How Old Are You Anyway? A fusion of birthday parties through the ages, this year’s Clare May Ball invited attendees to forget all about how old they really are and to get stuck in to activities for both young and old. And what a birthday party it was — from dusk ’til dawn, ball-goers were given the time of their lives.

The theme was best reflected in the choice of non-music entertainment, perhaps because they were so closely associated with classic birthday fun. There were retro arcade games for those who wanted a vintage gaming match, or a Virtual Reality experience set up in the Great Hall for a state-of-the-art game of space invaders. Punting was also available, which was very different to the journey one might have if trying to self-navigate a punt down the Cam on a Sunday afternoon.

Punters were there to give a swift twenty-minute or so circuit, the perfect amount of time to take a quick breather from dancing, and to experience the Cam at its most peaceful. Undoubtedly my favourite part, however, was the adult ball pit. As all who visited found out, no matter how old you are, there’s still a lot of fun to be had from throwing small plastic balls at your friends and trying to hide when they throw back.

“This was one birthday party that none of us will be forgetting in a hurry.”

The choice of music acts for the main stage was excellent and ensured no one was standing still for a minute. Despite initially not being excited at all for David Rodigan, I caught the last twenty minutes of his set and found him to be a lot of fun. A worthy headliner, he got the crowd worked into a frenzy, and the super charged atmosphere continued into the set of the next act, Jigsaw. Taking a more mainstream vibe than Rodigan’s reggae beats, Jigsaw nonetheless kept everyone dancing with all they had to give. Colonel Spanky’s Love Ensemble were the last act to take to the main stage, playing their signature funky covers as the sun came up. The perfect act to end on, for dancing could take a slightly more chilled vibe and their set contained something for everyone.

Music was spread across two other stages also. In Old Court, Fitz Swing played as ball goers entered: although they didn’t draw in much of a direct audience, they did provide that all-important atmosphere that you need to get in the spirit of a ball, and those who followed on kept this up too. I briefly caught Kikomann’s set in the Master’s Garden too, and despite clashing with David Rodigan, there was still a decent crowd getting down to his groovy beats.

There was a wide variety of food on offer, and it wasn’t just the standard deep fried stuff you might expect to find at a May ball either. Queues for food were at times rather long: I waited for the Vietnamese street-food for almost half an hour before giving up and going elsewhere, but mostly waiting times were more reasonable. The food itself, which ranged from stone-baked pizza to Poutine and dumplings, was very tasty and served in just the right portions that were neither too filling or not enough. Drinks were mainly the typical May Ball selection of cocktails, spirits and prosecco, as well as various soft drinks, but there were shots and craft ale on offer too. The drinks queues were minimal, and the cocktails were especially good, but all drinks were much appreciated by guests.

The hours of hard work that had gone into putting this night together from the committee must have been immense, but it certainly all paid off. The layout was carefully thought out, the number of activities on offer was huge, and the number of survivors left at 5am just goes to show that this was one birthday party that none of us will be forgetting in a hurry