The UoN Experience - The Nightlife Highs And Lows

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

As the second anniversary arrives which signalled the end of my education life and the finale to my journalism degree at the University of Northampton, I have decided to share my own personal experiences from my three years at UoN. This includes a look into how good is the University in general, a critical assessment of the video products I produced and what happened after graduation.

The next article looks at the entertainment levels out of hours. By going to University, you are committing yourself to three years of hard work, but also – enjoy yourself on occasion. The nightlife experience sees me talk about some of the nights, the venues and the stories behind student life when the sun sets.

When you decide to go to University, you know it is going to be one of the most enjoyable and demanding three-year experiences of your lifetime. There are many aspects to Uni. There is the workload, the deadlines, the relationships with your peers, your colleagues and your flatmates and of course, the nightlife.

I heard some good things about nightlife activities in Northampton before I went to UoN in 2009 and you know the saying; ‘All work and no play makes Simon a very dull lad!’ Was the nightlife experience disappointing or would it meet expectations? This latest piece to mark the second anniversary of finishing my journalism degree looks at the action, the dancing and some of the stories from three years out on the town.

Immediate change

Whilst I was never going to be one of those students who would go out and get hammered every single night, I wanted to enjoy Uni nightlife. It was important to keep a professional approach to most parts of my personality, but this was a good chance to integrate myself in a different and slightly more relaxed environment. That changed pretty quickly, before I had even begun on the course.

In July 2009, an incident occurred in my hometown that changed my look on the nightlife scene completely. This is something I will talk about a bit more in July in a piece for this website. What it did mean though was that caution took over rather than risk and my presence on the clubbing scene became more of an occasional visit rather than a frequent occurrence.

Nevertheless I had to go with the flow and Freshers Week was just that. First night I arrived in Northampton and we had drinks as a flat as I socialised with my flat colleagues from first year. All of the other members of Flat 35 were easy-going, likeable and easy to get along with. Two nights later, it ended in a trip to the first Northampton nightclub I would visit, Lava: Ignite.

From when I stepped into the place, I never felt totally comfortable. The main area was packed with Freshers as expected, but space was minimal and the environment in general just didn’t have the feel of a club that could offer a good time. I only went back once more in the next year and the place was eventually closed down after a tragic crush when people were leaving the club in October 2011 which led to the death of two students, one from the University of Northampton. I don’t think it is heavily missed by many.

I quickly preferred a trip to the SU bar on Avenue Campus, which was a two-minute walk from my flat. In fact, we often went as a flat group, or three or four of us to get the drinks in and spend a few hours keeping the pool table busy. It was enjoyable and a far friendlier, preferred environment.

A large gap

The clubbing days looked like there were over as soon as they had begun. I quickly settled into a pattern. Sure it might have made me a bit bland to say the least but I cared about my degree and I’d rather be keeping assignments on track than entertaining the opposite sex.

The only time I properly ventured out was a trip to the NB’s Sports Bar and Club in February 2010 which was a birthday party for one of my closest journalism colleagues. That night was really good. I vaguely remember having a couple of Black Russian cocktails that were nice at the time, but left me feeling the effects afterwards. I then decided that cocktails were not for me!

There were trips to some of the local pubs in Northampton like O’Neill’s, Pennywhistle and the White Elephant, as well as visits to the SU bar in second year but having not liked Lava or Embargo nightclubs and finding Haikkadou’s club to be just plain weird, I didn’t think any club would be able to overtake my experiences of Opus and Oceania in my hometown of Milton Keynes.

I was about to find my place though, Balestra.

New club, new group

Having moved into my own accommodation in second year, I wouldn’t say there was a group where I reckoned I could go out on the town with and have a load of fun. That changed at the end of that semester.

As a journalism group, we had usually been of the distant type. There were close friendship circles and other eccentric characters. However we seemed to get closer as second year continued, as it became clear that whilst you were an individual, there was also a team bond forming. This became quite important when communication levels dropped between lecturers and students in second year and servers with important work on them kept malfunctioning and crashing.

So to celebrate the final ever exam the majority of us had to sit in mid-May 2011, we all decided to hit the town, meeting in various locations around Northampton before coming together as one big group in the Balestra nightclub. The venue had only opened in the early few weeks of second year and Thursday nights seemed to be the most popular with students from UoN. It isn’t the biggest place but I found it very refreshing and a place where you are more than likely to have a good time. Many pictures were taken (one pictured below), drinks were had, dancing took place and it was so nice to be out as a journalism group and all enjoy it.

Me, Farida, Tamika and Nicole posing for one of many photos on a journo night out in 2011

I have plenty of memories of the UoN experience and this particular night was one of the best moments. It was so good, a similar routine happened the following week when second year officially drew to a close. Whilst it wouldn’t end up being the norm, it was a cracking fortnight of entertainment.

