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Robert Burns & the loafers tree

A large willow tree that was planted in late 1870 on this spot. It came about after the establishment of a ‘Speakers Corner’, a place where people could congregate and listen to speakers on any subject, as long as the subject was considered lawful.

In 1887 a statue honouring Scotland’s great poet Robbie Burns, widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland was erected from money collected from mostly Scottish immigrants.

The significance of placing the statue near the tree was that the tree was on the same lineage as that in Kilnarnock Willow in the Scottish town Kilnarnock, where Robert burns had his first poetry book published.

Robert Burns (also known as Rabbie Burns,) was born in 25 Jan 1759.

He was famous for writing in Scottish slang but also wrote in English as well. He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement.

One of Robert Burns most spoken poems is Auld Lang Syne, an adaption of a Scottish folk song that soon became a popular song to sing to bring on the new year.

Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,

and never thought upon;

The flames of Love extinguished,

and fully past and gone:

Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,

that loving Breast of thine;

That thou canst never once reflect

On old long syne.