The Bridge used to be a great place for students who weren't looking for a pub/club space to spend an evening with their friends or to watch an event. It was a great place to have hot drinks if you aren’t drinking, or to have a cocktail/pint of your choice with friends (without battling loud music), have society gatherings, or simply just watch Ru Paul’s drag race. 

Now this is an echo of the past.

There are no hot drinks served on campus past 6.30pm, the closing time of Costa - which is not even affiliated with the university. There is a clear gap in the market for evening warming drinks, especially with winter and exams on the way.

The Bridge not being open, not only closes off opportunities for those socially put off by loud/busy bars (those with social anxieties) but also stopped being an accessible place for smaller societies to meet and socialise (Board games, Chess club etc).

The closure excludes those who don’t drink and aren’t comfortable being surrounded by those who are. While Stags/Below Deck sell soft drinks, they have a pub vibe and so are inherently linked with alcohol, thus the pressure to order alcohol remains. 

The Bridge was a great ‘bridge’ for people to socialise with and without alcohol.

We suggest simply that the bridge go back to what it used to be: remain open serving drinks later (22:00 SU close time), with options of hot, soft and alcoholic drinks.