As all of you know I love formal affairs. So it was with great excitement that I was tyin' up my black tie, puttin' in my shirt studs and polishin' my nails for tonight's MCR black tie dinner.

I arrived at The Octagon, the wood-pannelled, eight walled room that is the centrepiece of the MCR, just a few minutes after 6.45pm. Sherry was being served and the room was already half full. One of the great things about the MCR which neither the JCR nor SCR has is the wine cabinet, which is in the corner of the Octagon and is built into the wall. They're both very jealous of us because of that! Sherry is one of the fine beverages which the MCR maintains a supply of, both sweet and dry, and so I helped myself to a glass of dry sherry and sat down next to my friends Michael and Andrew (who brought his lovely wife Erin). None of us are British- Michael is from Leipzig, in East Germany, and Andrew and Erin are from Tampa, Florida. We were joined by Inessa, from Uzbekistan, making out little corner very international. Fancy that, a group of five people from all around the world, sitting in a very English institution and indulging in one of the most English of pasttimes- drinking sherry before dinner, dressed in black tie and dinner jacket.

At around 7pm Gareth rang the bell and announced dinner, so off we went into Hertford's dining hall. As we ascended the old stone steps, worn smooth by countless generations of old Hertford students, people began shushing each other. We entered the darkened, candlelit dining hall speaking in whispers, with us freshers wondering why. The reason was soon obvious- at the far end, at the High Table, the Fellows of the College were having their dinner. The did not look up or acknowledge our presence in any way, but continued to eat, resplendent in their gowns and looking mysterious by candlelight.

We sat at the long tables and began with an excellent sorbet, which topped a half slice of melon. It was both refreshing and delicious, cleansing the palate and whetting the appetite. It was followed by the main course. For those of us who were having the vegetarian option, it was a red onion tart and salad. for the rest, it was pheasant (I think). Conversation was excellent. It is one of the great things of this university that so many great minds come together from all over the world- sitting around me were a South Korean, a French Canadian, three Americans, and a chap from Reading of Scottish and Irish parentage. It was all very fun.

Halfway through the main course, three loud bangs of wood upon wood silenced us, and we rose to our feet. The Fellows rose and one of them uttered a brief prayer, and we chorused in whispers, "Amen." Thereafter they filed out of the dining hall in silence, one by one, again not acknowledging us. As the last of them exited we sat down again and resumed conversation. For those who were new, it was a very interesting and mysterious experience. After they left, things loosened up, and it was then we started to take pictures. You can see the back of the dining hall, with High Table on its slightly raised platform.

After an excellent dessert, the MCR President rose and spoke briefly, thanking the kitchen staff for their excellent food, everyone for coming, and proposing toasts to the new school year and to Mrs. Barbara Paxman, our College Secretary who retired as of this morning. He then kicked off the MCR tradition of sconcing, which I will not explain here, but leave for a later time.

We then retired back to the Octagon for port, chocolate and fruit, and thence to the famous College bar for a last drink. Some went off to the Zodiac club to indulge in a night of revelry. May others, like your correspondent, went home.

And to bed. Goodnight.