The student newspaper of Imperial College Issue 1039 FELIX November 3rd 1995 Linstead Scapegoated in Halloween Debacle BY JONATHAN TROUT The most serious disturbances of the term occurred on Tuesday night, when the activities of Linstead and Southside residents resulted in the Police being called to Prince's Gardens. The com- plaints of local residents have fur- ther resulted in the indefinite closure of the Linstead Bar. The annual Southside Halloween party, held on the building's upper gallery, devel- oped into a lively occasion with a constant, but not especially high, level of noise emanating from the high rise block. This was not a particular problem until a fire alarm in Linstead Hall led to the expulsion of at least 150 students into the Prince's Gardens area. Upon the arrival of Ian from their Warden, the Linstead Prince's Gardens College flat to With some of the newly Caldwell, Director of Estates, residents returned inside, in witness the proceedings, resi- arrived freshers in a fairly inebri- the Linstead residents gave most cases to their rooms. dents have been told officially by ated state, the ritual banter start- grudging acquiescence to his However John Hassard, Warden the Rector that the bar will not ed up between Southside and requests for calm, and returned of Falmouth Keogh Hall, who be available until students Linstead Halls. Following the inside. At this point the incident was not present at the scene, 'behave in a reasonable and retreat of the Linstead Hall resi- should have ended, but for a fur- commented: "it was like a riot, responsible' manner. dents after the all clear, the ther fire alarm in Linstead Hall. and riotous behaviour is deeply With suggestions that Southside residents were then Following this evacuation the regretful." College has been seeking to close required to evacuate their halls police arrived on the now The concern of College the bar for some time, residents when their fire alarms sounded. charged, yet good humoured, authorities over the allegedly speculate whether the popular With students now in fine voice, scene. After a short chat with high level of student alcohol con- social amenity will ever reopen. the exchange continued between Earl Lancaster, the Linstead Hall sumption later manifested itself This, together with the unfair- the grounded Southsiders and Warden, the police departed. with the Rector, Sir Ronald ness of not closing Southside's the Linstead revellers. After some coercive words Oxburgh's instruction, to close more profitable licensed premis- Linstead Hall's bar. Some have es were matters on which nei- Albert Hall Awaits raised questions as to the wisdom ther Sir Ronald or Mr Caldwell Lottery funding of this action. One of the Bar were available to comment. Both Committee members working the ICU President, and Mr Albert Hall spokespeople have that evening told Felix that most Lancaster were said to be "bewil- dismissed suggestions in national of the student drinking took dered" by the decision. Sarah papers that they have already place not in the Linstead bar but White said: "This seems like a received £40m in Lottery fund- in the Southside Disco. violent, knee-jerk reaction from ing Page 3 With the Director of Estates someone not in possession of all being close at hand in his 47 the facts." TWO . FELIX FRIDAY NoveMBER 3RD 1995 NEWS News in brief 'Beit Option' Motor Show Protest Considered Traffic around Earl's Court was An initial sounding of the 'Beit disrupted twice over the week- Option' has been the concern of end as people demonstrated out- Imperial College's Estates side the London Motor Show. Division this week, as Ian Frame, Security guards and Police were Director of Planning, went on a called in to restrain protesters as walkabout with Union staff. The they tried to clamber over the party looked at the various parts barriers surrounding the building. of the Union building that would Last Friday evening saw be moved or altered if the pro- 'Critical Mass', a cyclist pressure posal is taken up by the College. group, arriving at the Show for a Sarah White said that the rally after their monthly meet College has been "fiddling under Waterloo bridge. The around with the idea", and will group of about a thousand be doing some rough costing over cyclists proceeded slowly to the the next few weeks. She added Brompton Road entrance of the that most of the work has been show. There they were confront- done already as the Biology part ed by locked gates and irate secu- Photo: William Lorenz of Beit had been dissected in the rity guards. Along the route of Unfinished: Installation of smoke detectors has taken over a year original plans. However, Ian their ride, the