Introducing: Throwback! + Week 1: Year 11 Prom

Sometimes there is nothing better than looking back at old photographs and bringing back old memories. These events could have happened just a few weeks, months or even years ago, yet living in a digital age means that we are able to document our lives now even more then ever. Over the next few weeks in true 'Throwback Thursday' style I am going to be reminiscing, taking a trip down memory lane.
  These posts will include photos and stories from my past and will include some of the biggest events that have happened to me in the past 18 years. From growing up to attending Prom in 2011, I'm going to look back at the music I used to listen to and the books I used to read as well as sharing some memorable stories.

My first throwback will be to July 2011, nearly three years ago now, the night of my Year 11 prom. After finishing all of our GCSE exams my whole year was invited to spend one more evening together before we all left school and went on to sixth form, college or even work. I had been on the Prom Committee, helping to organise the evening and like my peers, was so excited for the night.
   When the day finally arrived, I certainly made the most of it. Although we didn't need to be at the venue until around 7-7.30pm I actually started getting ready around mid-day. I walked to my Mum's work and we went to my hairdresser's who styled and curled my hair  for me. I knew exactly what I wanted and absolutely loved what my hairdresser did and the style lasted the whole night!
  After my hair was finished it was a quick rush back to my home town where I quickly popped into town to buy a new foundation and to get my nails done. I loved my nails, as they matched my dress perfectly and were so intricate because I had floral patterns painted by hand too.
After leaving town I remember  not having much time at all to do anything more to my makeup apart from touching up the stuff I was already wearing. I then got on my dress and put on my accessories and after a few photos made my way down to the seafront in my Mum's car.
 Around 5.30pm myself and my friends met at the seafront where we had professional photos taken of us by a brilliant local photographer. Our friend had won the shoot at a prom fair type thing a few month previous and it was lovely to catch up with friends and have so many photos taken before we actually went to prom. As we had someone to take the photos for us, no-one missed out on having their photo taken and we were so lucky with the weather because it was a gorgeous evening.
 After we had our photos taken our transport arrived to take us to the venue. Myself and a few of my friends went in a classic white limo, complete with a playlist of music which we could control and a complementary bottle of non-alcoholic drink and the others went in a vintage car, which matched one of our friend's dress.
  I remember us all being so happy on the way to prom, singing and dancing along to so many good songs and about 20 minutes later we arrived at the Golf Club where our prom was held.
 

When we arrived there was already loads of people there. There were some rather interesting dresses and suits admittedly but overall everyone looked amazing.
  Our school year was always big and so when our teachers attempted to get a whole year photo it didn't exactly work. Even to this day I don't think I've seen this attempt but I know it can't be good because there was no organisation to it at all. There was tall people in front of short people and I'm pretty sure even standing on a table didn't get everyone in the shot.
  After the attempted photo shoot we went inside and were seated for our main meal. For starters I had chicken with parma ham I think (tasted like rubber), main was meant to be roast beef (but no Yorkshire puddings!) and for dessert I had chocolate torte (the best part.) After the average dinner we crammed onto the tiny dance floor and had lots of fun dancing to some of the classics.

 

Our prom night ended around midnight when our limo arrived to take us home and the music stopped playing.  We then went on to a house party at a friend's house which ended a brilliant night although many of us were exhausted.
My Year 11 prom was absolutely amazing and I wouldn't have changed any of it. Although it was the last time I saw some people in my year, there was no better way to celebrate all the hard work and effort we had all put in throughout our GCSE's.
  Looking back on it now it's hard to believe that this Summer it was three years ago since Prom. So much has changed since that summer but it's so good to have the photos to look back at and the memories that go with them.

Sixth Form Prom!

