Robert Burns has been found alive and well, and living in Glasgow.
The 35-year old from Kelvindale, in the city's west end, was tracked down by staff at Silverburn shopping centre following a citywide search to find the Bard's namesake.
However, unlike the original Robert Burns who was a Scottish poet and lyricist, Bobby – as his friends and family affectionately know him - is a Customer Services Advisor for Scottish bus company, First Bus.
Bobby, who has previously visited Robert Burns birthplace in Alloway, is the third generation of Robert Burns in his family, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
He said, "I love being called Robert Burns. It always gets a laugh and is a brilliant icebreaker. It's just a shame I don't have the same poetry skills as the man himself."
Silverburn began its search for the "real" Robert Burns earlier in the month and, following an advert placement in a local newspaper, was put in touch with Bobby.
David Pierotti, General Manager of Silveburn, said: "Robert Burns is a cultural icon in Scotland, so we wanted to do something really special to celebrate his anniversary. We felt the ultimate tribute would be to bring together all the Robert Burns out there for a Burns Supper…quite literally."
On Monday 25 January, anyone named Robert, Bobby or Rabbie Burns will be able to claim a free supper from Cosmo, located in Silverburn's Winter Garden. The only requirement will be that the individual provides proof of name on arrival in the form of photographic ID.
Bobby added: "I can't believe I'm getting a free meal because of my name. I have the original Robert Burns to thank for that and will most certainly be raising a glass to him on Monday night."
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel