The iconic Cambridge May Ball returned to Sidney earlier this year following the completion of the College’s exciting Kitchen Project. Let’s take a look!

Sidney’s first ever May Ball took place in 1894 during the Mastership of Charles Smith. Events like this were introduced to help define a strong sense of College identity among the increasing student numbers.

Sidney’s first ever May Ball in 1894 taken in Cloister Court. A group of students pose for the photo.

Sidney’s first ever May Ball in 1894 taken in Cloister Court. Master Charles Smith is in the first seated row, fourth from the left alongside his wife, Annie. Photo credit: Stearn & Sons, 1894

The 2010 Venice-themed Sidney May Ball was a particularly memorable occasion and featured in the national press at the time. A team of students used their engineering skills to bring punting to land-locked Sidney by designing a large lake across the two College courts and joining them up to allow punt tours around a circular loop between the courtyards.

Deputy Head Porter Maurice Flack was on duty at the time and recounts the excitement: “We were in the Lodge, seeing it all coming up, when all of a sudden they started filling it up. I turned to the Head Porter and said ‘We’ve got a problem’, and he said ‘What?’, and I said ‘Well, we can’t get out!’"

In the end, the College engineers supplied the porters with a plank to balance their way over the canal: “We had to make sure there was no punt coming round the corner, and then we had to ‘walk the plank’ to get out!”

Hall Court filled with water for the ‘Venice’ Sidney May Ball

The 2010 ‘Venice’ Sidney May Ball. Photo credit: Geoff Robinson, 2010

The Sidney Sussex May Ball Committee went with a playful ‘Arcade’ theme for the 2022 May Ball that saw Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde — the Ghost Gang — descend on the herbaceous border in the Fellows’ Garden to face-off Pacman, a dazzling neon maze in the centre of Hall Court, and the Knox-Shaw Room transformed into a retro amusement arcade.

Anthony Swain (Publicity, IT & Ticketing of the May Ball Committee) commented, “It was such a pleasure to see the Ball from the first ideas on a whiteboard to the very end with the ideas coming to life. The committee worked extremely hard throughout the year with each individual pouring in countless hours of work, with everyone going the extra mile to make the night as great as possible! We cannot be more pleased with the overwhelmingly positive response from everyone about the night!

“There were many fun small (and large) touches added by the committee. A couple of examples were Mario being projected onto the Cloister walls – running and jumping over them – and the programme front cover doubling up as a template of a mini arcade machine for attendees to keep as a nice keepsake!

“Thank you so much to everyone involved in making the Ball come to life; from the College staff giving up their time to help, to student volunteers helping to set up the day before, to the workers on the night!”

Watch this video to enjoy some highlights from the Ball, produced by Jedrek Koh for SSMB2022.


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