Alice in Wonderland

Fourth-year medic Alice Lee compresses her time at Imperial College London into one experience. 

Words: Lucy Jolin / Photography: Hannah Maule-ffinch

Hidden behind Charing Cross Hospital is probably the most low-key nightspot in the West End: the Reynolds Bar in the Students’ Union. Café by day, bar and disco by night – made possible simply by moving the tables to make space for the dancefloor and turning on the disco lights.

But though it may not be flashy, for me, the Reynolds is at the heart of Imperial’s medic family. Wednesday is Sports Night, when all the different teams play. It’s traditional for us all to go back to the Reynolds and either celebrate our wins or commiserate over our losses. Then the tables go away, and the disco lights go on.

Freshers’ Fortnight is held there, and it’s where I met many of my friends and my College ‘mum and dad’. I still remember walking into the Reynolds to meet them for the first time. I was nervous, but they bought me a drink and then sat me down and told me all about the course and what to expect. I’m still in touch with my ‘medic mum’, Helen-Cara Younan (Medicine 5th Year) today.

Because all the medics go there and it’s a medics’ place, we all know each other and all the year groups mix. Lots of us will go after lectures to have a pizza. It’s our place. For me, it epitomises the community feel. Whenever I think about my best memories of Imperial, they are always inside those four walls. It’s a symbol of our supportive community. Oh, and the snakebite and black is pretty reasonably priced, as well – though I tend to steer clear of it these days.

Alice Lee is in her fourth year of the MBBS/BSc Medicine. Share your memories by emailing imperialmagazine@imperial.ac.uk or using #ourimperial to contact us on social media.