Last night, despite the freezing temperatures. Vintage Norwich donned our glad rags and headed down to Dragon Hall to check out their first ever Vintage Christmas Ball.

Tickets for the ball were on the pricy end of the scale at £30 a head, so we were keen to see what treats they had in store for us. A welcome drink was included in the price, and there was a choice of two deliciously retro cocktails, a Snowball and an Old Fashioned.

Also included in the ticket price was a tea provided by Biddys Tea Room. We weren’t sure whether this would be served, but it turned out we were allocated to one of 2 “sittings” on arrival, and at 8:30 we were treated to a delicious feast of cucumber, mint and cream cheese sandwiches, a variety of pies (personal favourite was stilton and pear) and festive cupcakes. Entertainment was provided by DJ78 and his vintage gramophones while we ate.

Entertainment for the evening was spread over 3 locations. The snug bar contained Reginald Spleen’s Travelling Snuff Bar, with 18 different varieties of snuff to try for free, plus 2 Christmas Specials – Brandy and Chocolate Orange. In the downstairs conservatory the Hee Haws kept everyone dancing, while upstairs in the medieval Dragon Hall itself after tea was cleared away Earl Harlem from Swing City gave everyone a taster dance class in advance of the return of the regular Monday night classes in the New Year.

Exploring Dragon Hall at night, while it was festooned in paper chains and twinkling lights was great fun, the building is such a maze that it lent a sense of adventure to the evening, navigating the different areas as things were happening.

The evening attracted an eclectic crowd of people, possibly due to the slightly higher price all fabulously dressed and in the festive spirit.

For more photos of the evening pop over to the Vintage Norwich Facebook Page