School ball & a half
 

My school is pretty old, 1400 years, & it celebrated its 1,400th in style...

I wasn't planning to go as the tickets were rather pricey, about $200 for a five course meal &tc. It was a tuxedo event & highbrow is an understatement. At the last moment my old school gf rings me up & asks me if I wana go as she has been let down by this other guy at the last moment because he had exams. I say sure & go out & buy a tux etc at the last moment...

First we got on a 100 year old paddle-steamer, we were given champagne & we sailed up the river to the Royal Engineer Barracks. I walked in the door & came face to face with a tiger. There were two of them, skinned & hanging on the wall with numerous other tapestries & historic memorabilia including some cool stuff from ww2. The place was quite fancy, it had big portraits & high celings etc. Then this guy came along wearing tails & a big red sash, he opens these big oak doors & then stands at the side.

The people walk through the doors, hand him their card & he actually reads out their name as they enter, & now ladies & gentleman, Mr & Mrs so & so. I was beginning to think it was something out of Jane Austen eek:

We enter this huge dining hall, with massive paintings of old generals like Kitchener &tc. There are huge long tables with silver service & candlelights. When everyone was seated the guy with the tails & sash gets out a big wooden hammer & starts banging it on another piece of wood. Everyone stands up and a Gurkha comes in playing the bagpipes stupid: He is followed by a Brigadier & a Commodore & a bunch of other people. Everyone gives a toast to the Queen et al & the honoured guests. Then the Royal Signals band starts playing. They have their full redcoat uniforms on & look kickazz rock: This guy starts going around with a Royal trumpet, like the ones you see at medieval tournaments, & he starts playing post horn gallop. [famous brit cavalry charge music thing] A bit later this old guy drinks too much port & gets completely wasted. As the headmaster is making a speech he keeps shouting out "GOOD SHOW OLD BOY & HEAR HEAR, RATHER" happy:

The night was absolutely mad, in an extravagant way full of pomp & circumstance. I've never seen anything quite like it
biggrin:

pictures! you did take pictures right? maybe those quick 15 sec videos will do.

sounds like a good time!... btw, were you and your date introduced as "Lord & Lady Fluffy_Bunny"?... that woulda turned some heads... i'd pay to see that drunk guy in action, that kinda stuff makes me laugh...

I like old stuff like that in small doses. But i like how America is relatively "new" compared to the "old" European setting. It's fun and all to see the older and historic buildings, but there's nothing like newly developed areas. (maybe i should go and visit some 'new' cities in Japan)

I'll see if I can get some, there was a guy going round with a camera, as for Lords etc, one of the guys there was a Knight of St George whatever that is. I should have put Earl Fluffy on my card cool:

That is Exactly how I picture England in my head. rock:

Especially the "GOOD SHOW OLD BOY & HEAR HEAR, RATHER" part. ROFL.

That is awesome. happy:

This thread means nothing without pictures.

1400 FUCKING YEARS OLD?! hollyyyyyy shiitttt

I think they druged everyones drinks.

Hey Fluffy, whereabouts in England you from?

[quote="Infection_Smith@":a45c7]This thread means nothing without pictures.[/quote:a45c7]
a) you didn't read it, or:
b) you have no imagination

sledging.

HA!

Naturally you got some ass out of this deal right?

Im from Kent, the school is 1,400 years old, first guys were sons of Saxons in 604. http://www.kings-school-rochester.co.uk/ I can't find the pix on the actual night on the web, but this is where it was held.

[img]http://www.chkeebleandson.co.uk/images/officersmess.jpg[/img]

& this is the band

[img]http://www.peterjohnson.co.uk/new/Royal%20Signals%20-%20Band%20Of%20The%20Royal%20Corps1.jpg[/img]

The tiger skins &tc were in the entrance hall but I can't find any pix of those yet.