Dartmoor Gliding News-Sunday 28th January 2018

Another first for Dartmoor Gliding..!  Announcing that Burns’ Night Suppers have been a tradition since the fifth anniversary of the great Bard’s death in 1896, Master of Ceremonies (and Catering) Roger Appleboom informed the assembled company that there was no record anywhere of a Burns’ Night Breakfast being held, and hence that today’s occasion was yet another first for Dartmoor Gliding. 

Paula Howarth’s boyfriend Phil timorously releases the haggis to the table..!

Whereupon, with due pomp, drone and skirl of bagpipes the revered repast was marched in by Paula Howarth’s boyfriend, Phil, and timorously placed on the table (was it still alive?) whilst we reverentially said the ‘Selkirk Grace’, followed by a recording of Burns making his ‘Address to a Haggis’ (“Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race...”) on what appeared to be surprisingly clear audio. 

The assembled gathering participate in ‘The Selkirk Grace’.

Plunging into the haggis, lome sausage (Celtic and seasonal) plus the traditional neaps and tatties (well, baked beans actually...) it was then time to exchange “where we’re ats”, “what we’re ats” and “where we wanna be’s” for the forthcoming season; eg. is anyone up for an exped to Talgarth, or the Long Mynd this year??  (And don’t forget, if you need to get aerotow trained or just to maintain currency, the facilities at North Hill are available to us, particularly mid-week – just email CFI Mark Courtenay for a go ahead.) 

Dave Westcott on the look-out for escaped haggis...

Breakfast MC Roger Appleboom congratulates Phil on his expert Celtic delivery of the haggis.

Although the weather (in its manifestation of a totally waterlogged field) precluded flying, it was a warm and friendly gathering that eventually broke a little before midday, whilst others turned to more mundane tasks, such as working out how an artificial horizon works in a Discus 2 (ah, yes, press the ‘on/off’ switch..!) 

So with another Dartmoor first firmly established, it was a non-alcoholic “slàinte mhòr” (good health) and “Haste ye Back” (in time for our next social, which is to be on the evening of Friday 9 March, at 7pm in the old pub at Grenofen.  See advert from Mike Bennett on the Forum for details...)

Martin Cropper