated wi a dram or twa, but e’en as it wis waarmin up ah hud tae tak leave o’t an drive hame fir ma neist Burns event oan the Setterday. Mind, Stuart Cochrane is daein the richt thing here bi encouragin this important property as no juist a museum but as a virr an gleg venue an centre fir leevin, braithin cultural excellence! He is tae be heichly congratulatit an encouraged in this!

Setterday dawned an me an oor Margaret taen the road fir Peebles Hydro. This wis the venue fir the annual Robert Burns World Federation Annual Conference. The waither wis braw, perfeck fir a drive intil the Borders! We follaed a verra stately silver Rolls-Royce up past Neidpath Castle, an it turnt intil the Hydro venue as weel – it hud a curious eemage oan its rear bumper – a rid Tunnock’s caramel wafer wrapper!?

Peebles Hydro is a place o faded but splendid grandeur. Its setten is byordnar spectacular tho! Unsurpassed views o the rollin hills o the Borders stretch intil the distance in front o’t! Hae’n ne’er bin in the place ah wis curious tae explore it; ae room in parteecular fascinated me – the Bannockburn Room, whaur aa the wa’s depict a huge endless scene o the Battle o Bannockburn. A steerin sicht!

The Burns Confeir attracts fowk frae aa airts o the warld; Canadians frae Alberta Burns Club (that hosted 821 fowk tae its last Burns supper!); Australians, Americans an diasporic Scots frae evri eik an end o the globe. The remit an purpose o the RBWF is tae: “advance the education of the public, without the distinction of sex, political or religious opinions, about the life, poetry and works of Robert Burns”.

Ah hud bin invitit alang, wi oor Mag, tae gie the keynote address tae the confeir, follaein the main business session an mornin’s oangauns. A couple o kenspeckle chiels wir made honorary presidents o the federation; successful Scots businessmen John Chapman an Boyd Tunnock (thus solvin the mystery o the Rolls wi its Tunnock’s caramel wafer). Boyd Tunnock is a canny wit an spake weel. An wi yae ee oan his business, gien oot boxes o Tunnock’s wafers tae the members. A warthie Burnsian (an teacake!) ambassador! In the efternuin ah gien thaim a bit spiel an a hauntle o sangs – tho oor Mag bore the gree in the singin depairtment. Death and

Dr Hornbook wis resurrected’ yet agane, alang wi twa or three o ma ain poetic efforts an a wee talk anent the forensic reconstruction o Burns’ heid that ah’d duin wi Professor Caroline Wilkinson an Dundee University twa/three year syne. Eftirhint ah wis introduced tae some interestin individuals frae the global Burns scene.

The company aa pit oan their finery fir the fantoosh denner an dance they hae in the evenin, when aa the newly eleckit office bearers are gien their chains o oaffice bi the oot-gaun offeeshuls. Bobby Kane taen ower as new preses o the RBWF frae Peter Hughes wha hud bin an able an committed preses ower the past year. Bobby wull mak a braw champion fir the federation oan the global stage in the neist year. Ma ain thenks are due til Jim Thompson an Jimmy Gibson (baith ex-preses) fir makkin oor pairt in these culturally important oangauns sic a pleasuirable experience.

As we drave hame tae Ayrshire oan the Sunday we mused ower a weekend o twa ends o the Robert Burns warld spectrum. Twa verra different events – but baith o which exemplified that speerit o international humanity, solidarity an frienship that underpins the legacy o the Ayrshire an Scotia’s Bard. Ah think he’d be geyan pleased wi that!