Burn’s Supper 2023

Roundthorne Hotel, Penrith. Friday 27-January-2023. 

We have dined on haggis, neeps and tatties most years, helped by the fact that Mary’s birthday is the day after Rabbie Burn’s. Some years it is a simple supper at home, at other times we go for a restaurant or an organised formal supper. This year the Rotary Club of Penrith were hosting a Charity Burn’s Night at the Roundthorne Hotel on the day after Mary’s birthday. Excellent! 

We booked and drove up with the plan to abandon the car, walk home (downhill all the way) and drive up the next day in Mary‘s car to retrieve mine.

I would guess that many of the attendees were members of the great and the good of Penrith. They looked like mostly retired, professional types: solicitors, accountants, doctors, businessmen of all stripes.

I was one of the few, not wearing black tie but I was wearing my McLellan tartan tie, a dress shirt with my McLellan crest of arms cufflinks and a green tweedy jacket – rocking that country Laird look. The top table:

My previous experience of a formal supper (Burns Supper 2019) sadly, did not include the address to the lasses and the reply to the laddies that I had been expecting, so I was pleased to see that this was on the agenda that night.

We had the full piper piping in of the haggis, the recitation of the address to the haggis, although being at the far end of the room I think I missed the stabbing of its gushing entrails but I did take a sip of whiskey during the address. The toast to the lasses and the reply from the lassies were suitably humorous and entertaining.

Haggis, neeps and tatties were a starter rather than the main course which was a very tender shoulder blade of beef.

Obviously, we were seated on a table with complete strangers but, as the nature of these events, you chat to whoever you find yourself next to and they were all charming company.

There was a charity raffle and silent auction. When the results were announced we did very well - we won a bottle of Famous Grouse whisky and Mary won the auction for a day’s cookery class. She has opted for a day of fancy bread making next month. 

There was dancing which I sat out until the last when I was coaxed on to the floor for a variant of strip the willow where I more resembled a pinball than a dancer.

Then at midnight it was time for a downhill walk to help sober up. Well done to all the organisers for an excellent evening!