Keep an eye on this calendar for our freshers' social events - the programme is still very much in development!
http://www.connaught-hall.org.uk/pages/community/freshers.html
Showing posts with label bar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bar. Show all posts
Monday, 25 August 2014
Sunday, 29 September 2013
Alcohol licensing and under-18s at Connaught Hall bar
This letter was sent to all residents aged under 18. All residents should note that it is also an offence to attempt to purchase alcohol for or on behalf of a person under 18.
I am writing to you about the bar because you are aged under 18 years, which means that English law prohibits you from purchasing alcoholic drinks, and prohibits others from purchasing alcoholic drinks for you, on licensed premises including the bar here at Connaught Hall.
You are very welcome to use the bar to socialise, play pool, and buy soft drinks, but I must ask you not to attempt to buy alcohol there, nor ask your friends to buy alcohol for you, until you are 18.
The relevant law is the Licensing Act 2003, which includes these provisions:
You are committing a criminal offence if you try to buy alcoholic drinks from the bar. Your friends commit an offence if they try to buy alcohol for you. We commit an offence if we allow either sale to take place.
If the bar breaches these rules, it is very likely that it will be closed down – by the police, by the licensing authority, or by the University of London – all of whom have the right to inspect the bar at any time. We have been inspected three times in the last four years: so it really does happen.
Please do not put our bar at risk by attempting to purchase alcohol there. Photographs of all residents aged under 18 have been circulated to the bar staff and Senior Members, and they are very clearly instructed to refuse the sale, which may be embarrassing for both you and them. Regrettably, I must warn you that if you are found drinking alcohol within the bar area, you will be required to leave; a second offence will result in you being banned from the bar and formal disciplinary action being commenced under Schedule 3 of the Intercollegiate Halls Licence Agreement. Similar consequences will ensue if bar staff report to me that they frequently have to refuse you alcohol.
I am sorry to have to write to you so sternly within your first few weeks in Hall – but we have had some problems with underage residents recently when they were refused alcohol at the bar.
There is some good news, though: we will buy you and one friend a drink (bottle of beer or cider, 175mL glass of wine, or single spirit with mixer) on your eighteenth birthday! You simply have to visit the bar on the day of your birthday, with this letter, your passport or driving licence, and your friend.
Thank you for your help and understanding; and I hope you enjoy that drink!
I am writing to you about the bar because you are aged under 18 years, which means that English law prohibits you from purchasing alcoholic drinks, and prohibits others from purchasing alcoholic drinks for you, on licensed premises including the bar here at Connaught Hall.
You are very welcome to use the bar to socialise, play pool, and buy soft drinks, but I must ask you not to attempt to buy alcohol there, nor ask your friends to buy alcohol for you, until you are 18.
The relevant law is the Licensing Act 2003, which includes these provisions:
146 Sale of alcohol to children
(1) A person commits an offence if he sells alcohol to an individual aged under 18. ...
149 Purchase of alcohol by or on behalf of children
(1) An individual aged under 18 commits an offence if — (a) he buys or attempts to buy alcohol, ...
(3) A person commits an offence if —
(a) he buys or attempts to buy alcohol on behalf of an individual aged under 18, ...
You are committing a criminal offence if you try to buy alcoholic drinks from the bar. Your friends commit an offence if they try to buy alcohol for you. We commit an offence if we allow either sale to take place.
If the bar breaches these rules, it is very likely that it will be closed down – by the police, by the licensing authority, or by the University of London – all of whom have the right to inspect the bar at any time. We have been inspected three times in the last four years: so it really does happen.
Please do not put our bar at risk by attempting to purchase alcohol there. Photographs of all residents aged under 18 have been circulated to the bar staff and Senior Members, and they are very clearly instructed to refuse the sale, which may be embarrassing for both you and them. Regrettably, I must warn you that if you are found drinking alcohol within the bar area, you will be required to leave; a second offence will result in you being banned from the bar and formal disciplinary action being commenced under Schedule 3 of the Intercollegiate Halls Licence Agreement. Similar consequences will ensue if bar staff report to me that they frequently have to refuse you alcohol.
I am sorry to have to write to you so sternly within your first few weeks in Hall – but we have had some problems with underage residents recently when they were refused alcohol at the bar.
