A number's a number, for
a' that
By GUILDENSTERN
THE Burns Club of London
is No 1. But not the first. Kilmarnock went one better. Put itself at zero. Number
Nothing. Yet neither is the first among Burns clubs. Honour belongs to Greenock,
the ''Mother Club'', founded 1801. Some may dispute. Like Paisley, also very old.
Claim that not all early minutes of Greenock intact.
Alex Wilson has fund of
''useless information'' on origins. A Glaswegian of Ayrshire stock, is ex-president
of Burns Club of London, currently chairman of Caledonian Club, London.
On the numbers game, says
there is a bit of a funny. London, founded 1868, became No. 1 in Burns Federation
because the federation was their idea. But they were crafty devils in Kilmarnock,
he concedes. Went for the zero rating. Thinks idea came from Masons, who also
had a Number Nothing. Similar ruse in getting registration for Glasgow Lord Provost's
Rolls. Owner of G1 wouldn't part with it. So they went to G0.
Idea for Federation put
into action 1885. Members came up to Kilmarnock to launch it. Records held there.
In Dick Institute. Now about 300 clubs worldwide. Irvine also very old. London
probably most active last century. Enthusiasm of Scots distanced from homeland.
Burns statues sprang up.
One in Thames Embankment Gardens, beside Savoy. Next to that of Sir Arthur Sullivan.
Done by Sir John Steell, who also did Sir Walter Scott for Princes Street, Edinburgh.
He became Royal sculptor in Scotland. Knighted by Queen Victoria. Embankment job
unveiled 1884 by Lord Rosebery, who was to lead in three Derby winners, become
Liberal prime minister once, briefly. Steell did Westminister Abbey bust of Burns.
Rosebery left cabinet meeting to unveil that one.
Driving force behind activity,
Greenockian Colin Ray Brown. Original owner and editor of Glasgow's penny daily
newspaper, The Bulletin. Later a sister paper of Glasgow Herald. Became president
of the London Burns Club.
First 12 London Burns
suppers held in Ray Brown's Kensington home. He made Garibaldi, great Italian
patriot, first hon member. Sir John Steell also honoured.
Members still lay wreath
at Thames statue. On Sunday closest to January 25. Remind themselves of Bard's
philosophy inscribed on plinth. Written April 4, 1787, taken from foreword to
Edinburgh Edition. ''The poetic genius of my country found me at the plough; and
threw her inspiring mantle over me. She bade me sing the loves, the joys, the
rural scenes and rural pleasures of my native soil. I tuned my wild, artless notes
as she inspired.''
Superintendent Willie
McDougall, Strathclyde Police, doing Immortal Memory for No 1 this year. Michael
Billingham, headmaster of a Westminster school, toasting the lassies. Reply from
journalist Lynda Lee Potter. One of lassies being toasted, current president,
May Holmes from Dennistoun. But anything they can do . . . Mrs Peggy Thomson was
first woman president, Kilmarnock, 10 years ago. A post now held by Mrs Joan McCall.
Such liberalisation. Would bring a twinkle to the eye of a Burns statue.
London owns historic Thomson
Vase. George Thomson chronicled 600 Scottish songs, including 120 given him by
Burns. Presented with vase at Edinburgh dinner. It was later lost, then traced
to Hackney pawn shop, 1914. Purchased by members for #100.
Now valued at #15,000.
As magnificent as any football trophy. On permanent display at Caledonian Club.
For collectors of useless info -- Thomson's granddaughter, Catherine Hogarth,
married Charles Dickens. Absolute swine of a husband.
For a' that, still those
who decry Burns cult. ''There was that great Scottish nationalist and anti-Burns
man Hugh MacDiarmid,'' says Wilson. ''But we don't have any MacDiarmid suppers,
do we? Bless him.''
Sat 15-Jan-1994
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