| Profile : Ali Tuckwell | A student of the University of Nottingham in Politics and American Studies, I also have the spare time to be a DJ and a news reader for University Radio Nottingham and a contributor to the university's online and printed news, sports and entertainment publications. As a resident in the city for three years I have been involved in the local sports community as a steward at Notts County FC and as captain of the University of Nottingham Off Campus football team. |
It would be surprising to many to hear of the literally hundreds of infamous names who have graced this unassuming venue since the late 1960s. Name dropping The roll of honour hidden within the somewhat confusing wooden display board inside the main function room reveals that Elton John, Rod Stewart and the Sex Pistols to name but a few have been to these parts. Then there's Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath and all of a sudden it seems we should be talking about the Sydney Opera House or the Royal Albert Hall. But no we're not and it seems that the most hallowed doors within this city belong to a place that sounds more like it should be home to a quiet country pub than an illustrious list of rock stars. What then would I make of this apparent oddity? The Boat Club is divided into two main parts, the function room with the main stage at the front and the lounge area with seating around the walls. Its layout evokes memories of school discos, the main dance floor in one area and then the surrounds where the dateless and the broken hearted go to sink into their misery. However, it would be misleading to paint a dreary, depressing image conveyed by pre-ordained images. The rooms The two rooms work in harmony and the main bar runs adjacent to both, one offers conversation and sit-down drunks the other more atmosphere and life. The lounge area is decorated with displays of The Boat Club's achievements and framed photographs of previous and current personnel provide a sense of belonging and homeliness to the venue. Tables, stools and in-wall seats are dotted around the spacious interior helping the lounge to stand alone as a pub unto itself. The stage The centrepiece of this venue and the main reason it has been such a success is its own performance hall. Wooden floor-boarding underneath and an elevated main stage at the front provide the key features to a cosy but not under-sized room. The acoustics here, although obviously under the direction of volume control, dissipate through the entire venue, so that the band playing on the main stage are a pleasant background noise to the beer-drinkers in the bar at the back but the main focus of attention to those in the main function room. So should you be encouraged to hire this venue out and organise your own night of history in Nottingham, inviting the likes of Elton John to your very own birthday bash? Absolutely and without privately organised events the name of the Boat Club would not be associated with the glamour and glitz that it has been for the last 35 years. | 
