Oh, what a night!
On Thursday 25th January, over 100 FHS parents and staff donned their finest tartan trews (and dresses!) and bid farewell to any remaining January blues at our legendary annual Burns Night Supper. This year’s Burns Night was a particularly memorable affair – after an electrical explosion (!) on Bourne Street and a consequent school-wide power outage from 4-6pm, we thought we might end up dancing al fresco in Sloane Square rather than the Senior Hall… However, FHS resilience, determination, creativity and spirit shone through in the gallant work of the SSPA and our Catering, Facilities, Development and Operations teams, and we were able to go ahead as planned with a mere half hour delay.
The evening was hosted by our new Head, Alexandra Haydon, and our Senior School Parents’ Association, in aid of In-Deep, one of our main partner charities, which provides invaluable support to vulnerable children and elderly people in Westminster and Lambeth. Please click here if you would like to donate to this cause.
Festivities began with a reception in a Senior Hall resplendent with Scottish-themed decorations; the atmosphere made even more special by the mesmerising tones of the Clasarch harp, played expertly by Jo Hamlyn. Our guests were piped into the building by professional bagpiper, Millie Scott – what an entrance! – and the traditional address to the haggis was delivered with panache by Development Director, Tom Robertson, followed by a wonderful Selkirk Grace by our Head of Junior School, Suzy Dixon.
Guests then enjoyed a sumptuous traditional meal consisting of starters of Scottish delicacies including Scottish smoked salmon and tatties scones, haggis and clapshot stack, raspberry cranachan, Scottish cheeses and a stunning Scottish themed cake, accompanied by delicious wines and the finest Scotch. Thank you to our LVI volunteers for being fabulous waitresses for the evening!
We then enjoyed a moving musical trio performance by Iona Hamlyn (Year 11), Victoria Hamlyn (UVI) and Jo Hamlyn of Burns’ My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose – what a way to celebrate the familial magic of the FHS community! Mrs Haydon then delivered a simultaneously poignant and hilarious address to Burns’ immortal memory, before we all enjoyed two hours of joyful reeling and revelry accompanied by the Frank Reid Band! As is tradition, the evening came to a glorious close with a spirited rendition of Auld Lang Syne.
Thank you so much to Jo Hamlyn and others in the Senior School Parents’ Association for such a wonderful event, to Claudia Akaoui for the amazing cake, to Paola Feller from Bees and Lilacs for the gorgeous flowers, to Jeroboams for their contribution towards the whisky, to our Catering, Facilities, Development and Operations Teams and, of course, to all who came to celebrate with us!
