GOOD EVENING

DEAR CHAIRMAN,

DEAR FRIENDS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

SEÑORAS Y SEÑORES, QUERIDOS AMIGOS

AS CHARGE D´AFFAIRES OF THE SPANISH EMBASSY IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU THIS EVENING TO THE BRITISH-SPANISH SOCIETY SUMMER PARTY. THE SPANISH AMBASSADOR, HIS EXCELLENCY MR FEDERICO TRILLO, HAS ASKED ME TO OFFER HIS APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO BE WITH US TONIGHT, BUT HE IS STILL HONORED THAT WE CAN CELEBRATE THE SUMMER PARTY IN HIS RESIDENCE, THIS MAGNIFICENT BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE EMBASSY OF SPAIN TO THE UK AND WHICH, OF COURSE, IS ALSO HOME TO ALL THOSE WHO PROMOTE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN OUR NATIONS, A BETTER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.

THERE ARE OF COURSE OTHER INSTITUTIONS THAT WORK TO BRING OUR COUNTRIES CLOSER, BUT TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERLINE THE UNIQUE ROLE THE BRITISH-SPANISH SOCIETY PLAYS, AS THE OLDEST IN OUR COMMUNITY, HAVING BEEN RUNNING FOR ALMOST 100 YEARS SINCE ITS FOUNDATION IN 1916. IN ALL THIS TIME THE BRITISH-SPANISH SOCIETY HAS BEEN ABLE TO STAND OUT AS THE INSTITUTION WHERE DIFFERENT PEOPLE FROM VERY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS ARE WILLING TO SHARE THEIR CULTURAL IDENTITIES AND COMMON INTERESTS, AND IN DOING SO YOU, THE MORE THAN 700 MEMBERS OF THIS SOCIETY, ARE REPRESENTING THE STRONGEST LINK JOINING OUR TWO GREAT NATIONS, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN.

AND I THINK THAT IN THESE TIMES, WHEN WE CONMEMORATE MANY MILITARY OR WAR-RELATED ANIVERSARIES, WHETHER THE CENTENARY OF THE IWW, THE 70^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY OR THE BICENTENARY OF THE PENNINSULAR WAR, THE BEST TRIBUTE WE CAN PAY TO THE BRITISH-SPANISH SOCIETY, TO ALL ITS MEMBERS DURING ALL THESE YEARS AND, ESPECIALLY TO ITS FOUNDERS, THOSE VERY PEOPLE WHO, IN A TIME OF WAR, THOUGHT OF A PEACEFUL INSTITUTION THAT WOULD BRING PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES CLOSER AND NOR APART, IS TO HAVE, IN 2 YEARS TIME, A SPLENDID AND SIGNIFICANT CELEBRATION OF ITS WORKS AND OF ITS MANY ACHIEVEMENTS.

AND OF COURSE THIS YEAR 2014 HAS BEEN A VERY SUCCESFUL ONE FOR THE BSS, AND I AM SURE THE CHAIRMAN WILL GIVE US NOW ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED AND EVENTS ORGANISED, ALTHOUGH I MUST SAY THAT JIMMY FAILED IN ONE OF HIS MOST IMPORTANT TASKS, HIS BID TO HAVE SPAIN AND ENGLAND PLAY THE WORLD CUP FINAL…ANYWAY, I AM SURE HE IS DOING HIS BEST TO HAVE RAFA NADAL AND ANDREW MURRAY IN THE WIMBLEDON FINAL…

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, SEÑORAS Y SEÑORES, MANY THANKS FOR BEING HERE WITH US TONIGHT AND, BEFORE I PASS THE FLOOR TO OUR CHAIRMAN, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO MAKE A TOAST TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE II AND TO HIS MAJESTY PHILIP THE VI, OUR KING, THE NEW KING OF SPAIN, WHOM WE ALL WISH A LONG AND VERY SUCCESSFUL REIGN.

SALUD

THE FLOOR IS  YOURS, JIMMY

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