Sara Sheridan is an author who has written amongst other books, ‘The Secret of Blythswood Square’; ‘The Fair Botanists’ and ‘Where are the Women?’. In her talk ‘Exploring Where Scotland Comes From‘ she discusses how we represent our history.
Sara Sheridan is a Glasgow-based writer and activist. She writes historical fiction and creative nonfiction. She has written 6 novels based in the period 1820 – 1850. ‘The Fair Botanists’ set in Edinburgh 1822, has charmed critics and readers alike – the first edition sold out in under a fortnight and it won Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year in 2022 as well as being chosen for the Queen’s Reading Room series 7. Her latest, ‘The Secrets of Blythswood Square’ is just out in hardback. Sara’s remapping of Scotland according to female history, ‘Where are the Women?’ was listed as of the David Hume Institute’s most important non-fiction books 2019. It contains 1600 stories of mostly forgotten female achievement. Sara continues to campaign for more diverse memorialisation of women’s history. She is a regular contributor on BBC Radio Scotland and has also written two 5-part radio plays adapted from her own short stories – ‘On Portobello Prom‘ and ‘Robert Burns: His Psychotherapy and Cure’. Both have been broadcasted on Radio 4.
Saturday 26 October 2.30pm to 3.30pm
Thomas Clark is a writer, poet and translator working mainly in the Scots language. In his most recent and award winning book ‘Fower Legs Guid, TwaLegs Better!’, a Scots translation of George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’, he offers a fascinating journey through Orwell, Scots, and the language we use today asking if words still matter, if politicians can be trusted and if Scots still has a place in the modern world.
Sunday 27 October 11.30am to 12.30pm
Alex Renton, considers ‘Ayrshire, Burns, Slavery: a difficult legacy?‘Alex Renton, FRHistS, is an author and journalist living in Edinburgh. He works primarily in reportage and investigation for the BBC, The Times, The Guardian and the Daily Mail. His recent books include ‘Blood Legacy: reckoning with a family’s story of slavery‘ (about the Fergusson and Hunter-Blair families of Ayrshire) and ‘Stiff Upper Lip: secrets, crimes and the schooling of a ruling class‘. His most recent radio series, ‘In Dark Corners’, won multiple awards and is available on BBC Sounds.
Sunday 27 October 2.30pm to 3,30pm
Steven Veerapen is an author of historical fiction and nonfiction. His books include ‘The Simon Danforth murder mysteries‘ set in the Scotland of the 1540s and ‘The Wisest Fool: The Lavish Life of James VI and I’. In his talk ‘Historical Crime Fiction: from medieval murders to modernist mysteries’ he discusses historical crime fiction as a popular genre and how it is written – from conjuring up relatable characters to authentic backgrounds with ghastly and blood drenched incidents.
Steven Veerapen was born in Glasgow and raised in Paisley. Pursuing an interest in the sixteenth century, he was awarded a first-class Honours degree in English, focussing his dissertation on early modern representations of Henry VIII’s six wives. He received a Masters in Renaissance studies, examining the Renaissance-era visual and literary representations of the later Tudors. He then obtained a PhD investigating Elizabethan slander. When not writing, he teaches English Literature at the University of Strathclyde.
This event is in addition to the programme of free Highlight Talks.
Melvyn Gibson
Melvyn Gibson is a Volunteer at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum and Coordinator of the Highlight Talks. he is also one of the main organisers of this event.
The draw took place today November 30th at the Museum.
As per tradition, the person selected to draw the winning ticket was the first person entering the museum after 12pm on St Andrews day. Today a couple visiting from Lincolnshire kindly agreed to help us with the draw.
The winning ticket was held by Eddie McMeehen of Thornhill, Dumfriesshire.
Thanks again to everyone for your support. Money raised will help us fund specific projects on site.
If you have any queries please contact us by email at info@friendsofrbbm.org.uk or leave a message on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/friendsofrbbm
Reopening of the Monument Garden Shop
July 31 2023
Update!
We had a great opening day at the Monument Shop. The shop may not look quite like Harrods but the sun was shining and the beautiful gardens surrounding the magnificent Monument were ablaze with colour. The little building where the shop is located was the original Entrance Kiosk to the Monument Gardens, situated at the ramp to the side of the Brig o’Doon Hotel.
The shop is run by friendly and enthusiastic volunteers – welcoming visitors and happy to give them a brief guide to the Monument gardens while they look around. The shop has a good selection of pieces of jewellery; local crafts; paintings and books. There are some good bargains among them!
We are very fortunate to have some great watercolour paintings donated by South Ayrshire artist Billy Hillen Hope. John Preston, a local photographer, donated some outstanding photos of Alloway and its surroundings. We also have a great collection of second handbooks donated by local volunteers.
