Dear Mister Burns

Irvine Bay Regeneration Company, together with Homecoming Scotland and North Ayrshire Council, supported a unique event staged by Irvine Burns Club which ran as part of the Homecoming Scotland finale celebrations.

Dear Mister Burns formed the heart of a celebration weekend in Irvine, featuring ceilidhs, concerts and other Burns-related activities.

The exhibition, staged in Irvine Burns Club’s Wellwood Museum and the local Harbour Arts Centre in November 2009, was a fascinating collection of handwritten letters to Irvine Burns Club from leading historical figures, including Charles Dickens, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Theodore Roosevelt, and Sean Connery. It included letters of acceptance dating from 1828, shortly after the Club was formed, until the present day and demonstrates the global legacy of Burns as an international Scottish icon.

Patrick Wiggins, Chief Executive:

Urban regeneration is about changing attitudes as much as changing landscapes and “Dear Mister Burns” and its associated events and activities created a sense of civic pride in their town for the local community in Irvine as well as providing an opportunity for visitors to experience and enjoy something that was quite unique. We were delighted to be involved in supporting an event that will have a long-term positive impact within Irvine by recognising the town’s significant contribution in the shaping of Robert Burns.