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Jo-Anne Rowney
Below is an article I wrote for NUS Spotlight. Full article online can be found here.
Students’ union bars and pubs face increasing competition from local venues. This is particularly true of unions located in city centres, and nowhere is the competition more rife than in the capital. London student journalist Jo-Anne Rowney took a trip around the city’s venues to find out what unions are doing to keep up. Times have been difficult for the licensed trade sector. Last year, The University of Bristol Union closed its bar after losing £40,000 in a term, blaming competition from supermarkets and the thriving city club scene.
Unions are striving to fight back. St Mary’s University College Students’ Union has begun a ‘Use It or Lose It’ campaign to avoid the closure of its venues after making a loss, and other campuses have invested in refurbishments.
With millions of pounds of investment being ploughed into bringing venues up-to-date and driving down prices, the question is can union bars survive to compete with the city? In London the answer to a good time lies in the renewal of venues.
When students first arrive in London they’d be forgiven for thinking that their nights are going to be filled with partying and merriment. However, many students find it too expensive, with London clubs charging high entry fees and exorbitant prices for drinks. I took to the clubbing scene to investigate how students’ union venues compare to the local clubs in the capital.
London Metropolitan Students' Union (LMSU)
Recently refitted over the summer, hoards of LMSU students came back to find the Hub; a new ice-themed venue. Looking at the new event schedule, I was more than spoilt for choice. Did I want comedy or clubbing? An enticing selection of imaginatively themed nights greeted me, such as Bar Footsie, Big Fish and – cleverly punned – Ice Cream Fridae.
Ice Cream Fridae is the Friday night club scene. Some nice lads directed me to a corner of the venue where I discovered a Nintendo Wii, which appeared to be occupying several students. Stopping a very energetic couple amid trying to beat each other at an unidentifiable game, I asked whether they thought the new venue drew in the punters. “The ice theme was a fab idea; it makes everything seem slicker,” said the Londoner. “The Wii is a cool thing to have here, you don’t always have to mingle and dance … and there are three pool tables, cheap drinks … where can you go wrong, right?”
After a few drinks and some dancing I was coming around to his mindset. Everything was right on the entertainment front: popular music, a chilled, but exciting atmosphere and, to quote the Hub’s slogan, ‘in the heart of the city without the city prices’. Queuing up for a drink I realised that mine seemed to cost more than the other students’. There was an unfamiliar exchange of cards going on further down the bar, so I went to investigate. A girl informed me she was using a ‘Metcard’ – a free student discount card used for drinks and entry. Pressed a little more, the student asked if I’d been to the Rocket Complex, where it was £1.50 for certain drinks on Monday nights and – pointed out with great pride and excitement – a PS3 if the Wii wasn’t to my fancy. Feeling warm, fuzzy and quite satisfied with my discoveries, it was home time.
University of London Union (ULU)
After a few days’ recovery, I decided to see if ULU passed the test as well as LMSU had. The Duck & Dive promised cheap drinks every weeknight from 5pm, despite the West End location. The venue wasn’t as busy as the Hub, but on the plus side I could hold a conversation without shouting.
This time I stopped a cheerful looking guy and asked what he thought of the venue. “I come here quite a bit, it’s nice and chilled,” he replied. “They play my kind of music; I can play a bit of pool with my mates.” And would he still party in the city with such a great venue run by the union? “I still go clubbing, but the first stop for drinks is here. It’s not that expensive compared to the rest of the West End.”
Left with the impression that the students have a genuine feeling of loyalty for The Duck & Dive, and after purchasing a few drinks (although slightly more expensive that the Hub) I decided that it passed the test – another union victory over the city.
London School of Economics Students’ Union (LSESU)
LSESU’s venues have also had a makeover. The Three Tuns pub has been on campus for decades, but over the summer had a massive overhaul to bring it up to date. With comedy and pub quiz nights on the calendar, it offers a more relaxed setting for a student looking to chill out.
Nicely situated beneath The Three Tuns lies the underbelly of student entertainment, aptly named The Underground. The bar seems fairly spacious, without the usual tussling and queuing for drinks. The genius of the layout is in the ease with which students can pop upstairs to buy a drink, helping to reduce queues.
“I’d rather come here than walk in heels to Covent garden or some large London club, especially since the refurbishment – it feels fresher,” says a fellow high-heel sufferer. “Everyone’s really friendly and it’s so much cheaper. It’s a myth that London clubs are where it’s happening, it’s all about the students’ union clubs.”
Students’ unions vs London
After my exploration into the London students’ union licensed trade scene, it became clear that the success of union venues lies in their continued renewal. While they’re actively trying to offer a better experience and environment to students, unlike most city bars there isn’t a relentless drive for profit, with unnecessary additional charges.
After visiting some of the union venues I came away with a sense that students could enjoy themselves without suffering financially. More importantly, unions can offer students something London never can. They give students a voice – a chance to say what they want to get out of their venue.
This sense of ownership coupled with modern, refurbished settings and cheaper prices presents a night out every bit as attractive as the local city venues.
This article was featured in the February 2011 edition of Spotlight. If you do not currently receive Spotlight, email spotlight@nussl.co.uk
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