The Bangers & Mash Ball - 26.08.12

Having spent several months on the organising committee for the ball I was very anxious to see it all come together on this Bank Holiday weekend.

Under the theme of 'Best of British' we began decorating the main Hall with red white and blue EVERYTHINGS. You name it!

(yes it's a gnome)

BUT if you as a non-ball-attender have heard anything at all about our annual Ball's you'll have heard of this............................................. the Barrow of Booze!!

Quite literally a wheelbarrow of alcohol that gets auctioned off to the highest bidder. I think in total there were 54 bottles of wine, ale and even some champagne which a very lucky person took home for £325! 

Bargain.

Excellent food (thanks Black Peppermint) and wine (Merci to Steep Hill Wines), FAB music (Love Boat Captains - see our Back To The Future Nights!), beautiful decorations, programmes and auction and raffle prizes (thanks to Design by Distraction among others) and even some magic courtesy of the amazing Scott Perry made this a truly memorable and brilliant night.

If you've never been to one of these ball's before (as I hadn't) I strongly recommend you keep one eye open for it when next August comes around.

-Hilary Shepherd, Marketing Officer

Back To The Future 80's Night - 31.03.12

The minute I encountered Simon Le Bon closely followed an exhuberant & stylish Adam Ant, I knew the evening was going to be a winner. My ears were already being assailed by the music & DJHeretic was cranking up the heat with the Jam, the Proclaimers & the Clash. 

Out on the dance floor the cocktail tray was doing the rounds, closely followed by shots of every colour, served up by a hot little sweetheart who wove her way between the Kids from Fame, the Boy George lookalikes & the punks. 

A kaleidoscope of colour & the movement of the crowd exploded like a paint ball onto the big screen behind the DJ & the requests just kept coming.

Out in the cafe bar more party goers threw  their shapes in a moving arena whilst Rod Hull & Emu laid traps for the unwary reveller. The live band  kept it coming & we just lapped it up - the good times were never better.

The 80's had hit town like a Christmas cracker & we all wanted a piece of it - with its flamboyant legwarmers to its glitzy black lace to the arrogance of the New Romantics. 

From Tears for Fears to Rick Astley to Ultravox & beyond! - we loved them all - we picked the music & we got what we wanted.

It doesn't get better than this when you turn back the clock & choose the best - one of the things the Drill Hall does well - they know how to throw a mean party! Even the staff were in the mood!

To the moment when we scmaltzed to the Slow-y then ripped it up to the reggae of the Ghost Town - we gave it our best shot.

So c'mon guys - heres to the next one - bring on the 90's night..............!

-Terri Newstead, Front of House