.
Benches to
Flanders
You will remember that Mauchline
Burns Club travelledto Flanders to take part in the
official unveiling of the Scottish War memorial at Zonnebeke.
(See article below)
The party which were there came back with such enthusiasm
at their reception and the goodwill towards them shown
there, that they decided that Mauchline Burns Club should
do something in return. Having consulted the main
Belgian organiser of the memorial , Erwin Ureel,
on what was required, we decided to send four seats for
people to rest on while visiting the memorial. Erwin
was adamant that these should be 'Made in Scotland'
and we discovered that Ailsa Hospital workshops
made wooden benches to a very high standard. After
visiting and being impressed by the quality, four were
ordered and were on their way to Flanders just before
Christmas 2009. We were very lucky that our friend,
Field Cook and WW1 Field Kitchen owner, Peter
Scally, was going over with a van to bring back his
kitchen and he readily agreed to take the benches over
with him and deliver them to Erwin.
Benches at the
Memorial June 2011 
Passchendaele,
Flanders Visit
'Mauchline Burns Club International'
Seven members
of Mauchline Burns Club and their families travelled by
invitation to Zonnebeke to take part in the ceremony of
the unveiling of the Monument to the Scots troops who
died during the Great War. The monument is a Celtic Cross
of Scottish Granite on a plinth of original bunker stones
and - at 20 feet tall - it dominates the landscape.The
Cross was made by an Aberdeenshire Firm and transported
out to Flanders. It was paid for by Regimental, Scottish
Executive, British Legion and Scottish City donations.
The
instigator - and Belgian co-ordinator - of the weekend
was Erwin Ureel, an adjutant chef in the Belgian Army
and WWI tour guide. Scotland owes him a huge debt for
his efforts. The title of the weekend was 'Will ye come
to Flanders? All 14 of the Group were very glad they had
said yes.
Have
you tasted haggis, neeps and tatties?
Yes, we come from Scotland but from Mauchline and
it is free.
Some Hae'
Meat and canna' eat! (note the name on the whisky bottle)
Ian Lyell assures
everyone that 'A man's a man for a' that'
