For anyone who says Durham is small and boring...

I know it's not a very reputable source, and I know this isn't toooo interesting, but check this out:

Some website

"Oxford and Cambridge may regularly top the official university academic league tables but the London School of Economics (LSE) offers its students the best and most varied local entertainment, according to a table published today. The table, compiled by internet search engine Yell.com, ranks Britain's top 20 universities according to the number of 'social' services they offer students, instead of looking at more conventional measures such as quality of teaching, student-staff ratios and graduate prospects. The search engine based its findings on its database of businesses, shops and services to find the number of pubs, off-licences, nightclubs, discos, fancy dress hire shops, pizza delivery and takeaway outlets within each university town or city. From its cramped premises in Central London, LSE boasts a nightclub for every 93 students. And Glasgow is the place to be if you need an outfit for a fresher's week fancy dress party, the table shows. Nottingham is best for a beer, getting top marks for the most pubs. And students at King's College, London, have the best all-round night out with plenty of clubs as well as takeaways to round off the evening."

Guardian Unlimited; Sep 30, 2005

1 London School of Economics
2 King's College London
3 University of Bath
4 University of Newcastle
5 University of Durham
6 University of Glasgow
7 University of York
8 University of Bristol
9 University of St Andrews
10 Loughborough University

I just thought it might abolish some of those applicants' preconceptions that there is no social scene in such a small place as it isn't a city...

Reply 1

Paradiddle_man

What about the Stockton campus? That did the job of ruling out Durham for me although I've read about how good the rest of the uni is.

Reply 2

Piggsil

16

Danny_777

I just thought it might abolish some of those applicants' preconceptions that there is no social scene in such a small place as it isn't a city...

Erm, Durham *is* a city, albeit a small one....

Reply 3

Jelkin

17

Bath at number 3!? I don't trust that table.

Reply 4

Danny_777

OP

16

Becca

Erm, Durham *is* a city, albeit a small one....

Oops!

I meant, it's not a 'city' city, as in a BIG city, i.e. Manchester or London...

Reply 5

Danny_777

OP

16

Jelkin

Bath at number 3!? I don't trust that table.

Me neither. I just noticed it's from the Guardian, whose rankings are all a piss-take.

They rank Durham below Oxford Brookes.... :biggrin:

Reply 6

AdamTJ

12

Danny_777

Me neither. I just noticed it's from the Guardian, whose rankings are all a piss-take.

They rank Durham below Oxford Brookes.... :biggrin:

I always had a bit of a hatred for the Guardian (written by a load of sandal-wearing leftie t wats) but that really does take the cake slightly. Mind you as you keep pointing out didn't they rank Bradford ahead of Cambridge in the employability tables as well? What exactly are their criteria?

I have been assured by many friends at various colleges in the U of L that LSE has a crap social life. When this actually comes from LSE students themselves, you know there's a grain of truth to it. Not only are those "discos" hahaha all probably twice as expensive as anywhere else, but LSE is full of cliquey foreign students who won't let you into their group, which means that a night out can be pretty **** apparently. So yes, a slightly **** table I think.

I think the cathedral=city thing is slightly flawed. Surely it should be based on size? It just makes no sense to call the likes of Durham, St. Albans or Ely a city. Maybe, we should have an x amount of people living in that city instead...so Danny we understood exactly what you meant.

Reply 7

Lolly-88

13

Jelkin

Bath at number 3!? I don't trust that table.

Also it doesn't tell you what type of local entertainment each uni's local area provides quite well...except for the fact it briefly mentions Kings College and LSE. It could be quite misleading! :s-smilie:

Reply 8

Paranoid Kid

13

AdamTJ

I think the cathedral=city thing is slightly flawed. Surely it should be based on size? It just makes no sense to call the likes of Durham, St. Albans or Ely a city. Maybe, we should have an x amount of people living in that city instead...so Danny we understood exactly what you meant.

I've got a feeling they already do. Not certain but I think Brighton is now a city, despite not having a cathedral.

Reply 9

AdamTJ

12

Paranoid Kid

I've got a feeling they already do. Not certain but I think Brighton is now a city, despite not having a cathedral.

I think the rule is that a city doesn't necessarily have to have a cathedral to be a city, but if a place has a cathedral then it has to be a city. Which seems a bit stupid in the modern age.

Reply 10

A Frumious Bandersnatch!

questionable, but ok, ill bear it in mind...

Reply 11

spunkym0nkey

AdamTJ

I think the cathedral=city thing is slightly flawed. Surely it should be based on size? It just makes no sense to call the likes of Durham, St. Albans or Ely a city.

True we don't desrve to b called a city. No hospital (well A&E), cinema, shopping centre....the list goes on and on (well im sure it does just that I ran out of stuff :smile:

). I can honestly say the cathdral is one of the most boring thing in our town and as we lack most things that says alot :p:

. We would be a cool town though.

Reply 12

arkbar

12

No, there are several towns in the UK which have a cathedral but are not a city (e.g Chelmsford). It's based upon an order from the Queen blah de blah.

Reply 13

mart

spunkym0nkey

True we don't desrve to b called a city. No hospital (well A&E), cinema, shopping centre....the list goes on and on (well im sure it does just that I ran out of stuff :smile:

). I can honestly say the cathdral is one of the most boring thing in our town and as we lack most things that says alot :p:

. We would be a cool town though.

St. Albans does have a shopping centre! It may not be big, but it does the job.

Reply 14

AdamTJ

12

arkbar

No, there are several towns in the UK which have a cathedral but are not a city (e.g Chelmsford). It's based upon an order from the Queen blah de blah.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_status_in_the_United_Kingdom

That should settle it (Wikipedia being the font of all knowledge) :rolleyes:

.

It would appear that formerly I was right, but more with more recent towns you were right...

Reply 15

AdamTJ

12

mart

St. Albans does have a shopping centre! It may not be big, but it does the job.

I'm from Radlett myself, so I sometimes find myself in St. Albans. Not the most interesting of places, but nowhere near as bad as Watford, which seems to have been overrun by chavs! Also, if my memory serves me well, it has some nice music shops...

My abiding memory of St Albans is a friend of mine constantly stalling on that really steep hill on the way up to the cathedral...lol.

Reply 16

spunkym0nkey

mart

St. Albans does have a shopping centre! It may not be big, but it does the job.

really I live here. Im not sure perhaps Im being an idiot. Hmm. But for any potential tourists to our great city we have a shopping centre. :biggrin:

YAY

^^^ watford is terrible I never go but if you break down dont expect to keep ur tyres :smile:

Reply 17

Rooftopcowboy

12

AdamTJ

I always had a bit of a hatred for the Guardian (written by a load of sandal-wearing leftie t wats) but that really does take the cake slightly. Mind you as you keep pointing out didn't they rank Bradford ahead of Cambridge in the employability tables as well? What exactly are their criteria?

I have been assured by many friends at various colleges in the U of L that LSE has a crap social life. When this actually comes from LSE students themselves, you know there's a grain of truth to it. Not only are those "discos" hahaha all probably twice as expensive as anywhere else, but LSE is full of cliquey foreign students who won't let you into their group, which means that a night out can be pretty **** apparently. So yes, a slightly **** table I think.

I think the cathedral=city thing is slightly flawed. Surely it should be based on size? It just makes no sense to call the likes of Durham, St. Albans or Ely a city. Maybe, we should have an x amount of people living in that city instead...so Danny we understood exactly what you meant.

its a combination of how many anti-Iraq war demos the uni has had in the past year and how many bisexual asylum seeking 'poets' are studying 'theology and dreamy crap studies' :wink: