Strawberry Ball Eleganza
College girls glittered elegantly at the Strawberry Ball on Saturday night.
The ball is a rite of passage for College II Leavers as they complete their school years and pass the figurative baton to College I, the new flagbearers of The Mount.
The College Leadership Team had dressed the Marriott’s Classics Suite beautifully with a golden wall, balloon entrance and fairy lights. Guests arrived to a welcome drink and mingled amiably as the evening got underway. College II parents and members of staff enjoyed the occasion with the College girls.
Sustainable Glamour
As is tradition, College II Leavers wore floor-length gowns and College Is wore cocktail dresses. Earlier in the term, girls had the option of buying their gowns and dresses from Oxfam, thanks to the kindness of Mrs Stott, a current parent, who arranges with the charity to bring in a range of dresses in all shapes, sizes and colours for the girls to choose from. This wonderful opportunity provides girls with the chance to try the dresses discreetly, support a reputable charity, support recycling (many of the garments have been worn once only before being donated to Oxfam) and grab a bargain to boot! The girls remain thankful to Mrs Stott for this thoughtful gesture each year.
Sumptuous Evening
Guests took their seats for a sumptuous meal, which was followed by a touching video beautifully compiled by Ruby, with photos of the girls from Junior School onwards and set to music. Ruby had created a similar video for the girls at the end of Year 11. Mrs Goudriaan ended with a brief speech, sharing the history of the Strawberry Ball and thanking College II for being such a wonderful year group despite having had their GCSE years ravaged by the pandemic.
Two dining tables were moved aside to reveal an enticing dancefloor. As Mr Dawson started the first tune of the evening, girls gleefully flooded the space and danced on until Mr Dawson ended a song with a very special announcement. Kay took up her guitar and gave a timeless rendition of Frank Turner’s folk song from 2008, Photosynthesis, a touching metaphor for what does and should define us as adult humans. Don’t give in and accept passively the parts of adult life that can become habitual; exercise your choice to act out, to shout and get curious, describes an online reviewer.
After Kay’s song, the dancers took over for the rest of the evening until it was time for the College IIs to exchange their ballgowns and stilettos for clubbing gear and trainers.
Congratulations to the College IIs for curating a brilliant evening. College I is already hatching plans for their Strawberry Ball.
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