Xmarks Burns Supper @ Ferintosh 2007!

[dwg]

I hope all your travel arrangements go well as Helen & I are looking forward to meeting everyone

May I on behalf of my travel companion, Hamish we also are looking forward to meeting you all also

Derek

[cessna152towser]

Interesting article on all the problems at London Heathrow here:-
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/m...questid=425598
I really do hope those of you who are travelling via Heathrow will get through to Dumfries in good time for our get together,

[Pour1Malt]

oopdate!

a' is subject tae change...

but...

the order o' events fur the evenin currently stands thus...



Pre-dinner drams whilst gatherin'

Piping in the guests

Laird & Lady's welcome by Robertson & Emma

The Selkirk Toast

Soup Course- Cullin Skink ...arr.... Cock-a-Leekie....

The first entertainment ... Burns Poems; David- No Churchman Am I;
Sten- A Bottle And Friend; Patrick- Scotch Drink; Alex- This Is No My Ain Lassie


Starter Course- Smoked Scottish Salmon...wi'??? cream cheese an caviar??? mustard dill sauce???

The toast tae the Lassies by Robin

Piping in the Haggis

Address tae the Haggis by Hamish

Toast tae the Haggis by Hamish

Main Course- Haggis Ferintosh, Neeps, Tatties, Skirlie, ....???

The second entertainment; Burns songs by David & Helen; Derek- Tae A Moose, David D- Tae a Louse

Performance o' Tam o' Shanter by Special Invited Guest! (Rabbie Burns Ghost????)

Sweet course- Cranachan....?

The Immortal Memory Speech by Robertson

Cheese Course- Scottish cheeses frae Lockerbie, Annan, Isle o' Bute, Orkney....???

The reply frae the Lassies by Emma

Final entertainment ...Burns Poem; Helen- Wandering Willie; Burns Songs; Derek & Elaine

Final Toasts- Tae Robert The Bruce, X-Marks, ...???

Auld Lang Syne by E'ery yin!

[McClef]

Although ah'll no be there the thought o Cranachan maks me drool ! :tongue:

[Hamish]

BA cancelled all domestic flights in and out of Heathrow the last three days; fewer landing slots available due to poor visibility, and many of their aircraft aren't equipped with cat.3 autoland; Sadly, BA, which was once Britain's national airline, is now perceived as a bit of a joke due to its poor reliability, with frequent cancellations due to fog or industrial disputes. When I flew to Bristol on Easyjet in November on a foggy day, almost every BA flight was cancelled or diverted while the low cost airlines such as Easyjet and Ryanair kept flying as normal.

Alex,

We down here near Gatwick, were told that the problems at Heathrow in the recent severe fog were not in the the landing and taking off (BA planes do that all the time) but were because of the airport's huge amount of 'on the ground' traffic - taxi-ing planes, service vehicles, etc., etc. London Heathrow is the world's busiest airport with planes landing and taking off, on average, every 30 seconds! There are cars, vans, trucks and Goodness-knows-what scuttling about everywhere, in addition to all those planes on the move. Of course, I am fully prepared to bow to your professional knowledge on this, but that is what we were being told by the BAA and BA spokesmen.

[cessna152towser]

I think both reasons are true, Hamish. I believe many of BA's long haul jets do have cat. 3C but the domestic flights (including BA Connect which they are selling off) are mainly operated with older Boeings or with Embraer jets which are not thus equipped. Ryanair and Easyjet operate very modern aircraft; Ryanair with the Boeing 737 800 series and Easyjet with the Airbus A319 and Boeing 737 700. The average age of their aircraft is barely two years. If things go wrong with Ryanair or Easyjet you are on your own and all you get is a refund - no coach transfer to another airport or night in a hotel like you would get with BA, but you are less likely to find yourself in such a position. Capacity constraints at Heathrow during the fog meant it was simplest to cancel the domestic flights programme which would in any event have suffered considerable disruption during the poor visibility as many of their older aircraft are incapable of operating safely in these conditions.

[starbkjrus]

All I know is that you guys better get on the horn with the Kilted British Weather Gods and make sure they know that the morning of January 25th better be clear as a bell in London. No one in that city is going to want to look up and see me using my kilt as a parachute. :eek:

[Robin]

Less then 3 weeks before take off

[Freelander Sporrano]

We've got blisters on our fingers

[Pour1Malt]

aye...

ya a' best bae memorizin' yur poems!!!