Once Hog Roast Oxford received confirmation of this booking I knew it would need some planning. Most events are straightforward in that clients book and we turn up, having covered the usual caveats for access. Exeter College in Oxford is tucked away surrounded by the Sheldonian Theatre and the Bodleian library. This means that access is very difficult and even then parking is a nightmare. Fortunately I had a little inside knowledge. It made sense to do a pre-event visit fine tune access.
The land surrounding (with parking) is owned by Brasenose College and is accessed via a barrier. There turned out to be a little side gate to the Fellows Garden at Exeter College. Once Hog Roast Oxford had had the meeting we agreed the plan. It was all the easier since we had done a large event at Brasenose some years previously and also we had done many college drops for our daughters who both attended Brasenose – BNC.
The day came and I fetched the key from the porter’s lodge at Brasenose and then in turn from the porters at Exeter. All went to plan. The only stumbling block was the setup had to be hidden and fortunately Hog Roast Oxford was early enough to hide away in good time.
Once all was set up I watched surreptitiously listening to the string quartet. After an hour or so the guests moved to the main hall to enjoy the wedding breakfast. This enabled me to move into position for their return. Service was at 10.30 pm – a late one methinks. However I was well entertained by the music which echoed around the garden and well beyond into the Radcliffe Camera.