The end of this year’s ‘Intro Week’ also saw the closure of Furness’ bar, ‘Trev’, for refurbishments.
On its college website it is described as a “year of upheaval for the college,” but JCR President Rob Dickinson ensured that although “the loss of the foyer, a key meeting and events area [for Furness], is pretty big, there are huge plans in place for Furness to have homes in town at many places where [the college’s] Principal, SCR, and JCR have worked extremely hard to get some cracking and exclusive deals for Furness college students with their new membership cards.”
The refurbishment follows that of Grizedale, Pendle and Bowland bars. Dickinson went on to comment that despite the refurbishment, the college is keen to make sure “that the spirit and pub feel of Trev will remain, and not become another IKEA bar.”
Reuben Edwards, Furness’s Principal, told SCAN that “regulars of Furness bar will be glad to know that the current ethos of the bar is to be retained, without major changes made to the physical layout. The Common Room, however, will see a partial return of banquette seating, in a layout remaining loyal to the original designs and plans.
“The unique character of the bar has led to it being the busiest and profitable in recent years,” he continued, “and we are glad to see that the University recognises the value in retaining the bar’s feel and has resisted, thus far, in tinkering with a successful formula.”
The website also states that the refurbishment is due to be complete by the start of the 2012-2013 academic year with new social spaces “and new offices in the north wing of the college (opposite the bar).” The foyer area of will also act as a “shared space with the new School of Health and Medicine” once the revamp is complete.
Edwards explained that “negotiations are continuing on the overall branding of the social space with the foyer becoming shared space between the college and the Faculty of Health and Medicine (FHM) and the college is keen to see the foyer retain its flexibility […] providing a valuable social space to both FHM students and ‘Furnessians’ alike.”
In the meantime, the college offices have moved temporarily to the C floor of Bowland South.
