You shall go to the ball And that ball was the Selwyn Snowball, the socialista’s event du choix, the place to be seen in all your finery and whatnot. Apologies for a delayed account of this, but the last bit of term was quite a frenzy of activity, but it’s here now, so rejoice!

The evening began with quite a marathon queue: outside in the cold and wet at 8pm for doors open at 9 (VIP ticket holders were in earlier, but us plebeians waited our turn politely) but with spirits high: this was the ball we’d all been waiting for! While comparing outfits, talking about this and that, the shivering was lessened somewhat by the distribution of hot soup to us all. Now, with planning like this, you knew you were in for a good night. I couldn’t help but feel though that it must’ve been an odd sight: several hundred students suited and booted, well-presented tramps waiting in the queue for a soup hall?

So in we went, quite speedily, to be confronted with ice sculptures and feature-lit architecture, the spectacle hastily taken in in the dash for the warmth of the inside. And inside, the marvel continued: the whole college was quite unrecognisable, with every public function room taken over and decorated in the theme of the Greek gods and goddesses with the great swathes of cloth and tapestry that had previously been stinking out our staircases with fire-retardant fumes. The feeling of disorientation was great- the hall now had a full-size stage, with several live bands playing (not at once, of course), the refectory had been shifted around, doors open where doors had never been opened before (there are quite a number of strange passages and corridors in college, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn they led to other dimensions), the Chadwick room became kitted out with decks and a dancefloor… amazing stuff. Truly amazing indeed.

And so onwards we march through the night, accompanied by limitless free grub and grog and marvellous company. Despite the flowing of booze, I found myself unable to get past being merrily squiffy- I had eaten too much! Madness. But this was down to the roast pork, turkey, flat breads, hummous, taramasalata, yoghurt, olives, dolmades, lamb burgers, ice cream, Krispy Kreme doughnuts and, AND, the flowing, gushing ohmygodit’sjusttoomuch! chocolate fountain surrounded by marshmallows for your dipping delight. Just the memory of it all invokes heartburn.

Gosh, yes, we were all gluttons for a night. Not content with the cornucopia (and indeed, many also had the horn of plenty) of wonderful food and smashing drink, we also had to our avail fortune tellers, comedians, a full scale club, live bands, and gentle jazz and foot masseuses to soothe in the odd moments a breather was required. Cushions scattered in corners provided a place to flop and recuperate ready to carry on with the evening. Really and truly, every need was catered for.

Lastly, because I've forgotten probably half of what happened, I shall leave you with a couple of pictures (I forgot to take lots! there was too much to do to photograph!) to show of the six-hour fest of delight.

EDIT: See the photos from the official photographer here!

Posted: 09-12-05 01:06 :: Permalink: http://ben.corale.co.uk/archive/v1/214.html

Comments Use the form at the bottom to post your comments. Here is the feedback:

vjkbfgsjk writes well...here's the website for mine.

it's shit in comparison

http://www.look-at-our-balls.com/ Commented: 09-12-05 02:59

The blog author writes To be fair, you did have a fairground... bumper cars all the way!! Commented: 09-12-05 14:09

Wolfie writes Fascinating though your account may be, it seems to me that some essential details were withheld. With whom did you go? Did you have a date? Why are there so few pictures of you at the ball? What exactly does "many also had the horn of plenty" mean? What exactly does "every need was catered for" mean?

I think we should be told. Commented: 09-12-05 19:13

krustysnaks writes Did the luge tragically stain your dinner jacket? Commented: 13-12-05 11:12

The blog author writes Questions! Questions! Gosh, you are all inquisitive :)

-Firstly, I went solo to the ball, and had a very good time indeed despite that.
-Leaving, I had no gentleman attached to my arm either.
-There are a few pictures of me, but oddly the number is very few.
-Horn of plenty: bad joke, but I'm sure many were seeking luuurve, it was a ball after all!
-Every need was catered for: I think this went only as far as foot massages. As far as I know anyway!

As for luge stainage, I'm not really sure what that stain is on my jacket! It's suspicious. I swear it wasn't there when I put the suit away... hmm... Commented: 18-12-05 01:24