Published: Thursday, 4th June, 2009 9:58am

Moonlight serenade for Homecoming Ball guests

by Fiona Howard

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HELENSURGH celebrated Homecoming in style on Saturday night with a glitzy ball reminiscent of the hall"s Victorian heyday.

Around 150 attended the event organised by Councillor Vivien Dance and her husband Tony as part of the Helensburgh and Lomond Homecoming Celebrations.

The hall, decked out in blue and white with Saltires to the fore and thistles in the table decorations, provided a real Scottish welcome for the guests and the evening began with a champagne reception.

This was followed by a fabulous four course meal served seamlessly and impeccably by Derek Anderson and his team.

And as the guests, some of whom were home in Helensburgh from foreign climes and some of whom were returning to the Burgh from other parts of Scotland, enjoyed their coffee and cheese the fabulous and famous Harry Margolis Big Glenn Miller Band struck up the music and set a rollicking tone for the rest of the festivities.

With a programme of dance music which veered from the expected Glenn Miller Sound to hits from Abba and a hectic Gay Gordons everybody found something to get the feet tapping. Euan Catterson and his team from the Ashton in Helensburgh provided a fast and efficient service from the bar in the Jubilee Room and local photographer Adolfo Arino of Riverdrive Studios was on hand to capture the atmosphere.

Adolfo"s photos will soon feature on the very popular and much visited Friends of the Victoria Halls website created speciall by Burgh web designer Jim Chestnut and found at www.victoriahall.org.uk

Debbie and Dave Gough of Plantation donated the flowers for the evening as well as the table decorations and the hall was decorated by Let"s Party.

The organisers paid tribute to everyone, sponsors, suppliers and friends who had contributed to the success of the evening, to the Advertiser for promoting the events and designing the artwork for the Homecoming Ball and especially the hall keepers John, Joe and George who 'have, as always, given us unstinting help and support in this venture and encouraged our efforts to show the hall at its very best and as a perfect venue for any special occasion.'