'Winter Reisen' is a piece of music by (I think) Schubert, a set of songs if I remember correctly. Well winter is back here with a vengeance today, and worse tomorrow if the forecasters are right, but it doesn't matter, there are fresh snowdrops on the quiet little patch of grass by the war memorial in the village and so it will soon be spring again.

We celebrated Burns Night last Saturday evening. For those unfamiliar with the practice it is a celebration of the birthday of the poet Robert Burns. The tradition is to eat a good meal of broth, followed by haggis and neeps (turnips), to wash it all down with good Scotch whisky and in the course of the evening to recite some of his immortal verse.

This we did, as we have done every year since we moved to Scotland, both out of honour to a great man whose poetry still has the power to inspire, and as an affirmation of a life lived to the full. Ours is a private celebration, a few good friends and true and we invariably have a great time which helps wash away the winter blues. We have our own tradition that everyone present should either read a poem, either their own or someone elses (including of course Mr Burns's).

Any kind of poem is allowed, from limerick to epic doggerel and so the week before is consumed with either pencil and paper or long hours in the library or on the internet. Otherwise quite sensible and civilised people can be seen desperately trying to find something to rhyme with 'rhubard' or some other impossible word. It all turns out all right on the night, including our pitiful attempts to read Burns poetry in the authentic accent.

And if all this seems to you a waste of time, let me persuade you otherwise. Culture and tradition provide the memories of childhood, the reassurances of maturity and the fond memories of increasing age. We owe it to ourselves and our children to maintain them, even if at times they seem increasingly irrelevant. And Burns Night reminds us of one thing, life can be hard but the human spirit and the freedom to express our feelings and beliefs can never be broken.