Burns Suppers through the ages.

Feb 4 2010 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

ADDRESSING THE HAGGIS: for children at Neilsland Primary School in Hamilton, school meals turned to a Burns Supper with the help of popular Scottish singer Bill McCue. For months, P6 and P7 pupils had been working on a project looking at Scottish life, history and culture, leading up to the natural finale in January, 1990.

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TOP TABLE: Dr R. P. A. Cumming, chairman of Hamilton Burns Club, is pictured with his top table guests at their annual dinner in the Lesser Town Hall in January, 1970.

Pictured are (back left, to right): William McLellan (treasurer), Walter Williams and William Cunningham. Middle (left to right): the Rev. John MacKechnie, Lisle Pattison (honorary secretary) and Morris Smellie. Front (left to right): Dr W. Galloway, Provost of Dollar, Dr Cumming and Hugh Brown. Over 200 members and guests attended the dinner.

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SUPER SUPPER: Hamilton Toastmasters and their guests are pictured at Hamilton Burns Club’s Burns supper at the Commercial Hotel in January, 1970.

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FAITHFUL ATTENDANCE: the importance of his Christian upbringing to poet Robert Burns was central to Hamilton Burns Club’s annual Burns Supper at Strathclyde Regional Council’s Hamilton HQ in January, 1990. The Immortal Memory was proposed by the Rev. Hugh Wyllie, president of the club, and all the toasts were proposed by ministers, in recognition of the club’s president and guest of honour, the Rt. Rev. Dr Bill McDonald, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Pictured are (front, left to right): Rev. Robert Johnston, Dr McDonald, Rev Hugh Wyllie, Rev. Alex Cunningham, Rev. William Paterson. Back (left to right): Dr Stuart Parker, secretary, Rev. Arthur Barrie, Ian Bell, Derek Marks, immediate past president, James Borland, musical director, and David Murray, club treasurer.

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SUPER SHOW: pupils from Hamilton St Mary’s RC Primary School joined with other Lanarkshire pupils in one of the first major events of Glasgow’s year as European City of Culture in 1990. Over two nights a Burns celebration was held in the city featuring pupils from schools throughout the Strathclyde region. St Mary’s contributed this musical ensemble. Other schools involved included St Aidan’s High, Wishaw, and Robert Smillie Memorial Primary, Larkhall.

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TOP TRIO: pictured at Motherwell and Wishaw Rotary Club’s Burns supper, held in the Garrion Hotel, Motherwell, in January, 1989, are (left) club president John Mair, piper and club member Bob Craig and Campbell Petrie, who gave the Address to the Haggis.

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