(L-R): Ambassador Fleur Thomas; Jade Bajai, BLC Chair;

On Wednesday 13 December 2023, the British Ladies Club of Luxembourg (BLC) held its annual Christmas Lunch at the Hotel Parc Alvisse in Luxembourg-Dommeldange.

Almost 80 members attended the event which was held in one of the venue's function rooms which had been laid out to also accommodate a number of stalls offering handcrafts in the form of a mini Christmas Market, plus one where a newly-published book was available.

Upon arriving, those attending were offered a welcome drink prior to the formal part of the event during which the speeches were made.

First up was the BLC Chair, Jade Bajai, who thanked the committee for their hard work throughout the year; she mentioned the club's fundraising activities and thanked everyone involved for their contribution in different ways to enable their three charities to benefit from the proceeds. She also referenced the year ahead in which the BLC would be celebrating its 55th anniversary.

The British Ambassador to Luxembourg, Fleur Thomas, recalled that this past year had been very important for bringing organisations together. She recognised the diversity within the BLC membership as well as the various groups active throughout the club. She also referenced the bilateral agreement signed between Luxembourg and the United Kingdom as well as financial services in both jurisdictions. She thanked Jade and her committee for the efforts they had made throughout the year.

Those present then enjoyed their Christmas Lunch, starting with a starter of butternut quash soup, followed by the main course of stuffed turkey.

Before the dessert of mince pies was served, the choral group Carpe Diem - a community choir of mixed voices - provided the entertainment with a number of Christmas songs before everyone was encouraged to join in the second part, a Christmas Singalong.

To conclude the event, a tombola was held which raised over €650 for charity. Prizes included meal vouchers, bottles of crémant, tickets for the city museum, wellness vouchers and a hamper.