Our Prešeren Evening on 11th March this year was a special occasion, since we are marking our 30th anniversary.
Lea Sirk, Slovenia’s 2018 Eurovision Song Contest finalist, joined us at the Ambassadors Hotel in London to celebrate with an inspiring concert accompanied by three other Slovenian musicians from the Primorska region. Besides her Eurovision song »Hvala ne«, she sang popular favourites in both Slovene and English. In the end, with the audience thoroughly warmed up, she formed an ad hoc choir to continue singing late into the evening.
Jana Valenčič, David Bieda and Anton Hume told how supporters of Slovenia’s independence in Britain got together in 1993 to create the British-Slovene Society.
Among guests was Jana Bajec Povše, Chargé ‘d’Affaires of the Slovenian Embassy in London, which again kindly donated Slovenian wine for the evening. For the tombola, Elan donated a pair of skis, while Trimo gave a travel voucher of €1,000 and several other prizes – for which many thanks. Mateja Šömen and Andrej Ogorevc ran the tombola with great verve, raising £527 for Barka, the charity for people with special needs we support in Slovenia. The Slovenian Government’s Office for Slovenes Abroad, kindly provided a subsidy for the event.
Next event is on Sunday 9th July: the annual BSS picnic by our new kozolec (hayrack) in Henley, attended by the Deputy Mayor of Bled with a party of 20-25 Slovenian singers and dancers. Come with your friends and family for another rousing festivity.