I had missed this in previous years but apparently the Coldstream Burns Club have an annual Bridge Ceremony to (in the words of the Berwickshire) to ‘commemorate the bard’s visit’ on 7 May 1787. On that occasion he went down on one knee reciting a stanza from ‘The Cotters Saturday Night’ which I am sure is familiar to most local bloggees. Apparently Burns crossed the bridge and reached English soil for the first ‘and probably the only time in his life’ What he thought of the English bank is not recorded nor indeed what he thought of Coldstream. Did he ever return to Coldstream, one wonders? One suspects not as a return visit does not appear to be celebrated locally. Presumably he ventured to the Borders town just to cross into England and having found Albion disappointing never haste he back again. Anyhow the one visit is a good excuse for a knees up and on this occasion was marked with an ‘enjoyable evening of impromptu recitations and songs from Burns enthusiasts.’ Not Huttonians cup of tea and I doubt if that beverage featured prominently in the celebrations. Perhaps it is good for local livers that he made only one visit to the ‘First Toon in Scotland’ or the last, if you are heading south.
