The St. Andrews Ball, held on the eve of the St. Andrew’s Day celebrations, was this year’s follow up to the success of the 600th Anniversary Ball. Held on Lower College Lawn, the ball ably repeated the triumph of its predecessor, with guests leaving in high spirits, armed with Mexigo burritos.

The venue was beautifully decorated, with fairy lights fluttering in every corner. Lower College Lawn is always a difficult place for an event, due to its proximity to, and association with, lecture theatres. On its own, it risks being unexceptional, affecting the atmosphere of the ball within. The committee neatly avoided this pitfall however, allowing the guests to see the grandeur of their surroundings on arrival via Butts Wynd, before using a long trail of brightly lit gazebos to ensure the focus was entirely on the marquee at the bottom of the steps. This created such an ambient, peaceful setting that it was almost a surprise to enter the tent to see a party in full swing.

Beginning with a set by the Jazz Society, the evening smoothly progressed through its many musical acts. The big finish with DJ Gentleman Johnny and student DJ SAUNIT kept guests dancing right up until the final moments. Having been warned of poor behaviour on the part of press members in the past, I was on sensible duty, although this was not mirrored in most other guests who seemed to be having a thoroughly fabulous time. Perhaps the size of the marquee was on the large side, meaning that the hundreds of people there still, on occasion, looked a bit sparse. The decent cocktail menu more than made up for this though, using twists on traditional favourites: for instance adding spiced rum to mojitos. This was supplemented by Desperadoes’ huge sponsorship of the event; ensuring guests were kept adequately merry throughout the evening. Other sponsors included Goodness Gracious Granola, a small local business.

Though many aspects of the night were not exceptionally distinguishable from other events held in the same venue, a significant difference was the destination of the profits from the night. The St Andrews Fellowship puts the money toward the celebrations for the St Andrews Day weekend, one of the signature events in bringing town and gown together. The ceilidh is the prime beneficiary of this, with the amount raised for it standing as testament to the success of the event, not to mention the speed at which the tickets sold out.

Such a well-organised night was bound to be a success. Any minor quibbles were so overwhelmed by the general good spirits of the night as to be almost forgotten. Lower College Lawn is definitely a harder venue to make memorable, but it really was not an issue at this party. If enough alcohol, candy floss and burritos are present, pretty much anything can be brushed over.

Ultimately, the St. Andrews Ball might not offer anything massively different from the rest of the Christmas social calendar, but hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

 

WORDS BY MARINA CARNWATH