We, at the SSiB, knew well in advance that Eid Al-Fitr Party was going to be a great success!..

For a start, the massive interest was evident ever since we advertised the Event.. The spacious venue that we booked can hold up to 220 guests, and we managed to sell out all the tickets some two weeks before the date of the Party!..

Preparation for the lively entertainment programme started well over a month before the Party.. Dana spent hours and hours sifting through Syrian and Levantine folk songs, selecting those that she felt would interest our audience... Then, she spent more hours listening to the tunes and notating the music and scribing it down, so that she and Mohammed can practise. The talented duo worked so hard to ensure that their co-ordination was split-second-perfect, and that each, almost instinctively, knew by heart what the other one was up to.

The audience quiz and activities were carefully planned and prepared by Samera and Faten, with help from other Council Officers, SSiB Members, and friends... Mounir, despite having his hands full with the timely arrival of the beautiful Yasmin, gave every free moment of his time to ensure that the venue, the food, and the external catering were all exactly how we wanted them... All other Council Officers did all they can to compliment the efforts of one another, and the result of this fantastic teamwork were all evident on the day!..

Our guests started arriving early. They were received by the Council Officers, who had arrived a couple of hours earlier to prepare the venue. Once the hall was full, the buffet was opened, and the guests enjoyed the excellent food.

Shortly afterwards, and following a brief welcome from Samera, Dana opened the proceedings with the Syrian National Anthem, and was enthusiastically accompanied by our guests, singing the patriotic words حماة الديار عليكم سلام

Then, to the delight of our guests, Dana and Mohammed played a repertoire of popular folk and modern tunes, from باب الحارة to a Sabah Fakhri medley, and from Ghawar's فطوم to the sublime اعطني الناي و غني ... The delightful music sent the hall buzzing, and set the scene for the rest of the evening...

Then came the quiz, and more audience participation!.. The carefully prepared costumes were handed out to the tables, and each table was asked to nominate a representative to take part. Participants were asked to don a variety of traditional costumes from Arab and non-Arab Countries, and were then asked to perform various songs or activities... all under the watchful eyes of our three judges, who scored the performances on the quality of delivery, adherence to instructions, and pure entertainment value!.. A few tie-break questions were given to determine a tightly-fought contest and decide the winners.. The three top scorers won boxes of chocolate for their tables!... The quiz was skilfully run by Izzat Kayali and Dina Kabbani, who managed to get everyone to join in the fun...

While the judges were deliberating their decisions to work out the scores, an impromptu performance from Hala Arsalan delighted the audience with her fantastic voice.. Hala, who was one of our guests, is a renowned opera singer from Syria, who studied at the Higher Academy of Music and Theatrical Arts in Damascus, and subsequently taught there, until she came to the UK with her husband, Dr Ghassan Almeer, who is currently training in Newcastle.

Throughout the evening, a team of young girls were moving from table to table, selling raffle tickets. On offer were some fantastic prizes for the lucky winners, including several Gift Vouchers, a set of crystal glasses, a backgammon set, an ornamental sword, an iPod Shuffle, a bicycle, a notebook computer, a tooth whitening session, and a Manchester United shirt signed by five top players!..

The Party was undoubtedly a resounding success, and a clear indicator of the diverse skills and serious dedication of the Council Officers.. However, its success was, in no small part, attributed to the enthusiasm of our guests, their endless energy, and willingness to take part in the string of activities that was on offer.. The only problem now: the SSiB Eid Party is going to be a very hard act to follow!..

To re-live those fantastic moments, browse through these photos!...