Burns Supper 2002

At 7.30 on Monday 21st January 2002, 150 Former Pupils and their guests sat down to the traditional meal of haggis, neaps and tatties, albeit some opting for the vegetarian variety and some having ham salad or ravioli. All finished with trifle or cheese having started with soup or fruit juice.

However, before so doing, they witnessed the top table being piped in by Nicholas Forbes who then piped in the haggis that was formally addressed by the President, Gordon Laird. Alex Melvin said the traditional Selkirk Grace.

Fiona Armstrong got the entertainment off to a great start with a beautiful rendering of a traditional Burns song to be followed by Jim Gray's amusing, nostalgic and sometimes moving Immortal Memory with the highly original theme of "Burns and Harris".

After Lee Kehrer enchanted us with that lovely ballad, Afton Water, Roger Bromage proposed the Toast to the Lasses, striking the correct balance in what is quite a difficult task. Fiona Armstrong reappeared to declaim The Rights of Woman as a prelude to former School Captain, Stefani Dailly Replying to the Toast to the Lasses. This she did brilliantly in verse that she had composed herself. It is hoped to publish Stefani's epic on the School Website for all to enjoy and for those of us who were fortunate enough to be there to savour again and again. That was followed by a duet, sung beautifully by Chloe Wares and Mark Keiller.

Marie-Claire Jones accompanied the singers at the electronic keyboard.

The evening was rounded off by the Toast to the School by former President, Mabel Cruickshank in her own inimitable way. Edward McLaren entertained us with a selection of Scottish Airs on the fiddle that caused several of the assembled company to remember Ron Gonella, himself a Former Pupil.

Joyce Wood proposed the Vote of Thanks, effectively and economically before Ethel Fitzgerald took her seat at the keyboard to lead the party rousing renditions of the Harris Holiday Song and Auld Lang Syne.

The President of the FP Association, Gordon Laird, presided as only Gordon can.

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