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12 economisfi suntribune community tuesday jan25 2000 i wm id buy sell consign quality new used kids and maternity fashions toys and equipment mogniilghf off i up to iue asssr one night only i friday jan 28 8 pm 11 pm 5051 hvy 7 markham unionvtljle lions club invites all residents of the community and former lions lioness leos to the grand opening of our new lions den- wednesday january 26 2000 700 pm warden house 8840 warden avenue unionville ontario between hwy 7 and 16th avenue refreshments and snacks served for more information call 9054771935 lions we serve suites better for lebrat10ns looking for the perfect venue to throw that very special celebration for convenience elegance and service nothing y equals embassy suites torontomarkhani from wedding anniversaries to retirement parties embassy suites makes the ideal locale and for guests staying over our reasonable suite rates free parking and complimentary managers reception and full buffet breakfast make us the perfect choice to find out more about hosting an event at embassy suites including information on catered cuisine call us today embassy suites f o k o k t f m a k k ii a m 8500 warden avenue markham onurio l6g ias tel 90s 4708500 f 905 47786 1 1 toll free i800embassy or t800 668 8800 wwwemtukysuiiescomcsftoronto 4ff0l speaker honours great scottish hard speaker at unionville dinner brings lifetime of interest in robbie burns by fred simpson staff writer every day was ladies day for the immortal scottish bard robbie burns he was loved by the ladies and loved them in return says j t walters who will be observing robbie burns day today along with every other red- blooded scot he had quite a few loves in his life but also a lot of disappointments says walters walters 70 was born two miles from the burns cottage in ayr a seaside port in the lowlands on the west coast of scotland for the past 40 years he has been immortalizing burns on the speakers circuit and wherever else his name comes up should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind should auld acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne ive been preaching about bums in public for all those years and i still get goosebumps whenever his name comes up says walters walters a retired correctional ser vices officer who lives in aurora will share his wealth of knowledge about the poet thursday at the heritage centre for seniors in unionville i will open the evenings festivities with a wee sip of whisky says walters and then the piper will bring in the haggis also attending the robbie burns dinner will be solicitor general dave tsubouchi and markham regional councillor gord landon burns is the first world poet says walters warming up to his subject he is a man who was for the peo ple a man for the earth he spoke from his heart walters intersperses his glowing comments on bums with liberal quotes from his songs and poems of love and lassies religion death and the devil one of his favourites of course is auld lang syne which has assured burns immortality should auld acquaintance be for got and never brought to mind should auld acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne walters acknowledges that bums had his wicked ways noting that he had 14 children nine of them illegiti mate but stresses he took all of them under his roof one doomed affair walters said produced one of burns greatest songs had we never lovd sae kindly had we never lovd sae blindly never met or never parted we had neer been bro kenhearted walters has a staggering comple ment of books about bums seven volumes with five books in each vol ume and i have read them all says walters i still read burns at home because something comes up about him all the time he chuckles as he recalls one anec dote when bums met his first wife jean armour her father was against it because he didnt think bums would ever make a name for himself he also relates that bums a poor farmer in his early days remained a poor man for most of his life bums eventually became a tax collector and held the position until he died there was a haberdasher in town that he owed five pounds around 15 or 20 shortly before his death and he couldnt pay it while he lay ill in bed he told a friend that he would write five pounds of the most beautiful songs that genius ever wrote those were his famous kilmarnock poems of which only 612 books were published today they are worth 25000 pounds says walters he also poohpoohs the notion that bums died of drinking and social dis eases he died from rheumatic heart fever contracted when he was a young boy says walters he wasnt a big drinker at all i remember an article written by his brother gilbert saying he had been in the company of burns many times and had sever seen him inebriated however the poet got a lot of his material from listening and observing in the pubs jt walters robbie burns expert is guest speaker at heritage centre for seniors in unionville thursday burns first gained national promi nence with the kilmarnock poems which contain most of his best poetry including the twa dogs the cotters saturday night scotch drink and to a mouse had we never lovd sae kindly had we never lovd sae blindly never met or never parted we had neer been brokenhearted ceremonies at burns dinners have evolved info elaborate affairs first the head table toasts the lassies present one responds with thanks then the haggis which walters refers to as the caviar of scotland is brought to the head table by two bear ers to the accompaniment of bagpipes the haggis a sheeps stomach filled with meat oatmeal fats and spices is sliced open the diners toast the haggis with drambuie and drip what remains in their glasses into the open haggis after dinner walters toasts the immortal memory of robbie burns and begins his speech burns says walters was intent on preserving scottish folk songs and airs bums never accepted money for compiling his songs he believed it was his duty to his beloved scotland please your sweetheart lose up to 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