Camperdown's Robert Burns Festival

20 hours ago

A beautiful letter written by Mike Duguid of the World Burns Federation Newsletter when he visited the festival in 2013!

Hello to the good people of Camperdown and greetings from Dumfries and Galloway, the last home of our beloved poet Robert Burns.

I can honestly say I still treasure the five days I spent in Camperdown in 2013 as a guest at the Festival. The things that made it special were:

The incredible story of the statue and the heroic efforts of Gordon Ashley in getting it properly recognised and restored.
The wonderful hosting by John Menzies and his delightful wife Carolyn at their beautiful home overlooking Bullen Merri.
Learning about the resurgence of interest in the history of the area and particularly about the prominent Scots, such as the MacArthur family, who formed major part of that story.
The shear joy of the musical events in and around the town featuring the likes of Luke Plumb, Peter Daffy and the lovely Fiona Ross culminating in a memorable finale concert involving the Victoria Police Pipe band and the Melbourne Fiddle Orchestra.
The ‘Songs of Robert Burns’ event at the Court House when I had the privilege of choosing and introducing 10 songs sung by Don Grieve and Angela Preiss.
Above all it was the warm hospitality extended by everyone I met, a sheer joy.
I am delighted the Festival has gone from strength to strength and is now established as a major feature in the worldwide celebration of the life and works of Burns. As Editor of the Robert Burns World Federation’s Newsletter, I take great pleasure in reporting on the event to acknowledge the worldwide appeal of the Bard.

This virtual Festival is a great idea but can in no way match the memorable personal contact I enjoyed during my visit.

Sending you my very best wishes, Mike Duguid …