We are now selling Raffle tickets for the 2024 Burns Supper which will be held in Burns Cottage on the 25th of January 2024. Each ticket (£1) gives you the opportunity to win 2 seats at the table with a Prize value of £500.
So next time you visit the Museum why not pop in and say hello – you might just grab a bargain.
July 26 2023
Good News!
The Garden Shop in Monument Garden will reopen on Friday 28 July at 11am. This enterprise, aptly described by a visitor as “adorable,” is run by Robert Burns Birthplace Museum volunteers to raise money for the benefit of the museum. They have been very busy sprucing up the little building, formerly the entrance kiosk, situated at the ramp at the side of the Brig o’Doon Hotel.
Jewellery, crafts and paintings will be on sale and there will be some bargains among them!
They hope to open regularly over the summer – always depending on availability of volunteers – so watch this space.
2022
Summer Picnic
SUMMER PICNIC
When: Saturday 3 September, 1pm to 4pm
Where: The field at Burns Cottage, “New Gardens”
You’re warmly invited to come to a relaxed, fun and sociable get-together at what William Burns called “New Gardens.”
Entertainment will be provided by John Rattenbury’s band Musical Friends playing from the stage of the outdoor classroom.
We’ll laze about, blether, socialise and enjoy the lovely environment with the newly-fruiting trees, the now well-established pool and all the gardeners’ improvements.
Please bring your own picnic, rug, chairs, etc. You’re welcome to bring friends and family but remember they will have to pay to get in at the kiosk if they are not National Trust members.
I hope you’ll come. We’re all looking forward to seeing you.
Alison
Big Band Night at the Museum
If you and yours have the night of Saturday 11 June free come and join me for Another Big Band Night at the Museum. This is a fundraiser run under the auspices of the Friends of Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. There will be the opportunity to dance to the music. Listening is fine too.
The night starts at 7.30pm and ends at 10.30pm. Entertainment is provided by the musicians and singers of That Swing Sensation Big Band. The Band play all over Scotland and the North of England and have featured on television and radio. A good night is guaranteed.
Tickets are £15 each.
The Bar will be open for refreshments and snacks.
All proceeds of the event go to support the work of the Museum.
PARP! PARP! Roger trundles along the Poet’s Path in the yellow buggy touching his cap, a white linen one on sunny days and a tweed one at other times, as he passes. Everyone on board is smiling. He tells them about “Alloway’s auld haunted kirk” and the Mousie and the story of Tam o’ Shanter. If they are lucky, he’ll regale them with the first part of the poem in his best Scottish accent. He asks the passengers where they come from and makes sure they know when the buggy will pick them up again. He is an unforgettable part of their visit.
Although he started as a buggy driver it wasn’t long before he graduated to buggy organiser, drawing up the rota and checking the mechanics. This wasn’t the least of his contributions to RBBM. Ever-willingly, he ran errands in the van, painted skirting boards, supervised the bouncy castle on gala days, generally helping whenever asked and wherever he could.
He was an essential element in the volunteer cohort, providing a sociable hub for exchange of news at or near the front door. He stood out in the cold selling Christmas trees and then professionally loading them into the buyers’ cars, trunk first. He belted out Christmas carols in a sonorous bass as part of the volunteer choir of the time. He took part in the performance group Burns Turns. His speciality from To a Mouse was the second stanza, declaimed entirely in English as is, of course, entirely appropriate: “I’m truly sorry man’s dominion…….”
Beyond the front door, he was a mainstay of Ayrshire Gifts an’ a’ That, the shop the volunteers had for a year in Alloway Street in the town, and he never minded manning the premises on his own. He served on the committee of the Friends of RBBM giving wise advice on the practicalities. He strongly supported other volunteers in their suggestions and activities, whether collecting supplies for the garden shop or acquiring pallets for construction of the book bank.
At Christmas last year, after surgery and subsequent rigorous treatment, it became clear that he would struggle to come back. Volunteers and staff held a “lift” to give him a present to thank him for his friendship and unstinting service to RBBM. Enough money was collected for a whole heap of presents – from a cosy rug to novelty golf balls containing whisky and, yes, to a new tweed cap. He put the cap on right away and it was a happy day for him.
We’ll all miss him.
Tea Time for Volunteers
Ten volunteers from Robert Burns Birthplace Museum enjoyed a scrumptious spread at one of the Tea Parties laid on as part of a National Trust for Scotland initiative to mark the return after the pandemic. Ian McLelland, Regional Manager for the South-West warmly welcomed over sixty people from NTS properties throughout the area to the barn at Culzean castle. He thanked them for their commitment and contributions.
A big surprise was the award of long service certificates and badges and several of the Alloway contingent were delighted to receive these. NTS Deputy President Caroline Borthwick made the presentations.
