7th Open Night
Last Monday evening Barrmill Jolly Beggars Burns Club held their 7th open night of the session in Beith Masonic Hall. President James Waite welcomed a good turnout of cronies prior to dealing with various items of club business. It was reported that the major project to produce a local interest book entitled: Beith Barrmill & Gateside – Precious Memories, had proven to be a remarkable success with copies of the book winging their way throughout the UK and to Australia, South Africa, Canada and USA where folk with Beith links have chosen to live.
The aim of the book was to record more of the social history of the local area with a supplementary aim to raise funds for three local voluntary groups. The book had been selling very well indeed from a number of outlets in the town. It was also reported that The Big Lottery (Awards for All), who supported this project with a grant, had been delighted with the success of the project which had been delivered on time and within budged and culminated in the publication of Beith Barrmill & Gateside – Precious Memories.
Donald L Reid, the Herald’s Beith correspondent, who had compiled the book on behalf of the Jolly Beggars, thanked all the cronies for their support over the past 9 months when a huge amount of work had been undertaken. He also made special mention of Katy Clark MP and Kenneth Gibson MSP who kindly compiled the foreword to the book and to everyone who contributed photographs and provided information, enabling a comprehensive social history of the area to be compiled which would stand the test of time.
He said that a large number of fascinating local folk had been interviewed and their reminiscences had proved to be always interesting, quite humbling and remarkable and captured important aspects of local social history which would prove important for those who follow in our footsteps. The range and variety of photographs of yesterday and today had also been very well received. He said that the book had been one of the nominees for a special prize from Age Scotland, to whom the club are affiliated, and the result will be known in a few weeks, but he was pleased that the Jolly Beggars had been nominated.
President James Waite then introduced the speaker for the evening, George Dickie of Kilbirnie Rosebery Burns Club. In a fascinating talk entitled: Poems for All, George recited over 25 poems from memory, a quite remarkable feat. Among the poems he included works by Robert Burns, Robert W Service, W D Cocker, Edgar Allan Poe, H W Auden, William Wordsworth, Edwin Morgan and Rab Wilson. All in all the range, knowledge, memory and versatility of the speaker was quite amazing, especially as George is now 86. After responding to a number of questions, a comprehensive vote of thanks was given by SVP David Pettigrew who presented the speaker with gifts on behalf of the club.
The AGM of the Jolly Beggars will be held in Beith Masonic Hall at 7.30 pm on Monday 25th April after which Billy Davey of Lochwinnoch will deliver a lecture entitled: Scotland at the time of Burns.
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