Musings from the Merse
Friday, September 25, 2009
A pint of Haggis and a couple of Fags. Mate
A kind (English) friend has just sent me this story from the BBC here (so it must be true) giving the origins of Haggis as an English dish and only taken up by Burns and Co after the English had dropped it from the national menu for, I am sure, very good reasons. Not everyone seems convinced and indeed Mr Patrick, the 'Champion Scottish Haggis Maker' says with some indignation :
" the idea haggis originated in England was akin to claims by the Dutch and Chinese to have invented golf"
He added: "Anything that's to do with Scotland, everybody wants to get a part of"
(One can think of some exceptions, but let it go. Nor do I want to get into another controversy (well I do, but later) about the English inventing baseball which now seems to be an open and shut case as you can read here)
If true it might solve one historical conundrum. Why did Burns make his famous visit to England from Coldstream and then return never to go again? Who did he meet during his brief stay. (Cornhill Scotland's favourite very short stay destination?) We may never know whom he met but we do know now what he brought back with him
The recipe for Haggis
Isn't wonderful how now and again all the pieces fit together!
A kind (English) friend has just sent me this story from the BBC here (so it must be true) giving the origins of Haggis as an English dish and only taken up by Burns and Co after the English had dropped it from the national menu for, I am sure, very good reasons. Not everyone seems convinced and indeed Mr Patrick, the 'Champion Scottish Haggis Maker' says with some indignation :
" the idea haggis originated in England was akin to claims by the Dutch and Chinese to have invented golf"
He added: "Anything that's to do with Scotland, everybody wants to get a part of"
(One can think of some exceptions, but let it go. Nor do I want to get into another controversy (well I do, but later) about the English inventing baseball which now seems to be an open and shut case as you can read here)
If true it might solve one historical conundrum. Why did Burns make his famous visit to England from Coldstream and then return never to go again? Who did he meet during his brief stay. (Cornhill Scotland's favourite very short stay destination?) We may never know whom he met but we do know now what he brought back with him
The recipe for Haggis
Isn't wonderful how now and again all the pieces fit together!
Labels: Burns, English invented Haggis and Baseball, Haggis.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
NO FIXED ABODE
The Berwickshire's Looking Back column carries a report of a Burns Supper in Chirnside exactly 25 years ago (Still celebrating the Bard after mid February, little else to do in Chirnside in those days)It must have been a sensational event as as part of the traditional ritual a speaker gave the Address of the Haggis. As you presumably know the exact location of the Haggis's domicile is one of Scotland's closest guarded secrets, all are also ex-directory, thus keeping cold callers, double glazing salesmen and hopeful Jehovah's Witnesses at bay. Fortunately the Berwickshire in its report was discreet enough not to publish this indiscretion which still remains highly confidential and known to very few outside the Dumfries Burns Unit
Not unlike a famous incident when Prime Minister Lloyd George was subjected to a lengthy and fullsome introduction by some provincial chairman at a rural political meeting. The chairman, after a good 30 minutes of platitudes and mixed metaphors invited Lloyd George to 'give his address'
'10 Downing Street'
and stalked of the platform
(Image is taken from a discreetly silent Haggis)
Labels: Haggis., Lloyd George, Suffering from Burns
