Burns Night

Subject: Burns Night
From: Folkiedave
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 10:22 AM

I am at least in part Scottish since my mother was born in the Orkney Islands and since I married a Scot we always support the anniversary of the great mans's birthday.

In addition tomorrow morning on my radio programme I devote the first part of the show from 10.00 am - 11.00 am to an interview with Dr. Hamish Mathison who works at Sheffield University and teaches a course on Burns. He talks about the man in very knowledgeable terms and I learnt a great deal just listening to him. Interspersed with some Burns folk music of course. There is an interesting piece about traditional folk songs and Burns.

93.2 FM if you are within forty miles of Sheffield, www.sheffieldlive.org or the show is downloadable as a podcast. The full playlist will be available on myspace and the podcast will be listed on here as usual sometime on Friday afternoon.

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 10:31 AM

Good man yourself Dave, keep spreading the gospel.
Happy Burns day, and Slainthe to you and your listeners. I shall be having my haggis and a few drams tomorrow evening too.
Giok

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Cats
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 12:51 PM

We intend taking our Haggis to visit Hawker. What fun can be had with a group of folkies and a handful of haggis!!

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Banjiman
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 01:36 PM

We'll be taking haggis & whisky (in moderation of course!) at The Woodman Arms in Burneston, North Yorks while listening to my good lady wife warbling some Burns songs. (Ticket only I understand)

It should be good, The landlord is Scottish, The good lady wife is Scottish and apparently 15 of the landlords mates are coming doon frae Oban for a hoolie!

We'll be listening to Dave in the morning too!

Paul (only Scottish by marriage)

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Schantieman
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 02:40 PM

I hear the haggis season has turned out well this year since its start in late November. Only a matter of time before they ban hunting THEM as well ;-(

Steve

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Folkiedave
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 02:53 PM

Wild haggis is a rare delicacy and infinitely preferable to the farmed version I am told.

My understanding is that most haggis is now bred on farms especially built for the purpose but unlike the chickens which attracted people's ire, they are free to roam. They eat anything of course before returning to their sheds (and I understand since I have never eaten one myself) taste much the same way.

Aqua haggis tastes of fish - allegedly.

MacSweens veggie haggis is fantastic though.

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Schantieman
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 02:54 PM

But what's the point of a veggie haggis?

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Peace
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 02:58 PM

Takes lots of guts to make haggis.

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Schantieman
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 03:20 PM

Make?


Make?


You shoot them, you don't MAKE them!

Good grief! What next!?   You'll be telling me you've never heard of the treacle mines and spaghetti fields!

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Jim Lad
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 03:21 PM

A new study has shown that due to the perceived climate change, Haggis are actually slightly higher in fat content this year.
Scottish doctors however, have been quoted as saying that they are no more concerned about the resulting rise in heart disease than they were before the study.
Meanwhile buyers are reported to be looking more closely at "Farm raised Haggis" as a healthy alternative.

In other news... Bashful the the well known celebrity Haggis from Invershin emerged from his lair today and saw his shadow. He headbutted three over enthusiastic reporters before retreating back into his den.
Forecasters are predicting three more months of freezing rain before the warmer rainy season begins.
True story.

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Folkiedave
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 03:11 AM

Waitrose is where I got my haggis this year. (Remember Waitrose exists to keep posh people out of Netto's) They have a haggis section divided into low-fat, ready deep-fried, normal and cholesterol-busting wild haggis (these carry a health warning, not because of the fat content but because of the buck-shot likely to be found in them). A bit like grouse without the upper class connotations.

There is also road-kill haggis off the A9.

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Stu
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 04:03 AM

During the course of my amateur palaeontology career I've come across some interesting facts about the origin of haggis I thought might be worth sharing:

- They first appear in the fossil record in the early Eocene, located in lacustrine deposits covering what is now a small field outside Bottacks.

- The first haggis couldn't fly and probably lived in burrows.

- Early haggis could probably stand on three legs when threatened.

- They seemed to live communally - indicating recent sightings of a bloat of haggis might have some basis in truth.

- Haggis fossils are often found associated with the same plants - small pointy roots with a slightly woody core.

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: JulieF
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 04:04 AM

Got my Haggis in Waitrose as well Dave - well the meat one anyway.   Bought the vegi ones in 'In a nut shell' on Chesterfield Road.   It has to be mcsweenies if humanly possible.    I believe the vegi ones are raise purely on sweet wild grass and strange mushrooms to give them flavour.

I'm entertaining on Saturday night as will the need to day to tidy and cook. ( am neither naturally tidy nor a natural cook.)

Doing Cullen Skink
Haggis neepies and tatties
Drop scones ( unfortuantely the trial run inidcates that my pan is too thin so may have to resort to bought ones).

Give my regards to your good lady wife for Burns night

J

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 04:13 AM

I'm off for a curry so Cock up your beaver

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 04:29 AM

Re: Haggis Shoots

Rumour has it that it was The Great Beast himself that started this paticular tradition, inviting his fellow arisocratic occultist up to his stately gaff in the highlands and taking them out in all weathers on a prolonged and fruitless haggis shoot from which 666 derived much amusement. Can anyone confirm this?

Meanwhile, I'm off to Google Crowley Aleister Haggis...

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: GUEST,Black Hawk
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 06:43 AM

Haggis hunts have been a tradition in the Highlands for centuries.