There is some good news, though: we will buy you and one friend a drink (bottle of beer or cider, 175mL glass of wine, or single spirit with mixer) on your eighteenth birthday! You simply have to visit the bar on the day of your birthday, with this letter, your passport or driving licence, and your friend.
Thank you for your help and understanding; and I hope you enjoy that drink!
Thursday, 11 April 2013
Appointment of new officers to the Residents’ Club Committee
An important announcement has been published by the Residents' Club Committee on their page at committee.connaught-hall.org.uk.
The full text is as follows:
Appointment of new officers to the Residents’ Club Committee The President and Entertainment Officer are not planning on returning to Connaught Hall for the 2013-14 academic year. September/October is an important time for Hall social events to welcome our new residents, and for some administrative purposes, the Club must have a President or Acting president at all times.
The Club Constitution states:
In the event, for any reason, of a post falling vacant mid-session, a by-election must be held within one calendar month of the vacancy arising, except when such vacancy arises in the third term, when the elective Committee shall have power to co-opt subject to approval at the next General Meeting.The Committee has therefore made the following appointments with effect from 1 August 2013, until the elections in October:
President – Christopher Madden
Secretary – Rebecca Ashton
Entertainment Officer – Georgina CherryIf you have any comments, questions, or concerns about these appointments, you may write to the Warden, in confidence, at warden@connaught-hall.org.uk. The Warden will present your comments to the Committee at their next meeting. All feedback will be anonymised before being presented to the Committee, unless you explicitly state that you would like your name to appear with your comment. Please send any feedback before 5pm on Monday 15 April.
Formal ratification of these appointments is at a General Meeting of the Residents’ Club. The Constitution says:
The opinions of Members shall be voiced in General Meetings ... Ordinary Members shall have power to require a General Meeting to be summoned at any time on reasonable notice, but only if at least twenty-five Ordinary Members or one-eighth of the Ordinary Membership, whichever is the smaller, jointly wish to do so.
There is no scheduled General Meeting before the October elections at which these appointments can formally be ratified by the membership, but if the Warden receives twenty-five or more requests for the above appointments to be reviewed, an extraordinary General Meeting can be called this term for that purpose.
We wish the new officers a very successful and productive start to the new academic year, and expect they will prove to be a friendly, welcoming face for new residents.
11 April 2013
An further announcement has been published on the bar page at bar.connaught-hall.org.uk:
11 April 2013
An further announcement has been published on the bar page at bar.connaught-hall.org.uk:
Appointment of Bar Manager & Assistant Bar Manager for 2013-14
Acting on the advice of the Residents' Club Committee, the Warden has made the following appointments for the 2013-14 academic year:
Acting on the advice of the Residents' Club Committee, the Warden has made the following appointments for the 2013-14 academic year:
Bar Manager - Emily Burns
Assistant Bar Manager - Marion Guiraud
14 April 2013
Sunday, 17 March 2013
Licensing & the bar - an appeal for your help
We have been a little more strict recently on enforcing the rules that alcoholic drinks that were not bought at the bar may not be consumed in the bar, Bell Room, or garden at certain times.
The Connaught Hall Supplementary Regulations state:
This rule is necessary to help us uphold our obligations under the Licensing Act 2003.
The reason we have tightened up recently is that a large number of trangressions of this rule were reported in the past few weeks, indicating that our reliance on residents' self-regulation was inadequate and that more rigorous enforcement was required.
As with any increased rule enforcement, this move has not been without critics. To those who are unhappy about this rule and the fact that it is now being enforced more stringently by bar staff and Senior Members, I should like to explain why it is so important - please scroll down below the sign to find out more...
I see our bar as an enormous asset for the Hall. It is a social hub and a venue that makes it possible for us to host parties that most other halls cannot contend with. I think our bar is one of the reasons that Connaught Hall is regarded as being amongst the most social halls of residence in London.
The fact that our bar is managed and staffed by students for the Residents' Club Committee gives it a sense of informality, familiarity, and homeliness; these are some of our bar's best attributes. But it is still a "real" bar, with a licence, subject to very strict controls under the Licensing Act 2003. Since the Act came into force in 2005, we have been inspected - without any advance notice - by the police and/or local authority licensing inspectors on average once every 18 months. If on one of these inspections we are found to be breaching the terms of our licence, we could be fined up to £20,000 or lose our licence altogether. The Club doesn't have £20,000, so either penalty would result in the permanent closure of our bar.
