EXCLUSIVE: Cambridge student ‘deeply disappointed’ with under-the-sea themed ball at Titanic victim Hamish Harding’s old college but they had ‘already purchased’ performers – and were delighted by the ‘amazing submarine pizzas’
- Were YOU at the ball? Email [email protected]
- Students heard nautical themed music and revelled among marine decorations
- Follow all the latest updates in the search for the tourist craft on our live blog
A Cambridge student at Titanic sub victim Hamish Harding’s old college was left ‘deeply disappointed’ after organisers refused to change their lavish under-the-sea themed ball this week and tucked into ‘amazing submarine [shaped] pizzas’, MailOnline can exclusively reveal.
Students organising the May Ball at Pembroke, where Mr Harding, 58, studied in the 1980s, issued a statement hours before the night of revelry acknowledging the awkward optics, but said it was impossible to change the theme because it was ‘chosen months ago.’
A source on the committee has now revealed to MailOnline that students did consider a different theme due to the unknown plight of such a prestigious alumnus, but decided against it because they had ‘already purchased’ entertainment.
The British billionaire’s college held an under-the-sea ball costing £175 per ticket on Wednesday with sea shanties and a rendition of Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On from Titanic – just hours before the Titan sub would have run out of air had it been intact.
It comes after debris from the missing Titan tourist vessel was found at the bottom of the ocean on Thursday and experts revealing the five men onboard had likely died after a catastrophic implosion on Sunday.
Were YOU there? Email/share your photos to [email protected]
Photographs from the ball showed blue lighting and haunting posters with the tagline: ‘Wanted, dead or alive’
Members of one of the choirs at the ball held sea-themed decorations and even wore hats with octopuses on
The May Ball committee posted this statement on its website just hours before the event
The ball had the name: ‘Nautilus – Into The Depths’
A current Pembroke student with knowledge of the Committee’s decision-making process told MailOnline they were left ‘struggling’ with the ball’s theme following the news of Mr Harding’s death.
They said: ‘I am really struggling to deal with the unfortunate timing of our May Ball and the loss of Hamish.’
They described the decision not to make changes to the ball’s events or decor as ‘deeply disappointing’.
The committee member claimed: ‘We actually went to change the theme to “on the beach” on Wednesday but we had already purchased all of the items.
READ MORE: Relatives of British billionaire feared dead in missing submersible condemn his Cambridge college for ‘under-the-sea’ ball
‘The committee had been working on this theme since October.’
The source added that the ball was ‘still great fun’, saying a highlight of the night were local Italian Aromi’s ‘amazing submarine pizzas’.
Wednesday’s ball took place amid a frantic hunt for the five missing crew members of the sub, who at that time unbeknownst to the world, are believed to have died on Sunday.
It is unclear whether their bodies will be able to be recovered.
Pembroke’s May Ball featured submarines on its branding, ocean-themed entertainment acts and ‘wanted dead or alive’ posters just a few hours before the missing Titan tourist vessel was due to run out of air, had it still been intact.
Students were seen clinking glasses of prosecco and cocktails as they enjoyed ocean-themed entertainment.
As queuing students from the University of Cambridge arrived, they listened to sea shanties by band Fisherman’s Girlfriends and pop songs by a local choir.
Inside they were entertained by nautical themed music including a rendition of Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On, from the film Titanic.
Guests paid up to £175 per ticket for a night of entertainment, food and alcohol, and the college was covered in marine-inspired decorations including a giant diving helmet that was lit up throughout the night.
Among the food and drink on offer was a stall from fish and chip caterers Pimp My Fish.
Other attractions included bubble machines, sea-themed lighting and an indoor space filled with pictures of people with the tagline: ‘Wanted, dead or alive’.
May Balls occur at the end of Cambridge’s academic year as a traditional celebration to mark the end of exams
The ball had plenty of underwater decorations such as these models of jellyfish
May Balls occur at the end of Cambridge’s academic year as a traditional celebration to mark the end of exams, and colleges typically have budgets worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
A statement on the ball’s website just hours before it was due to take place said: ‘We are aware of the worrying news about Pembroke alumnus Hamish Harding.
‘Today’s May Ball theme was chosen many months ago and if we could change it now, we would.
