BURN'S NIGHT

Scottish dance lessons in Zagreb

 

Very elegant, wearing a casual kilt outfit, the British ambassador H.E. David Blunt was glad to have hosted the first of three dance classes of Scottish country dancing for the guests of a festive dinner event Burn's Night, celebrating Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns which will be organised by the Caledonia Clu b of Croatia and will be held in The Regent Esplanade Hotel on Saturday, February 6th 2010.

 

 

- The Caledonia Club of Croatia has kindly asked me as the British Ambassador to be their patron, which of course I was delighted to accept. We have strong links, because our family's home is in the North East of Scotland, in Aberdeenshire. So whenever we are in UK, we live in Scotland, and my children have all been through school in Scotland. In the part of Scotland where I live, you will often find the 80-year old grandmother and a four year old grandson dancing together, all generations, all ages. It is great fun, everybody enjoys it. I am dancing since I was four years old. As a teacher maybe I am less serious then I should be, because my objective is that everybody has fun - explained Mr. Blunt his role in preparing the Burn's event in Croatia.

 

 

 

Energetic country dances

As he announced, pupils have learned three Scottish country dances: The Gay Gordons, The Dashing White Sergeant and Strip the Willow. The last one is very energetic and includes spinning partners all around and it lasts for 12 minutes. Around twenty couples came to their first dance lesson, that was held on December 11, as beginners, but after one hour they have already managed to perform skilful spins in pairs, as can be seen on photographs.

 

Accompanying H.E. Blunt in tartan was fellow Scot, the new General Manager of The Regent Esplanade, Mr Philip Mahoney.

 

Mr. Paul Wisely a Scot living in Zagreb who is the driving force and Chairman of the Caledonian Club of Croatia, and who played the music for this dance lesson, however, was not wearing a kilt!!

 

He laughingly apologised for this oversight, which he will compensate for at the dance lessons that will be held on last two Fridays in January, 22nd and 29th.

 

Highlander with Croatian roots

 

As he says, when he was a twelve year old boy he wore the kilt to school every day, and this summer, when he married Croatian Marija Šarić on the island of Hvar, he was wearing his kilt proudly, as well as his guest H. E. David Blunt. Also, he has already acquired a lovely little kilt for his two months old son Max.

 

- That is the way we the Highlanders from Aberdeen are - proudly says Mr. Wisely, owner and director at the internet weather company "MyWeather2.com" who moved to Croatia two years ago, searching for the home on the island of Hvar from which 100 years ago his great-grandmother set forth to the world.

 

Ambassador Blunt believes that three dancing lessons will be sufficient for the preparation of the second Burn's Night which will be held in Zagreb, but it will be the first one with a big dance for which The Wullie Fraser Ceilidh Band will fly in from Edinburgh to Zagreb. In addition to reading poetry written by the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns, the Romantic to whom this night is dedicated, a Scottish bagpiper Bertie Aykroyd will play "Scotland the Brave" and "Flower of Scotland". The dinner menu will also be in the Scottish spirit with the Cock-a-Leekie soup, Haggis, Neeps and Tatties with a Whiskey Cream Pan Roasted Saddle of Veale with New Potato and Chestnut Terrine and Cranachan. This is the contribution of Mr. Mahoney, who became the manager of this Zagreb hotel during this summer, as the holder of a title of the Scottish hotel manager of the year.

 

As we were told by Mr. Wisely, the Scottish community in Zagreb has only a few members but the number of supporters is far greater. This year the profits from the event will be donated to the children's homes of " Maestral " in Split and Kastel, which are headed by Director Edita Maretić.

 

Tickets for the event cost HRK 450 each, and reservations for tickets can be made by e-mail to info@caledoniaclubcroatia.com.

 

 

Photo gallery:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ms. Suzi Curtis, British writer living in Zagreb in dance euphoria with H.E. David Blunt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ms. Jane Hunter and her husband Mr. Zoran Tasić, from Croatian branch of Scottish law firm CMS Legal - Cameron McKenna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the preparation for this party was so much fun, we can hardly wait for Burn's Night Event February 6