Village children join in, with regular performances from the very talented Grace Sansom on piano and violin, and also from young rocker Thomas Appleton singing and playing guitar. My teenage niece, Esther, from York, a Grade 8 flutist, has also delighted the audience with her magical playing.  Many performers are at the other end of the age scale – ex- BBC radio performer Lexey Illingworth has been coaxed from retirement on a couple of occasions, and got a standing ovation for her wonderful duet from the ‘Phantom of the Opera’ with Tibthorpe’s Robin Arundale (aka Ramblin’ Syd in one of his other performance guises). Despite having Parkinson’s Disease, Kirkburn poet Shirley Lee has bravely read some of her poetry, including a very touching poem written about The Burn itself.

We are also blessed with a wonderfully supportive audience, who sit quietly during the performances, and show their appreciation loudly at the end of each act. Regular older audience members from Nafferton and Bainton have never missed a performance.

The day before, and on the day, many villagers help prepare the Village Hall for ‘The Burn’, and also to clear up the day after, and it’s a lot of hard work, as the hall is totally transformed with a professional PA and stage lights. Every Burn has a different theme, and The Burns ‘Artistic Director’ June Appleton, who has always helped us right from the start,  works with me to devise a new ambience each time, with fresh flowers, candles, different coloured table clothes, fairy lights and decorations, and there is always a magical atmosphere, when the candles are lit and the music starts.

The Chairman’s Awards dinner was hosted by the retiring East Riding Council Chairman, Hilary Saynor, and was held on Tuesday, May 15, at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel, Willerby and David and I, as main organisers of ‘The Burn’, were invited to attend with our nominators, Steve and Carol Sansom. There were well over 100 guests sat at round tables, and we were privileged to share a table with the incoming East Riding Chairman and her husband.

Before the dinner were the Chairman’s Commendations, awards for Council employees who had given that bit extra, and we were delighted to see a number of staff we knew from both of the Driffield main schools, winning awards. Then there was the dinner – salmon, roast pork and lemon tart - which was delicious (ruining my diet once again), but our awards category was going to be right at the end, so it was hard to eat with butterflies in the tummy! I also did not want to risk spilling anything down my glamorous evening dress, just in case we had to go up on stage to collect an award!