Original equipment was a spear & long knife with the lead hunter allowed a bow.

To become a lead hunter took many years of proving oneself adept in all aspects of fieldcraft.

Skill with the bow was the supreme test as this was the last defence against one of your 'hags' being savaged by a cornered Haggis.
(hag being the title given to the 'lower' members of the hunt team)

Any lead hunter who allowed any of his hags to be injured would be shunned for many seasons – indeed, some ended up walking deliberately into a 'bloat' of Haggises to be torn to death.
This was seen as the ultimate atonement!

Modern Haggis hunts are carried out with rifles (minimum calibre .308) at night using laser sights & infra-red scope-lights.

Although 4 x 4's are used to carry the party to hunting ground, the hunt itself is carried out on foot due to the difficulty of the terrain these creatures tend to frequent on their bi-nightly forays looking for prey (human or otherwise).

Not a sport to be taken lightly & the adulation shown to the resulting meal reflects this.

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Schantieman
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 07:17 AM

Cock up your own beaver, Guest.

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Folkiedave
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 09:10 AM

early haggis could probably stand on three legs when threatened.

I wonder if this then developed into the mountain haggis.

This has two legs shorter than the others (on the right-hand side) to aid it running around the hills of Scotland. It was also believed that this is why the haggis always runs in a clock-wise direction - otherwise it would fall over. In fact the haggis hunts saw that if they could get the haggis to run anti-clockwise they were easy to capture.

You can hear my "Burns Special" broadcast where this is not discussed as the first hour in "Thanks Goodness It's Folk" at http://www.sheffieldlive.org/index.php?page=6

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: GUEST,Sapper just past Lancaster
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 12:46 PM

Schantieman, I belive the correct term is "Hadaway and piss up yer kilt!"

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 12:49 PM

Some people will believe anything :)

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Emma B
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 02:30 PM

Busy cooking haggis and neeps but another great programme Dave!

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Sir Roger de Beverley
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 02:58 PM

For a while I worked for "Baxters of speyside" (I ran their laboratories)and each year we prepared a shipment of haggis for the exiles across the Atlantic. As a form of protectionism for their meat industry the Americans insisted that, in order for an import licence to be granted, a vet be present at all times during the preparation of the shipment - no doubt this was to ensure that humane treatment was used in handling the wee beasts.

R

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Jim Lad
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 05:41 PM

"I ran their laboratories"
Hang your head in shame Sir Roger de Beverley. Experimenting on helpless wee creatures like that. How would you like it if they poked and prodded you and stuck electrodes into you?

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 08:34 PM

Hey Jim - Have a bite of haggis for me at the Irish Club tonight ... although Andy Donnelly recommends Seumus's 'chips - I just heard him give your gig a plug on the Celtic Show (CKUA)...

I managed to make it there for the last of the haggis on a Burns Night - jeesh, how many years ago now? - anyway -

Or is it tomorrow night you're there? Anyway -

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Leadfingers
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 10:43 PM

We did a Burns Night Ceilidh in London - Fed and watered part of the deal ! FOUR bottes of wine on our table , AND a bottle of blended Scotch ! NOT good for a Single Malt man , but I suffered in silence .
And have YOU ever had Haggis Nouveau ? An individual haggis about two inches across , withe pureed mashed potato and pureed neeps !
The soup was fine , as was the dessert ! And I forced several shots of whisky down !!

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 03:22 AM

We went to the Knees Up at Cecil Sharp House. Had a fantastic time!

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Folkiedave
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 05:06 AM

We are having Scotch Broth, Haggis and trimmings and not sure about the puddings someone else is doing them.

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: GUEST,buspassed
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 07:27 AM

Aye! Haggis and an ample portion of neeps, tatties not forgetting a plate of Glasgow salad with a wee dram of the Springbank malt.

Good heavens, got a bit carried away there, I'm from Yorkshire!

[Glasgow salad? Chips of course!]

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 07:42 AM

Haggis Champit tatties and neeps, the tail end of a lovely bottle of Dalmore which was a welcome present from Jim Lad in October. Followed by one dram of Dalmore 17 year old cask strength. Yummy.
I feel delicate this morning :)

Giok

Here's tae us, wha's like us?
Damned few, and they're aw deid!

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 12:01 PM

Tomorrow, Jan. 27, in the NY area, Bob Sherman's "Woody's Children" is presenting its annual "Immortal Memory" to Burns. WFUV, 90.7 FM Public Radio, 4 - 5pm.

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Jim Lad
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 12:03 PM

It's tonight, Meself.
Seamus called me yesterday and wants me to learn the Address to the Haggis, "Just in case"
One of the wee buggers escaped last year and has been seen by the cleaning crew a number of times. They believe it's been living on Seamus's chips among other things.

Enjoy, Jock!

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: Fliss
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 05:31 PM

Oh course once caught the haggis pelt is made into a little bag and the legs are hollowed out. The bag is then tucked under the arm and squeezed, the legs thrown over a shoulder, while blowing into another part of the anatomy!! The wail can be heard for miles, instilling dread fear into the hearts of haggis and hunter alike!! But whether the wail comes before or after the bag is made is an old scots secret!

Subject: RE: Burns Night
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 03:18 PM

I gather they've got prohibition of haggis in the USA - Scots ask US to lift haggis ban

I've never fancied it myself. But in the light of this I was in the USA this time of year I'd feel a duty to get hold of some.