WHERE BETTER TO HAVE A BURNS CLUB THAN IN ALLOWAY!
I grew up in the heart of Burns country, but it was not until I was in my 40’s that I really discovered Robert Burns. I was invited by two friends to a meeting of the Hamilton Burns Club and I absolutely loved it! The main speech, given by George Robertson former Secretary General of NATO, was inspirational and the recitation of Burns poems and songs totally blew me away. I really caught the ‘Burns Bug’ that evening!
When, a few years later, I attended my first Burns Supper and heard Tam O’Shanter recited, I set myself the challenge of learning it for myself. This led to an invitation back to the Hamilton Club to address the Haggis and recite Tam O’Shanter at their Annual Burns Supper. Since then, I have learned many more Burns poems and have been invited to perform at many events and Burns Suppers. I have developed a real passion for Burns and the older I get, the more I appreciate his works. I enjoy the way he distils the essence of human nature into verse. Among my favourites are Tam O’Shanter and Death and Doctor Hornbook.
It is a privilege to live here in the heart Burns country. I can go to his cottage in Alloway, see his artefacts and sit where he sat. I can walk at the site of Lochlea Farm and visit the Tarbolton Bachelor’s Club. I can visit Ellisland Farm, or sit at the desk where he wrote Tam O’Shanter and walk in his footsteps along the Poet’s Path to Friars Carse. These sites, and many, many more across Ayrshire and Dumfriesshire are totally accessible for everyone to enjoy.
ROBERT BURNS WORLD FEDERATION
The idea of forming a federation of clubs devoted to Robert Burns was first proposed in 1884 at the unveiling of a statue of Burns in London. The first formal meeting of the new organisation was held in Kilmarnock on 17 July 1885, when the Robert Burns World Federation (RBWF) was established to bring together Burns Clubs across the world and provide a unified body to promote his works and heritage.
RBWF is devoted to promoting and celebrating the life and works of Robert Burns, as well as Scottish heritage, language and culture; offering educational resources to young people; conserving buildings/locations linked to Burns; and strengthening fellowship and connection among the clubs affiliated with the federation.
From its early beginnings in Kilmarnock, the Federation has grown to include over 250 member clubs worldwide.
ALLOWAY BURNS CLUB
The first meeting of the Alloway Burns Club took place on 18 December 1908. The MInutes of this meeting and of subsequent meetings until the early 1980’s were handwritten into a large leather-bound ledger, which also includes copies of the menus for Anniversary Dinners and Burns Suppers throughout the years, all beautifully written and illustrated by hand. This valuable asset is preserved in the Club archives.
The Alloway Burns Club is a community organisation that mixes social, literary and heritage interests and provides opportunities to engage locally, meet like-minded people and attend Burns-related events. Its aims are to encourage the study of the life and works of Robert Burns and to commemorate significant dates associated with his life.
The Club hosts regular events, readings, and social functions to bring Burns’ works and culture to life and, in collaboration with South Ayrshire Council, supports and organises an annual Schools’ Burns Supper for P7 pupils in schools across South Ayrshire.
Burns Clubs in Ayrshire belong to the Ayrshire Association of Burns Clubs (AABC), which brings Clubs together to foster cooperation through meetings, social events and outreach programmes in schools, all dedicated to keeping the legacy of Robert Burns alive and active throughout Ayrshire. John Hannah, a Past President of Alloway Burns Club, has recently been appointed President of AABC. (John is also a trustee of Alloway Railway Tunnel)
The Alloway Burns Club joined RBWF in 1918. There is a long history of close affiliation between the two organisations, both John Skilling and his wife Margaret have served as Presidents of the Alloway Burns Club and in recognition of the important contributions they have made to preserving the legacy of Robert Burns locally and internationally, they have both been made Honorary Presidents of RBWF and AABC.
Over the years, the Alloway Burns Club has awarded Honorary Membership to, among others Mr John Gribbel of Philadelphia and Muhammad Ali.
The Glenriddell Manuscripts comprise two books handwritten by Robert Burns during the time he lived at Ellisland Farm (1788-1791). They were given to his friend and neighbour Lord Robert Riddell as a token of friendship and patronage.
The first book contains 50 poems and songs, including Tam o’ Shanter and Holy Willie’s Prayer; the second is a volume of 27 letters written by Burns about his life and work, his friends and his thoughts on his own writing. They are the single largest collection of Burn’s original manuscripts in existence.
After changing hands many times, in 1913 they were bought by John Gribbel, a wealthy American industrialist and philanthropist who was a collector of rare books and manuscripts. Gribbel made 150 facsimiles of the manuscripts before gifting the originals back to Scotland in 1914. These are now kept at the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh.
These facsimiles were not sold but gifted by Gribbel to various libraries, and universities and he generously donated one copy to the Alloway Burns Club, in acknowledgement of which he was made an Honorary Member.
Muhammad Ali visited Scotland in August 1965 as part of an Exhibition Boxing Tour. In addition to boxing, Ali visited Burns Cottage in Ayr. At that time, a chair made from wood taken from the Kilmarnock Printing Press which in 1786 produced the first edition of Burns’s Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was located in the Cottage (it now is in the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum). Ali was photographed sitting in this chair. The Club Minutes record that following this visit Ali was made an Honorary Member of Alloway Burns Club.
THE ALLOWAY RAILWAY TUNNEL PROJECT
The Alloway Burns Club fully supports the work of the Alloway Railway Tunnel Project. The Tunnel Mural will significantly add to the promotion of the legacy of Robert Burns both locally and worldwide.
Simon Ridge
Junior Vice-President, Alloway Burns Club
