Cuairt-litir

The AGM takes place on Saturday the 13th of November in Crown Court Church of Scotland, Covent Garden. Unusually, we start this meeting with an EGM, or an Extraordinary General Meeting at 6.30pm, the AGM will follow, teas and coffees will be served during the meeting. The purpose of the EGM is to present audited accounts for the year 2002/3, those that attended last year's AGM might remember that the accounts that were presented were neither complete, nor audited. Members attending will be issued with Membership Cards, and seating will be reserved for members. Tommy MacAskill, the Hon. Secretary will issue the card on your arrival. Nominations are invited from Society members to join the Council. Without a Council to run the Society there will be no Society to run. Being that the Society is being run as a registered charity, the Council cannot knowingly organise events that will lose money, put simply, the Society will not survive unless its members support events and become more proactive. Ideas for events are always welcome, those prepared to assist in the running of events are especially welcome.

We will have a Ceilidh with finger buffet and wine, this will start at 8.00pm, tickets for the ceilidh will be £7.50, to be paid on the door. The ceilidh will have a wide selection of musicians and singers.

Burns Supper 2005

Following the success of the last Burns Supper, we hope to feast again on the fine Scottish produce. The haggis from MacSween's of Edinburgh, and the Highland pudding, none other than the famous Stornoway Black Pudding, aka Charlie Barley's Marags, not forgetting the beautiful flaky smoked salmon from Salar of Loch Carnan, in South Uist which was a huge hit, as was the Islay malt.

Harry Nicol (tenor) accompanied by Alasdair Nicholson on piano will entertain again with their mesmerising selection of the bard's finest songs. The Supper will be at St. Columba's in Pont Street on Saturday the 29th of January. Tickets will be available to purchase on the 13th of November at the AGM. To entice the early sale of tickets there will an early bird rate of £25, valid up until the 30th of November, £30 thereafter. To reserve tickets telephone Tommy MacAskill on 020 7828 8978.

Last year we had tickets at the Scottish Tourist Board, by Trafalgar Square, we hope to do this again from the 1st of December.

NB All tickets must be sold by the 12th of January 2005, as we have to submit final numbers on that date to the caterers.

Gaelic Song Classes and Gaelic Vowel and Consonant Sounds Classes

We tried this for the first time in November 2002, with Christine Primrose, its success meant that we continued in 2003/4 with Anne Lorne-Gillies; Roddy Campbell and Mary Smith. We are aiming to have two to three classes in 2005, the tutors have yet to be confirmed, but the dates and venue are the 12th of February and the 12th of March at Crown Court Church of Scotland, Covent Garden.

Trying to replicate some Gaelic pronunciation can be daunting, and asking a native speaker can be equally daunting, depending on who you ask! Beathag Morrison, who will be known to those that take classes at Sabhal Mor Ostaig, is interested in coming to London to run some classes to give an insight into how to replicate that definitive Gaelic sound, free from any English language accent. We are hoping to attract some funding towards these classes from Bòrd na Gàidhlig. If you'd like to know more about these classes, please e-mail Iain MacLeod macleodi@parliament.uk, or telephone 020 8981 8822, or write to him at 63a Approach Road, London, E2 9LY.

The Society's Gaelic Books Collection

Noted expert in the field of antiquarian Gaelic books, Donald McCormick has agreed to address the Society next spring, arrangements have yet to be concluded, but we anticipate that it will be on Friday the 1st of April or on Saturday the 2nd depending on access to the collection, housed at University College London. Any member requiring information and or access to the collection should in the first instance contact Joyce Seymour-Chalk on 020 7431 4495. We hope to confirm the date and time in our next newsletter.

The Gaelic Society of London Prize

The crystal trophy in memory on the late Anne S. Castle, designed and crafted by Alison Kinnaird MBE, has been in Stornoway, with its first recipient Malcolm MacLean, the creator of the Leabhar Mor na Gàidhlig project. The award will be made annually to an individual or group that have made an outstanding contribution to the furtherance of Gaelic. Suggestions for nominations should be made in writing to the Hon. Secretary, the Council will announce the 2005 recipient on the 7th of December, 2004.

Annual Schools Competition

The winning schools this year came in four categories;
THE MAIRI MACKINNON CUP Infant Schools - Back Primary School, Isle of Lewis
THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR MEDALLION Junior Schools - Barvas School, Isle of Lewis
THE GAELIC MEDIA SERVICE CUP, Senior Schools - Lionel Secondary School, Isle of Lewis
The fourth category , a new category, was for schools whose pupils came from households where Gaelic was not spoken. The first winners in this category were the pupils at Charleston Academy, Inverness.

They were presented with THE HUGH SEYMOUR-CHALK MEMORIAL CUP, by the Society's Chief Joyce Seymour-Chalk, Joyce made a special trip to Inverness to present the prize, the school in return gave her a very warm welcome. The other prizes were presented at a unique ceremony in Stornoway in the Chamber of the Western Isles Islands Council, by the Convener Mr. Alex MacDonald, a great supporter of the Society's schools competition. We will print a full list of all the prize winners in the next edition.

What's On in the Kindred Societies

The annual London competition, known as the Bratach Gorm is back at The Glaziers Hall, by London Bridge. Competition start at 10.00am on Saturday 6th November. The Highlands and Islands Society of London will be hosting their annual St. Andrews Aig Baile day on Saturday 27th November at the London Welsh Centre in Grays Inn Road, starting at 2.00pm with attractions including the Gaelic Books Council. There will be a Ceilidh in the evening, with songs from Joanne Murray and music from Calum Iain MacCorquodale and Malcolm Jones.

Sad News

Members of the Gaelic community will be saddened to hear of the death of Mrs Mary MacLeod, of The Hermitage, Tatsfield in Kent. Mary was an honorary vice-president of the Gaelic Society, and who also served as our treasurer for a number of years. Additionally, she was secretary to the London Gaelic Choir. Mary died peacefully at her home.

Also our condolences go to Calum Sinclair, whose brother, Ian Fraser Sinclair, died in Raigmore Hospital Inverness on the 3rd 0f November aged 60.

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This page last updated 18/12/06