The 25 January each year is Burns Night, an annual celebration of Scotland's most famous poet, Robert Burns, which is celebrated the world over.

 

 

 

This year, on Saturday 25 January, the two Rotary Clubs of Banbury, jointly organised a traditional Burns Night Dinner extravaganza, at the Banbury Cricket Club, which was a sell out and a huge success.

 

Guests were met on arrival by a traditional Scottish Piper – after welcome drinks guests were called to dinner which started with the traditional ‘Selkirk Grace’ followed by the Piper leading the procession to present the Haggis to the assembled audience. 

 

Rotarian Martin Phillips undertook the address to the Haggis in traditional Scots style but with a definite English twist, which was hilarious. 

 

After the meal the traditional speeches and toasts were made; Toast to the Immortal Memory, by James Mollard, Toast to the Lassies, by Peter Fowler and the reply and Toast to the Laddies by Joan Bond, all delivered with humour and a bit of tongue in cheek leg pulling.

 

After the speeches tables were moved and guests danced traditional Scottish reels to the Black Velvet Scottish Ceilidh Band

 

The evening ended with the grand raffle winners being called, with some excellent prizes including a 3-4 day stay in Cornwall, a £100 food hamper, and numerous vouchers for meals, spa treatment, hairdressing, gardening support, to name just a few, which raised the magnificent sum of £817 for charity. The finale for the evening of course being a rendition of one of Burns’ most famous songs, ‘Auld Lang Syne’.

 

A great time was had by all! A photo album will be posted ovdr the coming days so look back here.