Graham Hill

Graham Hill is a talented After Dinner & Burns Speaker.

Graham was born privately and educated publicly. He came into the world in the quaint fishing village of Govan and was brought up on the mean streets of Helensburgh where the wheely bins have Bluetooth and alloys. 

Growing up he was a promising  badminton player, representing Scotland, but his career was cut short due to a horrendous lack of ability. He continues to live in Helensburgh with his first wife Kirsty and their two young children. He works in a Primary School in the Vale of Leven where he teaches English as a foreign language. A former Fulbright scholar, he has taught in the United States and has many an entertaining story about his 20 years in Primary teaching.

Graham has a passion for the works of Robert Burns and is a Past President of 3 Burns Clubs. He has spoken widely at dinners and Burns Suppers including San Francisco, Seattle, Clydebank, London, Dublin…but mainly Clydebank!

Over the course of the last 15 years, Graham has spoken and performed poetry at numerous dinners. These include speaking at Burns Suppers at Oxford University on 3 occasions and London’s Caledonian Club on 4 occasions. I have proposed the Immortal Memory at the Lord Provost of Glasgow’s Burns Supper in front of an audience of 1000. In addition to this, I have spoken at many prize giving and Sportsman’s dinners .

Involvement in Robert Burns:

– Past President of the Sandyford Burns Club, founded 1893.

– Past President of the Glasgow Haggis Club, founded 1872.

– Past President of the Helensburgh Burns Club, founded 1912.

-Specialist in proposing the Immortal Memory, on a variety of subjects, and the Toast to the Lassies.

– Specialist in reciting Tam o’Shanter and a range of other Robert Burns’ poems including To A Mouse, A Man’s A Man, The Address to a Haggis, Willie Wastle and A Parcel of Rogues.

– My teaching of Robert Burns in the Primary School has led to my pupils’ work being showcased at Education Scotland events in Stirling Castle, The Edinburgh Hub, Hampden Stadium and The Scottish Learning Festival at the SEC.

– Homecoming Ambassador in 2009/10 for Education Scotland.

– Television interview in January 2012 to discuss Burns Night and ‘Camglen Radio’ interview 2017.

– Guest speaker on Robert Burns in Elementary and Middle Schools in Seattle and San Francisco, U.S.A.

Previous Burns speaking and recitation engagements include:

The Caledonian Club, Belgravia, London 2012, 2019, 2020, 2024

St Hugh’s College, Oxford University Burns Supper 2013, 2014, 2015

The Dublin Scottish Society Burns Supper 2022

The Hitachi Rail Burns Supper 2024, 2025

HMS Dragon Burns Supper 2022

HIT Scotland Burns Supper, Brig O’Doon Hotel 2020

The Royalty Burns Club Annual Dinner 2019,2020,2023, 2024

The Mystic Burns Club 2019, 2025

The Rotary Club of Glasgow

Breast Cancer Care Burns Supper, Glasgow

H.E.A.R.T Burns Supper 2023, 2024, 2025

Abernethy Burns Club Annual Supper

Oran Mor Annual Burns Supper, Glasgow

 Testimonials:

‘Our guests and students so enjoyed your lively and energetic performance of Tam O’Shanter. You are a wonderful Ambassador for Scotland.’ ‘You are a delightful and refreshing Burns speaker who the audience adored.’

The Rt. Hon. Dame Elish Angiolini, Principal of St Hugh’s College, Oxford University

‘Thank you most sincerely for your marvellous contribution to my Burns Supper. Your Immortal Memory was excellent – deeply knowledgeable, articulate and authoritative with many fascinating insights into the various aspects of Burns’ work’.

Lord Provost of Glasgow, Sadie Docherty

This is just a wee email to say a huge thank you for all that you did to make our HIT Burns Supper such a success last week. We have received great feedback and I think everyone in the room appreciated the “lighter Burns touch” which we set out to deliver. Your Toast to Burns was certainly a massive part of that, and you got us off to a real flier. I love the way you manage to combine a few light hearted lines with the tradition of Burns and the delivery was spot on.

David Cochrane MBE, Chief Executive HIT Scotland

Graham, you are a star, I’ve seen Tam o’Shanter performed 7-8 times before, but never with the energy and passion that you brought to it.

David Taylor, Hitachi Rail

‘Thank you so much for entertaining the troops on Friday and for sticking with us to the bitter end. The evening was a total success and everyone enjoyed your speech immensely. People spoke to me afterwards and said it had been the best dinner for many years.’

Graham Lennox, Cambuslang Rugby Club President

‘Thank you for an excellent Toast to the Lassies’ and you could see by the reaction how well it was received.’

Richard Brown, Burns Supper Chairman, Caledonian Club, London

‘It was a wonderful night, due in no small part to yourself. Not only was your delivery of the Immortal Memory both erudite and entertaining but your interaction with Zoe bowled the audience over.’

George Roberts, Captain Douglas Park Golf Club

‘Thanks for all you did in making the night so successful. Your Immortal Memory and Tam O’Shanter where both outstanding.’

Tony Neeson, Cambuslang Rotary President

‘I really need say nothing other than you heard the rapturous applause, you saw the standing ovation. You were obviously content with your performance and so you should be as it was superb. Your poem about ‘Angus and the kilt’ was also very funny and greatly appreciated. You contributed greatly, in more ways than one, in a most excellent and enjoyable evening at the club. My grateful thanks’.

Mr Hugh Murray, President of the Helensburgh Bowling Club

‘A huge thanks for being a speaker at our annual dinner, the feedback I have had is nothing but rave reviews on what was a very entertaining speech.’

Tom Hamilton, Dalziel Rugby Club

‘Just to say thank you for helping to make the Douglas Park Burns Supper another great success and enjoyed by all. I thoroughly enjoyed your Toast and I am sure future organisers of the Burns Supper will be calling on you again.’

Colin McEwan, Captain Douglas Park Golf Club