On the evening of Saturday 2nd July, the UVI students, families, guests, and staff gathered for the annual Lily Ball. The evening is a highlight of the Summer Term and the final event for our Leavers, and this year was once again kindly sponsored by The Calne Girls’ Association and the Parents’ Guild of St Mary’s.

The Founders’ Day marquee was rapidly transformed following the Prizegiving to create a sensational ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ themed party space. The marquee ceiling was studded with fairy lights, pillars were transformed into green leafy canopies with hanging baskets of star-lit foliage, and tables were bedecked with twinkling lights and beautiful woodland-themed floral arrangements. The colour scheme of forest green and blush pink was chosen by the girls and reflected in the beautifully illustrated programme, table linen and decorations.

Guests enjoyed pink prosecco and delicious canapés in the early evening sunshine (with the added excitement of a Red Arrows’ flypast!), before sitting down to a delicious two-course, summer-themed dinner menu, selected by the students.

Dinner gave way to dancing to the music of the exceptional Will Blake band, and it was genuinely exciting to see our Leavers take to the dance floor for the first time in three years. The dance floor was packed until midnight when the Leavers of 2022 were swept off to their afterparty to start the fun all over again. The evening was a sensational and exciting send-off for the students, and one they will long remember as they head off into the future.