On the weekly pilgrimage from Gower Street to Scala, the sporting contingent of UCL often opt for a hydrating pit stop at The Rocket. It’s the Karanga Camp to Scala’s summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Despite popping in on a Thirsty Thursday afternoon, the atmosphere of the pub was chalk and cheese to what us UCL students have grown accustomed to seeing on a Wednesday night; with about fifteen customers nursing pints, it was nothing like the packed pavements, long queues, and inebriated toga-donning athletes that Sport’s Night brings.
I had the opportunity to have a chat with one of the managers of The Rocket. From the get-go, he wanted to make it abundantly clear that, “we like you guys, we never complain about Wednesdays”.
A very diplomatic statement indeed, since his comparison that every Wednesday the capacity of The Rocket is on par with punters coming [once a year] to watch the FA Cup final does sound like my version of hell.
Not long after we started our conversation, he did mention how crazy Wednesdays get. He acknowledged the elephant in the room of removing the much loved 20% discount to the bar tab, “we were told off by licensing” because of how many people there were on the street. Removing the 20% discount was a remedy that allowed the pub to stay open.
I think we would all rather pay full price for a pint rather than risk losing UCL student entry into the pub.
“Two years ago, the UCL tennis club came every Wednesday for a year”. With students from most sports societies often finding The Rocket as a reliable presence during what can end up being a messy night out, the staff at The Rocket rightfully feel integrated into UCL’s community.
After all, many students see the bar staff at The Rocket more often than their families during term time.
In all honesty, the chat was an endearing appreciation of student sport culture. The staff prioritise safety on Wednesdays through student ID checks upon entry; though taxing at times, being able to see the funny side of moments when students attempt to pay for pints with their UCL ID card make their job entertaining. They really do exercise the patience of saints.
“We’re dealing with kids, but they’re all respectful”.
Well done TeamUCL! Though you make life somewhat hellish for The Rocket staff once a week, they do appreciate our customer loyalty.
I would also recommend visiting on a day that isn’t Wednesday. Get a drink, some chips and watch the footy. The amount of space in that pub is astonishing when you remove the dozens of students in fancy dress!
