It was not a Burns' Supper, though the Isle of Cumbrae makes plenty of occasions to honour the Bard. The Scottish Women's Institute presented a Scottish night to celebrate the birthday of Burns in the Age Concern Hall this month.

Members and friends pulled out all stops with ample refreshments, suitable for the occasion, provided by Marion Livingstone , and poetry ,songs and drama by John Orr.

John introduced the programme with several songs accompanied on his own guitar then handed over to Trudy Welsh and the 'lassies' of the SWI choir with a lively and weel kent selection including

'My heart is Sair', 'O Whistle and I'll come to ye', 'The Deil's Awa wi' 'The Exciseman', 'Comin' thro the rye', 'Ca' the ewes, and Aye Waukin o'

Frances Melling of the Millport WI said: "Our own star singer John added 'Caledonia' to the programme after the refreshments , And kilted and attired as Tam o'Shanter he performed the full poem,with his grey mare Meg whose gallant gallop lost her tail but gained the enthusiastic applause of all present .

"'Scots wha hae', and a moving version of 'Ye Jacobites by name' completed this feast of Scottishness, and the audience left into a dreich night warmed by companionship and filled with song.

The competition this month was to illustrate in any medium a poem by Burns. The winners were Margaret Allen 'Tae a mouse, ' , Holy Willie's prayer'by Margaret Johnson and first prize Mari Wallace's '

ouse'.

Next month's competition, the last of the season is for a tray-bake.