​A celebration of cultures

Deputy boarding housemistress HELEN MACKENZIE reports on an Evening of Culture in Johnson House

YEAR 12 boarder Manya Rajeeva and I decided we would put on an evening celebrating all the different cultures in our boarding house.

The buzz in the House was tenable as the girls got excited dressing in their traditional national costumes, practised their performances and looked forward to the promise of excellent food and entertainment.

We invited the senior leadership team and heads of year and were delighted to be joined by Mr Webb, Mrs Keelan Edwards, Mr Livesey and Miss Anderson, as well as staff from the boys’ boarding house, Mr Davies Taylor and Mrs Savage.

Mrs Williams, although she wasn’t on duty, helped me set up all the food and enjoyed the evening thoroughly.

It’s so important to showcase the different cultures and backgrounds, even to the point of saving a couple of plates of food for two sisters who are fasting for Ramadan and would enjoy an early morning pre sunrise meal to see them through the next day.

Manya wasn’t just involved in the organisation - ably helped by dance partner Siri Pithuraya and pianist Ellie Walsh, she also played a piece on an Indian flute.

Shreya Rozario danced a solo while Hayley Chung recited a Chinese poem.

Our foreign language assistant made a divine Spanish omelette. The food wasn’t all from overseas though. I hadn’t realised sticky toffee pudding originated in Cumbria and Pip Robinson’s mum Charlotte and younger sister Juliette provided us with a beautiful dairy free version as well as some Cumberland sausages.

The evening was a delight - you can see the joy in the girls’ faces from the pictures and videos.

For me, the highlight of the evening was when a handsome man – my husband - entered the room complete in Highland regalia, his sgian-dubh (a small, single-edged knife) tucked into his right stocking for easy access should the audience prove unfriendly!

You have no idea what this favour cost me as my own Boy Mac opened the proceedings with his Address to a Haggis (although Robert ‘Rabbie’ Burns would’ve been aghast that the haggis actually turned out to be a Colin the Caterpillar cake from M&S!)

What a brilliant night!