All eight intercollegiate halls used to have a bar. In the last few years, six of them have been shut down. Of the two left, one is open only a few times a month; ours is the only proper bar left.
So, in enforcing these rules that help us to do what the Licensing Act tells us we must do, my aim is to protect and preserve our bar now and for the future. My hope is not to kill the community atmosphere of the bar, or put a downer on everyone's enjoyment of that space: my goal is to ensure that current and future residents continue to have a bar that is a vibrant and friendly hub for our Hall community.
I hope all residents can share my aspiration and help us work towards it.
The Connaught Hall Supplementary Regulations state:
12.2 Only alcoholic beverages that have been purchased from the bar may be consumed in the bar, courtyard garden, and Bell Room between the hours of 19.00 and 23.00.
This rule is necessary to help us uphold our obligations under the Licensing Act 2003.
The reason we have tightened up recently is that a large number of trangressions of this rule were reported in the past few weeks, indicating that our reliance on residents' self-regulation was inadequate and that more rigorous enforcement was required.
As with any increased rule enforcement, this move has not been without critics. To those who are unhappy about this rule and the fact that it is now being enforced more stringently by bar staff and Senior Members, I should like to explain why it is so important - please scroll down below the sign to find out more...
I see our bar as an enormous asset for the Hall. It is a social hub and a venue that makes it possible for us to host parties that most other halls cannot contend with. I think our bar is one of the reasons that Connaught Hall is regarded as being amongst the most social halls of residence in London.
The fact that our bar is managed and staffed by students for the Residents' Club Committee gives it a sense of informality, familiarity, and homeliness; these are some of our bar's best attributes. But it is still a "real" bar, with a licence, subject to very strict controls under the Licensing Act 2003. Since the Act came into force in 2005, we have been inspected - without any advance notice - by the police and/or local authority licensing inspectors on average once every 18 months. If on one of these inspections we are found to be breaching the terms of our licence, we could be fined up to £20,000 or lose our licence altogether. The Club doesn't have £20,000, so either penalty would result in the permanent closure of our bar.
All eight intercollegiate halls used to have a bar. In the last few years, six of them have been shut down. Of the two left, one is open only a few times a month; ours is the only proper bar left.
So, in enforcing these rules that help us to do what the Licensing Act tells us we must do, my aim is to protect and preserve our bar now and for the future. My hope is not to kill the community atmosphere of the bar, or put a downer on everyone's enjoyment of that space: my goal is to ensure that current and future residents continue to have a bar that is a vibrant and friendly hub for our Hall community.
I hope all residents can share my aspiration and help us work towards it.
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
FAQ: Can the bar be open more?
We are commonly asked if the bar can be open more / longer hours.
The opening times for the actual bar (i.e. serving drinks) are set by the Bar Manager with a view to keeping the bar financially viable. This usually means the bar is open and serving drinks for 3-3.5 hours every night during term 1, and less in terms 2 and 3. This year (2013), the bar is still open every night in term 2, but only for 2 hours, from 9pm to 11pm. The Bar Manager is always happy to consider your ideas for how the bar could be open longer hours without losing money, so get in touch at bar@connaught-hall.org.uk. Of course, there are also some legal / licensing restrictions on the hours the bar can serve alcoholic drinks.
The bar area (i.e. the room where the bar and pool table are) is not a common room. By and large, the bar area is only open when there is a member of staff serving drinks behind the bar. This year, the Duty Senior Member opens the bar area at 7pm so the area is open and unsupervised for up to 2 hours a day.
We have tried in previous years to keep the bar area open for longer as an extra common room, but problems have always arisen and forced us to return to locking the bar area except when it is supervised:
The opening times for the actual bar (i.e. serving drinks) are set by the Bar Manager with a view to keeping the bar financially viable. This usually means the bar is open and serving drinks for 3-3.5 hours every night during term 1, and less in terms 2 and 3. This year (2013), the bar is still open every night in term 2, but only for 2 hours, from 9pm to 11pm. The Bar Manager is always happy to consider your ideas for how the bar could be open longer hours without losing money, so get in touch at bar@connaught-hall.org.uk. Of course, there are also some legal / licensing restrictions on the hours the bar can serve alcoholic drinks.
