After the great success of the Narnia-themed party last Friday, in which students had an evening of so much fun, thoughts have begun to be turned towards the second and final celebration in Balliol: a British Seaside-themed extravaganza, to be held in Balliol’s very own JCR.

After the morning lessons and practical application of skills in the afternoon workshops, students were given free time in which to head out onto the streets of Oxford for what may be the last time. Some went shopping, adding to their impressive collections of Oxford memorabilia or immersing themselves in the great book vaults of Blackwells Bookshop while they still can; others chose to stay in the leafy quiet of Balliol’s quads, reclining on the grass over a game of cards.

In preparation for the post-graduation party tomorrow, counsellors led a tie-dye session, making some beautifully coloured T-shirts ready for as fully realistic a seaside experience as one can have in an Oxford college. In the evening, while the tie-dye dipping was taking place, other students went out into the twilit streets to seek a cultural experience. The Holywell Music Rooms, their destination, are Europe’s oldest purpose-built concert hall; and the musician playing in them last night has been filling their chambers with music for over thirty years. Acclaimed by no less a publication than the New Yorker, Jack Gibbons is a premier performer, and his evening of Beethoven’s music was enormously enjoyed, with the Pathétique and the Moonlight Sonatas, well-known by almost all present, particularly captivating.