Supper Toast Lists & Programmes 1936 to 1940

On Monday 20th January 1936, King George V died.  The Club’s Annual Supper, scheduled to take place on Friday 24th January 1936,

was postponed. At a Committee Meeting held in Mrs Brows Inn on Thursday 30th January 1936,

a decision was made to hold the Supper within the pavilion of Balerno Bowling Club on Friday 14th February 1936.

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Chairman

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Croupier

Not Recorded

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Bard

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Chaplains

(Currie Parish Church)

(Balerno Parish Church)

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Once again No Record exists of the 1936 Annual Supper details.  A few notes do exist of planning for the January event which was potponed;

42 Guests were expected, Councillor Dunbar had been invited, the event was to be held in the pavilion of Balerno Bowling Club and that Mr French, manager of the local store had been asked to take care of the catering. Nothing further exists until, at the AGM in December 1936 when it states : “A Vote of Thanks was given to Alex Grieve for the excellent way in which he gave the ‘Immortal Memory’ at the last annual dinner.”

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President – Thomas Horsburgh   Vice President – John Stark

Secretary – James Orr    Treasurer – John Forrest

The Office Bearers along with

William Fairley, Richard Butler, James Hogg,  Harry Rankin  &  John Fairbairn

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Chairman

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Croupier

William Hook  &  William Fairley

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Bard

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Chaplains

(Currie Parish Church)

(Balerno Parish Church)

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No record exist of events at the 1937 Annual Supper. Once again the planning for the event is detailed; the Toast List had been drawn up, John Birrell  was to propose the “Immortal Memory of Robert Burns”, 38 Guests were expected to attend, and that  Mrs Brow [1]  had been asked to look after catering arrangements for the event which, it’s believed, took place in the pavillion of Balerno Bowling Club.

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President – Thomas Horsburgh   Vice President – John Stark

Secretary – James Orr     Treasurer  – John Forrest

The Office Bearers along with

William Fairley, Richard Butler, James Hogg,  Harry Rankin, Alex Grieve, Andrew Hogg  &  John Fairbairn

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Chairman

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Croupier

James Hogg  &   Robert Butler Jnr.

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Bard

No Bard Appointed

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Chaplains

(Currie Parish Church)

(Balerno Parish Church)

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No Record exists for events at the 1938 annual Supper. Its known it took place within the Pavillion of Balerno Bowling Club, that there were 40 Guests catered for, and that a full Toast List had been drawn up with Andrew McCosh proposing the Toast to the “Immortal Memory of Robert Burns.” Its recorded that “Harwells of Colinton” took care of the catering and that the cost of a ticket would be 2/6 (£ 0.12p).

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President – Thomas Horsburgh

Vice Presidents – Alex Grieve   &  Alex Simpson

Secretary/Treasurer – James Forrest

The Office Bearers along with

William Fairley, Richard Butler, Harry Rankin, Andrew Hogg, William Hook, R. Martin  &  T. Samuel

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At the Annual General Meeting of the Club held at the Malleny Arms on Wednesday 7th December 1938, the following was recorded : “The Club have sustained a great loss in the death of Thomas Horsburgh.  Mr Horsburgh, who was President/Chairman of the Club for almost 30 years, rendered great service during his long spell in Office, and his place will be very hard to fill.” Although not a ‘Founder Member’, Tom Horsburgh was one of the 23 Gentlemen who attended the first ‘Let it Blaw’ Supper in 1881.

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Chairman

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Croupiers

James Hogg  &  Robert Butler Jnr.

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Bard

No Bard appointed

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Chaplain

(Currie Parish Church)

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Toast : The King

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Toast : The Immortal Memory of Robert Burns

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Toast : The Lasses

Reply

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Toast : Balerno Burns Club

Reply

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Toast : The Croupiers

Reply

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Toast : The Landlord

Reply

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President  –  Alex Grieve   Vice President  –  Alex Simpson

Secretary/Treasurer  –  John Forrest

The Office Bearers along with

Robert Butler Jnr.  Harry Rankin, James Hogg  Andrew Hogg  &  T. Samuel

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It’s sad that the passing of the last original member of ‘Let it Blaw’, the man to whom all Club Members owe a vast debt for the manner in which he recorded Club affairs so conscientiously from 1881 to 1934, was not marked by an entry in Club Minutes. The webmaster will therefore use a little bit of editorial licence and rectify the omission.

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John Fairbairn was born on 19th January 1856 in Balerno, a son to James Fairbairn Snr. who was one of our ‘Founder Members’, and his wife Helen. John was one of the 23 Gentlemen who attended the first ‘Let it Blaw’ in 1881.

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He resided in Balerno throughout his life. Together with his brother David B. Fairbairn, and another original member George Y. Robertson, he formed the backbone of ‘Let it Blaw’ for many years. Although once President of the Club, John Fairbairn  will always be remembered for his meticulous work as Club Secretary for 53 years, and the singing of  The Balerno Song  at each Annual Supper, a duty he took over from Founder Member James Pearson Snr.  He retired from his Secretarial duties in November 1934 due to ill-health. However, he remained active in the Club proposing a Toast in 1934, and serving on the Committee again in 1936 and 1937 by which time he was in his eighties.  John Fairbairn died on 1st March 1939 at his Balerno home, Garden Acre, in Ladycroft, just off Main Street. The last of the original members; the final link to the Club’s foundation.

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Chairman

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Croupier

James Hogg  &  Robert Butler Jnr.

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Bard

No Bard appointed

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Chaplain

(Currie Parish Church)

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World War 2 began on 3rd September 1939.  The Club pushed ahead with the Annual General Meeting in December 1939 at which the details of the proposed Annual Supper in January 1940 were concluded.  At a Meeting in the Malleny Arms during January 1940 it was confirmed that Mr John Hogg of Bellsquarry had consented to propose the Toast to “The Immortal Memory of Robert Burns” at the 1940 Annual Supper. The supper being at most two or three weeks away, its assumed it took place but no record of the event exists.

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President  –  Alex Grieve   Vice President  –  Alex Simpson

Secretary/Treasurer  –  John Forrest

The Office Bearers along with

Robert Butler Jnr.  Harry Rankin, James Hogg  Andrew Hogg  &  T. Samuel

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It appears the Club was almost inactive during the War Years and immediately thereafter,

the next entry in the Club Minute Book being in January 1955

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