Christmas Social

Prior to Zooming to join the meeting, President Jim Allison, accompanied by members Isobel Clifford and Grace Morris, had delivered Christmas gifts for the residents at Gibson House and Balnacarron Care homes.

These were gratefully accepted and will now go into quarantine for a few days, along with some tubs of sweets for the carers. This will allow them to be distributed on Christmas Day.

Fresh from that outing President Jim presided – as Presidents do – over an online bingo session. Clearly a new experience for some members.

Whereupon Jim Douglas, Angus Peters, George McIntosh and Ewen Allan picked up the magnificent prizes following the President’s careful method of chucking numbered golf balls into empty egg cartons!

The inventiveness is to be admired…

As this was to be the final meeting of 2020 Angus Peters decided to deliver his version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”.

In the Doric style, which Angus had picked up later in life in his native Aberdeen, the recitation bore little or no resemblance to the familiar strain which we hear every Festive Season. As an example, on the 9^th day of Christmas “ma quine gied tae me a midden o’ a hoose tae tidy”. Generous gift, indeed.

On the conclusion of this tale – virtually impossible to translate – Irene Walker decided to respond with the John Julius Norwich version of the same ditty. However, this one takes a sarcastic and witty look at the 12 lots of what he describes as rather unwelcome pressies.

To give the reader an idea, the “6 geese a-laying have ruined the croquet lawn” and on the 12^th day the recipient endured a visit from “the entire percussion section of the Liverpool Philharmonic – and their friends”.  To complete this plethora of unwanted items, litigation ensued!

Irene’s rendition of course included what should have been “9 ladies dancing” – but Norwich’s idea of what they got up to is not fit to print in this family newspaper….

The Kilrymont Club’s last get-together of the year wound up with all 33 online attendees wishing Merry Christmas and Happy New Year all round.