Burns event fail

[OC Richard]

I've been piping for the same Burns event for quite a few years. It's not a Clan or Society event but a loose informal gathering of friends, around 30 in number, who in the past have gathered in intimate tearooms or small quiet restaurants which are ideal for poetry readings and chat.

I play the big pipes to kick off the evening, marching in the haggis, and to cap things off, and play Smallpipes and Uilleann pipes during dinner.

This year they decided to do things differently and have their event in a large noisy bustling English pub. The group was squeezed into one corner of the pub. In addition to the usual Saturday night crowd there were loads of Chelsea supporters celebrating a birthday and further loads of people gathered around the numerous huge TVs to watch the Kings/Ducks match.

If that weren't enough, a rock band started playing at 8:30.

I couldn't do much playing. It was far too noisy to do any poetry readings, too noisy to chat without screaming at the person a foot away from you.

We had excellent food, and tried to chat as best we could, and that was about it.

[Jack Daw]

So, it was an experiement that went bad. Do you think it will return to the former venue?

[vmac3205]

Hopefully next year they will return to a more intimate venue. Good luck.

[GMan]

I like shaking things up a bit, but that is just a bit more shaking than a good shaking up is supposed to be.

Next years endeavor shall be much better I am sure.

[Nathan]

loads of people gathered around the numerous huge TVs to watch the Kings/Ducks match.

That was playing on the tv at my Burns Pub gig, but at least we were the band rather than a rock band so we did the poems and songs through the PA. Incidentally, that game was the strangest thing I've ever seen. It was like a big US football match only it was hockey. Bizarre.

[ASinclair]

Richard,

So sorry what should be a special night to gather with friends to celebrate the Ploughman Poet's birthday turned out so badly. As others have said, hopefully this will be a one off and your group will return to a more appropriate venue next year. If your group numbers only around 30, perhaps they might consider having the Burns Night in someone's home. Last night, our Greensboro Scottish Country Dance Society gathered at the home of a couple of our members. I think there were 32 of us. Just a suggestion.

[TheOfficialBren]

Sorry to hear about the mishaps, Richard. It happens. Even the best laid plans are subject to the laws of the universe.

Regarding the hockey game:
I understand Hockey to be a very violent and bloody game where the business with the puck almost becomes incidental. If it was like a US football game then am I to understand that it was a more docile affair compared to the usual fray?

[Nathan]

Sorry to hear about the mishaps, Richard. It happens. Even the best laid plans are subject to the laws of the universe.

Regarding the hockey game:
I understand Hockey to be a very violent and bloody game where the business with the puck almost becomes incidental. If it was like a US football game then am I to understand that it was a more docile affair compared to the usual fray?

So the puck stuff is the most important thing, but hockey involves a lot of hitting (checking) and indeed some fighting but I was referring to the marching bands and batons and pyro and giant stadium spectacle. It's not part of hockey culture. The game itself was a normal hockey game.

[TheOfficialBren]

So the puck stuff is the most important thing, but hockeys involve a lot of hitting (checking) and indeed some fighting but I was referring to the marching bands and batons and pyro and giant stadium spectacle. It's not part of hockey culture. The game itself was a normal hockey game.

Oic. I'm not very big on team sports, myself, but from what I understand the whole enchalada kitchen sink spectacle that is American Football and it's halftime show is unique to that subculture. I have rarely seen it done in other sports (the odd one-off here and there), even in other major league American games.

I was attempting to make a dry joke that fell very, very flat, incidentally.

[Bob C]

Sorry to hear about the mishaps, Richard. It happens. Even the best laid plans are subject to the laws of the universe.

Regarding the hockey game:
I understand Hockey to be a very violent and bloody game where the business with the puck almost becomes incidental. If it was like a US football game then am I to understand that it was a more docile affair compared to the usual fray?

Your understanding of hockey is fatally flawed.