To a Seven

Wee, sleekit, cowrin', tim'rous auto'r,
Oh, what a panic's in thy motor!
Thou canna start awa' sae hasty,
But growl an rattle,
Thy spark plugs splutter ... och!
Thy murd'ring prattle.

I'm truly sorry. I know the cause: it's
Thy puny crankshafts snapped.
an al thy strength's a' sapped.
Ach, poor beastie I'll save thee then.
I'll switch to crankweld, wi blest TLC
Thou'll purr again.


Enjoy your dram!

Slange!

Ian Mc.

Location: Shropshire

I'm all ready for it!

here's the Reckless one in his Clan regalia:

Location: South of France. Sunny 17°C in the shade. It hasn't rained here for over a month.

Don't want to be the one to tell you, but the tablecloth got caught on your shoulder as you left the table mate!

Peasant. Just wait 'til we get independance.... I'm sharpening my Claymore as we speak!

:)

Location: South of France. Sunny 17°C in the shade. It hasn't rained here for over a month.

I definitely need one like that, maybe even before the car! It's a pity we celts here don't have such an apparel.
Slainte Reckless.

Location: Right under the Devon

Are you wearing trous?

Location: secret

There's nothing worn under my kilt - it's all in perfect working order...

Location: South of France. Sunny 17°C in the shade. It hasn't rained here for over a month.

Renaud,

I assume you have not seen The Cornwall Austin 7 Club in full regalia, and by the way what has led you to believe that Scots are not Celts?

Location: Frampton Cotterell

Reckless,
A thowt tha wo from Barnsley.Put cloth back on't table. Tha wants te get thi flat 'at an muffler on an tek wippit fora walk.
Thara reigt un thee.
Dave.

Location: Sheffield

I originally thought Reckless was a haggis, but in one post he said he was from Yorkshire. Maybe his folks were from God's Country. maybe he will let us know.

I am going to a Burns supper tonight. Our host could not do it last night as he was playing bridge with the local Brits. I wonder if he has invited any locals tonight. I served haggis one night to my French neighbours. They were very polite about it, but I thnk they really hated it!

Years ago I took 5 haggises (haggi?) to Paris to feed my wife's hungry family. However, they all burst in the pan and we had haggis soup instead. I don't think they were very impressed either.

Location: Foggy SW France

I forgot to include this version of Tam 0'Shanter in my last post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvRIvq-Abeo&feature=share

Location: Foggy SW France

I was the Master O' Ceremonies last nicht in our Village Burns Nicht dooooo .... 50 people.
However some are not so amenable to long recitations and so I had to miss out Tam O'Shanter - My late father knew it of by heart, sometimes difficult to stop him reciting it!!! - But I did do a broad outline of Tam's doing, then gave the Kate O'Shanter welcome fa' Tam when he arrived home at 4 in the morning...... Think Arbroath Fish Wives etc.,
(Not that they are the worst, just I was wiped by their tongues when I was at school up there). Also the Immortal memory, etc., had to missed out (next year I have a different support team, the Prince of recitations will rise again) but we did have a proper piper - Neal McPhail, he started the pipes at 7 years old..

Re. the Haggis', I think only one person didn't eat their's, ours was supplied by MacSween's in Edinburgh, not perhaps as spicy as some in the past, but 49 people were happy with theirs.

Location: Lands End - nearby.

I see there's a part 2 to the animation here

Location: Lands End - nearby.

Reckie, there seems to be a bit of localised camera shake around the Sporran area......

....and I'm minded of the lady displaying some (in)decent cleavage,
who on lifting the kilt's hem said,
"Ahct, it's grewsome",
to which he replied,
"Ai, an if yea stroke it, it will grusam' mare"...

Are we allowed to say that?...

Location: Lands End - nearby.

Ooooops sorry about wiped, it should have been whipped, something a little less painful...

Oh, ****, I see I've spelt the pipers name wrong again - should be Neil McPhail....
There's so many Neal's, around this part of the world.
Neil McPhail is from one of the smaller Western Isles,
though which one escapes me at present.

Location: Lands End - nearby.

But the Breton Ladies have some very fine apparal, with some super embroidary on them (the clothes, not the....),
the men, agreed more dour.
There is a Breton Tartan though, see this thread here, on the assumption you are truly south of Devon..

Much the same as there's a Cornish Tartan,
these are incomer's, only approved since the mid 1950's.
Me, well that's difficult, as my family were always at the serf level, possibly a Sept.
But the family name does go back to at least 1360 in Kincardinshire...
But these days we tend to my Grandmother's side and go with the Thomson Hunting.

Location: Lands End - nearby.

I thought I might have a photo, but no, I'm sure 'R' has though.
The sporrans had small metal pasties hanging on them, metal castings from defunct A7 alloy bits...