The bar area (i.e. the room where the bar and pool table are) is not a common room. By and large, the bar area is only open when there is a member of staff serving drinks behind the bar. This year, the Duty Senior Member opens the bar area at 7pm so the area is open and unsupervised for up to 2 hours a day.
We have tried in previous years to keep the bar area open for longer as an extra common room, but problems have always arisen and forced us to return to locking the bar area except when it is supervised:
- damage to the pool table;
- break-ins and theft from behind the bar;
- vandalism of chairs and sofas in the bar area;
- noise complaints from rooms facing the garden because of people playing the piano or music in the bar after 11pm;
- use of the doors from the bar to access the garden when it is closed after 11pm, also leading to noise complaints.
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Weekend round-up
1. Televisions / common rooms / sofas
The TV in the Bamforth Room has good reception of BBC ONE via the FreeSat receiver. Put the TV on AV input 2 and use the EPG on the FreeSat box to find one of the BBC ONE channels with a good picture.
The TV in the Bell Room has good reception of ITV1 through the terrestrial aerial. Select P3.
I have asked for a TV engineer to be called out to get all channels working on both TVs again.
During this term the Hall will buy some new sofas for reception and the sofas currently in reception will be moved to the common rooms. We also have some more comfortable chairs coming this week for the Bell Room.
2. Drinking water
The water fountains were removed from reception and the dining hall on Friday. I have asked the kitchen to put out jugs of water at meal times, and will find out about replacing the water fountains this week.
3. The garden / smoking / drinking alcohol
Please remember that smoking is only allowed in the designated smoking area, not in the rest of the garden. Smoking too close to the building or under the shelter outside the bar causes smoke to go into rooms facing the garden, which isn't very nice for non-smokers!
The Supplementary Regulations also say that only alcohol bought from the Hall bar may be consumed in the garden and Bell Room from 19.00 to 23.00. This is a licensing issue; breaking this rule could lead to the licence being revoked for our bar.
4. Newspapers
Traditionally, the Club subscribes to a number of daily newspapers which are placed the reception lobby for residents to read. At present, the Club has insufficient cash funds available to pay these subscriptions for September and early October.
Newspapers will be re-started when the Club receives this term's instalment of £10/resident/term subscriptions from the Bursar's Office.
5. Fire drill
There will be a fire drill on Monday evening.
When you hear the fire alarm:
The TV in the Bamforth Room has good reception of BBC ONE via the FreeSat receiver. Put the TV on AV input 2 and use the EPG on the FreeSat box to find one of the BBC ONE channels with a good picture.
The TV in the Bell Room has good reception of ITV1 through the terrestrial aerial. Select P3.
I have asked for a TV engineer to be called out to get all channels working on both TVs again.
During this term the Hall will buy some new sofas for reception and the sofas currently in reception will be moved to the common rooms. We also have some more comfortable chairs coming this week for the Bell Room.
2. Drinking water
The water fountains were removed from reception and the dining hall on Friday. I have asked the kitchen to put out jugs of water at meal times, and will find out about replacing the water fountains this week.
3. The garden / smoking / drinking alcohol
Please remember that smoking is only allowed in the designated smoking area, not in the rest of the garden. Smoking too close to the building or under the shelter outside the bar causes smoke to go into rooms facing the garden, which isn't very nice for non-smokers!
The Supplementary Regulations also say that only alcohol bought from the Hall bar may be consumed in the garden and Bell Room from 19.00 to 23.00. This is a licensing issue; breaking this rule could lead to the licence being revoked for our bar.
4. Newspapers
Traditionally, the Club subscribes to a number of daily newspapers which are placed the reception lobby for residents to read. At present, the Club has insufficient cash funds available to pay these subscriptions for September and early October.
Newspapers will be re-started when the Club receives this term's instalment of £10/resident/term subscriptions from the Bursar's Office.
5. Fire drill
There will be a fire drill on Monday evening.
When you hear the fire alarm:
- Evacuate the building immediately.
- Close all doors and windows behind you.
- Leave by the shortest route.
- Do not use the lift.
- Assemble on the pavement opposite the Hall.
Follow the green exit signs to find your nearest escape route (not necessarily via the main stairs/reception). Hall staff will help you.
Remember it is possible that there may be a real fire alarm on the day, so for your own safety never ignore the alarm because you assume it is a drill.
