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Burns Night celebrated with haggis and dancing

Some 200 people joined the Guernsey Scottish Association as it celebrated Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns on Saturday night at Beau Sejour.

Former Guernsey Scottish Association president Stuart Hardie doing the Address to the Haggis during the GSA’s Burns Night event at Beau Sejour on Saturday
Former Guernsey Scottish Association president Stuart Hardie doing the Address to the Haggis during the GSA’s Burns Night event at Beau Sejour on Saturday / Sophie Rabey/Guernsey Press

The 67th annual Burns Night event included readings, music and Scottish country dancing.

‘It was really good, I think there are a few sore heads today, but it was great,’ said committee member Gill Mabbett.

‘Guernsey Piping were there, so they had the pipers and a drummer to welcome us, and Stuart Hardie addressed the haggis, which was great.

‘It was a Scottish menu and then the focus was on the dancing. It doesn’t matter if you’ve danced before or not, it’s a really fun event for everyone, and everyone was on the dance floor.’

The GSA was founded after the Occupation for Scots who came to work in Guernsey and for islanders who developed links with Scotland through the armed forces or who were evacuated to the country.

‘We do try and keep that relationship going. Robert Burns always wrote that what he found important was people being together, so that’s why we try and do a few events throughout the year and Burns Night is our largest event on the calendar,’ said Ms Mabbett.

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