FOR hundreds of students, the sprawling seven-bedroom home is known as the “Rave House”: a setting for all-night parties, live music and drunken revelry fuelled by lots of alcohol.
But for those living near the rundown Victorian building in Norwich, the undergraduates’ raucous antics have left them deprived of sleep and set them on a collision path with the University of East Anglia.
Homeowners in the affluent suburb are planning to hold a protest at next month’s graduation ceremony against the seven male students who live at the house and host the parties, sometimes attended by more than 300 young people.
The residents plan to hand out leaflets identifying the offenders to parents and the ceremony’s 3,000 other graduating students. They are also calling for the honours degrees of the riotous students to be withheld.Cliff and Fran Andrews set up Sandringham Road Neighbours’ Association after spending the last month sleeping on the floor of their four-year-old daughter’s bedroom to escape the noise. “It has been going on for years, ” Mr Andrews, 47, a professional musician taking a postgraduate course, said. “I have seen neighbours staggering around absolutely shattered because they have not slept.
“The screaming, shouting and loud music coming from 107 Earlham Road goes on all night. There was live drumming at 7.30am after one of their all-night bashes. We obviously don’t want to spoil graduation, but we do want to shame those people who have destroyed the peace and quiet of a beautiful neighbourhood.”
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For Vivienne Hillier, whose terraced home is 100 yards from the house, double glazing has been her only saviour. The retired politics teacher recently opened her back door at 6am and was “hit by a wall of sound”. “I was letting out my Scottie dogs, Wilkie and Chaka, and heard what seemed like a football crowd. It was later that I learnt that the student digs is called the Rave House.”
After the residents’ association contacted the university Dr Annie Grant, the dean of students, suggested a letter of apology might help..
Mark Waller, a student living in the house, put pen to paper, apologised for the “stress and trauma” caused and posted it to the surrounding houses.
Hayley Winter, 40, who has become accustomed to bedding down on her living-room floor, said the letters were too little too late. “Within half an hour of receiving it the music started again,” the mother of two said.
At 107 Earlham Road yesterday, Martin, a 20-year-old politics student, said: “We have one big party every semester, certainly not every night. But we do have a fair few visitors.” He admitted that the events might well feature two resident DJs, the house drummer, saxophonist, guitarist and bass player.
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Leopald, 20, a philosophy student who wants to study law, bowed his head and said it had all spiralled out of control because of poor communication. “We are sincerely sorry. We have been lying low after all the complaints.”