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Burns' Night - Tuesday 28th January 2025

Visit Burns Country to learn about Burns' Suppers, Songs, History and more...

Each year we celebrate Burns' Night in traditional style with a piper, the Address to the Haggis, a meal of haggis, champit tatties, bashed neeps and gravy* **, and of course plenty of dancing.  We invite the Mayor of Surrey Heath to join us, and make a donation to the Mayor's charity (from the proceeds of the raffle at the previous Spring Dance).

* Gravy of the Malt or Blended variety.  In 2001 the club ran a Gravy Bottle appeal so that we can provide each table with its own supply.  Within a few weeks we had far exceeded our target of six 'empties'.  Our thanks to those who worked so selflessly to enhance others' enjoyment of Burns' Night.

** St Mary's Church Hall does not have a liquor licence and therefore the Club is unable to provide whisky as part of the ticket. You may, however, consume anything on the premises that you bring with you.



Tuesday 28th January 2025
7.30pm - 10.30pm

at St Mary's Church Hall, Park Road, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 2SR

Guests and non dancers welcome
Proceeds from tickets and raffle to the Mayor’s Charity

PROGRAMME

Cumberland Reel (J)
West's Hornpipe (R)
The Borrowdale Exchange (R)
Pelorus Jack (J)
The Reel of the Royal Scots (R)

Supper
Piping the Haggis
Address to the Haggis
Selkirk Grace
Haggis, Champit Tatties & Bashed Neeps
Trifle
Biscuits, Cheese an' Wee Tassie o’ Coffee
Presentation of Charity Cheque to the Mayor

The Dashing White Sergeant (R)
The Mayflower (R)
Long Live The Queen (R)

Extra: The Gay Gordons (March)

Dietary Requirements

Please indicate your preference for
Haggis, Vegetarian Haggis or Gluten Free Haggis
Mashed or Baked potato
and any other dietary requirements

Tickets £14.00

from info@camberleyreelclub.org.uk



Exclamation Mark icon Tony Blair* is visiting an Edinburgh hospital. He enters a ward full of patients with no obvious sign of injury or illness and greets one.  The patient replies:

"Fair fa your honest sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin race,
Aboon them a you take your place,
Painch, tripe or thairm,
Weel are you worthy o' a grace
As langs my airm."

Blair is confused, so he just grins and moves on to the next patient.  The patient responds:

"Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
So let the Lord be thankit." 		Even more confused, and his grin now rictus-like, the PM moves on to the next patient, who immediately begins to chant:

"Wee sleekit, cowerin', timrous beasty,
Oh, whit a panic's in thy breastie,
Thou needna start awa sae hastie,
Wi bickering brattle."

Now seriously troubled, Blair turns to the accompanying doctor and asks "What kind of facility is this?  A mental ward?"

"No", replies the doctor.  "This is the Serious Burns unit."


*Substitute any Prime Minister of your choice.

Address to the Haggis

Our resident bard Bill Innes composed this translation to assist the Sassenach members of the audience at our Burns' Supper 2005.

Fair fa your honest sonsie face
Great Chieftain of the puddin’ race

My word Mr Haggis
You’re a handsome devil!

Abune them a' you tak your place
Painch Tripe or Thairme

You're ranked first in the pudding index

Weel are you worthy o' a grace
As lang's my arm

You deserve a lengthy eulogy on your qualities


The groaning trencher there you fill
Your hurdies like a distant hill

You completely fill the serving dish.
Indeed you resemble a hill seen from a distance

Your pin would help to mend a mill
In time of need.

The wooden skewer fastening your casing
Could prove useful in many D.I.Y. jobs

While thro your pores the dews distil
Like amber beed

The juices released by cooking
have a fine golden quality


His knife see rustic labour dight,
And cut you up wi' ready sleight

See the agricultural labourer sterilise his knife
By wiping it on his sleeve
And make a lateral incision along your length

Trenching your gushing entrails bright
Like ony ditch
And then o what a glorious sight
Warm reeking rich

Allowing the filling to escape,
At the same time releasing an appetising aroma


Then horn for horn they stretch and strive
Deil tak the hindmost on they strive

The participants, using their spoons,
Help themselves

Till a' their weel swall'd kites belive
Are bent like drums
And auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit hums.

Until they have had more than enough
And the senior man present, who is likely to burst
Can only groan his thanks.

Is there that owre his french ragout
Or olio that would staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi ' perfect scunner
Looks down with sneering scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?

Is there anyone who eats food from a delicatessen,
Food which would upset the stomach of a pig,
Despises a meal like this?


Poor devil! see him owre his trash
As feckless as a wither’d rash

His diet would make him skinny and useless

His spindle shank a guid whiplash
His nieve a nit

His thigh bone as thin as a whip
His fist the size of a hazelnut

Thro' bloody flood or field to dash
O how unfit

Incapable of braving the rush hour at Waterloo station


But mark the Rustic haggis fed
The trembling earth resounds his tread

See the difference of the agricultural labourer
Who has been fed on haggis
He is so big and fat he could be mistaken
For an American

Clap in his waley nieve a blade
He'll mak it whistle
An’ legs an' arms an' heads will sned
Like taps o' thrissle

Put a sharp implement in his massive hand
And he will use it to slice off legs, arms, and heads
Like scything thistles.


Ye powers who mak mankind your care

You members of the Department of Social Security

And dish them out their bill of fare

Who are responsible for meals on wheels

Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware

Scottish Senior Citizens don't want consommé

That jops in luggies

That spills over the edge of the plate

But if you want her grateful prayer

But if you want her genuine thanks

Gie her a Haggis

Put Haggis on the menu.

