A Legendary night out party in Nottingham

We’ve all seen parties of epic proportions in American movies like 21 Jump Street, luckily for you choosing to study in the United Kingdom we get to experience 18 Jump Street. Which, truth be told is far closer, but also far better. What If I told you that these mythical parties are real and that they take place every week on a Wednesday in the home of Robin Hood, Nottingham.

These are the Wednesday Ocean Night out parties! Every Wednesday during term time, with a finale ocean at the end of each term and a super finale ocean at the end of the final term.

Prep

As we wrap up lectures at 3pm on a Wednesday. Emily asks the coveted question: You wanna go to Ocean? I enthusiastically reply, hell yeah! I scroll through my phone to find tonight’s theme, it’s the 80s an easy one to be sure. Me and Emily rush to the shops to grab drinks and straight home to get dressed. I opt for a £4 bottle of red wine after all I like the feeling and not the taste of alcohol. Whereas Emily opts for a 1 litre £16 bottle of Vodka and lemonade as a mixer. I call up our friend Samara and ask if she’s in for Ocean too? She replies with electrifying enthusiasm: Is that even a question? After sorting our drinks for the night, we head home to get dressed, and prepare our drinks for the pre-game. I simply carry my bottle of wine whereas Emily mixes a respectable 1:2 vodka lemonade concoction. Whereas Samara the mixes a remarkable 1:1 vodka coke mixture. 

Pres

We head off to the pre-game hosted as a house party at a society exec’s house. Making sure to arrive on time, if not slightly early. The party starts at 6pm and so does the drinking. However, the first order of business is to acquire a ocean ticket, sold in limited quantities by the society execs, failing to obtain one means being forced to line up outside ocean anywhere between half an hour to one full hour. It is coveted as a VIP pass and valued the same as a golden ticket to Mr. Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory. This is why attendance to this party is timely and not for the faint of time. 

Once we’ve each got a ticket. It’s time to party for real! The clock's ticking, each of us aiming to finish our drinks before it’s time to hit the streets. My capacity is 16 units of alcohol, the equivalent of 16 25ml shots of vodka. A single more and I will be puking my dinner out. We spend our time casually socializing with new and familiar faces alike. Often needing to use the bathroom as well. Anywhere between 7 and 8pm, the social exec let us know we will be leaving soon. And those yet to finish their drinks chug them down as the rest chant. A few minutes later, we are off to the streets. To raise havoc!

The bar crawl commences.

Our first Stop is the Brian Clough statue where every ocean Wednesday is started with a group photo of the entire club with Brian. Often with many members climbing all over him and sitting on these shoulders as well, poor Brian! At least, he’s always got company.

The Bar crawl commences for real

Every Ocean barcrawl begins at Yates however, some societies may vary their routes. After a brief socializing we move from bar to bar for about two hours or so. After which it’s time to visit the cookie lounge and bar. I know what your thinking but there is good reason for students to be here: Free Cookies! If you are a lover of all cookie, I’m afraid these taste like cardboard. We each pick up a square inch of cookie to complete our ritual and head off to the first promised land.

The promised land.

The next stop is Bierkeller, as the name suggests they sell beer. But they offer something far more elaborate than beer. An underground student only bar, where students stand on benches and dance the night away. Each club finds a group on benches to stand on and the DJ calls out to them as they arrive. “Do we have football?” he asks. We all cheer woo and yeah as we make our presence known. We sing along to all the classics and at 9:56pm the final song plays… “Almost heaven… West Virginia” and the room lights up with energy as every club sings along drumming the ceiling foundations. After an excellent on or two hours of singing and dancing on benches. We head off to our final destination of this bar crawl.

It’s time to top up!

Finally, ending the bar crawl at Cucamara for our final cheap drinks as we prepare to enter the ocean and begin a night of clubbing. Every member of our society orders shots of

tequila just enough to stand right before the line that entails puking up. I decided to get two, as my mind is satisfied by the economic benefit of £1 tequila shots. 

I sprinkle ample salt on the side of my left hand in the space between my thumb and index finger, prepped and ready to go with a slice of lime on standby as Emily and Samara get prepared. With silent looks, we gesture to one another our readiness to drink. With a quick cheer, I lick the salt off the side of my hand, down a violent shot of tequila and bite into my slice of lemon as its outer skin perfectly fits the shape of my mouth. After we are satisfied by the taste of lime over tequila it’s time for the next shot. All until we’re done. Samara a veteran in the art of drinking downs a third, her final shot in the company of other seasoned drinkers in the football society.

 

We’ve done it. Another bar crawls under our belt. But the fun is just starting, as the Ocean nightclub calls to us. The society assembles outside and once we’re all good to go. We’re off.

Off to Ocean.

As we approach the entrance to ocean, we briefly brace ourselves. For we must be sober, sober enough to get in. I prep my student ID, Age verification ID and my Ocean ticket. An maintain my demeanor as the pinnacle of sobriety for a grand total of 5 minutes until I've made it in. Emily and Samara follow. Fortunately no one has been left behind this time. As we enter we are washed over by the familiar feel of Ocean and it's songs which by now we very well know. We push through piles of bodies to get to our spot on the dance floor, it is the same each time for each society. We dance and sing the night away, occasionally parting from the circle in pairs or triplets to fill up on shots every hour or so. As we buy each other drinks and grab water to keep away dehydration. As I return the next song starts to play, a familiar guitar intro, my face lights up in excitement as a grin appears on my face I shout in excitement as I look towards Emily and Samara as they look back at me. We all sing together taken by the music. "Coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine.""Gotta, gotta be down, because I want it all." at the top of our lungs. It's Mr. Brightside by the Killers my favourite club song of all time. This is the electrifying feeling that takes us over every time we hear a legendary song as the entire club sings along and we are transported to a land far from reality. As the clock strikes 3am. The final song ends and the adrenaline, built up begins to gradually lessen. We hear the music that lets us know that this party is over and that it is time to go. We steadily walk towards the exit, and feel the cold fresh air. Another night at ocean comes to and end. But, the night has one last stop for us before the sweet embrace of a soft bed, and the grim yet important taste of toothpaste.

Maccies and Kebabs

If you've ever wondered why McDonalds and Kebab Shops are so treasured in the UK. Let me tell you: After a long night of partying and alcohol it's can take a toll energies are low and the alcohol needs to be absorbed by fats and proteins, and there is no better way t do so than with the help of Burgers and Kebabs at 3am. And this kebab is the same size as a dominoes medium pizza but, fully loaded up. At the incredibly economical price of £5 per kebab, they are a steal. We grab one each from Caspian and after a short wait of five minutes each of us have acquired our meals. We head home, and unwrap our kebabs on the dinner table, violently biting in. Blown away by the splendorous taste texture and fill. We continue. I stop half way through and save the rest for tomorrow, whereas Samara never fails to impress finishing the entire monstrosity, where does it go into her delicate frame is a question for NASA to figure out.

I line my toothbrush with toothpaste and aim to cover every surface of my teeth as the fear of dissolving and corroding teeth wins over my exhaustion. I wish Emily and Samara goodnight. I change into my comfy pajamas and collapse into my bed effortlessly.

Little did I know that this was the greatest night out of my life. The best night out party in the UK. A Legendary night out party in Nottingham.

So why don't you do the same? Get your WeekendBuzzz!