THE Bard’s 261st birthday was a double celebration for members of Airdrie Burns Club who marked this year’s Burns night at a special event.
President and chair David MacIver honoured the life and works of Burns – and the 135th anniversary of the club – with a special dinner in the town’s Tudor Hotel.
The immortal memory was proposed by Raymond Reid who gave an entertaining address.
And Raymond regaled the company with his witty jokes, while acknowledging the wide-ranging scope of Scotland’s much-loved poet, from his love songs and poems, through to his satirical and political songs, seeking a fairer more equal society.
The haggis was piped in by Niall Beattie and Archie Bryden gave his address with verve and enthusiasm.
The toast to the lassies was proposed by Bill McCloy, whose humorous stories and one-liners acknowledged that the fairer sex “aren’t equal but are in fact superior to us mere males”.
Musical entertainment for the evening was provided by the Three Amigoes, whose choice of songs did justice to the works of Burns.
Willie Devoy’s Tam O Shanter was one of the night’s highlights as he cantered among the audience and brought the tale to life.
His croupier speech demonstrated that the club would be in excellent hands over the coming year.
Ian Reid summed up the evening with a concise appreciation which was followed with a rousing rendition of the Star of Rabbie Burns, with guests raising the roof as they sang along to the Three Amigoes’ toe-tapping tunes.
