Accommodation Masthead Lancaster University Image of County Townhouses in the snow

christmas on campus...

 

The University will close down from 5.00pm on Friday 21 December to 9.00am on Wednesday 2 January. This is known as the shutdown period. We know that many of our students still live on campus at this time though, and this website aims to provide you with information that you may find useful during this time.

 

Please bear in mind that the campus is a very different place during the Christmas break and there will be fewer people around, especially during the shutdown period.

 

Events and Activities

There will be events organised through the period by LUSU and the PG Board. Notably, Graduate and Fylde College bars will be open on campus for parts of the vacation (see Bars and Restaurants below), and there will be a New Year's Eve event in Lonsdale Bar. You can find out more about them, and about offers in the city itself, via the LUSU Calendar.

 

Shopping

The shops on campus will be closed for the majority of the Christmas period, though the banks will remain open except for the public holidays (25 & 26 December and 1 January). Spar will normally be open for most of the period but with shortened hours, as will Central Stores. Shops in Lancaster are also likely to be operating with different times to normal, and will be closed on Christmas Day.

 

Spar (University Branch) Opening Hours:

15 December – 8.00am-6.00pm
16 December – 10.00am-2.00pm
17-21 December – 8.00am-6.00pm
22 December – 9.00am-6.00pm
23 December - closed
24 December - 8.00am-3.00pm
25-26 December – Closed
27-28 December – 8.00am-6.00pm
29 December - 9.00am-6.00pm
30 December - closed
31 December - 8.00am-3.00pm
1 January – Closed
2-4 January – 8.00am-10.00pm
5 January – 9.00am-6.00pm
6 January – 10.00am-2.00pm
7-13 January – reduced hours
14 January - Normal hours resume

 

Sainsbury's Lancaster Opening Hours:

20-22 December - 6.00am-Midnight

23 December – 11.00am-5.00pm
24 December - 6.00am-6.00pm
25-26 December - Closed
27-28 December - 8.00am-10.00pm
29 December – 7.30am-10.00pm
30 December - 11.00am-5.00pm
31 December - 8.00am-7.00pm
1 January - 10.00am-5.00pm
2 January – Normal hours resume

 

Booths Lancaster Opening Hours:

17-22 December – 7.00am-9.00pm
23 December – 10.00am-4.00pm
24 December - 7.00am-6.00pm
25-26 December - Closed
27-29 December - 8.00am-9.00pm
30 December - 10.00am-4.00pm
31 December - 8.00am-6.00pm
1 January - closed
2 January – Normal hours resume

 

The LUSU shop will be closed from Friday 21 December and for the whole of the shutdown period. Central Stores closes on 24 December at 4.30pm, but is open 27-31 December between 9.00am and 9.00pm. It will be closed on 1 January and reopens on 2 January with normal opening hours.

 

Bars and Restaurants

Many restaurants will be fully booked for private parties or closed during the Christmas and New Year period. On campus most of the bars and catering outlets will close on Friday 14 December, reopening on the weekend of 12 January 2013. There are some exceptions:

 

The Trough of Bowland will be open for lunch only from midday - 2.00pm (last pie service) in weeks 1 and 4 of the vacation.


The Mill at Fylde College is open during week 1 of the vacation, closing at at 4.00pm on Sunday 23 December. It will then reopen at 10.00am on Wednesday 2 January.


Graduate Bar is open in vacation week 1 from 8.00pm to 11.00pm, closing at 11.00pm on Thursday 20 December. It reopens on Monday 7 January at 7.00pm.

 

The Hub will operate during its standard opening hours during weeks 1 and 4 of the vacation. It closes at 5.00pm on Friday 21 December, reopening at 8.30am on Wednesday 2 January.

 

The Venue will also operate during its standard hours during weeks 1 and 4 of the vacation. It is also open between 11.00am and 10.00pm from 27-30 December inclusive.

 

Wong's Kitchen will close on 22 December, reopening 2 January.

 

If you want to find out more information about events on campus during the vacation, you can do so via LUSU, or by Pocket or iLancaster, both of which have apps which are downloadable to your smart phone.

 

Health

The Bailrigg Health Centre will close at 6.30pm on Friday 21 December and re-open at 8.00am on Wednesday 2 January. If you need to see a doctor during this period, you should contact King Street Practice on 01524 541651 or in the event of an emergency dial Security who will in turn arrange emergency services attendance.


The King Street Practice will be open between the hours of 8.00am and 6.30pm on Monday 24, Thursday 27, Friday 28 and Monday 31 December. You can contact them by telephoning 01524 541651.

