May Ball

For years, I've been begging my friend Anil to take me to one of Cambridge University's famous (infamous?) May Balls. These are all-night black-tie parties done only the way the British can do a schmancy affair. And yes, May Balls are almost always held in the month of June. Weirdos.

Finally this year Anil told me that he could get tickets for St. John's College. Normally, most of Cambridge chants, "I'd rather be at Oxford than St. John's..." but Johns is one of the fanciest of the schmancies (and once called the 7th best party in the world by Time Magazine.) At £350 a ticket, it was sure to be a night to remember... how could I say no? So I dusted off my sparkly ball gown (doesn't every girl have one hidden in the depths of her closet?) and headed off across the pond.

It was almost intimidating. The dress code is strict (below-the-knee dresses for women, black tie only for men), security is tight, and the theme and entertainment is kept a secret. They requested my full name months before the event, and I soon found out why...                                                 

When we arrived, we found out the theme for the evening: Ars Gratia Artis - art for art's sake. 

           

We got our ticket from Malte (here with his date Julia). We arrived at around 8PM and waited in the line that snaked through the Fellow's Gardens, at the back of the college. That meant we had some entertainment while we waited for the doors opened at 9PM. They checked our IDs and issued wristbands (an embroidered ribbon, no less), that was checked and re-checked upon entering every Court lest a gate-crasher attempt to pass.



The big May Balls are famous for the Ents - the continuous stream of entertainment throughout the night - and John's did not disappoint. At any given time, there were up to 7 different acts to choose from, including the headliners Aluna George and Rudimental:

First thing we saw upon entering were mounds of strawberries with champagne. Holy strawberries. We each grabbed a glass and made our way across The Backs (with a view of the New Court) to the main part of the college.

Everyone was dressed to the nines. I'm sure this is what an Oscar party must look like - elegant people partaking in bacchanalian debauchery.

Thirsty? Scattered around were punts, the flat-bottomed boats that are usually found floating on the River Cam, that had been dragged throughout the college and filled with various drinks.


(Needless to say, as the evening wore on it became apparent who were the excited undergrads who felt the need to drink their money's worth...)

On a side note, there was a 'No Bins' policy - i.e. we were encouraged to throw our rubbish on the ground, so poor peasant workers could come around to pick up after us.

We took our champagne and crossed the Kitchen Bridge, where we had a good view of the Bridge of Sighs (connecting the Third Court with New Court.)

Later that evening, the Kitchen bridge was a good vantage for the Cam, which was slowly filling with punters trying to get a glimpse of the action. Most of the gawkers were waiting for the fireworks shows from both Queen's College and St. John's.

The fireworks began at 11PM, and we had an excellent view from The Backs:

Immediately after the show, we decided to play a bit of mini-golf and then ride the Dodgems (known in America as bumper cars). Nothing beats bumper cars in a ball gown:

When it got cold, we went into the casino to play a little blackjack, or stopped for some wine and cheese and a bit of music in the Hall:

The front side of the Cam is where the main (older) part of St. John's College is located. Going away from the river, we walked through Third Court, Second Court, and First Court. Each had a variety of tents, entertainment, and food, including this freaky stilt-walker:

and this, the comedy tent in the Second Court:

There was a different theme in each Court, with accompanying food and drink:

And there was food aplenty. Everywhere you turned was another tent, fountain, cart, or table laden with some treat or another. Thank god for Spanx...:

The main act, Rudimental, was actually pretty good:

In the early morning hours, we took a breather in the Acoustic Tent in Chapel Court:

and when we stepped outside at 4AM, it was already getting light out. Genius that I am, I'd flown in from California the day before and hadn't gotten used to the time change, so I was still awake:

The final act of the night is always The Gentlemen of St. John's, who played at 5AM on the main stage. By then we were exhausted, so when it started to rain at around 6:30, we were ready to call ourselves survivors.

Thanks Anil, Malte, Julia, and St. John's College, for an amazing night!

OK, so yes, while I was in Cambridge, I might as well get my fill of the May Ball parties. So Anil, Amir, Martina, David, and Ivana decided to go to Wolfson's event later that week. Two May Balls in four days? Why yes!

Wolfson's is definitely more casual than John's - the theme was Wolfstock, and it was a much more relaxed mood and dress. Still lots of fun, and an experience to remember.