Dance Cribs

Cumberland Reel   (J4x32) 4C set

Teapots; Down middle and back; All cast & lead up; Arches

1–8 1C and 2C RIGHT HANDS ACROSS, LEFT HANDS ACROSS.
9–16 1C LEAD DOWN THE MIDDLE AND BACK.
17–24 1C followed by 2C, 3C and 4C CAST to bottom and LEAD up to top (12 bars).
25–32 1C DANCE to bottom under arches.

West's Hornpipe 32R

R3 opp side; R3 own side; Lead down & up; Set, slip down, circle.

1–8 REEL OF THREE with 2M and 3M, WHILE 1M REEL OF THREE with 2W and 3W.
9–16 1C REEL OF THREE on own sides.
17–24 1C LEAD DOWN AND UP to face 2C diagonally, 1M to 2M, 1W to 2W.
25–32 1C SET to 2C, slip down to 4th place (2C,3C,4C move up). 4C & 1C FOUR HANDS ROUND to L.

The Borrowdale Exchange 32R 3 cpl circles

Circle; Adv & Ret, DoSiDo; Wheel, new partner; Promenade to new set

1-8 SIX HANDS ROUND AND BACK.
9-16 Retaining hands, all ADVANCE and RETIRE, All BACK TO BACK with ptnrs.
17-24 All join RH with person opp and WHEEL once round, then W with lowest hand moves under other hands to her new ptnr and promenades away. Remainder continue wheeling for 2 bars then W now with lowest hand repeats.
25-32 All PROMENADE new ptnrs around room & form new circle of 3 cples to rpt.

Pelorus Jack 32J

Cross, cast, RHA; tandem reels; LHA, turn, set

1-8 1C CROSS RH, CAST, 1C+3C RH ACROSS to finish 1M facing his 1st crnr, with 1W in tandem behind him.
9-16 1C in tandem ½ diag REEL OF THREE with 3W and 2M. When in crnr 1C change places so that 1W leads back into middle to face 2W. REPEAT ½ REEL OF THREE with 2W and 3M. 1C change in crnr so that M leads.
17-24 REPEAT ½ REELS OF THREE with crnrs, 1C changing pl in each crnr.
25-32 2C+1C LH ACROSS. 1C ½ TURN LH to own sides. ALL SET.

The Reel of the Royal Scots 32R

Turn & balance (twice); 'Fig 8' on sides; Turn corners; Circle

1-8 1M and 2M TURN RH, 1W and 2W TURN LH, to place 1C in DBL TRIANGLE position. ALL SET. 1M and 3M TURN LH, 1W and 3W TURN RH, to place 3C in DBL TRIANGLE position. ALL SET.
9-16 1C LEAD UP, 3C dance out sides and CAST DOWN to follow 1C between 2C, CAST, LEAD DOWN, 1C CAST UP to 2nd place while 3C finish in own place.
17-24 1C TURN 1st corners RH, pass R sh, TURN 2nd corners RH, pass R sh to own side.
25-32 2C,1C,3C SIX HANDS ROUND AND BACK.

SUPPER


The Dashing White Sergeant Indefinite x 32R

Round the Room in circles of 3 facing 3

Circle; Set & turn on R then L; R3; Adv&Ret, arches

1-8 SIX HANDS ROUND AND BACK.
9-16 Centre dancer SET TO & TURN person on right, SET TO & TURN person on left.
17-24 All REELS OF THREE with centre dancer passing RSh with person on right
25-32 All ADVANCE AND RETIRE, ADVANCE to meet next group of 3 dancers (1 group of 3 passing under arches made by opposite group)

The Mayflower (R x32 Round Room)

Double circle: Men on inside, backs to centre, facing partner

Set, XR, rpt; W fig8 RSh: M fig LSh; Prom acw, W continue 2 pl

1-8 All SET, CHANGE PLACES RH with partner; repeat *Note LH on 7-8 easier for W
9-16 Women dance FIGURE OF EIGHT round men, RSh round man on right, LSh round partner back to place
17-24 Men dance FIGURE OF EIGHT round women, LSh round woman to left, RSh round partner back to place
25-32 All PROMENADE anticlockwise (4 bars); Men stand while women dance on, past 1 man to meet the next as new partner

Long Live the Queen (R 8x32 4C4)

All adv+ret, TR; Rpt; All dn+up; 1s 2s adv+ret, 1s under arch

1-8 All ADVANCE AND RETIRE; all TURN RH
9-16 Repeat Bars 1-8
17-24 4s followed by 3s, 2s and 1s DANCE DOWN THE MIDDLE and UP. End 1s facing 2s nearer hands joined, and 3s & 4s in places.
25-32 1s facing 2s ADVANCE AND RETIRE, 1s ADVANCE under arch made by 2s

Repeat with 1s from 2nd place but end in 4th places


EXTRA


The Gay Gordons - March, 16 bars

Couples around the room facing anti-clockwise, ladies on the right.

Allemande to, fro, to, fro, twirl, polka.

1-2 In allemande hold walk forward for four steps, starting on the right foot.
3-4 Still moving in the same direction, and without letting go, pivot on the spot (so left hand is behind lady and right hand is in front) and take four steps backwards.
5-8 Repeat in the opposite direction.
9-12 Drop left hands, raise right hands above lady's head. Lady pivots on the spot. (The man may set).
13-16 Joining hands in ballroom hold, polka round the room.

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