Vegan Question

[maenad]

I'm in Albany and I really like it. The houses are nothing fancy but they're OK and I like the walk along the seafront into town. I think how much you enjoy it depends very much on getting on with your other five housemates, but there aren't *that* many weirdos out there . I'm a second year who moved into her house knowing only one other person (my roommate from first year - she's great, didn't like hall much) and it's worked out fine. I heard rumours of Albany getting a main common room as well.

I've never been in a Fife Park house - they don't look great from the outside but they're refurbishing them this year. I think you can also go self-catered at DRA or New Hall, but that depends on how much money you have (they're very expensive).

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Tommy can you hear me?

[MacMan]

Original poster: if you fancy an old-style hall then steer clear of New Hall. It has the layout and atmosphere of a Travelodge and is too expensive for what is provided. DRA is similar, but segregated and about 1 mile out of the town.

Your situation is a tricky one. However where I live (St. Regulus Hall) we have a brand new kitchen for catering purposes that would be worthy of a high-class hotel and the staff who run it are excellent. This is reflected in the food in my opinion, as it is nearly always good. Now, they don't provide a vegan option yet, however Regs has a rather substantial selection of salad, vegetables and pasta mixes at all of the meals. As far as I am aware most other halls do not provide this at all, or do to an inferior quality.

Also, contrary to a mention earlier, Regs does not switch off ovens or close kitchens at all and they are available 24 hours a day. I believe the halls that are switching off ovens are those who are scrapping for first prize in this year's Interhall Energy Saving competition, which is a bit unfair as it deprives residents of facilities that they are entitled to.

Your best bet is probably to contact the University Residential and Business Services directly on this one, if you want an un-biased response. They seem to have a fair idea of what is going on in the halls and will be able to point you in the right direction.

p.s. Old style halls are awesome, there's nothing else like them!

[hoopy froodette]

I think Fife Park looks much nicer than Albany inside and out! At least Fife Park looks like little houses rather than concrete blocks. Fife Park rooms are generally a bit bigger as well (though still small). Albany has the advantage of a common room in every house, but a small kitchen. Fife Park's kitchens are slightly bigger with a table and chairs. Albany's location is better (next to the sea, nearer to town) and its internal walls are slightly thicker than those in Fife Park (in Fife Park you can sometimes hear the person in the next room breathing - the walls are like cardboard, as Haunted or jequirity could probably attest to!). Fife Park has the advantage of using next door DRA's facilities - Bistro, games room, music room, bar.
DRA is fully self-catered with the option of buying meals from the Bistro individually or with a meal card for either a set number of meals or for a whole semester (excluding holidays, I think). DRA is expensive, but you do get a double bed and ensuite shower room.
You can be catered or self-catered in New Hall.

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Nothing succeeds like a toothless budgie.

[MacMan]

I shudder to think what it must be like to live in a room with thin walls. Fortunately my Regs room has a 2 foot thick stone wall on one side and a 4 foot thick stone wall on the other (and I'm not exaggerating).

[nighteyes]

Some can thanks to daddy or a year out working or even by working throughout term as well as summer. Not all students are penniless. I unfortunatly am.

Quoting spongebob from 15:50, 23rd Mar 2007
How could a student afford to eat out loads?

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i didnt say i was consistant, just right!

[maenad]

I do think in terms of house shape and layout Fife is nicer. In fact, Fife looks much nicer from a distance - sloped roofs, pathways up to each door, grass outside like a little village. But when I got up close it looked like a dump, really - quite overgrown and decrepit. The houses really look like they need to be refurbished, and hopefully they'll look good when they are.

I call our Albany house 'the concrete shoebox', but for me the view from my window makes up for its complete lack of aesthetic grace.

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Tommy can you hear me?

[Malcolm]

My mum did her degree at Edinburgh during the 70s, but she had friends at St Andrews who were living in Fife Park in its second year of being open. She visited them and described it as "basic" even back then, sounds like nothing's changed from what people tell me now!

I heard it's not necessarily condemned, but its closure and demolition are being considered for the next two-three years or so, and more money will be poured into expanding the DRA. This is just speculation/rumour though, I've not heard any official word coming from anywhere about it.

Back on topic: Like I say, if you're adhering to specific dietary requirements that need a little more care then self-catered's your safest bet. You should try for DRA/FP/Albany or, if worse really came to worse, get a private flat. But like I said that's not an appealing prospect for first years.

[KateBush]

Halls HAVE to cater for dietary requirements. Tell them in advance that you are a vegan- maybe even email Isobel Clifford who is in charge of allocations and just see what she thinks.

Also, what about meeting the chefs before term starts and giving them a list of what you can and can't eat?

I had really strict requirements- wheat free vegan and I used to go down every monday morning to the chefs and plan my meals for the week, then they were happy and so was I

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The only way to avoid trouble is to BE trouble

[KateBush]

p.s: this was Macintosh. The chef who made the funkiest stuff for me, Ross, has now gone to Uni Hall. I would head over there! He is lovely

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The only way to avoid trouble is to BE trouble