Burns's birthday year was 1759, by the way--and "stramash" means a row or disturbance, what I'd also call a "rammy". Here in the west of Canada, even on a small island, they're planning all kinds of stuff to celebrate the Bard, including of course the adoration of the Haggis, followed by its ritual disembowelling.--I may as well make a plea here for one item that gatherings back home were never without: see if you can dig up THE Burns Nicht song, "The Star o' Rabbie Burns"--a good tune and stirring words, I always thought. Have a good one. Hey--those attending Enoch Kent's bunfight might give him the regards of an elderly exile who remembers him singing with The Reivers in Glasgow many moons ago; his version of "The Bleacher Lassie o' Kelvinhaugh" has long been a favourite of mine.
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