Hi James,
Yeh, the word is that there's a piper at hand to walk in with the small 
(can't say "canny" here can I?) beastie.
I've sometimes used the occasion to introduce English poetry readers/writers 
to the history of Scots literature. I always drink a toast to him (in public 
or private) and it's hopefully in a good malt!
It'll be interesting to see how Burns is recieved on Teeside aswell. On 
Tyneside (despite a great awareness of the Border Troubles) Burns was 
admired, respected, as a poet more than an excuse for a bit of patriotic 
sell-yeh-shortbread-ness.
And I guess those doing the advertising needed an angle for advertising (and 
the other thing the bookfair and readings are linked with - "Middlesbrough's 
150th Anniversary" - isn't quite enough to set even the Tees on fire!
Bob







>From: James Bell <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: An All-Day Burn's Night Invite
>Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2003 09:03:49 +0000
>
>Have a good time Bob. "Canny" does not mean small in Scots by the way. I 
>always feel that Burns would have a terrific laugh at the antics undertaken 
>in his name and personally choose to run in the other direction. While the 
>Burns reputation stands fully intact what came afterwards until MacDairmid 
>appeared on the scene is the despised "kailyard" and the "supper" for me is 
>a twee manifestation of the tartan and shortbread Brigadoon of the tourist 
>boards. Sorry about the rant but all Scots don't subscribe to the feast of 
>haggis and neeps. I believe you need a piper to pipe in the "beastie" too.
>
>
>
>bw
>James
>
>
>
>
>
>>From: Bob Cooper <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: An All-Day Burn's Night Invite
>>Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2003 01:28:05 +0000
>>
>>Just in case anyone’s anywhere near the North East of England this 
>>Saturday there’s a canny (that’s Geordie canny – ie BIG - and not Scots 
>>canny, ie rather small) Poetry Day in Middlesbrough, starting at 11 in the 
>>morning and ending after 11 at night!
>>
>>Why am I mentioning it?
>>
>>Well, as well as lots of other things, there’s the mega-big launch of All 
>>We Know Is All We See at 5 in the afternoon, then a real Burns supper 
>>where the haggis will be addressed by W.N. (Bill) Herbert (but I don’t 
>>know what either of us will do with the “Great Chieftan o the puddin race” 
>>after the pipes have played and the address “as lang’s my arm” is made – 
>>because we’re both veggies!). (H’m, maybe like the haggis when it was 
>>roaming free, and poor John Clare, we might have to eat grass…)
>>
>>If anyone can make it then it’s in the Crypt (a cat free crypt?) of the 
>>Town Hall – - -
>>
>>- - - But if y can’t make it and you’d like to hear some of the poems that 
>>you've read on yr screen set free to the air then if you let Roger Collett 
>>or I know it may be possible to get a reading somewhere closer to you!
>>Bob
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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