Burns Banter - A fresh look at Robert Burns

Send us Fan Mail I am performing a show called 'Burns Banter - Your Bard' at this years Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It is all about the darker side of Robert Burns, with drinking songs and poems you probably haven't heard before. In this episode I tell you about the show and play a couple of clips from a recent warm up gig I played in a local pub. I'm playing at 'The Three...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we look at the last few years of Robert Burns life, his death., and what happened after that. Where did he die? What caused his death? . We look at what was happening in his personal life, is he is he happy? is his work as an excise officer going well? We look at the last poems and songs he wrote and collected, were any of them of note? We also look at what happene...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Robert leaves Ellisland farm and moves to Dumfries. We look at his work as an excise officer and a famous incident involving Robert attacking a smugglers Schooner on the Solway Firth. I also look at Roberts visit to Edinburgh to see two women, for very different reasons. We also talk about a man called George Thomson and the influence he had on Robert. There is lot...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Robert has moved from Edinburgh To Ellisland Farm, which is by the banks of the river Nith, about 6 and a half miles north of Dumfries. He has become a farmer again, as well as an Excise Officer. How does he do this? it is two FULL TIME occupations. As well as working he is socialising, writing poetry and contributing songs to 'The Scots Musical Museum'....

Send us Fan Mail What does Robert Do after the the fame of being a great Poet in Edinburgh and touring around Scotland? He has to make some big decisions about his future. In this episode of Burns Banter I look at five things that influence his decisions. They are James Johnson, The Excise, a farm called Ellisland, Agnes Maclehose and Jean Armour. This is a confusing time for Robert and not all of...

Send us Fan Mail It is 1787, Robert Burns has published the second edition of his poems, now known as 'The Edinburgh Edition'. He has sold the rights to all of his poems to William Creech and he needs to write some more.... What does he do? He goes on tour around Scotland to get inspiration for new poems and songs. He also wants to introduce himself to the great and good people of Scotla...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I talk about Robert Burns journey to Edinburgh to produce a second volume of his book 'Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect'. I also talk about the reception he received when he arrived in Edinburgh, how he published the book, the people he met and other things he did in his time there. This is Robert at the hight of his poetical fame, meeting the great...

Send us Fan Mail In this Episode I talk about my up coming shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Yes, I'm taking Burns Banter to Edinburgh and will be performing upstairs in The Pear Tree. The venue is called The Counting House and the room is called The Attic. I'm on from the 16th to the 25th, (not the 24th), 10.30am till 11.30am each day. The show is called 'Burns Banter Live&ap...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we look at how, why and when Robert published his book, Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect. We look at the problems he had to overcome before John Wilson agreed to publish the book. We look at the poems and songs  in the book, such as, Twa Dogs, A Tale - The Cotters Saturday Night, To a mouse and Composed in August. We see how the public reaction to the book aff...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we look briefly at Robert's father, William - Then a Farm called Mossgiel - Roberts turbulent private life and a book called 'Poem Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect'. This is a wild and unpredictable time in Roberts life, (roughly 1784 - 1786). His father passes away in 1784, they need to move to a new farm, Mossgiel, and as Robert is the eldest son, h...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we see the Burns family move to a new farm, Lochlie.  Is it better than Mount Oliphant? How well / badly do they do there? At this point in Roberts life he is in his late teens and is starting to try and move away from farming. He is also spreading his wings socially with country dancing lessons and the formation of the Tarbolton Bachelors Club. Robert also moves t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we look at Robert life from age 7. We look at his education, the schools and tutors he had. We look at the farm that Roberts Father moved the family to, (Mount Oliphant), and whether it was a good decision. We also look at Roberts health during this period of his life, which was affected by the amount of work he was doing on the farm and the food they were limited...

Send us Fan Mail In Series two of Burns Banter I am taking a look at the life of Robert Burns. Each episode will look at one part of Robert's Life - as this is episode one, I am looking at the Birth Of Robert Burns. I also take a look at William Burnes, (Robert's Father), and Agnes Broun, (Robert's Mother). where did they come from, what were they like, what influence did they have...

