Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham 

Over 200 people packed Durness Village Hall last Tuesday for an evening of superb music, interspersed with clever wit, from Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham.

World-class musicians both, they have a special talent for communicating with a village hall audience.

Squeezing Durness into the middle of their current 42-venue tour, they were able to present a show aimed directly at the local audience. Durness has already been added to their future tour itinerary.

 

Friday 3rd September 2004

Buffet Dinner dance

 

The Buffet dinner with the local produce. Shellfish to include scallops, lobster, crabs, prawns, oysters and mussels: Country Made Wine, salmon, selection of meats, lamb, boar, venison. Fresh garden vegetables, salads, Kinlochbervie haddock, trout, soups, cheese, honey, pickled herring, potted meat, local baking confectionary, beremeal bannocks, oatcakes, shortbread, coleslaw, and a range of sauces.

The music for the Friday evening  was supplied by Colin Dewar and his Scottish Dance band from Stirling

 

Saturday 4th. September

 

International Cuisine with food cooked from around the world

Various dishes being prepared by a selection of cooks representing food from around the world German, Spanish, Italian, Indian, South African, Belgian, Austrian, Scottish, Turkish and Russian. This signifies the cosmopolitan population of Durness.!

The events held on Friday and Saturday in the hall under the food festival banner were both a resounding success. The local produce buffet was an extravaganza of dishes made from food products produced locally and prepared by an army of volunteers. The selection of food was split into three courses with a wide variety for each course. The music was provided on the Friday evening by Colin Dewar and his Scottish Dance band from Stirling. Colin and his band consistently produce albums which confirm their undoubted right to the title of one of Scotland’s finest Scottish Dance Bands. They are very much in demand up and down the country, playing for Scottish country dancing, accordion clubs, ceilidhs, reel parties and wedding receptions. They've also made numerous trips abroad playing for country dance holidays in Majorca, Malta, Turkey, Cyprus and Spain. Colin and the boys play in an inimitable bouncy style, but they also respect the tradition of the dances with precise timing and phrasing. The dance floor was never empty from the time the music started.

 

On Saturday  

• Serge and Jane Blanco  cooked Albondigas with rice, a Spanish dish of meatballs in a sauce of tomato, onion garlic and coriander,

• Ludio Van Mysen made Belgian waffles,

• Nicola Poole prepared a South African dish of Cornbread and chilli sauce,

• Leslie Black  cooked an Ausie fish barbeque with a choice of several Loch Eriboll fish dishes.

• Nicola and Becca Illingworth served a spicy hot green Tie soup,

• Martina McLeod an Austrian Rindsrouladen beef and vegetable dish served with pasta

• Jenny Andrews, Patates Bastisi, a Turkish potato casserole dish with spicy garlic mushrooms and a nutty sauce.

• The North West Cattle Producers Association prepared traditional Scottish fare of Mince and tatties.

• The festival committee served a selection of home made soups, cheeses and oatcakes.

 

The event was packed to capacity and every piece of food was finished. Music was supplied by local musicians Katy, Donnie and Carina and after the food the Ceilidh got underway with Scottish country dancing and David Morrison providing a Gaelic song. Without the dedication and support of many people in the community such an event would not be possible and a sincere thank you is extended to everyone who assisted in any way.

 

People are invited along in the evening to watch the dishes being prepared, talk with the cooks about their preparations and then there will be opportunity to taste the various dishes. There will be a £5 charge to cover the costs of the event. There is no advance booking and payment will be at the door. This will be an informal event with plenty food for tasting. The bar will serve drinks from the countries that the dishes represent.

 Refreshing and energetic with highland hospitality at its best. There was some of the best quality food from the north. All the food prepared by local volunteers and the dishes represented outstanding recipe's from fresh local produce.