It is a condition of residence that you participate in fire drills. If the total evacuation time is too long, more drills will be held over the next few weeks – so don’t let everyone else down!
Please contact me or the Bursar’s Office if you may need assistance to evacuate the building.
6. Events next week
Tue 04/10 - Welcome buffet 6-7pm in the dining hall
Wed 05/10 - Floor party for fourth floor, hosted by John
Thu 06/10 - Floor party for third floor, hosted by Alyson
Fri 07/10 - Floor party for first floor, hosted by Zack
Sat 08/10 - Welcome party 8pm-2am in the bar
Sun 09/10 - Postgraduate reception (second floor), hosted by Tom
Mon 10/10 - Floor party for ground & lower-ground floors and second-floor undergraduates, hosted by Ilk
Monday, 26 September 2011
Grand opening of the bar, 25 September
I hope everyone had a great time at last night's grand bar opening here at Connaught Hall. There was a very friendly, warm atmosphere and a extremely good turn-out of residents, which I think augers well for the coming year.
Tom Stewart, our Bar Manager, has worked exceptionally hard over the last few days preparing and cleaning the bar for its opening night. He has had no shortage of willing residents to help him every day. I think everyone will agree they have done an excellent job. Thank you, Tom and all!
If you were there last night, you will have noticed one or two small problems arising with second-year students who don't actually live in the Hall this year, including the breaking of the glass panel in the bar door. I will work with the Residents' Club Committee to deal with those issues before our main welcome party on Saturday 8th October. But for now, I hope everyone has wholly good memories of the night and maybe some lasting friendships already - let's all start as we mean to go on.
The bar is open every night in term 1 and this year will be running drinks promotions to match the best prices you will find in this area. Our bar is an important social hub for the Hall and I urge every resident - drinker or no - to make the most of it.
Afternoon tea 2011
It has been a busy week at Connaught Hall, with over 200 residents arriving since last Saturday.
On the two Sundays, 18th and 25th September, the Senior Members and I hosted afternoon tea - http://www.flickr.com/photos/connaughthall/6184826736/ - with a whole load of delicious cakes and biscuits. I hope these events serve to ease anxieties about moving in, not meeting anyone, and the inevitable "parent separation" at the end of the day (I'm sure this is more for your parents' benefit, though!).
On the two Sundays, 18th and 25th September, the Senior Members and I hosted afternoon tea - http://www.flickr.com/photos/connaughthall/6184826736/ - with a whole load of delicious cakes and biscuits. I hope these events serve to ease anxieties about moving in, not meeting anyone, and the inevitable "parent separation" at the end of the day (I'm sure this is more for your parents' benefit, though!).
It's also a very enjoyable opportunity for me to get to meet everyone as they move in and help out with any small problems they might have come up against. This year, our afternoon teas were especially busy - we really struggled to keep up the tea & coffee supplies yesterday. I am really pelased that so many people came to take advantage of this. I have met so many very pleasant students this week which makes me look forward to a great year again!
I am sorry about the dinner queue last night. This was much longer than usual, maybe because there was a large influx at the beginning going straight down from afternoon tea. Rest assured it will not be a recurrent problem beyond the early freshers period - but of course this isn't something you want to experience on your first day here. I hope the wine I was able to serve to those who had queued the longest went some way to help.
The final afternoon tea event this year will be on Sunday 2nd October. All current residents are welcome - especially if I haven't met you yet, please come and say hello!
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Bar thefts 26/03 to 03/04 - update
I have made some progress in identifying who was involved in taking around £600 worth of drink from the bar two weeks ago. However, there are still many residents who have been named as being involved but who have not yet approached me. I think part of the reason for this may be that they do not realise that the drink they took were effectively stolen. Those who have approached me so far have explained that most people who took drinks may not have known exactly what was going on, and that there was certainly no malice in their actions. For this reason I will delay making a decision on the police and disciplinary proceedings until Tuesday 19 April, allowing you time to read this and think whether you were perhaps unwittingly involved. If you were given, sold, or took any drink at all from the bar in the week between Saturday 26 March and Sunday 3 April, please contact me urgently and tell me what you had and who gave it to you (or how you got it). The bar was not officially open during that week at all, so anyone who was “working” behind the bar should not have been there and any “free drinks” they gave away were stolen from the bar. Sometimes, bottles of spirits were brought out from behind the bar so again, you may not have realised that you were receiving something that had been stolen. Please, please come forward and tell me about what happened. I do need to recover the cost of the drink that was stolen and it will be fairest to everyone if that cost is shared between everyone who took a drink. If absolutely everyone owns up, the cost could be as little as £12 each. The number of people who have come forward so far cannot repay the entire cost with the repayments capped at a maximum £30 each (as per my letter at http://notice.connaught-hall.org.uk/); and if we cannot recover this money, the bar and the Residents’ Club itself will really struggle to stay in business this year.