‘All we can say is that we sincerely hope that Mr Harding and the others on board the submarine will be found safe and well. Our thoughts go out to the Harding family at this very difficult time.’
The ball’s theme was announced in February, but the committee continued to post images of submarines and dark underwater scenes until the event on Wednesday, including after Mr Harding was reported missing.
A current student at the college also claimed on social media that the ball committee had to cancel some of its ‘promotional material’ at the last minute due to fears around insensitivity.
This was said to have included imagery of ‘a kraken pulling a submarine into the depths’.
Hamish Harding, 58, was one of the passengers onboard the Titan sub, which is now believed to have imploded
Students dressed up in their finest wear and held up ocean-themed related objects at the under-the-sea Pembroke May Ball
By noon on Thursday decorations from Wednesday’s ball were still up around the College, despite all photos being deleted from the ball’s social media accounts
Students socialise late into the night in the grounds of Pembroke College, Cambridge
The first students to arrive at Wednesday’s May Ball enter the grounds
Some students were still partying well into the early hours of the morning at Pembroke, Cambridge
Among the food and drink available at the nautical themed event were cocktails from townandgownevents
Pembroke College, Cambridge, went on with the under-the-sea themed ball as planned
The May Ball committee continued posting underwater imagery, including of submarines, right up until the ball itself
Last night the 58-year-old’s cousin said it was ‘unbelievable’ that the 600-year-old college had gone ahead with an event in such ‘extremely bad taste’.
Kathleen Cosnett accused the college of being disrespectful.
Read more: Inside £175-a-ticket under-the-sea themed Cambridge ball where students danced to Titanic theme song with ‘wanted dead or alive’ posters – hours before missing sub ran out of oxygen with alumnus Hamish Harding on board
‘I was shocked about that,’ she told the Daily Mail. ‘Unbelievable – at his college of all colleges.’
Asked if the event should have been cancelled, she said: ‘Yes, certainly. Someone should have taken a second thought.’
The May Ball theme was named: ‘Nautilus: Into the Depths’.
Although the May Ball committee, which is made up of current students at the College, posted a statement on its website there was no mention of Mr Harding on any of its social media accounts.
After being contacted by MailOnline, the ball’s website was taken down, and posts about the event have been deleted from the ball’s social media accounts.
Photographs from inside the ball show under-the-sea themed decor, and branding for the ball features divers, submarines and sea creatures such as octopuses.
Some students were horrified by the decision to go ahead with the ball and its theme.
Sam Hudson, who studies history and philosophy of science at Trinity Hall College, said: ‘Candlelit vigil at the May Ball now! Anything else would be disrespectful.’ He later hinted online his comments were sarcastic.
Another current student wrote on Twitter about the theme: ‘Oh my God.’
A third added: ‘Omfg’.
Rescue teams are continuing the search for the submersible Titan vessel which went missing during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck
But others were keen to stress the Committee behind the ball was not at fault.
One Pembroke student told MailOnline: ‘The ball itself had no references to submersibles or the like and the theme was mainly interpreted through decor relating to aquatic sea life and pirates.
‘I’m very proud of the committee for organising the event and I hope it didn’t come off as insensitive as it was never the aim.
‘They were cautious and aware of this once the breaking news emerged.’
Meanwhile one student at the ball told student newspaper Varsity it was ‘insensitive given the circumstances’.
She added: ‘It’s a really heartbreaking situation I think it’d be wrong to blame the committee’.
By noon on Thursday, decorations from the ball were still in place at the College.
The ball’s underwater theme was also a way of raising money for charities Plastic Oceans and the Blue Marine Foundation.
British explorer Hamish Harding attended Pembroke College in the 1980s. He graduated from Cambridge with a degree in natural sciences and chemical engineering.
Mr Harding has three Guinness World Records to his name and was a well-respected explorer.
The ball came as his family shared their frustration over the eight hours it took expedition organisers OceanGate to report the craft missing to the coastguard.
Tragically, the US Coast Guard confirmed later on Thursday that Mr Harding and four other crew members had likely perished, saying they had found debris in the search area which appeared to be consistent with a ‘catastrophic implosion’.
Pembroke May Ball and Pembroke College has been contacted for comment.
Source: Read Full Article
