Willow: The Final Night In Review

UPDATE: Tommy Fong's farewell Willow speech.

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Low expectations. Cheap booze. Cheesy music. Sticky dance floor. STICKY EVERYTHING. These are all things we associate with the Willow we have come to know and love. In the club where even the walls sweat, for years York students have found solace in the comforting arms of familiar pop songs by the likes of Steps and S Club 7.

However, as we all now very well know, in the early hours of Monday July 27, Willow shut its doors for the very last time ever. The following tweets are a snapshot in history and will stand testament to the legend that is Willow. At one point the queue seems so dire that we flirt with the idea of going home. Did we ever make it in?* Read on to find out…

*Of course we did.

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625408293545111552

https://twitter.com/TButlerRoberts/status/625387862138187776

If you're curious as to the fate of Willow, @YorkVision will be live tweeting its final night – who knows what will happen

— York for Life (@UoYAlumni) July 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625412297670979584

Someone wrote a song to commemorate Willow. You can listen to it here while you read softly weep.

https://twitter.com/Claire_Chicken/status/625412069190443008
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Of course @YorkVision are liveblogging the final night at Willow. Student media at its finest. #RIPWillow

— Ben Bason (@benjamesbason) July 26, 2015

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https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625417764400971776

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625417960744726528

https://twitter.com/GraceT94/status/625418242136346624

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625420381533417472

https://twitter.com/HarryTwittaker/status/625424052593819649

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625421329295142912

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625423736628453376

[Nouse cowardly deleted a Tweet reply bizarrely saying “@YorkVision Is this tonight?”]

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625424186471776256

Willow closing tonight. Impromptu dance off with @YorkVision

— Nouse (@yorknouse) July 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/lxcymclaughlin/status/625418778621399040

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625426170998358016

https://twitter.com/horton_official/status/625388214770122752

https://twitter.com/imjackyeah/status/625443191408488449

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625427458628657153

I am very sad that Willow is closing @YorkVision. I once cried in there drunk and once asked, told my mate "I'm just so happy, that's why."

— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) July 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625427822455193601

https://twitter.com/imjackyeah/status/625428673768914944

@YorkVision is live tweeting #LastWillow -so much more love for York student media! *raises sambuca shot in tribute* https://t.co/PeuKyGq9rh

— Rachael Venables (@rachaelvenables) July 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625432379600060417

I LITERALLY have shoes that say Vision on them. #CommittedToTheCause

Trying to eat prawn crackers but all I can taste are my tears

— Ali Woods (@AliWoodsGigs) July 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/ianbeany1989/status/625431005093056512

https://twitter.com/zenajarjis/status/625431963286028288

Also my attention has been drawn by Willow's closure to how many ACE journos have their origins in York. SHOUT OUT TO YORK JOURNALISTS <3

— Victoria Finan (@victoriafinan) July 26, 2015

(She's on about me btw, not you)

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625435173144932352

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625435276840693760

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625435451646681088

The #LastWillow hashtag is so upsetting, I spent more time at Willow than in class when I was Uni! thanks for live tweeting @YorkVision

— Meg #SaveStation19 (@MsMegan91) July 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625435682593480704

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625437206933565440

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625437968048738304

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625438452683816960

Apparently Galvyn wants to write for us? Contact us at [email protected], we'll sort you out Galvyn.

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625438578940739584

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625438935238504448

[From this point onwards, Chris Wall and Tron become a recurring theme.]

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625439743489241088

THE BIG MAN HIMSELF.

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625440029595312128

@yorkvision are you taking bets on what the last ever song will be? imo it'll be i've had the time of my life from dirty dancing

— jo barrow (@JoBarrow) July 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625444167506919428

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625444375317868545

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625447007411433472

Student paper @YorkVision is live tweeting the #LastWillow club night before it shuts down. Some classic student journalism

— Amy Ashenden (@AmyAshenden) July 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/JimSummers93/status/625448424859635712

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625448746264993793

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625449828965830656

@YorkVision a high point of my time at york #RIPWillow pic.twitter.com/5lrxdXtVdP

— jo barrow (@JoBarrow) July 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/tomdavies111/status/625450468844662785

Some crackpots were convinced the whole night that the closure was just a ruse to gain Mr Fong extra publicity.

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625450632997113856

https://vine.co/v/egxae0OvljZ

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625451005384228864

Fuck's sake. Should definitely have gone up to Willow tonight. I am genuinely really sad.

— Alex Finnis (@AlexFinnis) July 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625452103234883584

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625453448872521732

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625454633943715841

Why couldn't they have closed down one of the less important York landmarks, like the university, or the minster? #LastWillow

— Alex Finnis (@AlexFinnis) July 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625454939830157312

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625455318999412736

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625455949592010752

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625457397331587072

https://twitter.com/M1CHAELBRENNAN/status/625429656368496640

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625460423668666368

Heard that as well as free prawn crackers, Willow will be returning a few select people's dignity. #RIPWillow

— Kaitlyn Beattie-Zarb SU (@yorksuactivity) July 27, 2015

Not yours Chris.

