I’m here in Burnaby down the street from SFU and the North Road Executive Hotel.
There are other Robbie Burns Dinner’s and we’ve loved the dinner and dance many a year at the Scottish Cultural Centre. The ladies are the best dressed there but at SFU I’d say the men are the peacocks. It helps that dozens of pipers are scattered about. SFU pipe band music is the finest in the world so it’s like a night with Pavarotti or Gretzky.
Laura Murray, previously a Dunn, is my favourite guest enjoying everything but the haggis. This could well be seen as a nefarious plot of mine since I get her portion. I am rewarded the year over with the spiritual wealth and genius all Scots attain with even the tiniest portion of this blessed supernatural fair.
The piping in of the Haggis was done to perfection. Jim Gallacher, the night’s MC, (for the last 20 years), gave a toast to the Haggis that even the great Burns would have approved of. All about me the lassies were flushing with ardour as his passion for this lowly creature was espoused with the greatest of vigour. Terry Lee, Former SFU P/M delivered a fine Selkirk Grace known for it’s potency and brevity.
Executive Hotel does a magnificent feast with this years haggis the sweetest I’ve tasted in years. I’m not sure if this is good as quite possibly in the old country the more awful this food is to stomach the better it might be judged. A bit like the fire of scotch to an innocent. Haggis is certainly an acquired taste. The roast beef with horse radish was nearly as scrumptious. I was delighted that my friend Lorne Kay was able to join us as he too is a connoseiur of haggis and all things Scottish.
The Heather Jolly Highland Dancers were spectacular. I am always moved by the sword dance. I remember as a young man, late after an evening at a Glasgow pub with my elderly great aunts, rather red faced and affectionate, pulling swords off the wall to teach me, the colonial, sword dancing. Much laughter, stumbling and scotch toasts by the whole ensemble went into my education. It was lucky no one was skewered and ambulances were not required at least until the morning after.
The Robert Malcolm Memorial Bands were a delight. One child was smaller than the drum they carried. The music still was so rich.I’ve always loved the pipes but I was fascinated most this year by the complexity of the drumming with their baton twirling.
All the while the silent auction was taking place with the very best of swag. Lots of ancient fine malt whiskey’s, no doubt pried from the grasping hands of sotted academics, whose wife’s insisted they’d had enough. “Just give one bottle for the pipe band children!” They’d begged. “Ach, it’s for Scotland,” he groaned,falling back planning on hiding future pricelesss bottles in more secret places. West jet as usual graciously offered flights. Shannon crystal, exotic weekend retreats, golf and country clubs passes, nights at fine hotels, ladies spa outings, chocolate and coffee baskets, Celtic jewelry, beautiful paintings, and Freyie Stainless Steel Steak knives which came home with me. A Scottish Canadian can never have enough knives.
The Simon Frazer University Pipe Band, six time world champion, then played to the awe and pleasure of all attending . What a joy to hear such blessed music so artfully coordinated and splendidly performed. (Their next performance is at Vogue Theatre in April).
The ladies demonstrated the Gay Gordon which Laura and I so enjoyed dancing at this years St. Andrews Ball.
The night closed with of us standing and singing the great Robbie Burns traditional classic, Aud Lang Syne.
What a wonderful moving evening!
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