Formal Dinner at Hertford College

This past Friday night we were invited to attend formal dinner at Hertford College by one of Brian's colleagues. Pete is a Brit and just completed his PhD at Oxford this past term. He was an undergrad and grad student at Hertford College, and now will be a Post-doc with Brian's group for a short time. Pete's girlfriend is Gemma, and she's an undergrad with Hertford College. They are great people and are only a few of the Brits we know as friends.

Anyway, each college has a guest night maybe once a month during term (that's how we had dinner at St. Hilda's as well). We didn't sit at the Head Table this time like we did at St. Hilda's, but sat in the regular rows of tables and benches with the students. The dinner at Hertford was called Formal dinner, so it was black tie. Brian wore his tux, but I was a bit caught off guard on this dinner, and wasn't best prepared. So I wore a smart (albeit a bit too casual) dress and dressy boots.

We met Pete at the pub for a drink beforehand, and then met up with Gemma at the President's lodgings during the champagne reception. It's amazing the life these Oxford students have here. They have formal events with champagne receptions with the President. And this is normal for them during their collegiate careers! I remember late night snack night in the canteen at Gustavus during finals, where we're all wearing sweatpants and no makeup! I suppose our Banquets for sorority/fraternity stuff were the most formal we got in college. And that was only if you were in one or invited by someone in one. So here we're trying to act as proper as possible as you can see!

After the reception, everyone went into the dining hall and has to first stand by their place until the head table people (including the president) enters in the room to their seats. Then before we can all sit down, the President bangs a gavel on the table for silence, and says grace in Latin. This order is basically repeated at the end of dinner as well.


We had a nice 4-course meal starting with cream of mushroom soup. Then grilled salmon with mango salsa for 2nd course. Then filet mignon, potatoes and cabbage for main. (Of course Brian went with the veggie tart for veg option.) Dessert was a champagne and strawberry mousse tart thing. And we had to experience the "No Hands Dessert" at formal dinner. So we learned that even though you're at a formal dinner, students don't act very formal! So Brian and I gave No Hands Dessert a go!















After dinner, Pete, Gemma and Gemma's friends Jen and Corenza, gave us an inside tour of the college.They have a gorgeous chapel, simple but elegant, small library and the college bar. Of course we had to stop off at the bar for a quick one before heading back outside of the college and to the pub again.













I haven't even mentioned yet, but it was also Pete's birthday that day, so many other colleagues and friends of Pete's were at the pub and more partying continued. Gemma had baked a cake for all, which was a big hit. We stayed until pub closing time and I'll admit wasn't feeling too perky on Sat a.m. :)