[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL] Formerly Newcastle Polytechnic[EBOLD][PARA][BOLD]For general information about Newcastle: [EBOLD]see [ULNE]University of Newcastle[EULNE]. The name of Newcastle's newest university draws attention to its newest site. The original 4 sites are in Newcastle while the new campus is in Carlisle in Cumbria, 55 miles away. Northumbria is the combined name for the counties Northumberland and Cumbria, to the north of the county Tyne and Wear. It is an area filled with moors and the [ITAL]magnificent [EITAL]hills of the North Pennines. The main site is the City Campus near [ULNE]Newcastle University[EULNE] in the city centre.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]The University has a great number of mature students (an even larger proportion amongst part timers) and the older ones don't tend to get involved in conventional student life. The lack of University accommodation and the split sites, don't help much, and they can even leave a few students suffering pangs of urban loneliness (even though Newcastle is a generally friendly city). But these students are the exceptions rather than the rule - most make the most of the University and the city. There are many trendy young things (the University has a good fashion school) and alternative types. There are many shades of hair dye reflecting the colourful set of backgrounds from which the students emerge. The local relations are good, especially as many students are local, although things can get a bit hairy on a Friday or Saturday night. [EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE SITES:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]City Campus:[EBOLD] (main site) The main site is a mixture of 1880s municipal buildings, such as the original redbrick Sutherland Building, and 60s concrete architecture. Being just a continuation of buildings and no greenery, it's fairly difficult to tell exactly where the town stops and the campus starts. In Ellison Place, the University has many [ITAL]attractive [EITAL]examples of early 19th century buildings.[PARA][BOLD]Coach Lane:[EBOLD] (Educational Studies, Health, Behavioural Science, Chemical and Life Sciences) 3 miles from the main site in Benton ([ITAL]quite a rough suburb[EITAL]), is the Coach Lane site, a modern campus, [ITAL]clean and green[EITAL].[PARA][BOLD]Longhirst Hall: [EBOLD](Business School) Stately home 15 miles north of Newcastle, in Morpeth, [ITAL]but not made of plasticene, and not known to say 'obodoey' to Tony Hart.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Carlisle:[EBOLD] (Business Studies, Sports Studies) Opened in October 1992, this is a set of converted buildings many of which are listed, in the town centre. For example, the library building used to be a tea warehouse. [ITAL]Carlisle itself is an attractive city with a long heritage[EITAL], not far from the Lake District, Eden Valley, the west side of the North Pennines and the Solway Firth. In theory, it provides business training opportunities for the people of Cumbria, but business students from all over are able to opt to study here rather than in Newcastle, [ITAL]although nobody's worried about being crushed in the rush.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL][STAT][BULL] Population: [BULL] London: 255miles [BULL] Edinburgh: 94miles [BULL] Manchester: 112miles[ESTAT][EITAL][PARA]The River Tyne runs through Newcastle towards the North Sea, just 8 miles away. The city itself is the [ITAL]fun hub[EITAL] of the Tyne and Wear area and the shopping centre too. Among the [ITAL]monstrous modern [EITAL]additions to the city centre are the Haymarket Metro Station (the local station for the University) and the Eldon Square Centre, a [ITAL]huge, ugly [EITAL]shopping mall. The trendiest areas for shops are the markets: Green Market, Central Arcade and Newgate Market. There are endless banks, late-night shops and bookshops. Among the many museums and galleries, there's the [ITAL]impressive [EITAL]Lang Art Gallery and the Side photographic Gallery, [ITAL]where students can pick up arty posters a bit different from James Dean or the tennis-player's bottom. [EITAL]A little bit south is the town of Gateshead, where the vast Metro Centre is based. It's more of a shopping town than a centre (the largest in Europe) with expanses of shops, a 10-screen cinema, a bowling alley, funfair, and 10 car parks, so enormous that the Centre employs someone to help confused shoppers find their cars.[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains: [EBOLD]The station's about 20mins from the city centre, or 2 by Metro. Direct lines all over the country.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches: [EBOLD]Several coach companies, including Clipper, Blue Line and National Express offer services to many other destinations, for example London (ú17.50, 5:10hrs, 7/hr); Edinburgh (ú12.00, 2:45hrs, 3/hrs); Bristol (ú30.50, 6:45hrs, 1/day); Hull (ú13.00, 3:35hrs, 1/day).[PARA][BOLD]Car: [EBOLD]The A1 proper hooks round the edge of the city, but its ghost follows a flyover that passes very close to the University. The A69, A692, A696, A189 and A19 are all useful.[PARA][BOLD]Air: [EBOLD]Newcastle Airport, 6 miles from the centre, has many inland and European flights.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching: [EBOLD]Good prospects from the routes out of the city, especially on the A1.[PARA][BOLD]Local: [EBOLD]Bus routes through the city are regular, reliable and cheap. There are 18 BR stations around the city and suburbs.[PARA][BOLD]Underground: [EBOLD][ITAL]The best underground system in the world is Moscow's, but Newcastle's Metro comes a close second - clean, cheap, reliable, and easy to use[EITAL]. [ITAL]It's noisy and not as extensive as it could be, but it serves all the essential areas for students. [EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Taxis: [EBOLD]Cheaper than in most towns.[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles: [EBOLD][ITAL]The city's hilly and full of traffic. There's nowhere to leave bikes, and with the high theft rate, you need somewhere.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][BOLD]Carlisle:[EBOLD] Served by National Express coach services (London, ú22.50, 3:05hrs, 4/day; Glasgow, ú9, 2hrs, 1/hr), and by many trains on the mainline from Glasgow to London Euston (3:48hrs).[HDNG]FACULTIES and STUDENT NOS:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Arts and Design[EBOLD] 2,866[BOLD][PARA]Business[EBOLD] 3,700[BOLD][PARA]Soc Sci[EBOLD] 4,860[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 4,162[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 437,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 3,000 [BULL] Study places: 1,098 [BULL] Computer workstations: 1,000[ESTAT][PARA]The main library is a brick and concrete structure with small arrow-slit windows on the edge of a quadrangle in the City Campus. There are smaller libraries at the other sites.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 6full [BULL] Unemployed after 6mths (1992): 12.2%[ESTAT][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]The University has links with a number of other colleges: for instance Hong Kong Poly and South Tyneside College.[PARA][BULL]Terms are semesterised.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Jeff Banks (fashion designer/Clothes Show presenter); Steve Bell (Guardian cartoonist); Lionel Copely (designer for Kathryn Hamnett); Steve Cram (athlete); Angela Pigford (athlete); Carole Robb (chief designer for Monsoon).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads, postgrads and part-timers, from the Registry.
