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Camberley Reel Club
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Burns' Night - Tuesday 27th January 2026
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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 27th January 2026
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 and CRIBS
A Highland Welcome (R)
Virginia Reel (R)
The Machine Without Horses (J)
The Dashing White Sergeant (R)
The Ship in Full Sail (J)
Supper
Presentation of 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 Borrowdale Exchange (R)
The Gay Gordons (March)
The Belfast Jig (J)
Extras
Portincaple Oak (M)
Camnberley Celebration Reel (R)
Dietary Requirements
Please indicate your preference for
Haggis, Vegetarian Haggis or Gluten Free Haggis
Mashed or Baked potato
and any other dietary requirements
Tickets from info@camberleyreelclub.org.uk
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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
A Highland Welcome (R32) Round The Room
Round the room dance, 2 facing 2
Circle; RH across, LH across; Turn opposite LH, ptnr RH; Adv & Ret, under arches
| 1-8 |
Both couples circle to left and back again |
| 9-16 |
Both couples dance RH across and LH back to places |
| 17-24 |
All turn opposite partner LH and face own partner,
turn partner RH and end facing other couple |
| 25-32 |
All advance and retire, all couples advance
(couples facing clockwise round the room make arches) and pass to meet new couple |
Virginia Reel R4x40 4C4
Walking Step Throughout
Adv+ret; TR, TL; TB, dosido; 1s dn, up; 1s cast all foll; Up under 1s arch
| 1-8 |
All take hands on sides, Adv & Retire twice (4 steps each way). |
| 9-16 |
All Turn RH (finish on sides), Turn LH. |
| 17-24 |
All Turn BH, dance back to back (dosido starting RSh). |
| 25-32 |
Top couple join BH, 8 slip steps dn, 8 back, all clap in rhythm. |
| 33-40 |
Top couple Cast to bottom of set, all follow; Top couple make arch, rest go under arch. |
The Machine without Horses J8x32 3C (4C set)
Set, cast, RHA, set, cast, LHA, weave, R&L
| 1-8 |
1C SET, CAST off one place, 1C+3C RH ACROSS. |
| 9-16 |
1C SET, CAST up one place, 1C+2C LH ACROSS. |
| 17-24 |
1C followed by 2C LEAD DOWN between 3C, CAST round them,
LEAD to top and CAST into 2nd place, 2C lead to top place. |
| 25-32 |
1C+2C RIGHTS AND LEFTS. |
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 Ship in Full Sail (J5x32) 5C set
Cross down, set, turn, balance; R across; set to crnrs; RHA, turn, cast
| 1–8 |
1C (3C) CROSS DOWN, 2C (4C) step up.
1M (3M) SETS to 4W (5W) WHILE 1W (3W) SETS to 2M (4M).
All TURN RH to 3 4 3 across, SET. |
| 9–16 |
1C (3C) turn to R, REELS OF THREE, FOUR, THREE ACROSS. |
| 17–24 |
1C (3C), LH joined, SET to 2nd corners. Turn inwards, join RH, SET to partners 2nd corner.
Turn ¼ c/w, SET to partners 1st corner. Turn inwards, join LH, SET to 1st corner. |
| 25–32 |
1C (3C) RH ACROSS (W up, M down, 3, 4, 3), TURN partners LH, CAST. |
SUPPER
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. |
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. |
The Belfast Jig (J4x32 4C4)
1s 2s RHA, LHA; Slip dn+up; 1s Cast, all TR; Circle
| 1-8 |
1C and 2CRIGHT HANDS ACROSS and LEFT HANDS BACK |
| 9-16 |
1C SLIP DOWN with both hands joined and BACK UP to place |
| 17-24 |
1C CAST to bottom (2C, 3C, 4C step up); ALL TURN RIGHT HAND |
| 25-32 |
CIRCLE LEFT AND BACK |
EXTRAS
Portincaple Oak (Medley S32+R32) Square Set
Strathspey: Interlocking L Chain; Set & turn ptnr RH, set & turn cnr LH; 1/2 Schiehallion Reel; Circle. Rpt in reel time
Strathspey
| 1–8 |
1s+3s+2s+4s dance interlocking Ladies’ Chain (Ladies RH across in centre). |
| 9–16 |
All face partner, set & turn RH; all set & turn corner LH. All end in place, Ladies facing out. |
| 17–24 |
All dance 8 bars Schiehallion Reel (all moved 2 places clockwise from start position 3 4 2 1).. |
| 25–32 |
All circle 8H round & back. |
Reel
Camberley Celebration Reel (R4x48 4C4)
1s long-fig8; RHAs, LHAs; Circles; 1s dn+up; W chase; M chase
| 1–8 |
1s dance down between 2s and 3s behind 4s, up in front of 4s and 3s & behind 2s back to place. |
| 9–16 |
1s+2s also 3s+4s dance RH across & LH back. |
| 17–24 |
1s+2s also 3s+4s circle 4H round & back. |
| 25–32 |
1s slip step down the room & back up to 4th place. |
| 33-40 |
2L followed by 3L+4L+1L dance across (with hands joined), down behind Men & up own side. |
| 41-48 |
2M followed by 3M+4M+1M dance across (with hands joined), down behind Ladies & up own side. |
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