Location: Lands End - nearby.

Sandy,

what happens on tour, stays on tour!!

I am Scottish born (as is all my family which I have traced back to 1730) but I was repatriated when I was 7yrs old to the Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire where I lived until I moved to France. It's all me Dad's fault, tha knows.

For Don Maxwell - you can get Haggis and most other things UK in France by mail order from the "Epicerie Anglaise" (www.epicerie-anglaise.com) in Paris - If it burst it's probably because you didn't cook it in a 'bain-marie' - it only needs reheating on Gas Mark 3!

By the way - buy the catering haggis it's just the same but much cheaper that a ceremonial.

The family name (That's a Lindsay tartan by the way) can be traced back to William the Conqueror and originates from Normandy, a small village called Limésy near to Yvetot in the pays de Caux (that's for Renaud).

Location: South of France. Sunny 17°C in the shade. It hasn't rained here for over a month.

Neither did the scots, Renard. Todays fancy dress version of Scotlands traditional costume owes more to the English lairds in the form of the "Piccadilly Highlanders" than it does to anything that William Wallace might have worn.

Head back below the parapet!!

Ian Mc.

Location: Shropshire

Very good news Ian! It means in fact that I'm as much allowed to dress myself in such an attire as Reckless!
Renaud

Location: Right under the Devon

As "norman" is only a fancy name for french you're in fact maybe more french than I am! (3/4th breton and when you were "norman" the dukedom of Brittany was independant untill the marriage of Anne de Bretagne with the king of France Charles VIII in 1492).

Location: Right under the Devon

Austin seven specials and Kilts feature in my life. My Late Dad born in 1899, lied about his age and joined
the Cameronean Highlanders at the age of 14. Then his mum told them his age so he was released. He told me that they wore nothing under their kilts and "mooned" to the enemy!At 17 he joined mine sweepers and took a bullet in his side ( he was very proud of the scar.)He became chief test plot for Napier and Rolls Royce and helped Mitchell develope the Spitfire ( there is A book) subsequently raced austin 7 cars at Brooklands.He built A7 specials.so he built me my first one on a short wheels base chassis ,the body was built out of aluminium and ply from The mosquito aircraft .It was the only one I know that had an airspeed indicator and an altimeter! AS a matter of historical fact he taught Amy Johnson to fly and had a few adventures with her husband.. In 1934, as a flying instructor, he saw plane crash and burst into flames. He donned an asbestos blanket and sprayed in foam by the firemen, he climbed into the aircraft and cut the three people from their harnesses.two suvived.He lived to be 94.For this he got the George Cross. Sorry to go on but I am was proud of him

Location: secret

And you still are. Obviously justified!

Location: Right under the Devon

As we all know all true celts come from Wales, where we have our own Welsh tarten which can be seen on a Welsh kilt. S&P

Sorry, Renaud, I can't let you get away with that one either!!
My understanding is that, following the vikings establishing a number of raiding bases on the coast of France and effectively destablising the region, the King of France was forced to pacify the raiders by ceding a large piece of territory to them which became known, in 911AD, as the "country of the Norsemen" or Normandy. So the Normans weren't French at all but Vikings!!

I must be feeling particularly brave tonight!!

Ian Mc.

Location: Shropshire

254 years young!

Slàinte/Yec'hed mat/Lechyd da/Yeghes da!

But, R, he wrote n the Scots language, not Gaelic....

Last year I became the host for our Village 'Burns Night'
- I was too slow stepping back when volunteer sought..
I tried to include, correctly, some recitations for the evenings programme,
but all they wanted was free whiskey* and rugby songs....
- * The free whiskey?
They had it a couple of years before at the initial Burns Night in the village hosted by somebody else,
apparently it was great evening (free drinks all night, MAY have been a contributory factor ),
but I was elsewhere that night.

Tonight, my wife booked a group of us to go and see something in Truro,
this was done 4 months ago, she had not realised the significant date - Sasanach.
So I shall not be in the Village tonight, mind you I've heard there's a lot of discontent as there's no free drinks tonight,
NO recitations either, by order, thus to me it's not a proper Burns Night,
although they do have a proper piper, Neil McPhail from the Western Isles.

Of course they may have found my enthusiastic rendition from memory of 'Kate O'Shanters Tale'
(in English, no notes either) a bit much last year
.. Meanwhile, they set up the rival all singing, no poems Burns Night in the Village,
they then asked me for 50 copies of the song booklet I published for last years event,
but they didn't want the recitation references..

The event last year had some proper Haggis (excellent, sent down to me by my cousin in Insch), Neeps, Stovies etc.,
My mistake last year, I thought the Haggis was from Edinburgh, cousin put me right.
The food this year is being cooked by a local chef who some of us think little of....

