Transcribing at Chirnside

Chirnside Church

A very successful week-end transcribing at Peebles a few weeks back. Blessed with good weather substantial progress was made.

Next week-end (17th. and 18th. August) we turn our attention to Chirnside and shall be transcribing there on the Saturday from 10 to 4 and on Sunday from 1 to 4

Chirnside is another cemetery which offers considerable challenge with many old stones going back to the 18th. century and accordingly now quite worn and difficult, indeed in some cases, impossible to read.

The graveyard is more or less adjacent to the estate of Ninewells where David Hume spent his boyhood years  and when transcribing an interesting reflection that the great philosopher would probably have known quite a number of these people.

It is also quite a sizeable graveyard  and we are according looking for as much support as we can muster and we hope that as many members and friends might manage along on either (or both) of the two days, even if only for a couple of hours.

Chirnside Church and graveyard are situated to the south of the Town, off the A6105 Duns to Berwick Road. Approaching Chirnside from Duns rather than proceeding into the Town keep on the Berwick Road and after about half a mile turn left at the Chirnside Inn (still known to most as The Waterloo Inn - why can't old names be preserved?) and the Church  is immediately on the right hand side - there is plenty of parking.

If coming along bring a notebook and pen/pencil  and a soft brush also preferably chalk and water and a kneeling pad - not of course forgetting a picnic - as ever a chance to meet and converse with fellow members  

While no problems to anyone just turning up if you are going to manage it can be helpful with organizing if you could contact me, Ronald Morrison beforehand on www.bordersfhs.org.uk/BFHSContacts.asp, using the contact type Gravestone Recording. - or telephone 01361 882166

Lets hope once again we are blessed with fine weather -a pleasant way to spend a summer's day as witness the attached of our membership secretary who has been doing quite a bit of preparatory work

David Hume Philosophy Festival on Saturday, 30th April 2011

A very warm sunny day for this event held in Chirnside, Berwickshire.

A man dressed in period costume, looking quite like some portraits of David Hume, greeted visitors and directed traffic.

Unfortunately I missed Fiona Houston's talk on Life in Georgian Chirnside, due to very slow traffic in front of me, all the way from Greenlaw. Fiona was dressed in period costume.

However, there were samples of Georgian gingerbread, macaroons, jumbles, and cake and they were very tasty.

There was an interesting presentation with animated slides about the life of David Hume and his works - many of his observations upon life seem very appropriate today - there were bank failures and political shenaningans in his day too.

David Hume, the chief executive of Scottish Borders Council, gave a speech about his namesake, David Hume, and unveiled the plaque on the wall of the old church, now the community centre.

Inside the community centre, as well as the Georgian food, there were 5 display stands, and a table with some interesting letters of the period, and some other documents including David Hume's family tree and a legal case involving David Hume's father, Joseph.

The stands were:

1. Introduction to David Hume

2. Life and Works of David Hume
3. David Hume's Legacy

4. David Hume's Family

5. Chirnside in the 1700s

There were lots more events in the programme, however, I didn't stay for them.

For more details of the programme, see Ronald Morrison's blog on the David Hume Philosophy Festival.

David Hume Philosophy Festival

Next week sees the 300th anniversary of the birth of David Hume, not only Scotland’s but undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest philosophers. Hume has been accorded many accolades, Professor Simon Blackburn of Cambridge University for instance describing him as “Britain’s greatest philosopher and since Socrates the most loved anywhere” and the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy describing him as “the most important philosopher ever to write in English”.

Although born in Edinburgh, Hume was brought up and spent all his childhood years at Ninewells House near Chirnside in Berwickshire which he always regarded as his home. It is said he never lost his Borders’ accent.

He was born on 26th April 1711 under the Julian calendar, 7th May 1711 under the Gregorian calendar introduced in 1752. Accordingly perhaps not inappropriate to celebrate his birth somewhere between these two dates and this will be happening in grand fashion at Chirnside next Saturday (30th).

There will be a great deal to enjoy, learn and experience on the day and indeed beforehand and over the summer.

From next Tuesday 26th until the following Saturday there will be an exhibition in the Chirnside Community Centre entitled “The Life and Times of David Hume”.

The day itself will start at 10 o’clock with a talk by Fiona Houston, author of “The Garden Cottage Diaries, My Year in the Eighteenth Century” entitled “Life in Georgian Chirnside”.

At 11 o’clock a chance to view the performance of a play by the children of Chirnside Primary School written by drama teacher Eloner Crawford and entitled “Unanswerable Questions”.

Afterwards an opportunity to visit the exhibition, help raise money for some local charities while at the same time enjoying some Georgian food.

At 12.30 there will be the formal unveiling of a David Hume Commemorative plaque within the village, this very appropriately being carried out by the chief executive of Scottish Borders Council who just happens to share the same name as the philosopher.

Then at 2 00. p.m. a further unveiling this time of an information panel to mark the opening of the new David Hume Walk from Chirnside to Auchencrow. This will be followed by a short walk to Ninewells House Hume’s ancestral home for some welcome drinks.

At 3.15 in the Red Lion Hotel, Roderick Graham author of Hume’s highly acclaimed biography “The Great Infidel” will deliver a talk on "Hume, the Man and his Life”.

4.00 p.m. will see a discussion between two philosophers, Alasdair Richmond of Edinburgh University and Peter Millican of Oxford University on “David Hume: the Philosophy”. Much no doubt to ponder and to think on.

Afterwards at 4.45 p.m. the awarding of the David Hume Essay Prize.

The evening starts off at 6.00 p.m. with a Georgian banquet at nearby Paxton House followed by a tour of the House. Tickets for this eventcost £22 but may be hard by come by.

At 7.30 there will be a further talk by Dr. Peter Millican who will explore how the Borders shaped Hume’s philosophy and to round off the day at 8.45 Denise Walton will talk on Hume ‘s contemporary and near neighbour “James Hutton, Father of Geology”.

A very full day and as one muses and philosophizes, particularly if the current very warm weather continues, a liquid refreshment might well be appropriate. To mark the anniversary a new beer has been brewed by Hadrian and Border entitled entirely appropriately “Enlightenment Ale” which will be available in hostelries locally. CHEERS!

For further information see; http://www.chirnside.org.uk/.