St Mary’s Hosts Inaugural Community Christmas Party

St Mary’s University, Twickenham recently hosted its first public Christmas event in the Grade I listed Waldegrave Suite at its Strawberry Hill campus, with more than 70 guests attending including local businesses, members of the community, alumni and staff. The event, which was organised by St Mary’s Strawberry Hill Conferences and Banqueting, saw Santa’s Elves greet guests who were then treated to a three course meal in the historic setting. Entertainment was provided by the London International Gospel Choir, who had been performing at the National Gallery earlier that day and were seen performing on ITV’s The X Factor final at Wembley the following day. St Mary’s Alumnus Leo Hopley (1971-1974) said, “It was a delightful evening. The setting was arranged so beautifully and the atmosphere was such a great start to the Christmas season. Being met by the Elves was rather fun and the Gospel Choir were great entertainment. The energy they exuded made me feel exhausted!” Event Organiser Harkirat Assi said, “This is the first time we have opened our doors to the public at Christmas and it was a great success. The venue is a hidden gem -the grandeur of the Waldegrave Suite provided a unique and intimate setting for those looking for something a bit different. We look forward to running the event again next year with a different twist and hope to welcome many new and old faces to St Mary’s to celebrate the festive season.” To find out more about hiring the facilities at St Mary’s for your next event please visit the website.