Bar thefts 26/03 to 03/04
In the period between Saturday 26 March and Sunday 3 April, around £600 worth of spirits, wine, beer, and soft drinks were taken from the bar without being paid for. I understand that a large number of people (perhaps 30 or more) were involved.
The bottom line is that this matter has been reported to the police but I have asked them not to pursue a full investigation until I have had an opportunity to resolve the issue internally; if we can satisfactorily deal with this within the Hall, I will ask the police to drop it completely.
So I am writing to you with an amnesty of sorts, and a proposal that I hope will resolve this matter simply and fairly.
My concerns and expectations are:
1. The bar and Residents’ Club already have a very difficult financial position this year and absolutely cannot afford to shoulder the cost of the missing stock. We must recover these costs in order for the bar to remain financially viable, to continue paying for daily newspaper deliveries, to complete the library refurbishment, and to allow some social activities to be organised in term 3.
2. This incident highlights the potential problems of leaving the bar area open 24 hours for access to the sofas, pool table, and table football; I need to be reassured that I can continue allowing the bar area to be left open when the bar itself is not staffed.
3. I cannot understand what has happened to make so many people think it was okay to effectively break into the bar and take drinks without paying for them, and I am concerned about what this means for the community dynamic in Hall.
4. I need to know this is not going to happen again, and that those involved are prepared to own up to it and take some responsibility for their potentially very damaging actions. I have a good deal of respect for people who can admit to a mistake; but I take a dim view of those who try to cover up or lie about things.
5. If at all possible, I should prefer to avoid any formal disciplinary action and/or criminal proceedings.
If you were involved in any way in the theft of drinks from the bar last week, come forward and tell me about it before 17.00 on Tuesday 19 April.
Send me an email: tell me (a) what happened, (b) when, (c) who was there, (d) what – if anything – made you think this was okay to do, and (e) what we can do to prevent it from happening again. I will arrange a time to meet with you.
If you come forward voluntarily before 19 April, I will give you these guarantees:
1. Your financial liability to the Club will be capped to a maximum of £30. The more people that come forward to share the cost, the less your liability will be, so please also encourage others who were involved to approach me.
2. If disciplinary action is necessary, the maximum penalty I will apply is a written warning (apart from charging for the missing stock as per point 1).
3. If you hold an offer of accommodation at Connaught Hall next year, I will not withdraw your offer on the basis of this incident alone.
On 15 April, I will make a decision about what to tell the police about continuing their investigation, and whether to commence disciplinary proceedings against those I know were involved but have not come forward voluntarily.
A letter similar to this was distributed, by friends of those who were involved, directly to the suspects last week – I had hoped to avoid sending such a negative letter to the whole Hall – but that was met with a very disappointing response. I hope that is because the letter did not reach all the suspects, and that by sending it to everyone, we will see a better response.
If too few people come forward, I will regrettably have to pursue the criminal and/or disciplinary routes to resolve this situation. I will seek to apply the most severe penalties available to me for anyone who was involved but fails to tell me about it before 19 April.
I must also make a decision about the future of the bar in Hall, re-opening the bar area for pool and table football, and any future social events. I hope you can reassure me that the Connaught Hall community can learn from what happened between 26 March and 3 April, and ensure a positive future for our bar.
The bottom line is that this matter has been reported to the police but I have asked them not to pursue a full investigation until I have had an opportunity to resolve the issue internally; if we can satisfactorily deal with this within the Hall, I will ask the police to drop it completely.
So I am writing to you with an amnesty of sorts, and a proposal that I hope will resolve this matter simply and fairly.