Me, sore, no, bitter, no, but Burns night without some of Bairds recitations/poems...

R. Have a great night, and put in a step or two for me in the dance...
Oh, and I will toast 'goodwill' to you and family with a 30 year Brora I just happen to have tucked away here.

Location: Near Land's End, UK and there's no snow on the ground....

Ah ken Sandy, slainte is used in scots an aw, aam certain he woods hae used th' phrase mair than ance when raisnin' a glasss tae Celts aw ower! As a bidey-in ay words he'd hae siad it onie leid sae lang as th' message was clear!

Mine's a Talisker!

R, many thanks, Talisker? In the pub I would be a 'Laphroaig',
but as my late Father left me a few bottles of the 'Brora', I shall just have slum it a bit..

Location: Near Land's End, UK and there's no snow on the ground....

You are all barking....................up the wrong tree!

Rabbi Burns was quite clearly Jewish......

Location: Devon

Jings,Crivens,Help ma Boab,Michty me,ah didnae ken tha'Stuart.

Location: Where ever my mobile phone happens to be just now.

Here's a link to a modern version of Tam O'Shanter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=VvRIvq-Abeo

Location: SW France

There seems to be an interesting programme on BBC Alba, Sunday at 10pm..
Rabbie agus Caileagan Nashville - Burns and the Nashville Lassies..

Location: Near Land's End, UK and there's no snow on the ground....

Sandy
Having lived in Insch for 25 years and Oldmeldrum for 9 years I maybe know your cousin!! Small world. We are having a Burns' lunch today at the house to try and educate the local Somerset folk into some of the traditions of the Scots. And a haggis will never be beaten by a faggot!!!

PS You should try a Glen Garioch Founders Reserve 12 year old for a pleasant dram. I lived about 50 yards from the distillery and developed a fondness for it!

Gary - Email on it's way..

Location: Near Land's End, UK and there's no snow on the ground....

Garry,

we have friends who stay in Tarves (recently moved there from Logierieve) and visited them in Pearl this summer, here we are camped nearby on The Harbour at Cruden Bay...

ARDRISHAIG AUSTIN SEVEN ASSOCIATION.

Burns supper tonight, also sixtysecond birthday, Mr holmes.
one hundred percent turn out of our Association again.
menu Haggis served with french twists, And lots of Scottish wine,
and poems.
wishing all a happy saturday night.
DAI.

Location: Ardrishaig, Argyll.

Not sure how I access emails - does it go to my normal email inbox? It certainly did not arrive - must check spam box

Gary, I copied your email addy, posted as per a normal email but got 'Undelivered' back.

It will normally appear in your email 'In Box'. BTW My cousin is in Church Avenue.

I think you may have an 'r' rather than 'e' in your email addy?

Location: Near Land's End, UK and the sun's shining, must take a picture

I inadvertently ended up at a rather belated Burns night on Saturday.

I couldn't understand a word of what was said as this maniacal looking chap wearing a kilt started stabbing my dinner and then his equally strangely dressed friend started singing to it.

I was starving.

Then I was forced to drink enormous amounts of whisky.

I woke up Sunday with a raging head and someone had stuffed a haggis in my banjo...thank goodness it's once a year.

I postponed adjusting the brakes on the RP, I'll do that next weekend...the noo.

Location: Near Bicester

Email now corrected and indeed it's an E at the end of my name in the email!!

The Wee Rid Motor

In my wee rid motor,
I can gang for miles,
Up and doon the gairden,
Through the lobby whiles.

Mony a bigger motor
Gangs tae toons afaur.
Nane can gang whaur I gang
In my wee rid caur.




Have a great Burns night!

neaps, taties and haggis is tonights dinner menu, courtesy of Alison


Ian Mc.

Location: Shropshire

Address to a Seven

Fair fa' your Austins bonny face,
Wee chieftain o' the motor-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Merc, Ford and moderns
Weel are ye worthy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.

Or - for those requiring some trimming and upholstery

Some hae seats and cannae sit
And some wad sit that want it
But we hae seats and we can sit
Sae let the Lord be thankit

Most annoyingly, I was booked for a Model Railway show in Southampton this weekend, and missed the Village's Burn's Nicht...

I was however requested to print off a pamphlet of typical songs for them to sing (16 A5 page faces - that's 4 x A4 pages printed both sides and folded to form na A5 pamphlet) - At least I had a bottle of Single Malt out of it.
The local pub, provided the food and toasting liquid for 55 people, and for a wee amount of money.

I've heard it was a good doooo, some people having breakfast in the pub before going home - and I missed it.

But all was not lost, I managed to give those Sasanch's in Southampton a hearty rendition of Kate O'Shanter's Tale (OK, it's not by Robbie, but with gusto, it's as good a tale as Tom's).

Location: On the very Edge of Europe - West of Devon..