Current Oxford/Cambridge students support/chat continued

[Panicmode1]

New thread.....!

What a dumb day to make that decision. Either do it ahead of any graduation or don't alter things at all. Immediately after a slew of graduations? - badly done.

@madcattersteaparty we bought the gown on results day (didn't want to count any chickens!). DS has a suit, and a black tie/DJ because he needed one for a couple of events before uni, but for his formal halls, most people wear suits. He hired white tie for his May Ball so you defo don't need to buy one!

@HewasH20 how utterly annoying timing-wise, but great news for your DD!

Great news for your DD @HewasH20!

@madcattersteaparty DS ordered his gown to home after results day. (It was during Covid and we weren’t sure whether he would be able to buy one in store at that time.) He took his sixth form dark navy suit for matriculation and formals and black tie for other formal dinners, winter and summer balls and graduation. He has had had a lot of use out of both.

Dd graduates on my birthday in September. I've told her that she can have graduation fuss until 6pm, then my birthday starts!

It's been incredibly messy with some faculties going for a no detriment policy, others saying could go up or down - I'm not clear why a uni wide approach couldn't have been agreed at the outset. It's a real mess and I know that some students are therefore in really quite a mess - on the cusp of offers which could go down. But obviously excellent for your DD H20. I suppose there's an argument that it's better that fewer students are left in a state of uncertainty but I can't think of any great defence for the original lack of co-ordinated response by the uni authorities.

That's really good news for your DD, @HewasH20 about her being able to move up to a provisional categorisation for her degree, which can't be reduced and I hope you all enjoy the celebration - for both her and your birthday too that same day. Meanwhile, I also agree that this is ridiculous timing for those who graduated last week but without a proper classification.

@madcattersteaparty it must be very exciting thinking about what your DS might need like black tie etc etc. my two had cheap M & S black lounge suits and also a black tie jacket and black bow tie and this seemed to cover every eventuality.

@PettsWoodParadise this is a very exciting time for your DD too and I hope everyone now waiting for A Level results will be fine and able to progress to their places at Oxbridge.

Thanks @mutterphore and for everyone on this thread. It is so lovely hearing about the resilience of all your YP, their achievements alongside the mundane practicalities of what to wear for those of us (hopefully) starting the journey like @madcattersteaparty‘s DS and my DD.

That's great news @HewasH20 although I agree it's awful for those who have missed out - why couldn't this have been announced before graduations started?

We're bundling D2's birthday and D1's graduation in September. Poor D2 will spend 5 hours of her birthday in the car and the next morning is D1's graduation so she'll be left to her own devices in Oxford (only 2 guests for graduation and afterwards at college for I don't know what - a glass of prosecco?) I've just booked to eat out on that evening and the earliest table was 7.45, so I'm thinking I should probably book for the following evening as well.

@JulesJules you could try asking for a spare ticket in the queue. Worked for us! My DD’s friend was saying that she went to the cinema when she was in that situation. Thought it was a good idea.

Oh thank you @pantjog, I'll suggest it. I think she's leaning towards a long lie in (!!) and then the Ashmolean

I hope DD2 secures an extra ticket @JulesJules although her alternative plan sounds pretty good too!

Extra tickets were impossible to come by for DD's (Oxford) graduation coffee/lunch/ceremony/prosecco last year. DD was allocated two tickets which DH and I used which left DS and DD's boyfriend with several hours to fill. They collected pre-ordered flowers from the covered market, watched DD arrive at the Sheldonian, had a pub lunch whilst watching the live stream and then met us back at the college afterwards. Although this bit was also supposed to be restricted to two guests, there were several extended family groups at this point so a couple of extra guests really did not seem to matter. The five of us then had dinner together later that day so we did do an awful lot of sitting and eating!

DS (Cambridge) was originally allocated two tickets for his graduation ceremony at Senate House and four tickets for the buffet tea at college afterwards. His college had some spare tickets available for the ceremony so DD and DS's girlfriend were able to come to the ceremony too which was lovely.

White tie: DS has never needed this. As far as I know, the only events which specify this are one or two of the most expensive May Balls (Trinity? St John's?)

Times may have changed. Trinity says, “The only acceptable attire is traditional Black Tie, White Tie or formal national dress” and St John’s ,”The dress code is strict black tie or national dress. Dresses must be below the knee in length. White tie is not permitted.”

If you search for Trinity May Ball 2023 on Facebook there are hundreds of photos of guests so you can see what they were wearing. (My favourite are the couple in pale blue Japanese National dress, about 27th photo down in Album 2.)

I don’t know about other Cambridge colleges but I understand that those two Balls are indeed the most expensive.

No need whatsoever to go up equipped for summer balls, or indeed matriculation. Everything is very easy to get hold of once there.

Peterhouse is white tie for balls.

...and still no sign of a degree classification here!

One of my BiL's went to Peterhouse alongside John Finnimore of R4 fame. His tutor refused him permission for an overnight stay on the IoW for his grandmother's funeral insisting that he should be able to do it in a day. He never wore white tie and loathed Peterhouse by the time he left. Much preferred his time at Oxford.

Magdalene is the other one that requires white tie, they alternate with Peterhouse. One of them is my college and I'm very fond of it but can't honestly say there's any reason at all to go to the Ball...

I think my son must be at your old college @PermanentTemporary - he had a blast at this yrs May Ball and sent me a photo of himself at the boathouse because they went rowing at 6am in white tie after the survivors photo....!

(Funnily enough I'm on holiday and reading very mediocre thrillers set in 1930s Cambridge....one of the baddies has just blown up the wall of a power station on Thompsons Lane...can't say I remember seeing one when dropping or collecting DS!)

There’s a photo of chimney of the power station on Thompson’s Lane here. Or, its chinmey. Also here - the Cambridge Electricity Supply Company is mentioned lower down.

This article says that the electricity generating station by the quayside was obsolete in 1920 / 1926. Perhaps the baddie in the 1930’s didn’t realise.

There’s a lot of new building on that side of the river so it’s not surprising you’ve never seen evidence of it.

@SilverSilverStreet that's fabulous, thank you! Some poetic (fictional) licence being taken perhaps!

HewasH20 rookie error asking for permission in the first place.

I'm going to visit DS this weekend; I'm really looking forward to seeing him.

His project (The magneto-optics of a potentially useful topological semimetal) seems to be going well; he has prepared a poster and is giving a presentation next week.

Olden days @goodbyestranger when your bearded tutors dressed in tweeds knew everything about you!

Have fun @Ironoaks.