It was a full house'in Portmoak Hall on January 27 for the annual Bums Supper organised by Portmoak Community Woodland Group. For the first time, dapper Dave (Batchelor) gave up his chairman's seat to a lady, Elaine Carruthers, who warmly welcomed everyone.

Cameron McArthur start­ed off the evening by piping in the haggis which was carried in by Elaine's younger daughter Louise, dressed as Poosie Nancy. Young Jack McDonnell confidently gave the Selkirk Grace then Dr Bill Carr addressed the haggis and in his swashbuckling way, while wielding his claymore, broke the plate! The Immortal Memory was given with great clarity, enthusiasm and knowl­edge by Lenny Herd, who is an ex-president of the Paisley Burns Society. He is a good friend of Dave Batchelor and both play in the Scottish Jazz All Stars Band. The reason for Dave's absence from the chairman's seat was revealed when he gave a very humorous 'Address to the Lasses' and then the reply, befitting the atmosphere and occasion, was given by his wife Louise! During the evening, the musical entertainment was provided by the Portmoak Haydn Players — Irene Barnes, Louise Batchelor, Krys Hawryszczuk and Mairie Leggatt as the instru­mentalists with the singers Jo Falla and John Batchelor (Baritones) and the indomitable Jessie Pryde (Dave's mother, Soprano).

An excellent 'Bill of Fare' was provided by Richard Scott, Kinross, which included Scotch Broth, the traditional haggis, neeps and tatties followed by the pudding Tipsy Laird' The annual report of the work done in the Moss, entitled Mosses, Waters, Slaps and Stiles' was well presented by Bob McDonnell (Jack's dad) and inter­spersed with the speeches and eat­ing was the communal singing of a number of Burns's songs — 'Comin' thro' the rye', 'Rantin' Rovin' Robin', 'A Man's a man for a' that', 'Green Grow the Rashes, O' and 'Scots Wha Hae'.

There was a large raffle with the first prize being one of Matt Hogg's handcrafted wooden bench seats — the timber having been taken from the Moss. The lucky win­ner was none other than the sword brandisher — Dr Bill Carr The Community Woodland Group would like to thank the following for their kind donations, in alphabetical order Buchan's Garage, Diageo, Matt Hogg, Lochend Farm shop (Stackyard Kitchen), Loch Leven Larder, Lomond Country Inn, Turfit, Well Inn and Wellside Motors. The excellent evening concluded with the traditional singing of' ‘Auld Lang Syne’.