No doubt there will be many Burns' nights still taking place throughout the week.

I've already had my haggis quota for this year and I must say, I've fair enjoyed it.

Last Saturday, we were yet again entertained by the Lourdes Theatre Group who put on a fabulous Burns' night.

The Reply from the Lassies was delivered by the hilarious Jane McCarry, who plays Isa in 'Still Game'. I've been to a lot of Burns' nights and heard this 'Reply' given by many talented and unusual women but Jane was really funny as herself and of course hilarious when she lapsed into her 'debonair' Isa character. She was excellent.

We were treated to Burns songs and poems all performed by many talented young people from the theatre group. So well done.

We've already reserved our tickets for next year. Although, like last year, I suffered the same complaint the next day. It seems that no matter how much haggis, neeps and tatties I devour it's still not enough to soak up the copious amounts of wine I washed it all down with!!!

Let oor haggis in

Talking of haggis. I read a report about the world sales of the delicacy and how in the past four years £4.85 million worth of haggis has been exported to 28 overseas countries while exports of Scottish whisky have also increased dramatically.

I had to laugh out loud when I read that despite many countries embracing this "great chieftain o' the puddin' race" one country has in fact banned haggis.

Remarkably that country is the United States of America, the land of 'free enterprise', where the delicacy has been banned since 1971 because the US Department of Agriculture deems sheep's lung, a key ingredient, 'unfit for human consumption'.

The cheek of them! I take it that the sheep's heart, liver and stomach are acceptable then and I guess they've deprived themselves also of a wee dod of 'black puddin' too. Shame. They don't know what they're missing.

This, mind you, coming from the country that has pedalled its fast food companies all over the world and introduced us to the frozen micro-waveable meals which regularly grace many a knee on a sofa in front of the telly.

Incidentally, the US can hardly claim to be the 'healthiest eating' nation in the world, can they?

Certainly not a 'Greek Tragedy'

Got to hand it to Alexis Tsipras. The new Prime Minister of Greece looked relaxed in his casual open necked shirt as he was officially sworn in surrounded by suits and ties.

The 40-year-old leader of the anti-austerity Syriza party must be laughing today as he realises that the widely expected market meltdown didn't happen after all. Will he be upset however that there are reports Wall St was left 'flat' at the leftist party's victory? Somehow I don't think so.

Prime Minister Tsipras and his party must be over the moon at their leap from a radical student party to forming a government which will be scrutinised by other political parties eager to emulate their success. Podemos, the Spanish anti-austerity party formed only last year and now the second largest in Spain with over 300,000 members, can take great encouragement from the Greek elections.

There will also be a great many obstacles as I'm certain that the leading nations of the world will seek to ruin and ridicule the Greek Left party's brave dream.

Alexis Tsipras will have his work cut out for him but by the sounds of it he's no shrinking violet. He seems to be a down-to-earth guy who prefers to travel around Athens on his motorbike and who has lived, up until now, in a flat with his partner and two young sons in the heart of a working class district of Athens. His First Lady is Peristera Batziana, known fondly as 'Betty'. She is said to be media shy. God help her! She'll have to get over that.

They have never married after 30 years together and have been childhood sweethearts since secondary school. They met there in 1987 and were both political activists involved in student protests. Betty studied electrical engineering at university and joined the Communist Youth Party before Alexsis. It is said that it was she who encouraged him to join and immerse himself in the country's political left. I bet he's glad he listened to her. I wish them 'Kalh tyxh' (Good Luck in Greek, I hope).