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Hogmanay Celebrations in Scotland:
Mr. Omale Don John, a Chevening scholar from Nigeria studying at the University of Leicester, was fortunate to experience the Hogmanay celebrations in Scotland at New Year.

I applied for a "Host" visit and was placed with the amiable family of Mrs. Sabine and Mr. Richard Cross of Nigg, Rosshire-in-Inverness. The family was able to welcome me at Inverness train station after a 10-hour train journey from Leicester. The drive round the scenery of Inverness and its highland was beautiful.

At about 4pm on the eve of New Year, I was taken to a party organised at the Nigg village hall to celebrate the New Year, popularly known as "Hogmanay" in that part of the world. It was a party well attended by the "who's who" of Nigg.

As the only black man in the dance hall I thought I was going to be discriminated against - owing to the reports of black racism in the UK that I had read, but my assumption was wrong. My Host family and many others invited me to the dance hall where I learnt the intricacies of the popular Scottish traditional dance known as a "Ceilidh" (pronounced Kay-lee !!).

Today I can compete favourably with contestants in any Ceilidh dance competition. I also hope to take the Ceilidh dance and other games learnt from the visit back home in Nigeria.

All thanks to God for the Chevening scholarships, the HOST organisation and my well respected host family of Mrs Sabine and Richard Cross. HOST has changed my perception of the British people.

Richard and Sabine Cross , 18th January 2003
The Hogmanay Hosts of Omale Don John

We were delighted to read the article by Omale Don John, being his hosts for the Hogmanay visit which he writes about. The HOST programme is very satisfying for the Host as well. We gain a clearer insight into the society from which our guests have come and over many years we have also gained an appreciation of all the major world religions. We recognise that most of our guests are the elite students of their country and as such they are likely to be influential in the future. Being able to show to future leaders of opinion in foreign countries that Britain is a friendly and decent place, we hope we are contributing to a move to a more peaceful and tolerant world of the future. The same applies to religious understanding, and I believe that the HOST programme has far greater significance than is generally realised. Omale Don John will be one of many friends made through HOST, for many years to come.

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