ONE of the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area's most popular Burns exponents gave Cowdenbeath Rotary Club their own Immortal Memory of Scotland's Bard.

John Gilfillan, himself a club member, took the opportunity on Thursday to look at how the Ayrshireman showed an amazing aptitude for all things literature from an early age.

As Burns' desire burned strongly to react to and comment on what he saw of everyday life around him as his life developed, 300 songs and 280 poems were to emerge and an amazing total of 540 letters were written.

John said: "Burns rebelled against injustice and some of his poems were a comment on big injustices he had seen.

"His works made him what today we would call an icon and all sections of society, from Lords and Earls to business people and the man in the street, liked his poetry and songs.

"His inspiration came from the common working man and his observations and reflections.

"He also had a good sense of humour which came shining through in many of his poems."

Born in 1759 he was to cram an awful lot of poems, songs and letter into his relatively short life of just 37 and a half years but as John said: "Rabbie Burns lived his life to the full and was grateful for being able to do that and the mark that he made will be underlined well over 200 years since his death when his life will be celebrated not only in Scotland over the next few weeks, but in almost every part of the world."