Pink Week Ball 2019: A Review

This year’s Pink Week Ball certainly didn’t skimp on the pink. From the outside of Swynford Manor lit up with the Pink Ribbon logo to the hot pink lighting in the entry hall, it very much lived up to its name.

The theme was secret garden, and whilst the entry wristbands (very cute) and the interior décor really went with the theme, the outside spaces such as the food trucks and the marquee struggled a little more to incorporate plant life (see below for the attempt to jazz up the crepe-stand.)

Definitely didn't have to get my tall friend to take this for me.

The food stalls with their ubiquitous striped awnings looked a little more village fete than high society ball and the freezing February air certainly didn’t make the initial long queues for food any more bearable, but the wandering magician was a lovely touch to keep us entertained.

The food itself was ideal for walking about with- think crepes, doughnuts, barbeque and even fajitas (big win.) One highlight was that they had gluten free burgers and buns-something that even now lots of events just don’t cater for. Another was the sheer amount of free crisps. I stole so many. They just kept sort of flinging them in corners.

I was sat down to take this the ball was not peopled by giants.

The entry hall of the manor was stunning, with paper fans pinned to the staircase and, as my friend helpfully pointed out, “a massive chandelier.” The “casino” was a really interesting touch, and the blossom and coloured lights strung throughout the dance floors made the spaces really come together- especially with the gorgeous blossom tree centrepiece.

There were labels with famous women’s names strung from the branches- I think they were all linked by breast cancer but there was no explanation offered, so it would have been nice to have known exactly what we were looking at.

As you can see, my photography skills are inversely proportional to the amount of free cocktails I've had.

In terms of entertainment, the casino was constantly busy, as was the marquee- in fact the silent disco was so popular we didn’t even end up getting in. Live music from the Sax Man and a jazz/soul ensemble whose name I unfortunately can’t remember was brilliant – though dancing to school disco style hits in a big sort of wedding tent in formal clothes is never not going to be surreal.

Drinks were free flowing throughout the night and thanks to huge jugs of premade cocktails there was never really a wait, from the raspberry bellinis on entry to the spirit mixers in the photowall room and the cocktails in the main bar. Obviously with the sheer number of people and the time demands they have the cocktails weren’t amazing, but they absolutely did the job and I was amazed at how easy it was to get a drink.

One thing which was slightly worrying was the sheer amount of plastic cups used – obviously there aren’t a lot of alternatives but I think we all have a pretty visceral panic reaction to single use plastics nowadays.

Despite this, however, it was a lovely night and all for a good cause: and I still haven’t finished all the crisps. God bless Pink Week.

Photos author's own (clearly.)