By the 27th June, everybody had officially finished Sixth Form. This meant that there would only be one more event where everybody would be together before setting off on our own ways, heading off to University or getting an apprenticeship or job. This was the Sixth Form Prom, located in a hotel in Ipswich. 
  At the end of Year 11 we had our first prom, which consisted of limos and other exciting forms of transport to take us to the venue and most of the girls dressed up in big prom dresses, often described as a meringue dress. However, at the end of Year 13 our prom was so much different. The concept was the same: get dressed up and spend some time with friends dancing and singing and eating, but the main difference was that the dresses were much less in your face and cost considerably less. 
   For prom in Year 11, I had my hair done by my hairdresser, and went to have my nails professionally done in a local nail bar. I spent most of the day getting ready for Year 11 prom, before going down the seafront to have pictures taken with my friends and family by a professional photographer. Afterwards we got into our hired limo and went to our venue, a golf club in the countryside, and had a varied three course meal. After eating we danced and took photos until midnight when we were taken home by our limo. We then had a manic rush getting out of our prom dresses and changed into party dresses for an after party at a friend's house. That was our Year 11 prom. 
   In comparison, for this year's prom, I spent about two hours getting ready, did everything from my hair to makeup to my nails myself and I didn't spend nearly as much on my dress as I did for Year 11. Also, unlike in Year 11 where I had brought my dress 4 months before prom, this year I got my dress the day before. Nothing like being organised!  
  Instead of getting in a glamorous limo this year, I drove myself and three other friends to prom in my own car and when we arrived we were greeted with canapés.

  

My nails for Year 13 prom done by myself, shown on my instagram account

We arrived at the hotel around 7.15pm and I think it was about 8pm when we were ushered into the main function room where our prom would be held. When we entered the room we were welcomed by about 10 huge circular tables where we would be eating our meal. Myself and nine others were on table 2 which was great because it was at the front of the hall so you were able to see everybody. The only disadvantage was that the bar was the other side of the room.

This was my starter.. Forgot to take pictures before I started to eat it though

We had previously ordered our food and the picture above shows what was leftover from my starter. I had ordered the roasted vegetable skewer because I didn't fancy risking spilling tomato soup down my dress! The skewer was basically mushrooms, onion, pepper, courgette and aubergine on a stick and wasn't too bad. I tried courgette and aubergine for the first time and it's safe to say that I don't like either of these veg and my face didn't hide it either. 

I remembered to take a picture of my main meal half way through eating it

As I didn't take too many photos during prom, I thought that I would share my meal, and so this was my main course. I ordered steak with peppercorn sauce and it was absolutely delicious! It was cooked just right (medium) and the sauce was amazing. It was served with this cheesy mash type potato thing which was lovely and vegetables like broccoli and carrots. Mmm. Once again I forgot to take a picture until I was half way through it but I thought better late than never.

I actually took this picture before starting my dessert!

The only photo I remembered to take before eating was dessert! I chose to have profiteroles and these were lovely apart from the massive amount of cream served with them! As they already have cream in the middle I thought that this would be enough but no they put more cream over the top of them and it was so thick it was too much. The presentation of this was nice though. After our desserts I was sophisticated and had a coffee with cream and then most people got up and started dancing. There was even a chocolate fountain but I couldn't even bare to look at it after all the food I had eaten. 

The night came to an end at around midnight. However many people took this opportunity to go out to the nightclubs and bars. Unfortunately I wasn't old enough to join them as I am not yet 18 so I went back to the hotel room that my friends were staying in along with another friend who didn't feel like going out. I waited at the hotel room until the people I was driving home were finished at the nightclub and used this opportunity to make myself another coffee and catch up with my friend. I was collected from the hotel around 2am and after walking back to the car in the rain and with no shoes on I then drove us all home. I love driving at night because I find it much more relaxing as there are less cars on the road and it's much quieter. 

  Once I had dropped my friends home, I got back to my mum's house as I was housesitting whilst they were on holiday and I was exhausted. By this time it was about 3am and I was ready for bed. 

 I had an amazing time at Sixth Form prom, although it is quite sad to think that it was the last time that I saw some people as I haven't seen them since...