Wednesday 25 January 2006

Haggis

                                                  

 

Well today is Burns day when we Scots are supposed to celebrate Rabbie Burns our national poet...There will be thousands of burns suppers held across the globe tonight where they'll eat haggis, neeps and tatties and read burns peoms...So today am going to tell you about one of only 2 burns suppers i've ever been to.

My high school decided to have a Burns Supper when i was in 6th year...Now one of the woodwork teachers played the pipes and it was him who was organising it all...I never had him as an actual teacher as back then us girls were discouraged from doing any *boys* subjects...He had played tha part of the dame in our school panto that christmas and me and another 6th year student had painted all the scenery...Well it gave us more stuff to put in our portfolios for applying to art school LOL...So goodness knows why but Mr Gerrard plumped on asking me to carry in the haggis...I did try to back out of it but was persuaded that it was an honour...Well i knew that but the thing is i can't stand the stuff...It's too spicy for me and i don't even like the smell of it LOL...As this Burns Supper was organised at quite short notice i had to find a tartan skirt or kilt to wear only 2 weeks before...Luckily one of our neighbours at the time had one that fitted me :o) Now when you carry the haggis in you're supposed to hold it up high in front of you on a platter...Hey no problemo it kept the thing out of my face LOL...So we weaved our way through all the tables and when we got to the top table i placed in front of the head boy Reekie (his nickname) who was addressing the haggis...Now he looked at me and i looked at him stiffling my giggles as i had done whilst carrying it in...I felt so sorry for him having to keep a very straight serious face whilst he addressed the thing...Oh and he also couldn't stand the stuff LOL...After he'd finished and sat down andgrace was said and they started serving up to everyone we both excused ourselves on pretence of needing the loo...Am sure they must have heard us howling with laughter in the room from where we'd disappeared too...You see this was at the school so they had got the dinnerladies to cook loads of haggis in those big metal trays they put in the oven...When it came to having a haggis to be carried in and addressed we realised they hadn't cooked a small proper shaped kinda one duh!!!!...So Mr Gerrard being ever innovative got a plastic bag and shoved some in with a spoon...Then him and me squished and pushed and did our best to arrange it on the platter so it looked right LOLOL...Thing is this plastic bag had a seam down it and you could see the seam across the top <ggg> Poor Reekie had no advance warning so only knew when i plonked it in front of him...He had to try and cut this bag of haggis open with a Skean Dhu as part of the address and it was hard trying to cut into a hot plastic bag without the contents splattering all over the place ROFL...We had a right old giggle about it all and i will never ever forget that night...On the whole i do think, me, the teacher and headboy managed to cover up not too badly :o)  Here's hoping M's school don't make the same mistake today...If any of you are going to one then enjoy it and have fun and don't drink too much whisky LOL

Toodle pip tc xx

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lol, I would have lost it well before leaving the room <gg>

Anonymous said...

THIS ENTRY REALLY HAD ME LAUGHING OR AS YOU FREQUENTLY PUT ON YOUR JOURNAL...ROFL..............JAN XX

Anonymous said...

oh brill!

Anonymous said...

Caff sounds like you had a lot of fun at your Burns Supper....Did you get away with not having to eat some....?......Ally

Anonymous said...

Lol!!  Great story Caff, when those giggles come you just can't stop them can you ;o)
Sara   x

Anonymous said...

I had to look up haggis,neeps, and tatties, I did not have a clue what they were.What seasonings are used in the making of haggis.A photo would have been nice. Mccine of Chicago,IL,USA

Anonymous said...

Hi Caff, a smashing story, it really made me giggle...lol!  I`ve only tasted haggis once and that was enough...sorry but it wasn`t to my taste at all! Tatties are potatoes right? and neeps are turnips?  Have a nice evening anyway. :o)

Sandra xxxx

Anonymous said...

Happy Burns day :-)  What a great story thanks for sharing it with us!!