Then the socialising and laughter began in earnest. As no NTS tea party would ever be complete without them, scones and jam featured among the goodies to eat – as did lemon drizzle cake, chocolate cake …….
Thanks to all involved in the organisation. It was a lovely afternoon.
Alison Wilson
2021
A Tale of a Burns Supper
The first recorded Burns Supper was held at Burns Cottage in 1801 and our Supper follows the format of that event which continued to be held at the Cottage until 1809.
The Burns Supper was reintroduced at the Cottage on 25 January 2016 after a gap of 207 years. We, the Friends of RBBM, resolved to continue holding the event on that special date every year, supported by the National Trust for Scotland and we had no intention of having a gap year.
Last year, due to COVID restrictions, we were forced to go “Virtual” and rather than seeing this as a setback I saw it as an opportunity to reach out to a larger audience as we were restricted to having a maximum of only 24 guests in the Cottage. We sent out over 180 links to the event with viewers from as far away as Tasmania in the east to Hawaii in the west.
The event was a resounding success with glowing comments coming from around the world. I thank all the performers, the film crew, NTS staff who assisted, NTS USA Foundation, our own Facebook editors and the Gaeity Theatre.
Hugh Farrell
Here are some wonderful pictures from this historic event
Summer’s Supper 220th Anniversary
This year there is a special celebration on July 21st at 6pm at The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum
The first ever Burns Supper was held in the cottage on the date of his death. This year we are commemorating the 220th anniversary of that first supper and the 225th anniversary of Robert Burns’ death.
Join us for an evening of first-class Burns speakers and a two-course meal just a few yards from where the first Burns Supper took place. We will be saluting Robert Burns with music, poetry and song. We shall also raise a laugh with other Scots poetry and tales.
For more detailed information for this event and to purchase tickets please visit the RBBM webpage https://www.nts.org.uk/burns
2020
Update Co-op Community Funding Update
Spinning Joy
The Friends of Robert Burns Birthplace Museum have been awarded the massive sum of £1,884.59 by the Co-op Community Fund for a Spinning Wheel Project. This brings some joy on the very day the museum must close again for three weeks during the current pandemic.
The amount given has been generated from the 1% earned by members buying selected Co-op branded goods and services locally in Doonfoot and Ayr. The Project was chosen as one of this year’s causes and the Friends of RBBM gratefully appreciate this generous support.
With spinning wheels purchased by the scheme, volunteers will now be able to learn the skills of using them. Then they’ll demonstrate the techniques to visitors to Burns Cottage and the museum nearby in Alloway. Imagine them sitting in Burns Cottage showing what Robert Burns’ mother Agnes used to do on a daily basis in that very house. After this, the group aim to roll out workshops with spinning and weaving activities to involve children and families and, later, local community and disability groups.
During the next few months volunteers will work away at home practising a heritage craft familiar to nearly every woman at the time of Robert Burns. A contemporary described Burns wearing a coat spun by his mother “aye, and dyed by her too, l se‘ll warrant.”
Last year, an interpretation programme at the Cottage included dyeing with locally growing plants, rag-rug making, weaving and rope-making. Not to forget the popular oat bannock making! So spinning will be an extension to the drive to make Burns Cottage a lively place to come to.
Alison Wilson
Story of the Founders of National Trust for Scotland Highlight Talk By Caroline Borwick
The history of the National Trust for Scotland was to the fore when Mrs Caroline Borwick gave an interesting talk on founder members of the NTS at the weekly Wednesday Highlight Talks at Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. Her father Sir Jamie Stormont Darling was one of a quartet of men dedicated to the continued existence and development of the Trust for the benefit of the people of Scotland during the difficult post-war period. As a group, he and Sir John Stirling Maxwell, the Marquess of Bute and lawyer George Russell, clocked up a total of over 90 years of service to ensure the Trust survived on a secure footing.
Caroline illustrated her talk with some fascinating photos from the forties, fifties and sixties. Included was one of the first ceremonies of the handover of a property to the NTS in 1944: the House of the Binns with a kilted, teenage Tam Dalziel in the background. Also acquired during her father’s tenure as Secretary and Director from 1949 to 1983 were 5.6. & 7 Charlotte Square (Edinburgh), Canna, Iona, St Kilda, Inverewe and Staffa.
This postcard was drawn by Caroline Borwick in 2018 in memory of her father Sir Jamie Stormont Darling. It represents Canna, Iona, St Ilda, Interewe and Staffa.
Alison Wilson
Caroline Borwick was the chatelaine of Blair Castle in Dalry and until recently a National Trust for Scotland trustee. She is the daughter of the late director of NTS Sir Jamie Stormonth Darling,
The Highlight Talks, chaired by Melvyn Gibson (Volunteer), take place at 3pm on Wednesday (June – September) in the Museum building and are FREE to attend.
