If I were to ask the SJCR president the same question Harold McMillan infamously received in the 1960s, I have little doubt she would say ‘events, dear boy, events’ (albeit in a less formal manner) as the former Prime Minister did. Indeed, events to the SJCR are like yin to yang; Romeo to Juliet; and quarter zips to Durham students – they are simply the pinnacle of life in John’s.
If the curtain raiser events of Fresher’s Week and the Bailey Ball weren’t enough to whet your appetite (in which case you must be some sort of competitive eater), Epiphany and Easter term’s forthcoming events will leave nothing to be desired, and will be a welcome distraction from the stress of summative season.
To this end, I recently caught up with the SJCR’S Events Officer, Hannah Parfitt, to discuss Michaelmas’ highlights, the background to planning an event, and what the SJCR has in store for us for the rest of the year.
The planning for a formal is arduous enough – with it beginning two or three weeks in advance – but it is for larger events where the SJCR really make their proverbial money. According to Hannah, she started planning for the Bailey Ball – an event which takes place in November – all the way back in June.
Once the theme is decided that month, bookings can start to be made: photographers, the marquee, inflatables, tech, music, and so on. This process continues into Fresher’s Week, where meetings with staff in college take place to discuss logistics – for example meetings with Catering to complete the menu.
Then of course there is the bureaucracy: there is a risk assessment, which Hannah describes as being ‘many pages long’, there’s a wet weather plan which is drawn up (a good thing too given the marquee flooded the day before Bailey Ball this year!), and there are surprising amounts of training which have to be done – from ladder training to dishwasher training! That’s not to mention dealing with finances – this year’s Bailey Ball cost around £18,000 in total.
there are surprising amounts of training which have to be done – from ladder training to dishwasher training
Still, Hannah describes planning the Bailey Ball as being rewarding – despite the fact that ‘when it gets to the actual event, [the planners] are all tired and then are up all night for twelve hours, it always seems to go well, and people evidently enjoy it.’ In fact, apart from being one of the highlights of the year for students, it also plays an important role as a fundraiser – this year’s Bailey Ball is said to have raised over £1000 in that regard.
Looking forward to the rest of the year, it is clear that there are plenty of events to pique our interest. Epiphany’s highlight, the Bailey Charity Fashion show, is provisionally scheduled for March, whilst the likes of Brewfest (if you thought Oktoberfest was boozy, this will be another level) and John’s Day (featuring the infamous raft race) are certainly events to be anticipating in the summer.
Finally, it is the year’s showpiece event – the Summer Ball. Hannah tells me that an offsite country house is hired for the night (Beamish Hall for the past couple of years, but a new venue may be in the works for this year), with everyone shipped off in coaches or buses for a drinks reception, dinner, and entertainment (featuring the likes of Ferris wheels and bumper cars!). As a college, we clearly have a lot to look forward to in the remainder of the academic year.
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