May Balls at Cambridge

What's the best one and why?

My College isn't having a ball this year, but I've got a ticket for the Sidney May Ball. In the past couple of years it's reviews have been really really good - the review for their last ball from Varsity and TCS said “Excellence was delivered in every sense. Trinity... was in many ways overshadowed by the gentle, human touch of Sidney”
“...an emerging contender for the greatest show in Cambridge”.

I've heard loads about it, and although I would love to be lucky enough to get a ticket to trinity one year, I reckon Sidney seems like a pretty close second, despite the smaller budget and smaller venue.

My College isn't having a ball this year, but I've got a ticket for the Sidney May Ball. In the past couple of years it's reviews have been really really good - the review for their last ball from Varsity and TCS said “Excellence was delivered in every sense. Trinity... was in many ways overshadowed by the gentle, human touch of Sidney”
“...an emerging contender for the greatest show in Cambridge”.

I've heard loads about it, and although I would love to be lucky enough to get a ticket to trinity one year, I reckon Sidney seems like a pretty close second, despite the smaller budget and smaller venue.

Clare is reckoned to be the best 'mid-small' college ball.

Personally I'm going to Peterhouse white tie ball for a bit of a change.
J

Yay! Don't listen to foolfarian, go with this person I like you very much, mate.

Suzy - I don't know much about the balls yet, not having been to one (YET) but it seems to me like a great premise: the entire college is decorated, everyone dresses up, you have gallons of free food and drink from the minute you get inside and (depending on the college's budget) you have live bands, some of which can be big names... rumour has it we have a couple of famous bands coming to play at Sid this year, so exciting... Plus the balls are after the end of exams so I guess everyone's out to have a good time. I'm really excited!

you have live bands, some of which can be big names... rumour has it we have a couple of famous bands coming to play at Sid this year, so exciting...

There's always rumours, it seems to be Trin and Johns that actually have the money to make them come. We had some radio1 dj last year, and it wasn't very impressive, a live band would have been much cooler.

I think balls just provide an excuse for relaxing after the exams and indulging a bit.
These pics are of the empties of one bar at last years ball, it probably doesn't compare to the empties of Trin, but for a fairly small ball ~800-900 I think, and one bar it's not too bad.

http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~rhw27/photos/picture.cgi?scan03w018-20.jpg
http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~rhw27/photos/picture.cgi?scan03w018-15-edited.jpg

Last year at Clare there was a bouncy slide thing, silent films, art around the pond, 2 dancefloors, swing boats (we broke one - not personally ), the mini coffee van thing that camps out in market square, a Shark stand, cocktail bar, gambling room, champagne bar, bottles bar, random bar, fake tatooing place, Midsummer House steak bar with another bottle bar, wine bar and band place, crepe makers, 'fire' show, sweet stand, 'luxury' portatoilets, comedy show, piano concert, hypnotist... and that's just what I noticed. There was probably much more because lots of stuff was happening concurrently.

Oh, garden jenga too, that was good too.

Thing is it seems variable upon what the committee is like that year, apparently Clare punted everyone into the ball a couple of years ago and although it took ages to get everyone in (the queues are bad enough as it is) it must have been so cool.

Alaric.

Scott Mills is an egosentric nob head. He is a crap DJ.

yeh, we all found that out. (i didn't stick around for his act, i went to see scratch perverts).
He spent most of his time using the mic to slag off cambridge people.
to**er
J

Are all the May Ball committees irritatingly secretive and self-important? One of my friends is on the committee for Sidney and much as I love him, it's getting to the stage where if he drops one more hint about the bloody thing I swear I'll get my frying pan out...

Also, we get chucked out of college a couple of days before the ball! - I mean, how rude... Does that happen everywhere?

probably a stupid question........butwhere do you live when you get kicked out?

rosie

Are all the May Ball committees irritatingly secretive and self-important? One of my friends is on the committee for Sidney and much as I love him, it's getting to the stage where if he drops one more hint about the bloody thing I swear I'll get my frying pan out...

Also, we get chucked out of college a couple of days before the ball! - I mean, how rude... Does that happen everywhere?

Our committee was made up mostly of 2nd years, so I didn't have much to do with them. There is a guy on my staircase who is on it, but he isn't being too much of a pain, although he was before the theme came out!

I hope we don't get chucked out, but I don't think we will as I don't tihnk the ball extends as far as Mem court

its your problem
frankly it does suck, but if you're clever you can hide
J

Ooooo I can't wait to Go to Oxford now - hope their balls are as good as Cams, they sound so exciting! Let's just hope the exams go well and I get my grades!