 

If you need to contact a Doctor urgently during evenings and nights, weekends and bank holidays, please contact the NHS 111 Service, which is available to give advice and direct you to the local service that can best help you.

 

If you need to order a prescription you should do this by 2.00pm on Wednesday 19 December in order to collect it before the surgery closes on Friday 21 December.

 

Study Facilities

The Learning Zone will be open throughout the vacation, with access via your library card only, though there will be no student ambassadors between 4.00pm on Friday 21 December and 10.00am on Wednesday 2 January. The ISS Service Desk will be open until 5.00pm on Friday 21 December, and will re-open at 9.00am on Wednesday 2 January. For IT-related information and guidance over the vacation period, please see LancasterAnswers.

 

The Library will be open until 5.00pm on 21 December, between 10.00am and 5.00pm on 27-29 December, and as normal from 2 January. It will however be closed in between these times. Full details of the opening times can be found on the Library website.

 

The Sports Centre

The Sports Centre will be open as normal until 24 December, then as follows. Classes available are listed in brackets:

 

Monday 24 December - 9.30am–4.30pm (Zumba Class available 1.15pm–2pm)

Tuesday 25 December - Closed
Wednesday 26 December - Closed
Thursday 27 December - 9.30am–4.30pm (Resistance Circuits available 12.15pm–1pm)
Friday 28 December - 9.30am–4.30pm (Pilates available 1.15pm – 2pm)
Saturday 29 December - 9.30am – 4.30pm (Advanced Kettle Bells available 12.30pm–1.25pm)
Sunday 30 December - 9.30am–4.30pm (20/20/20 available 1.00pm–1.55pm)

Monday 31 December - 9.30am – 4.30pm (Zumba available 1.15pm–2pm)

Tuesday 1 January - Closed

Wednesday 2 January - As normal. See Christmas Timetable for classes.

 

Chaplaincy Centre

The Centre is open throughout the vacation period.


Services:
Sunday 23 December - United Worship 11.30am
Tuesday 25 December - Mass of Christmas (United Worship) 11.30am followed by refreshments
Wednesday 26 December - Boxing Day Breakfast (Bacon & vegetarian barms & Coffee £1.50) 9.30am-10.30am
Sunday Dec 30th - No services on campus

 

There will be a a hot Boxing Day Breakfast on Wednesday 26th December in the Chaplaincy Centre between  9.30am and 10.30am. Bacon/Sausage/Vegetarian Baps and coffee/tea for a token £1.50 will be provided. There is no religious context, or need to book.

 

Portering & Security

There will only be a limited Portering service in the undergraduate colleges during the shutdown period. Graduate College Porters however will be on duty as normal every day apart from Christmas Day (25 December). If you have any problems during the shutdown you will need to contact the Security Reception by dialing extension 94541.

 

Mail

If you are expecting to receive mail during the shutdown period, you will need to have it sent to the Security Reception rather than your own College. If you live in Graduate College, the delivery of mail will remain the same as normal and you should continue to collect your mail from the Graduate College Porters.

 

Residents of undergradute colleges should have it addressed as follows:

 

Your Name (Your College)

c/o Security Reception
Lancaster University
LANCASTER
LA1 4YW

 

Royal Mail will deliver all post to the above address, where it can be collected by you. As with most employers though, the postal staff provide a reduced service over Christmas.

 

Any mail not collected from the Security Reception by 1 January will be forwarded to the relevant college.

 

Accommodation

If your College Residence Officer is not available in the run up to the shutdown period, you can still visit The Base in University House, which will be staffed up to the afternoon of 21 December. Graduate College Residence Office will also be open until this time, though as with all other offices, both will be closed during the shutdown period.

 

January Arrivals

The International Student Advisory Service organise coaches from Manchester Airport to the Lancaster University campus on the Tuesday 8 January 2013 for new study abroad students, and this service is also open to any other students who are returning on that day. The coaches depart Manchester Airport at approximately 10.00am, 1.00pm, 4.00pm and 7.00pm.

 

Book a seat here.

Transport

Between Monday 24 December and Wednesday 2 January Stagecoach buses will run to festive timetables. Please see the Stagecoach website for details. Buses will continue to run to campus, and around Alexandra Park, but the frequency of service will be much reduced.

 

You should be aware that taxi prices are greatly increased during the festive period, and we would advise you to check the fare for your journey with the taxi company before committing to travel with them.

 

If you are traveling by train you can check the Lancaster station live departures board here to see where your train is. There are a number of engineering projects running over the period, with details available from the Virgin Trains website.

 

Launderettes

The launderettes on campus should remain open throughout the vacation.

 

 

Item updated 6 December 2012.