My concerns and expectations are:
1. The bar and Residents’ Club already have a very difficult financial position this year and absolutely cannot afford to shoulder the cost of the missing stock. We must recover these costs in order for the bar to remain financially viable, to continue paying for daily newspaper deliveries, to complete the library refurbishment, and to allow some social activities to be organised in term 3.
2. This incident highlights the potential problems of leaving the bar area open 24 hours for access to the sofas, pool table, and table football; I need to be reassured that I can continue allowing the bar area to be left open when the bar itself is not staffed.
3. I cannot understand what has happened to make so many people think it was okay to effectively break into the bar and take drinks without paying for them, and I am concerned about what this means for the community dynamic in Hall.
4. I need to know this is not going to happen again, and that those involved are prepared to own up to it and take some responsibility for their potentially very damaging actions. I have a good deal of respect for people who can admit to a mistake; but I take a dim view of those who try to cover up or lie about things.
5. If at all possible, I should prefer to avoid any formal disciplinary action and/or criminal proceedings.
If you were involved in any way in the theft of drinks from the bar last week, come forward and tell me about it before 17.00 on Tuesday 19 April.
Send me an email: tell me (a) what happened, (b) when, (c) who was there, (d) what – if anything – made you think this was okay to do, and (e) what we can do to prevent it from happening again. I will arrange a time to meet with you.
If you come forward voluntarily before 19 April, I will give you these guarantees:
1. Your financial liability to the Club will be capped to a maximum of £30. The more people that come forward to share the cost, the less your liability will be, so please also encourage others who were involved to approach me.
2. If disciplinary action is necessary, the maximum penalty I will apply is a written warning (apart from charging for the missing stock as per point 1).
3. If you hold an offer of accommodation at Connaught Hall next year, I will not withdraw your offer on the basis of this incident alone.
On 15 April, I will make a decision about what to tell the police about continuing their investigation, and whether to commence disciplinary proceedings against those I know were involved but have not come forward voluntarily.
A letter similar to this was distributed, by friends of those who were involved, directly to the suspects last week – I had hoped to avoid sending such a negative letter to the whole Hall – but that was met with a very disappointing response. I hope that is because the letter did not reach all the suspects, and that by sending it to everyone, we will see a better response.
If too few people come forward, I will regrettably have to pursue the criminal and/or disciplinary routes to resolve this situation. I will seek to apply the most severe penalties available to me for anyone who was involved but fails to tell me about it before 19 April.
I must also make a decision about the future of the bar in Hall, re-opening the bar area for pool and table football, and any future social events. I hope you can reassure me that the Connaught Hall community can learn from what happened between 26 March and 3 April, and ensure a positive future for our bar.
Saturday, 4 December 2010
Temporary Event Notice for Christmas masquerade ball Friday 10th December
There will be some restrictions on guests, music policy, sound levels, and alcohol during our Christmas masquerade ball on Friday. The following letter that I wrote to the Licensing Authority when applying for Friday's temporary event notice explains the changes that you will see.
Addressing difficulties arising at our temporary event on 9 October 2010
At our last temporary event at Connaught Hall, a welcome party on 9-10 October 2010, five non-resident, signed-in guests were responsible for minor assaults on two of our residents. The guests were removed from the premises with no difficulty, but then gathered outside the Hall on Tavistock Square and refused to disperse and go home. I called the police as I was concerned these guests posed a threat of causing disorder.
In the 13 years I have been at Connaught Hall, there have been no previous similar incidents. We have held at least five temporary events every academic year since The Licensing Act 2003 came into effect and several late parties per year under the old magistrates system.
The guests who caused problems have been permanently banned from Connaught Hall; where appropriate, their colleges or student unions have been informed. The residents who signed in those guests have been subject to internal disciplinary proceedings.
I am confident that we can make our parties safer whilst remaining every bit as enjoyable for the majority who I know had a great time and weren't involved in any trouble at all.
From now on, residents may only sign in two guests each during a temporary event. A special sign-in book and more personnel at reception will help monitor this. Residents will be required to show Hall ID when entering the building and guests will be issued with wrist bands.There will be some changes to the music policy - moving away from any drum & bass towards more disco / pop / uplifting dance music and a clear 30-minute wind-down period with slower music at the end of the event.
Our Christmas party will follow on from a formal Christmas dinner; both events will have a smart dress code with optional (but encouraged) black tie.
