ST. ANDREW’S SOCIETY

Evening Star, Issue 22638, 3 May 1937, Page 10

ST. ANDREW’S SOCIETY

MR W. I. STEEL ENTERTAINS A large and appreciative gathering of the adherents and members of the St. Andrew Society of Otago met in the Wilson Hall on Saturday evening last to be entertained by song and dance, and by a very edifying and interesting talk by Mr W. B. Steel, who has just returned from a trip through Scotland. “ When I left you last year, I promised to visit the secretary of the St. Andrew Assocation in Edinburgh and arrange for the affiliation of this branch with the parent society. This, as yon know, has been done, and I am pleased to inform you that the members of the society whom I met in the “ Old Grey Metropolis ” were delighted to think that in the New Edinburgh out here they had associates who were doing their utmost to maintain the national virtues of independence, clanship, and patriotism. I was invited to attend one of their summer visits, in this case to * Beu Castle,’ in Haddingstonshire, but unfortunately it was a day when my friends had already booked for another excursion.” _Mr Steel then went on to sketch lightly and rapidly some of the magnificent tours he had made, down to the debatable land of the Borders, vith its wealth of historic associations— Melrose, Dry burgh, Abbotsford, Hawick, Galashiels, and Peebles —then away east and north, through the storied kingdom of Fyfe, with its wealth of ancient homes and quaint old fishing pools, on through broad Angus and the Mearns, up to the beauties of the Granite City. A description of a visit to the Buchan country and tho two fishing posts of Peterhead and Fraserburgh, and a jiurney along the Moray Firth coast to Inverness followed, and the speaker recalled memories of his boyhood days in the Highland capital with a tale of the visit to Cullodcn and the Islands and Tomnahurich. Of the voyage down the Caledonian Canal the speaker gave a humorous description of his endeavours to seo the Loch Ness monster in his watery haunts and how a hectic Highlander wrathfully reproved his heretical flippancy. Evidently to the loyal and trusting Highlander tho sceptical Sassanach is anathema. Then followed a racy description of tho voyage to Fort William and on to Oban, the beauties of that world-famed resort, and the continuance of the journey down Cantire to Ardrishaig. Tho Kyles of Bute, bonnie Rothesay Bay, and the teeming waters of the Upper Clyde all came under review, ending with tho arrival in Glasgow. From this centre trips were made to Campsie Glen and bonnie Loch Lomond, other cruises “ doon the watter,” and a long-remembered visit to the country of - Tho greatest poet of rhem all. Our ploughman Robert Burns. The time proved all too short for the task, and Mr Steel received a hearty vote of thanks for his racy descriptions. Other artists who created a favourable impression were Mr Moore and Mr Eason, and Miss Donaldson. Mr Henry Bell and Mr George Kerr acted in, tho dual capacity as M.C.s.