Burns Club of London - Robert Burns Suppers Scottish Poets Poetry and Literature

The Aims of The Burns Club of London:

Colin Rae Brown, who founded the Burns Club of London in 1868, was anative of Greenock and President of its famous Burns Club in 1843. Awealthy newspaper proprietor, he came to London in 1863 and held thefirst of twelve grand Burns Supper dinners in his Kensington town housewith himself as chairman and chief orator. As these celebrations grewin popularity he guided the Club to full maturity. He was also largelyresponsible for the formation of the Burns Federation in 1885 and as aresult of his endeavours pur Club is No.1 on the Federations' WorldwideRoll.

 

Italy's great patriot, Garibaldi, was our firstHonorary Member. John Gordon Crawford who gifted the Burns Statue onthe Victoria Embankment was an early member, as was Sir John Steel,sculptor of the Burns bust in Westminster Abbey, unveiled in 1885 bythe then Prime Minister, Lord Rosebery. The Club flourished and in 1921finally joined forces with the London Robert Burns Club (Scots). Bythis time the great William Will was a leading figure not only in theBurns Club but also in every important London Scottish organisation ofthe period. He founded our Vernacular Circle, a project adopted by manyBurns Clubs around the world. He was still active in 1956 at the age of89 and his influence lives on in our annual William Will MemorialLecture.

 

The bicentenary of the Poet's birth was celebrated bya magnificient dinner at the Criterion, with the Reverend Dr Scott ofSt. Columba's Church proposing the 'Immortal Memory". The Club's owncentenary was marked by a grand Hallowe'en Dinner at the PiccadillyHotel, with jimmy Mason, who went on to be our Honorary Life President,presiding. Jimmy died on 21st July 2001 at the age of 96. The BurnsFederation's Centenary Conference was held in London in 1985 and hostedby the Club. In 1988 we became "twinned" with the London (Ontario)Burns Club.

 

The passing years have seen many changes in thenature and activities of the Club and we have been privileged in havingmany distinguished gentlemen - and three ladies - as our Presidents.Demolition of the old Royal Scottish Corporation premises in FetterLance left us without a regular home for a time, until we settled downhappily in Crown Court Church Hall, where we remained for a dozen yearsor so. Then, thanks to the efforts of Past President Alex Wilson, wemoved to the Caledonian Club in Halkin Street. There we still have onshow the famous Thomson Vase, presented to George Thomson, publisher ofBurns songs, in 1847. We then returned to the fold of the RoyalScottish Corporation and hold some of our meetings in their newpremises in King Street, Covent Garden, and others at The CaledonianClub.

 

Through the energetic offices of our Past PresidentDavid Cullens, in 1996 a splendid year was organised by the Club tocommemorate the bicentenary of Burns' death. This culminated in a GrandCommemorative Dinner at The Cafe Royal in July of that year. We are nowstartingto plan a special celebration for 2009, the 250th anniversaryof the birth of Robert Burns.