Seconds at dinner time

If you would like a second portion of dinner, please form a line behind the "seconds queue" sign hanging from the ceiling at 7:00 pm, and wait there until the server calls you forward.

Otherwise, it can be difficult for people coming into the dining hall for "firsts" to know where they should queue. And of course, everyone should have the chance to get a first portion before anybody takes a second portion. So that's why we have a separate line, clearly distinguishable from the "firsts" queue.

Seconds should usually be available from around 7:05 pm, as the kitchen staff have to weigh how much is left over at 7:00 pm before they offer anything for seconds. So that's why you should wait until you are called forward.

Christmas speech - delivered 14 December 2012

Well done: we’ve all survived our first term together! I hope you have found Connaught Hall to be welcoming and friendly, and that you have now fully settled in and are calling this place “home”. I know many of you have made friendships here already that will endure long beyond your time at University.

We have enjoyed lots of freshers’ events together, a great Hallowe’en party, a really fun and festive night of decorating the Christmas tree last week, and a sophisticated night out at Senate House on Foundation Day. We’ve hosted a Thanksgiving dinner and a Diwali celebration. The Residents’ Club have organised a bingo night and trips out for fireworks and a carol service. I hope events like all these help you to meet people you otherwise would never get to know and reinforce your sense that this place is your home, and that our community is your family here in London.

This Hall can only be what we collectively make it. It’s up to all of us to think what kind of environment – both physical and social – we want to live in and make our own positive contributions towards making that happen.

This is a good time of year to reflect, repair, and renew. We’re at the end of term 1 already. That’s the hardest bit of university out of the way. For let’s not underestimate the massive upheaval of moving home, making new friends, settling into a new way of studying, and finding your way around a new city. But you’ve done it. It perhaps doesn’t seem impressive until you stop and look back – then you realise how much you’ve been through in the last 2.5 months. You should allow yourself a little bit of pride for this alone.

Here at Connaught Hall, I believe we can all draw strength, support, and encouragement from those around us – our London family. That’s something else that maybe doesn’t seem impressive until you look back and realise none of us knew each other 3 months ago. Yet now we are all bound up together in so many ways.

Christmastime is about selflessness - about giving without expecting anything in return. Unconditional love, friendship, and respect are the most wonderful and valuable things we can give. Lets all try to embody those qualities this season and throughout the year ahead.

Some of you are leaving the Hall tomorrow, others are here for another week; some, I know, are staying in London throughout Christmas. If you are travelling during the holidays, I wish you a safe journey and look forward to seeing you back relaxed and refreshed next year.

And I wish all of you a wonderful, joyful Christmas, and a happy, successful new year.

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Photographs from Christmas dinner are online: http://www.flickr.com/photos/connaughthall/tags/christmasdinner2012/

Christmas address

My speech to this year's Christmas dinner at Connaught Hall

Photos from the evening are available at http://www.connaught-hall.org.uk/photos/christmas2010/.

I hope you are all having a good time. I think this has been a great end to a very enjoyable first term. And it’s not even over yet – we’ve got live music in a few minutes, then Christmas pudding, carol singing after dinner, and our Christmas masquerade ball at 8 o’clock till 1.

I said in my speech to the welcome buffet this year that I hoped you would all quickly settle into the Hall and make it your home; I am delighted to see that you are doing just that: there is a real sense of community at Connaught Hall this year, and I know many of you have made friendships here already that will endure long beyond your time at University.

I hope events like the welcome buffet, like this dinner, the Christmas tree dressing last week, and our night out on Foundation Day help you to meet people you otherwise would never get to know and reinforce your sense that this place is your home and our community is your family here in London.

Still reflecting back to my welcome speech: I tried to play down my role in enforcing discipline here because I hoped you would all get on with each other and pretty much stay within the rules. So I’m very pleased to say that by-and-large I think you’re possibly the friendliest, most mature – and frankly, the one of the best – year of residents I can remember.

The Residents' Club Committee this year have been doing a good job of balancing events and activities with the need for financial restraint this year. And I think after
tonight’s masquerade ball you will agree they have worked extremely hard to organise a fantastic party for you. We had a few weeks without a Sports Officer, but as you should have seen, Amin was unopposed in the by-election last week; so we now have a Sports Officer and you should start to see some more sports events
being organised.


The Committee have had the disadvantage of not being able to hold late parties for most of this term because of licensing issues following our welcome party. But I think we have got over these issues, with a few tweaks to how we organise our parties, and I hope tonight’s ball will be a fresh start and the first of several successful parties for this Committee.

As always, get in touch if you have any suggestions for me and my team, the Bursar’s Office, or the Residents’ Club. We can only make things better with your help; if you tell us what you want; and report things if they’re not working as they should.


Now, the kitchen staff have been working all day to prepare this super meal for us, so I think we should say thank you for all their hard work.

The other people we have to thank are all the residents who helped set up the dining hall today – I think it looks amazing, thank you!

And finally, our musicians.

Don't forget to have your photo taken beside the tree and stay for carols after pudding. Then put a mask on and enjoy the party in the bar.

I am going to hand over to our in just a few seconds: Polly & Sam, Alex, and Kate & Elliott.

If you are travelling during the holidays, I wish you a safe journey and look forward to seeing you back relaxed and refreshed next year.

And I wish all of you a wonderful, joyful Christmas, and a happy, successful new year.