Burns Night has been celebrated with bagpipes and a traditional supper at Royal Star & Garter’s three Homes.

Residents washed down their haggis, neeps and tatties with a dram or two of whisky, as they marked Burns Night in the charity’s Solihull, Surbiton and High Wycombe Homes on Thursday, 25 January.

Royal Star & Garter provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia, and has new services reaching out into the community.

The Homes were decorated with bunting and Saltire flags, with bagpipers also present in Surbiton and Solihull.

In each Home the famous Robert Burns poem ‘Address to a Haggis’ was read out to residents, before they tucked into their meals.

‘A proud Scotsman’

At the Solihull Home, circle dancers performed traditional Scottish dancing. Afterwards Alasdair, a resident who was born in the Highlands and went on to serve in the Royal Army Medical Corps, said: “I’m a proud Scotsman, and I was amazed to see the effort staff put in to make this a special day. Hearing the bagpipes and seeing the Burns traditions brought back many happy memories.”

In Surbiton, residents also enjoyed a whisky-tasting session, while in High Wycombe, singer Kuran provided the live music entertainment on the day. Residents also made shortbread, and took part in a Scottish quiz and wordsearch.

Royal Star & Garter celebrates special days in the calendar such as Burns Night, Valentine’s Day, and UK patron saints’ days, as residents enjoy these traditions.

The charity is welcoming new residents in its three Homes. For more information on this, or to work for the charity, go to www.starandgarter.org