On Air Now

Just Great Music

2:00pm - 5:00pm

Local Care Home Celebrates Burns Night in Traditional Scottish Style

Residents at The DurhamGate Care Home in Spennymoor marked Burns Night with a true taste of Scottish tradition.

Updated: Feb 4 Residents at The DurhamGate Care Home in Spennymoor marked Burns Night with a true taste of Scottish tradition. The evening, dedicated to the Bard of Ayrshire, Robert Burns, brought residents and staff together to enjoy authentic Scottish food, the stirring sound of bagpipes, and lively singalongs. The festivities began with the piping in of the haggis, performed by the talented local musician Graham Hall, from Eaglescliffe. Graham was also given the honour of reciting Burns’ famous ‘Address to a Haggis.’ The highlight of the evening was the Burns Supper, prepared by Head Chef Karl Aylward. On the menu for the special Scottish pop-up restaurant were the traditional haggis, tatties (mashed potato), and neeps (swede). For those not quite brave enough to tackle the “chieftain o’ the pudding-race,” they could opt for salmon fishcakes instead. The hearty meal was, of course, accompanied by a ‘wee dram.' Front of House Manager at The DurhamGate Care Home, Samantha Holden, commented on the evening, “Burns Night was such a special evening for everyone here at DurhamGate. It wasn’t just about enjoying great food and music, our event was a chance for our residents to connect with friends and family, holding hands, showing love, and being together. This is exactly what our monthly pop-up restaurants are all about! Events like this really bring us closer together and create wonderful memories for our residents and staff.” Friends and family of residents who were invited to join the night's festivities expressed their appreciation, as one user commented on Facebook, “Another wonderful night. Thank you to all the staff who work so hard to make these events very enjoyable for residents and visitors. Food, drinks, and of course the piper were all excellent.” Another added, “Thank you so much for all of your hard work. It was a wonderful night, thoroughly enjoyed by all.” The evening closed with a toast to Scotland’s Bard and a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne, performed by Graham and sung heartfully by the residents, families, and staff of The DurhamGate Care Home. For more information visit https://www.adorecarehomes.co.uk/carehomes/the-durhamgate/

More from From Durham OnAir

  • Kaiser Chiefs Return To Stockton Globe

    Following a spectacular summer of headline grabbing shows, including a stand out performance on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, a sublime headline date at Alexandra Palace Park in London and a mammoth homecoming show at Leeds’ Temple Newsam Park, Kaiser Chiefs have extended their Employment celebrations with a new run of 2026 dates due to phenomenal demand.

  • Celebrating Another Year of GCSE Success at New College Durham

    New College Durham (NCD) is absolutely thrilled to celebrate yet another year of fantastic GCSE achievements! With some incredible results, students have truly showcased their talent, resilience, and dedication to success.

  • Learn First Aid This September

    St John Ambulance launches campaign to teach 300,000 people life-saving first aid. We go to great lengths for our loved ones – from squeezing our partner’s spots, to watching our child’s favourite film 74 times. But when it comes to learning first aid – something that could actually save a life – many of us are still putting it off.

  • Cheers to 200 Years: The Spotted Dog Marks Its Bicentennial

    The Spotted Dog Pub Celebrates 200 Years of History, Heritage and Hospitality with a long weekend of amazing food, chilled drinks, live music and more. The Spotted Dog, one of Darlington’s oldest and most cherished pubs, is raising a glass to mark 200 incredible years this August — and everyone is invited to join the celebration.

  • Historic Royal British Legion Darlington Standard unveiled in town’s central library

    An historic Standard owned by the Royal British Legion’s Darlington branch has gone on display in the town’s central library. The then-British Legion’s Darlington Branch was among the first to be established when the organisation was founded in 1921, with Standards being awarded to the main branch and to its women’s section in recognition of their new status.

Listen on the Go

Listen on the go or at home with our free smart phone app for iOS and Android devices!

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play
  • Just ask Amazon Alexa

OnAir Today

  • Just Great Music

    2:00pm - 5:00pm

    Just great music from the past five decades

  • More Music Drive

    5:00pm - 7:00pm

    Less chat, more music on your commute home.

  • Sue Sweeney

    7:00pm - 9:00pm

    Sue is live across the County in conversation with you.

  • 60's on Sunday (Repeat)

    9:00pm - 10:00pm

    Another chance to hear 60's on Sunday from the weekend.