Oh, the haggis. Some like it, some don’t, but the unusually chubby Scottish sausage always gets special attention at the annual Robbie Burns Night celebrations.
This year there was a full house at the legion Saturday night for the celebration in which people had fun trying to figure out what Doug White was actually saying in his truly Scottish accented rendition of Burns’ poem Address to a Haggis.
The poem begins:
Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great Chieftain o’ the Puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang ‘s my arm.
Unfortunately the knife normally used to ceremoniously slash the haggis for eating didn’t arrive until half way through the address, making White’s recital that much more charming.
The evening included performances by the Williams Lake Pipe Band, who delivered the haggis on high to the ceremonial table, a traditional roast beef dinner with haggis, inspired toasts to the “laddies” and “lassies, followed by dancing.
There were also several special presentations made honouring contributions by Ron Hume, Ken Wilson and celebrating Elsie Pratt’s 95th birthday.