Licensed hours will be shorter than at recent Connaught Hall events and there will be a champagne & (long) cocktails theme. We will not run any reduced price drinks promotions.
I hope these measures will prevent any difficulties arising at this or future temporary events at Connaught Hall.
Sunday, 10 October 2010
Party 9 October 2010
If you attended our welcome party last night you will be aware that we unfortunately had three scuffles break out and a number of residents were injured. Some non-resident guests were involved in every case. The non-residents were all escorted off the premises last night.
If you know who they are, please check your photographs from last night for clear face pictures of any non-residents who were involved in last night’s problems. I should be very grateful if you would send any such photos to me so that reception can be instructed not to allow access to the hall for those people again.
If you were one of the residents involved, please make an appointment to see me this week so we can find out exactly what happened and how we can prevent it from happening again.
If you signed in any of the guests whom I had to escort out of the building, I should like to see you too.
I will be available in my office tonight (Sunday) between 17.00 and 18.00, and on Friday 15th between 20.15 and 21.15 (after the election & count). Or you can make an appointment to see me most evenings this week.
I know most of you had an enjoyable and trouble-free night and I am sorry that a handful of disruptive elements spoiled the end of the party – and, given that the police were eventually involved, damaged our prospects for being able to hold future late parties.
We have never had anyone injured in this way at any of our parties at least since the Licensing Act 2003 and the current procedure for organising late parties came into force. Last night's problems must prompt us to review how we manage parties, how late the bar stays open, and security arrangements. I will write to you all in more detail about the events of last night and our response in the next week or so, after I have spoken with those involved.
If you know who they are, please check your photographs from last night for clear face pictures of any non-residents who were involved in last night’s problems. I should be very grateful if you would send any such photos to me so that reception can be instructed not to allow access to the hall for those people again.
If you were one of the residents involved, please make an appointment to see me this week so we can find out exactly what happened and how we can prevent it from happening again.
If you signed in any of the guests whom I had to escort out of the building, I should like to see you too.
I will be available in my office tonight (Sunday) between 17.00 and 18.00, and on Friday 15th between 20.15 and 21.15 (after the election & count). Or you can make an appointment to see me most evenings this week.
I know most of you had an enjoyable and trouble-free night and I am sorry that a handful of disruptive elements spoiled the end of the party – and, given that the police were eventually involved, damaged our prospects for being able to hold future late parties.
We have never had anyone injured in this way at any of our parties at least since the Licensing Act 2003 and the current procedure for organising late parties came into force. Last night's problems must prompt us to review how we manage parties, how late the bar stays open, and security arrangements. I will write to you all in more detail about the events of last night and our response in the next week or so, after I have spoken with those involved.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Parties at Connaught Hall
I need your help to ensure that the Resident's Club can continue to organise parties in the bar whilst taking care to safeguard the wellbeing and security of residents, and protect the Hall from damage and unnecessary mess.
The last two parties have left rather more mess and caused more disruption in the rest of the Hall than I would expect. The next party will be on 12 February (for Valentine's Day). The bar will close at 1.30 instead of 2.00, and I should like everyone to bear in mind:
I have published new guidance for bar staff and DJs for the Valentine's party:
The last two parties have left rather more mess and caused more disruption in the rest of the Hall than I would expect. The next party will be on 12 February (for Valentine's Day). The bar will close at 1.30 instead of 2.00, and I should like everyone to bear in mind:
- Parties are held in the bar only; residents in the rest of the building who do not wish to attend the party should be able to study or sleep if they want to.
- Only alcoholic drinks purchased at the bar may be consumed in the bar, Bell room, and garden.
- All guests must be met at reception and signed in by a resident. Residents may be held responsible for their guests' behaviour.
- The party ends at closing time (usually 2.00). Those who want to continue partying after that need to go out to another venue. Student rooms, the common rooms, and the steps outside the front of the building may not be used for after-parties. The Hall should be as quiet as any other night by 2.20.
I have published new guidance for bar staff and DJs for the Valentine's party:
- The Licensing Act 2003 - a guide for bar staff
- Instructions for bar staff at late parties
- Instructions for DJs at late parties
I will review how parties are organised, the hours at which they are allowed, and how frequently parties may be held, after the Valentines' party. Please help keep mess and noise to a minimum so that I do not have to place restrictions on future parties.
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