Oak House
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oak House is the largest Halls of Residence in the Fallowfield Campus and is owned by The University of Manchester.
The halls consists of 1066 rooms, divided into 136 self-catered flats and then subdivied into five courts of varying sizes, the largest being Beech, then Sycamore, Chestnut (the only court offering washbasins in bedrooms), Maple and finally Holly.
The Hall's bar, 'Squirrels,' is known for its (soon to be updated) garish colour schemes and its cheap drinks. It is the most popular venue in the Fallowfield Campus for watching televised football matches. It has a 500 person capacity and also serves as an amenity building for the residents with a laundry room, free squash courts and pool room.
Famous past residents of Oak House include comic Ben Elton.
The Halls were opened in 1972 with John Flynn as warden. He served until his retirement in 1996, Dr Marc Schmidtt being his successor, who is still the current warden.
Entertainment in Squirrels is run by OHRA (Oak House Residents Association) who run weekly events. Best known current events are the Squirrels Comedy Club (fortnightly Saturdays during term time) and the Sunday sQuiz (a pub quiz on one specific topic of student interest, e.g Neighbours, films etc).
Oak House has several thriving sports teams, including Oak House netball, rugby and two football teams. During their first season, Oak House Rugby Team has reached the final of the Campus Sports competition, to be played against Owen's Park Rugby Team. Other opportunities for residents include free kung-fu lessons, a drama club and the chance to stand for election onto the OHRA executive. Oak House Football team are current holders of the Roy Little Cup thanks to a Neil Creasey winner in the final. The team, with new signing Charlie Drury,renowned for his 40 yard screamers that nearly go in, are looking to complete the ISSL double this season. Their season has gone very well so far. They are currently topping the ISSL premier division, and they were linked with versatile Athletico Hulme defender Peter Poonia, who was available on a free transfer, to bolster the Oak House rearguard.
The hall is noted for its close-knit social structure, with residents of flats and blocks often living together during their subsequent years at the university.
There are rumours that the halls were based on a design of a low-security Russian prison although some claim the design was Swedish. It had been rumoured that Oak House designers could not plaster the walls or the rooms would be below the legal size for halls of residence.
[edit] External links
- Oak House on the University of Manchester Accommodation Office site
- Oak House - Wikispectus (alternative prospectus of the University of Manchester)
