A BURNS RELIC.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2595, 1 September 1909, Page 3

A BURNS RELIC.

A PIECE OF THE “AULD BRIG O’ AYR.” An interesting' relic associated with the life and. work of the great Scottish poet, Robert Burns, has been received h T a local resident, Mr Vowles, of oiifferd street, # It ns 'a- small portion of the. bridge -built 700 years ago across the Avr, river, and;which was immortalised by, BunW in “The Auld Brig o’ Avi .” The piece of wood in question is of oak, ’and is still' almost’ as hard as .iron-,’ arid is’.in a perfect state of sen ntion. The ge'ntleman who sent ;.jt to. Mr. Vowles resides in Forfarshire, and forwards the following particulars: “The Auld Brig of Ayr was built- some time‘"in: the year 1200* so thatr this* wood has lain hidden in.■?!■ the foundations thereof ,for. a period of 700 years. In Jbii poem Robert Burns- compares the ’new : bridge,: built,:;in the., eighteenthcentury ,Jagainst the old one, thus: , Conceited gawk! puff up wi’ windy . i pride, . A A v c 7A - A . This mony a-year I’ve stood the flood • .and. tide X AAA'. A* 'A •- : .'And though wi.’ .crazy eild I’m sair ' • forlorn >• - - I’ll be a brig when ye’re a shapeless . cairn. • . . ; This really was the case as the new bridge was demolished sometime in IbOO and another erected, in its place. .