After writing my last post about the academic side of university, I have decided this week to talk about a more light-hearted subject. This post is about Lancaster’s nightlife. Lancaster is a great place for a night out. As you will find when you arrive, there is a wide variety of bars and clubs that can accommodate the tastes of everyone. Whether you’re into clubbing or just having a quiet drink with friends, Lancaster has something for you.

Your first experience of Lancaster’s nightlife will come in Fresher’s week, during which you will be accompanied by your reps on various social nights in town and on campus. One of the first nights is the campus bar crawl, which will see you frequent all of the university bars. All bars have pool tables and dart boards, for those of you who enjoy bar sports. As you will find, each bar has a unique character. Graduate bar is perfect for people who enjoy having a quiet and sociable drink, and they have a fine selection of ales. If you want something a little more upbeat, then Pendle and Lonsdale are safe bets. Pendle bar also hosts live music on Thursdays, attracting talented local musicians, as well as an open mic for those who want to showcase their own skills.

During your first week there will also be plenty of opportunities to venture into town. The most popular place for students is the Sugarhouse nightclub, which is run by the University’s student union. Sugarhouse (or sugar, as it’s known to students) has a large capacity which includes two dance floors. When you arrive at Lancaster, you will be given the option to purchase a purple card. This gives you discounts in various shops in town, as well as cheaper entry into sugar. Also, once you have been stamped by the bouncers upon entry, you can use this stamp to access the “sugarbus”, which will take you back to campus and save you having to pay for a taxi.

There are many other places that are popular with students. Hustle is good particularly if you like cheesy music, among which you can almost guarantee some Wheatus and Busted. I remember once dancing away to the theme song from the opening sequence of Friends, as bizarre as that sounds. If your tastes are a little more sophisticated then I would recommend either The Sun Hotel or Mint Bar. Mint bar has a great selection of Cocktails and I would highly recommend the Godfather Sour. These two places are, as to be expected, a little more expensive. If you are sticking to a budget then you can’t go wrong with Wetherspoons which is just next door to Hustle, or the Crafty Scholar, near the cinema.

We all know that a takeaway is a sound way to end a good night out. There is a variety of different takeaways in town to suit your fancy. There are pizza places, a McDonalds and if you like Chinese cuisine, there is a place called Wok Inn that serves great food. Some of the on-campus food outlets also stay open till late, such as Pizzetta and Sultans, so there is no reason to go hungry. My advice is, if you are hungry on a night out get a takeaway, because you don’t want to be the inebriated student who sets the fire alarms off in an attempt to make a stir fry. Cooking whilst drunk should be strictly avoided!