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625461071319576576

https://twitter.com/Helee/status/625468557988638722

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625461730605461504

https://twitter.com/M1CHAELBRENNAN/status/625429738824331264

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625462343078707200

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625462764606222336

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625463802247651328

That's the true Willow spirit Stefano.

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625465205418512384

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625466219139887104

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625466966753583104

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625467192008683520

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625469212111302657

In final honour of #willow I am posting the most stereotypically trashy thing I ever saw there. Classic. #RIPWillow pic.twitter.com/5q0wMJQKjO

— beth. (@beth_hampton) July 27, 2015

"The Promised Land"

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625470698568466432

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625471128144879616

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625471369447383040

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625472012866191360

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625472655811051520

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625474746365382656

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625476613766021120

Its #MondayMorning in #Delhi & @YorkVision's Live tweets on Willow are making me cry! Bye Bye Willow! You made my degree memorable.

— Kush Sethi (@harameco) July 27, 2015

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625478508224102400

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625480060842209280

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625481386045140992

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625482242182238209

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625483662713323520

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625483868867571713

https://instagram.com/p/5nzd5ZMpkb/

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625484881636818945

By this point we had been queueing for over 3 hours according to Tron's stopwatch. External moaning, internal optimism dynamic was strong.

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625486107225006080

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625486527469092865

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625489644055101440

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625489720764690433

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625489722832519169

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625491558318653440

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625491820047433728

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625492029343199232

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625496271781031936

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625511350635229184

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625511651232641024

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625511969945198592

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625512295477694464

HE ACTUALLY SAID "the night is now over." :(:(:(

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625512744800927744

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625513456750469120

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625513669108072448

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625513918832726017

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625514216917741568

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625514363844227072

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625515442208120833

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625515523078529029

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625515969402814464

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625516794892185600

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625518207626027008

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625518578159218693

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625518401969102848

This last Willow was truly a spiritual experience.

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625518812826333184

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625519001901375488

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625519534351454208

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625519824500850688

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625520090432278532

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625522263283113984

The carefree, feel-good vibe was so strong by this point that people literally started smoking on the dance floor. At least it's good to know the fire alarms always worked.

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625523342821429248

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625524007081779200

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625524432115769344

That's Reach For The Stars by the way (obviously).

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625525620093665280

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625526317010829312

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625526449143967744

https://twitter.com/MissSophieAnn/status/625526694942756866

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625527716255789057

I DON'T THINK I HAVE USED ALL CAPS ENOUGH???

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625530302841098240

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625531154159026176

LOOK at the timestamp.

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625531242956632064

Been great following #LastWillow from San Francisco, thanks @YorkVision. Truly the end of an era. York nightlife will never be the same…

— Ben Bason (@benjamesbason) July 27, 2015

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625537664234733568

If this is you, please reach out to us, we want to give you a medal for ending Willow in true tradition.

https://twitter.com/YorkVision/status/625537982787940352

@YorkVision tweets about the #Willow made me smile. So many memories of mad nights there. So many leaving dos+rugby nights. End of an era

— Elly Fiorentini (@ellyfyork) July 27, 2015

The bloody wonderful @YorkVision gave a masterclass last night in how relevant student journalism should be done.

— Victoria Finan (@victoriafinan) July 27, 2015

Liveblogging the closure of a beloved nightclub in classic irreverent style. Excellent. This is why they win awards. @YorkVision

— Victoria Finan (@victoriafinan) July 27, 2015

https://twitter.com/milanaknez/status/625572109603966976

https://twitter.com/Mellellar/status/625583582002679808

https://twitter.com/marie_mills/status/625588607298994176

https://twitter.com/axrolewicz/status/625600400947810304

https://twitter.com/e_cork/status/625655511376130048

After 43 years my parents are finally retiring, so proud of them http://t.co/VIxocmDlpf#WillowYork #WillowDisco

— Vicki Fong (@LittleFong) July 27, 2015

@YorkVision Amazing live feed. Tommy & Sue want to give the individual reporter a special Willow memento for this if interested? Who is it?

— Becki Fong (@fonglet) July 27, 2015

Woo, go me

https://twitter.com/horton_official/status/625666471591575553

We still can't believe that it's actually over. Willow, we will miss you.

Because people asked:

https://twitter.com/TButlerRoberts/status/626447579459526656

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OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS

The folks over at Minster FM made this video of the final night.

 

Someone documented a night at Willow in photos and it just makes us feel incredibly SAD now that it's gone forever. See Ceri Oakes's photos here.

 

@YorkVision ur livetweeting last night was the best goddamn thing I've ever seen vision do. pls make jack embed all the tweets for posterity

— jo barrow (@JoBarrow) July 27, 2015

We did.