Send us Fan Mail The Rights of Women was written by Robert Burns in 1792. Back in the days of Burns women didn't have many rights. The subject of women's rights was highly unpopular and very rarely talked about. Robert is being a bit of a rebel writing this poem, but he did love women and he was in favour of women's rights. It was written for a specific benefit night which was held...

Send us Fan Mail Address to the Toothache, written in 1786. In the late 1700's dentistry didn't really exist. If you got the toothache you had to just deal with the pain, there was no pain relief. If things got really bad you would have to find someone willing to pull your teeth out. Probably a barber / surgeon. Robert put all of his pain into this poem. You can almost feel the pain and...

Send us Fan Mail This week I am working in Stockholm. I managed to get two English colleagues, Jim and Ru, to take part in a Burns quiz. The quiz is made up of two rounds of 10 questions, with the second 10 having a very Swedish twist. This was filmed in the Quality Hotel Globe in Stockholm after an afternoon spent wandering around the old town and having a few beers.  I hope you enjoy it, join in...

Send us Fan Mail My love is like a red red rose is a beautiful love song written by Robert Burns around 1792.  Robert said that it was an old Scots song that he had collected in the country. I believe it may well have been old, but Robert must have rewritten it. I believe this as it has very modern language which includes the concept of geological time, which was practically unheard of at the time...

Send us Fan Mail To a Louse is a poem written by Robert Burns in 1786. It is set in the church at Mauchline during a Sunday Service. At first glance the poem is about a head lice, but, it is in fact about perception and the social classes. Robert is Sitting in Church and sees a head lice on a very prim and proper lady. He can't believe the impudence of the head lice and says it should have ch...

Send us Fan Mail Holy Willie's Prayer is a fabulous satirical poem. It's one of the best satirical poems ever written in the Scots tongue. It is all about the hypocrisy of the Church, and one person in particular.  Willie Fisher was an elder of the kirk in Mauchline, and spied on people and then told the Church to punish them for their sins. He took a dislike to Gavin Hamilton and a feud...

Send us Fan Mail What is a Burns Supper?  I look at the classic Scottish Celebration, The Burns Supper. I ask what is is all about?, when did it start?  and why should I go to one? For the answers to these questions listen to this episode! Also, if you like Scotland, interesting food, (Haggis), enjoy a drink, and like a sing along - you will love a Burns Supper!!! Burns Banter - A fresh look at Ro...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Burns Banter we play some of Robert Burns songs and tunes.  I have guests! on this weeks show we have the band 'Garbh Uisge'. We chat about songs such as 'A Fond Kiss', 'Auld Lang Syne' and 'Green Grow the Rashes'. Garbh Uisge treat us to some live performances and unfortunately I also sing. We hear some great burns waltz&...

Send us Fan Mail Willie Wastle, also known as 'Sic a wife Willie had' as a grotesquely funny poem / song about how unbelievably ugly Willie's wife is. Robert Burns wrote this poem in 1792 and he goes into comically hideous detail about this poor woman's appearance.    The actual reason, or inspiration behind Robert Burns writing 'Willie Wastle' has been lost to histor...

Send us Fan Mail Auld Lang Syne is Robert Burns most famous song, and the second most sung song in the English language. Yet, most people have no idea what it means, or where it came from. In this episode I tell you where the lyrics for Auld Lang Syne came from, where the famous tune came from, and what the song is actually about! I explain all the difficult Scottish words so that you can finally...

Send us Fan Mail WARNING!!!! This episode is better watched as a video. https://youtu.be/i9RZ_t_JWQU?si=ksa_zMSxzDf44bu3 In this episode I go on a whistle stop tour of Robert Burns sites in Ayrshire. These include: the house Robert was born in, The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, the auld Alloway kirk, the Brig O' Doon, the Tarbolton bachelors club, Poosie Nansies Pub and Mossgiel Farm. Poosi...

Send us Fan Mail WARNING !!! - This Episode is probably better watched as a video. https://youtu.be/tXES21N-T9w?si=Lb5yL70GKXPYteFm In this episode I travel to Dumfries and go on a whistle stop tour of the places Robert Burns lived, worked and socialised. Theses places include Robert Burns Grave, Robert Burns House, The Globe Inn and Ellisland Farm.  I recite the poem 'My Love is like a Red R...