Carl's notes

Lancaster University Student Union (LUSU) offer two types of student card. The one advertised everywhere is the Purple Card. It has the NUS logo on it and gets you discounts and free drinks in shops, restaurants, pubs and clubs around Lancaster.

However, if you just want to get your regular student discounts (concessionary prices) at the cinema or theatre, and aren’t going to benefit from the perks of the Purple Card, then you can get a Red Card which costs just £1, instead of £12.50 for the Purple. You only save £11.50 but I don’t think I’ve ever been in a situation where a Purple Card would have benefited me, so I might as well. The URL for the Red Card is http://card.lusu.co.uk/red. I’m listing it here because the link doesn’t appear anywhere else online. The website for ordering the Red and the Purple cards are almost identical but the price at the end will be different.

As far as I can tell, the additional NUS Extra card is available with either of these cards, so that doesn’t justify the extra cost of the Purple one. The NUS Extra card doubles as an ISIC international student card and will get you discounts on Amazon orders for instance.

All places within a few hours cycling.

• Hest Bank, Morecambe promenade, Heysham. Easy walk or cycle from Lancaster.
• Sunderland Point. A little further South than Heysham. Cut off at high tide. Walk around the point and see Sambo’s Grave. View of Glasson Dock across the estuary.
• Morecambe Bay. Take a cross bay walk from Hest Bank to Grange over Sands. Plenty of these organised during Summer for charity. Don’t try to do it on your own.
• Warton Crag. Full of bluebells in spring. Nice view of the Bay.
• Arnside Knott. Great view of the Kent viaduct and the Bay.
• Ingleborough cave at Clapham. Gaping Gill and plenty of pot holes. Climb Ingleborough, rather windy. Friendly bunkhouse/café next to the National Trust car park.
• Capernwray Dive Centre. Lots of people in diving gear. Worth a quick look even if you don’t dive.
• Dent. Picturesque village out in the Yorkshire Dales.
• Barbondale. On the way to Dent, peaceful valley. Good for picnics.
• Elswick. Nice ice cream at Bond’s.
• Cockerham. Walling’s farm shop and ice cream parlour.
• The Lake District. Don’t stay around Windermere, explore some of the other lakes and tarns.