GREENOCK Burns Club (The Mother Club) held a successful 2018 annual celebration at the town’s Tontine Hotel.

An excellent range of guest speakers, musicians and singers contributed to a fine evening of entertainment.

Notre Dame High School pupil Euan McDonald delighted the guests with his singing while a hilarious Toast to the Lasses was delivered by retired police traffic inspector John Malcolm.

He was more than matched by Morag McIntosh, the director of Rotary Residential & Care Centres, who delivered the reply.

Law student Ewan Boyle provided the Toast to the Mother Club while club senior vice president June Forbes gave the reply.

The Address to the Haggis was the responsibility of 15-year-old John Morrison of Notre Dame High, while guests were also entertained by the piping of Nicolas Donnelly, who is the brother of club president Jamie and plays for Lawrence O’ Toole Pipe Band.

A highlight of the evening was the Immortal Memory by Moira Hansen, a doctoral scholar from the Centre for Robert Burns Studies at the University of Glasgow.

She highlighted how Burns’ works were influenced by his moods and were also subject to where he was at in his station in life — from being elated with the attention he received in Edinburgh, to the darker days of his later life. 

Moira was invested as an honorary president of the club for her excellent contribution and Alan Beck, junior vice president, gave the vote of thanks.

Club president Jamie Donnelly thanks all who assisted with the organisation of the event, especially the management and staff of the Tontine Hotel for their continued support.