our regular socials
To give you a flavour of what we get up to socially, here's a short introduction to the staples of our termcard we run on a regular basis during term-time.
monday night socials
During term-time we book out Riverside Cafe (Level C of Dunelm House) on Monday nights from 8.00pm onwards. The bar is always open and we play music which you are more than welcome to contribute to from your CD collection! We pride ourselves on the relaxed and friendly atmosphere and want it to be as easy as possible for first-timers to walk into the room. The building closes shortly after 11 but the fun doesn't necessarily end there as there is usually the option to carry on elsewhere. To keep you coming back and to show you that we love you we like to use Monday nights to put on some special events (check the termcard...)
Wine and cheese evenings
If we are honest we sometimes use free wine and a selection of free cheese to tempt some of our 'occasionals' along on a Monday, usually on elections night in order to soften the blow! This has proved a great success in the past. When the free wine runs out, the bar offers it to you at a ridiculously discounted price and so there is simply no excuse!
Quiz nights
Our advice is to find out who the quizmaster will be in advance, become his/her friend, learn everything about them and then on the night, join a team of know-it-alls! You might then have a chance of winning a delicious prize! Quiz nights provide the opportunity to bond and speak to people you may not have otherwise.
Seasonal spirits
The LGBTA often becomes possessed by a seasonal spirit. Whether it's Christmas, Easter, or end of exams we just can't help but buy loads of sweets, cakes, silly string and decorations!
coffee afternoons
We take very seriously the fact that not everyone loves socializing within the context of alcohol, and so we like to offer alternatives. We regularly hold women's and mixed coffee afternoons (keep an eye on our termcard) which are always a welcome break from a hectic timetable.
universal
Universal is Newcastle University Union's monthly straight-friendly gay event held on the first Thursday of each month and, quite frankly, we love it. We organise travel every month and are often close to filling a full-size coach! Our suggestion to newcomers has always been that the best way to break into the scene is with a Universal trip.
The venue is small but not too small, with a comfy seating area for when they play ABBA and an intimate but sufficiently sized dance floor. The music is cheesy but not too cheesy and the DJ is always willing to take requests.
There are two major plus-points of Universal being held at a students' union: a) ridiculously cheap drinks, and b) safety. So have we plugged it enough? Probably not... How about the fact that we offer an amazing all-inclusive deal of £7 for return coach travel and entrance (see termcard or website)?! For those of you who are slightly more daring, each event has a different fancy dress theme, which is not mandatory but certainly does add to the entertainment value of the night!
scene trips
So the student scene in Newcastle may be pretty impressive, but that's not to say we don't go out on the commercial gay scene too!
We regularly organise trips out to the Newcastle scene, usually on Friday nights. We usually take the train, although for the first trip of each year we organise a coach. The trips always start in Kingsgate, and then once in Newcastle, after a few bars, drinks and laughs, we roll into the Powerhouse.
Get on the mailing list and check the termcard for more details of when our trips run. We are hold occasional women-only trips because they can tend to be a bit male-dominated.
As well as Newcastle, we sometimes venture from Durham to Middlesbrough for variation, hooking up with the Queen's crew, and for the more adventurous, the odd Saturday night coach trip to Manchester in conjunction with our neighbouring universities is a fixture.
others
Bowling
The best thing about LGBTA is the mixture of people. You are guaranteed that there will be someone who is as bad as you, if not worse, at bowling! We play non-competitively, maybe once a term, and you are guaranteed to have a good laugh.
Video/film nights
The lack of a cinema in Durham is something to frown upon but we try to not let it get in our way! We hold our own video/DVD nights and welcome any titles you may have in mind. Again we have women's, men's and mixed events.
Meals
When college food gets too much for everyone we like to dine out at nice restaurants around Durham. We welcome any recommendations.
