The Fisher Room has not always been the Fisher Room. First, it was part of a Victorian billiard hall, which became part of Fisher House, when the Black Swan Pub next door was bought in 1924 to become the new home of the Catholic Chaplaincy. In the early days of Fisher House, the Fisher Room, with its own stage, was principally a space for events.

Then, when the present Chapel was built (1974-6), for both the celebration of Mass on Sundays and to be hired out the rest of the week, the Fisher Room became the weekday chapel. And so it remained until 2009, when the hard work to create an endowment fund was realised and the Chapel, for the first time, became dedicated solely to prayer and worship. This allowed the weekday chapel to became once more the Fisher Room - a space for events.

Throughout these developments, the Library remained unchanged: the students' Common Room. However, in recent years, this has changed. The Library has become a favoured place for typing essays, solving mathematical problems, and preparing for exams. Therefore, this summer, the Fisher Room was redecorated to make it more attractive. It still hosts events but now it is has the feel of a Common Room, where twice a week the Black Swan Bar is open. The redecoration has included new furniture, restoration of the floor, and the addition of both acoustic panels on the ceiling and oak panelling on the walls. This work has been possible because of a generous benefactor and the hard work of Bill Merrick, the Domestic Bursar.

How shall we judge if this redecoration has been a success? By Fisher House becoming even more what it has long been: a place where we want to linger and friendships grow.