Our International Supper and Ceilidh at the Albert Halls in Stirling on Thursday 28 May was a wonderful celebration of community, culture and friendship.
The evening began with a fantastic international feast, as everyone brought dishes from their country of origin to share. The variety of food on offer reflected the rich diversity of our group and gave everyone the opportunity to sample flavours from around the world.
After dinner, we gathered for a group photograph before joining together to sing Happy Birthday to our dance tutors and long-term volunteers, Margaret and Hugh McCann, who are both celebrating their 80th birthdays this year. We are immensely grateful for their years of dedication, enthusiasm and friendship.
We also took the opportunity to thank Krishika, our crèche coordinator, who is moving on to a full-time job. Her contribution to the group has been greatly appreciated and we wish her every success for the future.
The entertainment programme showcased some wonderful performances. We were delighted to enjoy a vibrant display from the Indian Association and an energetic demonstration from a Scottish Country Dancing group. The children had great fun taking part in a lively game of musical chairs, while we also celebrated the achievements of our learners with a certificate presentation for students who attained 65% attendance or higher during the year.
Of course, no ceilidh would be complete without dancing, and the floor was soon filled with people of all ages enjoying Scottish dances together. The evening concluded fittingly with everyone joining hands to sing Auld Lang Syne.
Special thanks go to everyone who brought food to share, to David Howes for expertly MC-ing the evening and operating the music, to Margaret and Hugh for their dance tuition, to all our tutors and crèche workers for stewarding throughout the event, and to the many volunteers who helped with setting up and clearing away. Events such as this are only possible because of the generosity and commitment of so many people.
One attendee reflected:
“Never ever thought I would learn about Scottish culture through this ceilidh. Grateful I was part of this event.”
Another summed up the evening beautifully by saying:
“It was a pleasant feeling of community and togetherness, reviving my hope in humanity.”
The International Supper and Ceilidh was a memorable evening that brought people together through food, music, dancing and friendship, celebrating both our diverse backgrounds and the strong sense of community we have built together.
