Thirty years piping in the Haggis

Professor Key has played the bagpipes at the celebrations held in honour of Scottish poet Robert Burns since he was a graduate student at Wolfson. He is now Deputy Director of the Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford and a Supernumerary Fellow at Wolfson. 

The Guest Night Dinner in the Hall was booked out weeks in advance and during the ceilidh that followed, the College's 50th Anniversary year was well and truly launched. Professor Key was joined in the festivities by DPhil Student Derek Leske who provided an animated and hilarious rendition of ‘Address to the Haggis', assisted by several members of the audience. The Vicegerent Professor Marcus Banks presided over the dinner and The Selkirk Grace was spoken by Meaghan Thumath. Jyoti Raghu recited ‘The Immortal Memory' and the toasts to the lads and lassies were enthusiastically delivered by Matthew Naiman and Maryam Ahmed respectively.

Once the haggis (a Scottish dish made from offal, minced with onion, oatmeal and spices) had been paraded by Chef Tony Baughan and piped around the hall before being addressed by Derek Leske, guests were able to settle down to a very fine meal. The customary cock-a-leekie soup preceeded the haggis, roast beef, neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes). An apple flusie tart with whisky cream followed, before guests danced it off with the band ‘Mouse and Trousers' and a ceilidh. 

Several kilts and tartan throws were spotted and the tables were beautifully decorated with thistles and tartan place settings. A library of photographs of the celebrations is available on the College Facebook page.