A Grand Day Out

So, we come to one of the 'grandest' days out of the year - the pub crawl!
For many students, this will be their introduction to the City of Edinburgh. The routes (there were two this year) take them all across the city, calling in at numerous pubs along the way, ending in Espionage. Not one to miss out on a bit of fun, NapierTV were there of course, in full pirate get-up!

First port of call (quite literally) was Cargo - the pub that backs out on to canal right next to Fountainbridge/West Tollcross. We registered here, and signed on to the Red group. Luckily being that we were there on behalf of NapierTV and the NSA, we had our pick of the groups, and even got some free t-shirts thrown in, allowing us to 'disguise' ourselves as freshers.

Cargo had a good atmosphere, most likely because it was the hub. From here people got themselves into groups, and the banter started. Everyone was aware that as it was the first pub, they weren't going to stick around too long, but nonetheless, with cheap student drink deals, it probably came out as a favourite. We left with a Redshirt group, and got bussed out to the Student Union bar aboard the good ship 'the flying coffin'.

The Union bar was, as always, an experience. Being a regular, and knowing the bar staff means that I find it one of the more comfortable pubs to drink in. It's relatively cheap, the seats are comfy, and whilst it may not be the roomiest of places on a night like this, it gives you a good chance to talk to people, unlike some of the more mainstream pubs.


After this, we did the Links bar and the Golf Tavern, one after the other. Both good pubs, and regular student haunts after sports & societies nights given that they're within stumbling distance of the Union, and stay open later. Both pubs have a good selection of all the usual drinks, and our fellow pub-crawlers appreciated the use of the pool tables. Another student tradition.

But now, onwards once more! By bus, again, to the Fat Cow, what once used to be Oddfellows. Amusingly, as we left the Golf Tavern, Thriller was playing. When we got dropped off at Fat Cow, Thriller was coming to an end in there. It felt like being in a film!

I actually find it quite hard to say anything about this place, and not for the reasons you might think! It was a nice place, and always has been. The décor is good, and the drinks have even come down in price since it changed hands. The problem is, it just felt wrong! I was used to Oddfellows, and this was different in a few small ways, but not enough to seem like it was a fresh start. It was a little off-putting, and I was quite glad to move on! My little quirks aside, it was a good pub. I think we didn't spend as long there as we could have, but by that point most people had had a few drinks and didn't want to move so much.

Frankensteins... doesn't need anything said about it. You're a student? You'll get Frankensteins. Keep an eye out on the higher levels at midnight, but that's all. Frankensteins is a whole other episode.

Finally, via Bar Kohl, we made it to Espionage! For some reason, I've never been in here before, so it was as new to me as it no doubt was to the hordes of new students! For one, the place is massive. Seriously. It covers about 4 floors, but it seems bigger, like it goes down forever. I'm sure you could have some very trippy experiences when drunk here.

Each room is themed slightly differently, and has its own bar, seats, dancefloor, etc. This is what more clubs should do - it meant that we could pop down to the steamy basement dance room and film, and afterwards come upstairs for a quieter drink at the casbah-themed bar. It's a very nice place, but there is one major problem with it: drink prices. The place was just too damned expensive!

It wasn't so much of a problem for the one night, given that most people were already well on their way to drunkenhood, but it was still a problem. We went to Bar Kohl for a quick stop-off after Frankensteins, and they're normally regarded as an expensive bar (but their cocktails and pitchers are worth it). But when we got to Espionage we considered heading back there, because Espionage were even more expensive!

Still, drink prices aside, we had a good time, as did the rest of the groups from the look of it.

All in all, the night went very well, so a bit "thank you" to the NSA for organising it!
-Chris