The Bachelor’s Club at Tarbolton
It was at the Bachelors Club at Tarbolton where Robert Burns learned to dance; launched the debating club and became a Freemason.
Following a very successful 2019, in which the Bachelors club brought back to life debates, music, poetry and prose, 2020 will see the continuation of these popular events.
On the First Tuesday of each month there is an Open Mic Night with music, songs and tales. The evening event start at 7pm. Enjoy the varied performances or feel free to take part with music, song, poetry or prose.
Turning the clock back to the year 1780 when Robert Burns launched the debating club on the 3rd Monday of each month, at 7.00pm, we will have a Debate Night with one subtle difference: it will be open for all to enjoy.
Don’t let the title “Bachelors Club” mislead you. You don’t have to be a bachelor and you don’t have to be a man!
All events are free to attend though any donations are welcome. These are used solely for the upkeep and development of The Bachelors Club.
Volunteers are planning new workshops to add to their repertoire of activities to bring Burns Cottage alive. These include showing how plants growing in the vicinity would have been used for healing purposes and also for beauty treatments. Regular story telling sessions will be introduced to echo the experience of the young Robert Burns at the knee of Betty Davidson, an old woman relative who stayed with the family and had a vast store of spooky stories. Soon volunteers hope to embark on learning to spin using equipment provided through the local CO-OP’s community support scheme. Meanwhile, pop into the Education Pavilion at Burns Cottage on Monday afternoons to see a rag rug being made and find out more.
Promotion Day at the Co-op
Farewell to the buggy service and welcome to “The Friends and Volunteers Information Hub”
For a number of reasons beyond our control, the much loved buggy service which has been running for some 7 years, has to be discontinued.
An exciting new initiative is “The Friends and Volunteers information Hub” situated behind the Admissions desk at the main entrance. The original idea was to provide much needed help and information for visitors and volunteers to the museum, and particularly those with limited access to the internet. We are also linking up with Visit Scotland and their new “I Know” programme which highlights all that is good in the wider community, as well as RBBM, so why not come along and check it out.
Volunteers Roger Alexander and George Lennie at The Friends and Volunteers information Hub
Burns Supper in the Cottage
In the summer of 1801 a select party of the friends of Robert Burns proposed to dine in the cottage of his birth, and to offer a tribute to the memory of departed genius.
This first known Burns Supper was held in the cottage in July 1801 on the fifth anniversary of the death of Robert Burns. It was agreed that the event should take place annually on the date of birth of the poet. The suppers were held in the cottage until 1809 after which the venue moved to the Kings Arms Hotel in Ayr.
The Friends of Robert Burns Birthplace Museum reintroduced the Supper to the cottage on 25th January 2016 and continue to do so, always endeavouring to have a direct descendent of Robert Burns present.
We have 24 guests, each paying £250, and through kind sponsorships, mainly from NTS, the 2020 Supper has raised £7,000 which has been donated to the Cottage Appeal.
We regard this as the world’s foremost Burns Supper, in the cottage of his birth and on his birthdate. We have had guests from the USA in the west to Germany in the east.
Hugh Farrell
Paintings Raffle
At 12.30 today, we had the draw for the Burns Monument Raffle. There were two prizes in the form of works of art that were donated by William Hillen, a local artist who has donated a great number of works of art for charity.
Hugh Farrell, Chairman of the Friends of RBBM invited the first person to enter the museum after 12.25, to draw the winning tickets. This was Robert Wisecup who was on holiday from Georgia, USA, and whose birthday matches that of Robert Burns. The winners were John Rattenbury of Ayr who chose the very atmospheric picture of Burns Cottage and John McCormick of Stonehouse, Lanarkshire who took the oil painting of Burns Monument.
The raffle has made a valuable contribution to the Burns Monument Refurbishment fund, and our thanks go to William for his generous donation of the pictures, and of course, to all who bought raffle tickets.
2016
Closure of our shop, Ayrshire Gifts an’ a’ That
After an extraordinary year, our High Street gift shop has been closed. We opened it as a pop-up shop at the end of August 2014, for the sale of Robert Burns related National Trust for Scotland stock and a dazzling array of crafts from our talented Ayrshire crafters. It was unique on the High Street, and with almost 50 crafters displaying their carefully created wares, there was lots for visitors and residents of Ayr to choose from. It was staffed by a wonderfully dedicated team of volunteers, who painted, managed, staffed and maintained the shop as one of the most attractive in town.
Why close it? Well, it actually stayed open longer than was intended, and there were a whole range of reasons why it was time to bring the project to a close. So many thanks to our volunteers, the many staff from Robert Burns Museum who gave so much help, support and guidance, and of course to the many customers who visited the shop and made it a success.
Friends of Robert Burns Birthplace Museum 