One final goodbye

Third year wasn’t about enjoying the nightlife. It did start with a repeat performance in Balestra three days after my 23^rd birthday. Not as many turned out, as there had been a delay in student finance payments but it was another super evening. A planned Christmas night out went a bit sour as the adverse weather conditions of December 2011 put a spanner in those works.

However, there had to be one final goodbye. The final day of the journalism degree was Wednesday, 16 May 2012. Not as much organising was needed. In fact, there was no initial plan on the day itself. A few of us decided to have pre-drinks at one of the student houses, then get a taxi into town for a night at NB’s. It was the first time I had been back to this place in over two years.

I remember getting out of the cab and one of my friends saying; “Are you planning to get drunk tonight?” My response was; “Yes I plan to have plenty of drinks and some dancing, but I do want to remember getting into a taxi in the early hours of the morning.”

It was another stunning evening. I remember being a bit of an ace on the dancefloor, although I have no plans to make a future appearance on Strictly Come Dancing! It was the final farewell to the people who I had shared my life with on a daily basis for the past three years and we went out with a bang! Not quite literally of course, but it couldn’t have ended any other way.

There was one final occasion and that was the end of year graduation ball at The Wing pits and paddock complex at Silverstone, the home of British motorsport. I was a bit reluctant to go at first; wary of the steep price for a ticket, even without having a meal there (which is something I wasn’t keen on). I eventually took the plunge, firmly in the knowledge that it was a great chance to dress up for the occasion. I never thought I would look smart in a suit and tie, but apparently I did. The evening went through without a hitch, apart from Rizzle Kicks backing out from performing at the last moment. Thankfully, Professor Green stepped in and did a good job without too much planning.

The nightlife experience at the University of Northampton had its moments and there were times where it wasn’t enjoyed. However, I had some good times away from the pressures of lectures and studying and wouldn’t swap any of it. My message to future University students is to find a decent balance between work and fun but enjoy the nightlife aspect. University only happens once, so live it and embrace it. 

Categories: Balestra, Cocktails, Dancing, Drinks, Graduation, Journalism, Nightlife, SU, University, University of Northampton

The UoN Experience - Year Three: The Final Goodbye

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

As the second anniversary approaches which signalled the end of my education life and the finale to my journalism degree at the University of Northampton, I have decided to share my own personal experiences from my three years at UoN. This includes a look at some of the nightlife memories, a critical assessment of the video products I produced and my insight into each of the three years I had in what was my second home.

The next article places specific focus on the third and final year of the journalism degree. 2011-12 saw the countdown towards the London Olympics and the Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee. Plus, Manchester City won the Premier League title in the most incredible way possible. For me, third year was all about building on how second year ended. It started badly, but improved rapidly and finished with mixed emotions which involved saying goodbye to my many friends I had made.

Two years down and one to go, the University journey had certainly contained its ups and downs. First year had been almost been in cruise control; second year provided far more challenges. Looking back two years on, third year was harder but I managed to conquer challenges better than second year, possibly because of the previous experience.

The planning for the final year had begun as early as June 2011, when I had to decide on a topic for my 5,000 word dissertation. I was always intrigued by the 24-hour news channel concept and decided to focus on the rise of Sky News in TV journalism, combining it with a major 90s news story which made them a more creditable source in media. The OJ Simpson trial was fascinating as much as it was sensationalised, with many of the witnesses playing up to the live TV cameras when giving their evidence. It was Sky’s coverage of the helicopter chase of OJ the year before his trial in 1994 that saw it win widespread praise from all quarters for the first time. I was glad that the dissertation was 5,000 words only. As a group, we were all lucky it wasn’t 10,000 which was the case on other courses. I wouldn’t say the journalism students got off lightly but it was a nice luxury to have. A 10,000 word essay would have been mighty difficult for all of us.

After the slow start with second year, I was hoping for a better first month to third year. How wrong was I? If I had to pick a month where I was in a bad place, October 2011 would top the list. The final year began on my birthday of 3^rd October! Although the first week went okay (largely thanks to a Thursday night nightclub celebration for my 23^rd year of existence), it went downhill from there. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. The summer break had been too long and I wasn’t prepared for what was to come. I was also majorly affected by the deaths in quick succession of two well-known motorsport figures in IndyCars and MotoGP. I got very upset by these events. While I had every right to be shocked and slightly downbeat by what had happened, these events were out of my control and by allowing them to get into my personal detailing, it clouded judgements. After a lecture where an essay topic was changed; two weeks after having already prepared something, I lost control of my emotions. There was only one thing I could do to try and drown the shambles of the month and that was to get drunk. It wasn’t like me at all. Sure, I liked a drink – we all did on the course and we all enjoyed a good party but it was a rare episode where I let alcohol do my talking. It was the best thing I could do. By drowning my sorrows, staring in mirrors and playing loud music in my room, I had to just release all the tension and stress that had been building up.

