Once again, we celebrated the Baltic Exchange Caledonia Society St Andrew’s Day lunch in style, taking place on 1st December 2023 at the wonderful London Scottish Regiment HQ in Westminster. It was a great afternoon for both Baltic members and friends to come together and raise a glass for charity, with about 120 in attendance.

This year the piper led the Haggis for its annual procession through the tables before being blessed and cut in grand traditional fashion. A menu of fresh plentiful Scottish smoked salmon followed by Haggis, neeps, and tatties, finished with a plate of beautiful Scottish cheeses with tea and coffee (and the odd glass of Uisge Beatha!). A new Chairman was also nominated; Jonathon Hammond of the Baltic Exchange will take over the reigns for next year.

Mike Robson took charge of holding the charity raffle, which was in aid of St Nicholas School in Tema, Ghana, nominated by the Chairman Struan Ridgewell of Dry Log. The school started by the Tsakos foundation has grown over the years, with its leavers all achieving 100% results gaining places in government-funded senior schools – an excellent cause giving those children who would otherwise receive no education a better start.

The auction list included a Chairmans Holiday cottage for a week in the Isle of Wight, a week in an apartment in Piraeus, available during Posedonia donated by Tsakos staff, and a day of stalking in the highlands of Scotland.