16th January
Dear Scots In London and friends,
A very Happy New Year to you and yours. This year is set to be the busiest year ever for Scots In London. We've already been inundated with new subscribers and a multitude of requests regarding SIL events, Burns Night etc. Please bear with us as we prepare for a massive year, including slick new website etc! Our ambitious target is to more than double our reach to app. 10,000 SIL by the end of the year. The Scots In London Burns Supper Guide 2nd Edition will be with you very soon...(Ed: Get yer finger oot. It won't be long until the 250th anniversary of Rabbie's birth in 2009!) Before sending this out, it's most appropriate at this time of year to draw your attention to The Burns Club of London, founded in 1868, federated in 1885 and Number 1 on the roll of the Robert Burns World Federation.
The Burns Club of London (BCL) have been very supportive of Scots In London and SIL Ambassador Nicky Spence - the Scottish Tenor (who released his Classical Album yesterday (Ed: Please buy a copy and make Nicky No.1 in Classical Charts!)). We'd like to thank them (esp. Jim!) and encourage you to support them. Please find Burns Supper and membership details below...
The aims of the Burns Club of London are as follows: (1) to celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns; (2) to foster appreciation of Scottish Literature, music and art through Vernacular Circle; (3) to hold social gatherings with a view to promoting friendly interaction amongst the members; (4) to support London-based and other Scottish charities; (5) to foster the sentiment enunicated in the immortal words of the poet: "That man to man the world o'er shall brithers be for a' that".
The Burns Club of London hold meetings from October through to March with an AGM in May. Visitors are always made welcome and members are invited to bring their friends. Annual Subscription is GBP10 and Life Membership is GBP100.
The highlight of the BCL year is The Birthday Festival Dinner, which is a great celebration of the birthday of Scotland's National Bard, Robert Burns (b 25 Jan 1759 d 1796). This years' BCL Burns Supper is being held on Saturday 27th January at 6pm for 6.45pm until 1am. The venue is the new Music Room at The Caledonian Club (inaugurated by 365 SIL in November!), 9 Halkin Street, London, SW1X 7DR. There are excellent speakers in Mike Pagliari, who will be travelling from Paisley to propose the toast to The Immortal Memory, Archie Robertson OBE, Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, who will propose the Toast to the Lassies, and Kirsty McCabe, Metrologist and BBC Weather Presenter, who will respond. Poems will be recited by James Fairbairn, President of the Burns Club of London, and by Past President, Danny Clark, and favourite soprano, Robyn Kirk, will sing. Instrumental music will be provided by Honorary Piper Neil Esslemont and his colleagues will join him to play for the ceilidh dancing which rounds off the evening. The ticket price is GBP60, which includes all of the above plus a three course meal complete with wine and a miniature of Robert Burns Single Malt Whisky. There is also a grand charity raffle. Dress: Highland evening or dinner jacket.
If you are interested in attending or joining the Burns Club of London, please contact fab Honorary Secretary, Jim Henderson, on burnsclub1@aol.com (cc: eddietait@scotsinlondon.com).
The BCL also meet up annually at 12.30pm on 25th January, the bard's birthday, to perform a laurel wreath-laying ceremony at the magnificent statue of Robert Burns in Victoria Embankment Gardens (Ed: it's in the gardens next to Embankment tube and it's certainly worth a visit even although you can't make it to the ceremony). Scots In London are encouraged to join them.
Other BCL events coming up include The William Will Lecture by Sandy Burnett, musician and broadcaster (talk with music) on 12th Feb at The Caledonian Club, an informal meal at Boisdale of Belgravia, 13-15 Eccleston Street, SW1W 9LX on Mar 12th and the AGM to be held on May 14th followed by cheese and wine held at Scots In London HQ, the home of ScotsCare/The Royal Scottish Corporation, 37 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JS.
Slanj...
Yours aye, Eddie Tait (Council Member of The Burns Club of London)
Founder & Promoter, Scots In London (SIL)
--------------------------------------------Scots In London (SIL) is the largest Scottish business and social network, news, events organisation in London. From 500 to app. 5,000 dynamic passionate Scots since 2005 - sign up and tell your friends! SIL is the first truly inclusive hub for ALL London Scots and we're delighted to be at the centre of bringing together the Scottish diaspora / Scottish community in London to promote Scots, Scotland and everything Scottish - clubs and societies, businesses, charities, individuals etc. Our quarterly event of 2006 - the launch night of the new GBP 6.5m wing at The Caledonian Club - was attended by 365 SIL. Check out our via testimonials and press pages.
To subscribe/unsubscribe to/from the SIL mailing list, make enquiries, offer assistance, publicise your Scottish event(s), club or society, business, charity or achievements, please go to www.scotsinlondon.com/contact.htm.
Proud Lead Title Sponsors: Whyte and Mackay. Key Legal Category Sponsors: Maclay, Murray & Spens LLP.
Scots In London Ltd, ScotsIn / SIL HQ, 37 King Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8JS. M:07748 148080. E:eddietait@scotsinlondon.com. W:www.scotsinlondon.com. Registered in Scotland No.299011. Registered Office: Q Court, 3 Quality Street, Edinburgh, EH4 5BA, Scotland.