It affected my social media activity too. Both Facebook and Twitter took a break for a month while I got myself back on track in November. I did that and the episodes of the first month of the year were slowly, but surely forgotten. Concentration turned towards various assignments in the five modules I undertook. Some underlined my strengths and others highlighted weaknesses. As 2011 turned into 2012, my grades in the first half of the year were not good enough. I had collected too many average marks and feared for my final degree classification. With the job market as it was, a 2:2 would be utterly hopeless to me. I had to get a 2:1. Rather than feel sorry for myself like before, I seeked advice from my lecturers (two pictured below) and it got me back on target.

Two of the best lecturers, Hilary Scott and Richard Hollingum got me back on track in tough times

In third year, I will always lookback on my TV project with immense pride. I came up with a modern idea, and utilised it with plenty of research and filming in my spare time. It was an interesting topic and something I immersed myself in throughout the opening months of 2012. While I wouldn’t have it down as my best project, it was the most enjoyable work I underwent in third year. The task I hated the most was the group project on motorsport. With my racing background, I was expected to ace this topic in our group, which involved a media day trip to Silverstone for the final round of the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. I didn’t enjoy it – I don’t know why (apart from someone stealing our tapes), but while everyone else seemed to have fun – I found the day slightly unrewarding. As I had already committed to TV for my final project, I had to work on an eight-page magazine and I hated every single minute of it. I worked with someone who I really couldn’t stand. The individual was irritating, frustrating and so opinionated. They even had the cheek to ask me to compromise my antivirus security to bring my laptop into University grounds!! I couldn’t do that and was unwilling. I didn’t help myself by coming up with a feature piece called ‘Death in Motorsport.’ It was such a grim idea and one I regret suggesting. Nevertheless, the whole project was a joke. The other three members of the group were fine but I didn’t get the camaraderie I was hoping for. Perhaps not being able to choose group members would have worked better on reflection.

As the weeks went on, so did the months and once again, the spirit of the group was shown in abundance. That is what I found out about our course. We started a year all slightly distant to one another or in our own friendship band groups and we all had them but as it reached crunch time, we all pulled together and helped each other out if necessary. Whether that was explaining how to burn MP3 tracks to a CD, suggesting a sound change to a narration or even having a chinwag about everything in the SU in spare time, it was worth it. I will never forget the appreciation and the time of the final few weeks in both second and third year.

Being one of the elderly statesmen in the group at the time, I saw it to myself to set an example for the rest. It wasn’t something I needed to do but I felt it was my responsibility. If I slacked off, it was a bad example to everyone else. The extra two years at college doing a BTEC National Diploma really helped. The experience of this shone through in the period when deadlines emerged. I was never programmed to leave assignments until the last minute to beat a deadline. With this, I was often asked for help, advice or assistance and I didn’t mind doing that, as long as it didn’t compromise my own performance. There were times where I did think ‘do your own work’ or ‘stop asking me, I might be wrong’ but 99 per cent of the time, I would try to offer the best support I could to my colleagues.

I had made a load of friends throughout the three years but I made more in third year. While I stayed close to people I had known from the start of the course, I made sure I knew everyone and tried to get on with everyone too. There was the odd individual who I struggled to see eye-to-eye with and there were occasional personality clashes but I couldn’t complain too much. It was nice to know people but also work closer with them as the degree went towards its closure. When all projects were handed in on 16 May 2012, my journey was complete. A wild night and few weeks were to begin (more of this in the nightlife chapter) but it was the end of an era.

Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things to do. These were people who you saw on a weekly basis, daily basis in some instances. I’m not great at saying farewells to individuals who I know so well. When I last met Ellie around a month after everything finished, we spent a few hours reminiscing and trying to make each other laugh, which I think we did. When it was time to say goodbye, I could feel the emotion from both of us, realising that this was it. I would say I was friends with 95 per cent of the course, but I did make special friends along the way. 

However if there was one who I shared many great memories with the most, it was with Ellie. We bonded so closely from day one and were always there for one another. There were times where we let each other down but that happens in most friendships and whenever there were tough moments, we always worked hard to ensure it didn’t get in the way of what we had as a friendship. If I was forced to pick one person I miss the most and would like to see again, Ellie would be top of the list – just because we shared so much, relied on each other and had such a fantastic friendship. I would like to think that we might see each other again at some point, or our careers collide into one another in the future.

So that was that, University was over and a new chapter of finding employment after graduation was about to begin. It was to be a tough and far more testing proposition than first anticipated.

Categories: 2011, Deadlines, Grades, Journalism, May, Silverstone, SU, TV, University, University of Northampton