Things to do when money is tight
A realistic Guide to life at UCLan - written by students!
By George Nixon, BA (Hons) Journalism
Preston. A city filled to the brim with the usual delights; clubs, pubs and event nights. But, what can you do to occupy yourself if A) you have very little cash or B) Bob Geldof could actually plan a charity gig for your empty purse as you’re so skint?
A) Very Little Cash
Preston’s gift to skint shopaholics is undoubtedly the market in the city centre. There’s a range of goods on offer and even I, having been officially diagnosed as ‘financially challenged’, can manage to do my shopping at those prices! The indoor market opens Mon-Sat 8.00-5.30, the outdoor market opens Mon, Weds, Fri, Sat 9.00-4.00 and the car boot is outdoors on Tues and Thurs 8.00-3.00.
There’s something for sports fans too, aside from the very prominent Preston North End which needs no introduction. On Lightfoot Lane in Fulwood nestles Preston Grasshoppers Rugby Club where a non-member can watch a game (programme included) for £7, but for a student it costs a mere £3. Fixtures can be found at www.pgrfc.co.uk . In addition to rugby, the Grasshoppers club hosts squash, archery and occasional events such as the Caveman Bash Rally; a biker oriented weekend festival open to all, featuring live music, camping and various entertainers. Caveman Bash runs on the 9th-12th July and may sound expensive at £10 (ADV) or £15 (OTG) but consider what you’d have to pay for a similar (though more prestigious) experience at Download or Leeds Festival. At Caveman you might even have some cash left over for drinks.
B) Totally Skint
Another festival to Preston’s name is the Riversway Festival at Riversway Marina, it runs from Fri 24th to Sun 26th in July and it’s completely free! Normally Riversway Festival offers all sorts of entertainment from singers, brass bands and morris dancers (yes, morris dancers) to fairgrounds, fireworks and galleon battle re-enactments. And if you get bored there’s always the usual Marina haunts to visit, like the cinema, pubs and restaurants, but, unlike the festival, you will be expected to pay for those!
Fancy learning something new? The Harris Museum (on the flag market, can’t miss it) offers permanent displays on fine art and Preston’s history as well as other exhibitions (details on those can be found at www.harrismuseum.org.uk) in exchange for ZERO pounds. Also in the free museums category is the unique and fascinating National Football Museum, where fans of the beautiful game can ogle at some beautiful stuff. The National Football Museum is located outside Preston North End on Sir Tom Finney Way, Deepdale, open Tues-Sat 10.00-5.00 and Sun 11.00-5.00.
For those who like a bit of nature there’s the forested conservation area, Beacon Fell, which features walks, giant carvings, parking and a small café. It is situated in rural Longridge and is a 25minute drive from Preston (google some maps before setting off). It’s open 10.30-7.00.
Avenham Park, located just minutes from the city centre is a picturesque setting for lovely long walks, again for free. The park hosts events throughout the year and is also home to a beautiful Japanese garden and sits alongside the River Ribble.
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There’s all sorts of things happening in Preston if you keep your eyes peeled (the WOW section of Friday’s Lancashire Evening Post is useful), but if you still can’t find something to do within your budget you could always give Bob Geldof a call…