And lo! It is done!
Last Friday morning saw the unveiling of the stone in memory of George Campbell Hay in the Makar's Court in Edinburgh.
It was a lovely occasion. There was a press call just beforehand - early because The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon and Kezza (Kezia Dugdale, leader of Scottish Labour) had both decided to make statements about the forthcoming general election at 11.00 and obviously the papers had to have people there. I disappointed the journalists greatly by refusing to a) kneel down behind the stone and b) stand holding the saltire fluttering above my head. I have often said I don't do bells and whistles and I certainly don't do stunts!
I had been horribly nervous beforehand, in fact pulling the whole thing together had been a nightmare - honestly I would rather have raised twice the amount of money than have to arrange that. again On the day though I wasn't at all nervous which was great.
There was an introduction by the chair of Edinburgh's City Council Culture Department, followed by a short speech from yours truly which was largely an Oscar winning thing - ie I thanked all and sundry and then said a few short words about why Hay should be there. The stone was then unveiled by Gordon Wright, a friend and one time publisher of Hay, we had some music, of which more another day, and then we trooped inside to the Stevenson Room in the Writers Museum where we mingled, and Michel Byrne, the editor of the definitive edition of Hay's poems proposed a toast to his memory.
After the mingling we took son No 2 and three good friends out for lunch, and then we all went our separate ways.
Some rather surprising people had turned up for the ceremony and I hope I managed to say hello and thank you to everyone who came. But while it was satisfying in a way to see some of the Great and the Good foregathered. the presence of family and friends was what meant the most to me.
Lots of people told me it was a great achievement and how proud I should be, but oddly I don't feel that way. Partly it's because of my upbringing which makes me think that if I've done this it can't be particularly special. Partly it goes deeper than that. Yes I started the whole thing going, and yes I fund raised, and yes it was hard work, but at the end of the day it was always going to happen because even if I had had to pay every last penny myself (and I'm very glad I didn't have to!) I would have done that to get Hay there. I'm pleased and glad it's done, but for me it's not a triumph, it's just justice. And I feel quite conflicted because I wonder why it has taken thirty years since Hay's death and a student to come along and get it done. There was no shortage of people coming late to the party in the last few weeks and telling me what I should have done, and how I should have arranged things, and what I'd got wrong and all I could think of was 'If you think you could have done it better, why didn't you? You've had since 1984'. But I didn't say it out loud.
And I refuse to end my post on a negative note. After all, it is done, the stone is there, and in the end what does it matter who caused it to be placed? It will be there, a mute witness to the memory of one of Scotland's greatest poets long after I am dead. I like to think that in years to come people will stop at Hay's stone and read it. And either they'll smile and say gently 'Aye, George Hay; now there was a poet' or they'll say 'George Campbell Hay - never heard of him, but perhaps I should check him out'. I'll take either of those as a result.
Quite right too!
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