We were lucky with the relatively mild, dry weather on Sunday 18th December and had a record-breaking turn-out, resulting in a bigger charity collection than ever too.
We began at the west end on Reid Terrace to follow the stars east – how apt! – for a change and were delighted to start off with about 20 singers plus the wonderful addition of an accordionist, a new Colonies resident. What a difference the accompanist made to the volume and singing – thank you very much, Neil! Our number swelled to about 45 at its peak including lots of young children, so during the course of our 2 1/2 hour session to complete the tour of all Colonies doors, about 60 residents participated, as people join in as time permits. This year, we handed the collecting can round amongst the singers too, so that our financial result didn’t suffer from so many homes being vacated by participants! We managed to raise more than ever, showing that the Colonies residents’ choice of charity (selected by voting on our website), as well as our increased body of singers were an improvement over all our previous years. The fund-raising team at St Columba’s Hospice was delighted with our collection of £383.21 and we would like to thank everyone who participated in whatever capacity and especially to those who kindly offered a bit of sustenance while we were en route!