Grey skies of the morning of the Union Garden Party did not bode well, particularly compared to the glorious sunshine of the day before. Many organisers must surely have wondered if Fate was against them. This was added to by the winding queues that stretched out the doors of Sidney Sussex gardens, and the fairly forced efforts of one poor magician to combat boredom in the queue. Nonetheless, as one of the first events in May week, groans at the first sight of the queue quickly died away as the music of the garden party beckoned us closer.

“The most rumbustious booze in town.” This promise from the Union advertising certainly didn’t disappoint. Throughout the event there were multiple drinks, like Pimms, ready and waiting to help guests-in the Union’s words-to get “gazeboed”. Everyone that arrived was immediately greeted with a champagne reception, alongside scones and cream-a quintessentially English way of beginning the festivities. This was a really great way of opening the garden party, serving as a greeting area before the main sections of the event. The harp playing as we handed in our tickets was a further deft touch in the Union’s constant efforts to be the “classy” garden party in May Week.

The real problem was that beneath this stylish façade was the reality of the Union Garden Party experience. Queues. Queues Everywhere. Whilst the drinks queues moved quickly, the ones for food snaked around the garden-many people simply turned away without even trying. And no wonder. Waits of hours for food, even at a garden party as esteemed as the Union just isn’t good enough. The food itself was nice enough when you finally reached the stand. The Burger was perfectly tasty and well cooked. But paying £20 for the privilege of queuing for hours on end doesn’t seem to fit with the grand claims in the description of “nibbling some Pheasant.”

Undoubtedly the setting of the gardens of Sidney Sussex was a great choice for the event. The hedges and trees of the garden providing excellent ways of dividing up the areas of event. Sipping Champagne against such beautiful surroundings was certainly a very ‘Cambridge’ way of starting the May Week celebrations. This was certainly accompanied well by the rock-jazz accompaniments in the background, a great backdrop for the picnicking when people had obtained/given up on food.

Overall, the Cambridge Union Society garden party left me feeling slightly disheartened. An event that promised so much, ultimately failed to deliver. The committee definitely deserves commendation for the style of the event, a classy affair amidst some more drab alternatives in May week. Equally, for those simply looking to get their May week drinking off the ground, the copious quantities of champagne and Pimms provided an excellent opportunity for doing so. But paying £20 for an experience that, for many people, revolved largely around queuing is really unforgiveable for somewhere of the Union’s stature. For 2015, they should concentrate on ironing out these little details, rather than just revelling in styling their event of “coruscating entertainment.”