flow of traffic, Frame commented that the idea already fairly stagnant in the rush has not yet gone to the quantity hour, ground to a halt with Fire Alarm Tests Continue surveyors and reiterated that the motorists venting their irritation costs have to balance. by sounding their horns. BY THE NEWS TEAM Officer, said the system had One driver tried to force Residents of Southside Halls are overlap and that he was satisfied Labour Whip hisway through the crowd of set to be subjected to daily early with the level of protection cur- Stephen Byers, Labour MP for bicycles but was advised by a morning fire alarm tests for rently offered. Wallsend, was a guest of Imperial Police Officer to stay put, much another month. Although the present fire College Union Labour Club on to the delight of the assembled The alarms have been sound- protection is perfectly legal for October 20th. He is seen as one masses. The cyclists were keen to ed at 9am each day since the student residences, it is well of the brightest young stars in the stress the peaceful nature of their unsuccessful fire practice on below the standard required by Parliamentary Labour Party protest, aimed at demonstrating October 17th. Alarms failed to the Fire Precaution Act (1972) becoming party Whip recently. the hypocrisy of motoring in go off on staircases two and four for paying members of the pub- He spoke to a sizeable gath- London. leaving residents unaware of the lic. The sole reason Southside ering on a range of issues includ- One individual expressed a warning to evacuate the building. currently holds hotel status is ing sleaze and arms sales to Iran desire "to spread love and peace" However, Prof G New and Dr J due to a loophole in the law. As it and Iraq, both topical issues sub- throughout the capital by "wav- Hassard, the hall's wardens, said has applied for certification, ject to inquiries by Nolan and ing and smiling at people" as they they were satisfied with the pending a visit from the fire Scott. However, many members passed. turnout of the other staircases. In department, the dubious nature of the audience were surprised Sunday had the 'Reclaim the an open letter to the four halls, of the system is given the benefit that Mr Byers described himself Streets Action Network' out in they said that there were to be no of the doubt. as a socialist while very much force opposite the Warwick Road further fire practices this term, Similar to one in Linstead being a supporter of Tony Blair's entrance to Earl's Court. It was a so alarms should be taken seri- Hall, the system is currently style and policies. much smaller demonstration ously. partly installed and will be One of the more impressive than Friday's but more vocal; The source of the problem is brought on line over the next few of the Labour Club's guests, he chanting slogans and cheering the 15 year old alarm control sys- weeks. It will have the capability very capably fended off questions each bus and booing each car that tem, sections of which have to pinpoint fires down to the from Consoc members especially passed. taken to spontaneous failure. nearest room, report disablement over local government. After one The protesters generated a Due to the disappearance of the or breakdowns and detect question he particularly empha- lot of noise but were mainly inef- installation details necessary for cannabis smoke. Students who sised that Conservative run fectual in disrupting the flow of fault location, the only means of burn their food are still a prob- Westminster Council is the only visitors to the show. At one point tracing failures is trying the sys- lem that hopefully the Fire one in the country which has they tried to bring their own tem and seeing if it works. Faced Department will solve, but the been officially found corrupt, and Chinese Dragon style model with concerns of student safety if new hardware should be in place the council appointed solicitors London Bus on to the road, but the system failed between test- by the end of November until who refute these allegations are were forcibly prevented from ings, Graham Cox, College Fire which time testing will continue. hardly 'independent'. doing so by a ring of Police. NEWS FELIX FRIDAY NOVEMBER 3RD 1995 . THREE Albert Hall Funding Uncertain Confusion over £40m Lottery Payout renovations BY AAARK BRIDGE David Elliot, the Deputy Chief Executive of the Royal Albert Hall, has said that there is still no sign of whether their application for £40 million pounds of lottery funding had been successful. This follows recent reports which cast doubt over the suc- cess of the Albert Hall's applica- tion for Lottery funds to renovate the historic Hall's surrounding area.