Sunday 16 June 2013

Boat Party!!


1.
A perfect evening:
warm, still and cloudless

2.
Three hundred and fifty Geographers,
staff and students, ready to party.

And twenty enormous, surly bouncers.


3.
Setting off from Tower Bridge
we sail upstream to Westminster
and then downstream to the Dome.

4.
The Shard looks spectacular...
it was a case study for a recent PhD...


5.
There are blue framed shades, black lace dresses,
cream wedding shoes on a trial run, tweed flat caps.

6.
The finalists tell me their plans for the future:
postgraduate studies, job applications, careers.


7.
The second years tell me about their summers:
jobs, travel, dissertation research.

8.
The first years tell me about their memories:
freshers week, Spain, halls, tutorials.


9.
I thank the GeogSoc committee:
Sam, Martha, Hannah, Will, Becca, Izzy and Abi,
their hard work and imagination
has made so many happy memories this year.

10.
There is dancing.


11.
A sunset to remember for a lifetime.
Every shade of red, orange and gold.

12.
Here I am with the lovely Natalie:
PhD student, rugby fanatic and dear friend.


I catch a late train home from Waterloo
and I am looked after all the way
by students who make sure I get home safely.

And that was the loveliest thing of all.

10 comments:

  1. looks like it was a fabulous party x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was great fun but I did learn that at boat parties you must choose a dress that doesn't blow upwards when there is a gust of wind.

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  2. AnonymousJune 16, 2013

    You must love your work, it always sounds so exciting.

    Lovely to see a picture of you! Very sparkly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The metal applique was heavy so I clanked like a soldier at Remembrance Sunday.

      Delete
  3. Oh , I miss students and academic life. Weather was awful here though so glad I wasn't on a boat.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is hard to let them go after three years - I am sure that you remember that too.

      Delete
  4. Alice it looks wonderful. They're lucky to have you guiding them though these formative years xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All the credit should go to the academic staff for their hard work as tutors and supervisors.

      Delete

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