This guide is currently pending an update ASAP.

 

The following piece has been written by a member of this community and is an excellent guide to Lincoln for all new students and visitors.

 

 

[Jul 19th 2004, 02:06] >>> Guide to being a gay student in Lincoln

People keep asking me what Lincoln's like to be gay and a student, so I thought to save having the same conversation by over and over again, I'd write a short guide to the city from a gay point of view though there's some general advice about living here too. I don't work for any of the places mentioned. This is thoroughly an independant point of view.

The university
The university appoints an LGBT officer for both Lincoln and Hull campuses. This person deals with any issues you may have in relation to sexuality through the students union. His/her office is within the main SU office. There is an LGBT society which exists just to show that there are gay people at the University. They have a website with a message board and info. The society holds piss-ups social events regularly, more frequently earlier in the term, and has arranged clubbing trips to other larger cities such as Nottingham and Sheffield in the past. I would stronly advice joining the society as soon as you can. This year's crowd was good, and it was how I met one of my (now ex-) boyfriends. Look out for the table with the rainbow flags at Freshers' Fair where you can sign up for the (e)mailing list (if you don't do it through the website), take away the usual health stuff and probably a handful of sweets. However much you want to get involved with the society is entirely up to you. There's those who are members of a committee that organises and publicises the events and usually has one person doing health things and one to promote the society as a whole and various other things. Then there are regular members who just go to the socials, and then there are the "closeted" members who join just for the info and representation in the SU so they've got a contact sort-of-thing.

At the Univerity of Lincoln it's highly unlikely that you'll suffer any trouble. The university is a very safe place to be, and the majority of people will take you as you come.

The scene
Well, if you can call it a scene. There's one gay bar called Angels - it's open Wednesday to Sunday term time. Wednesday's the student night, Thursday everything's £1.50, Friday is the cheesy pop night with drag cabaret, Saturday a club night and Sunday's a quiz and karaoke. By far the best night to go is a Friday, though Saturdays can be good too. People slate Angels saying various things like it's inadequate, it's dull, it's cliquey and it's expensive. I say sod them. It's a well established place that targets a group that nowhere else does. The interior has a kind of gothic theme to it, while not being scary or too dark, and it's constantly undertaking improvements. It's a mixed age-range, but I'd say at least half are under 25 on a Friday. The people there are some of the friendliest people in the city and it welcomes anyone provided you don't cause any trouble. There's a "no attitude" policy in the place which works very well. Don't bother taking any kind of drugs inside; you will be pointed out to the door staff by most people if they spot you. The drag queens are very friendly and often change out of drag well before they leave so you can see the real person without the dress and wig. In all the time I've been going to Angels, which is over a year now, I've never had a problem with harrassment from anyone. Sure, everyone knows everyone there, which can seem quite daunting at first, but that's the trouble with being in a small city and it's not as bad as it sounds. You will see the same faces every weekend but you will see new ones too. angels is a good place to meet people outside the Uni. Drinks are on a level if not cheaper than most bars in town. Though prices have gone up recently, they were quite low for a long long time. My only complaint about Angels is that it's a bit out of town on Canwick Road, but the LGBT society will take you there in Freshers week if you can't find it yourself.

Several clubs in Lincoln have tried putting on gay nights over the years to varying degrees of success. Unfortunately because the hub of the LGBT community is around Angels, and competitors can't advertise there, most have fallen over from lack of publicity.

If you're looking to get away from Lincoln for a night out, Nottingham and Sheffield are train rides away and the owners of the major clubs in Hull are planning on putting on a bus service from Lincoln (because Hull is a bloody awkward place to get to by public transport).

Non-gay scene
The best night out in Lincoln by far is Wednesday night in Ritzy. Yes, it's cheese, yes it's cheap, but it's student exclusive. It's also very gay friendly. Chicago Rock and Scream are very gay friendly places too. Bars I'd recommend are Lloyds, Revolution and Marthas. If you want a quiet evening out I recommend Bar Med.

Health
The university will register you with the on-campus doctor at Court 6. The GUM-clinic is Portland House on Portland Street. Positive Health on Newland offer an advice and counselling service. All three are heavily promoted during Freshers' Week.

Lincoln itself
Leave your car at home. You won't need it here. Almost everywhere is within walking distance and driving around the city centre is awkward because of its one-way systems, level crossings and pedestrianisations. Because of this, taxis are few and expensive. The only good things the buses are for are day-trips to Skegness. There's nowhere to park either; most side streets are residents only parking and the university and private halls of residences don't provide parking areas. The train station is right in the middle of the city. When you cross the road in Lincoln you'll see signs everywhere that say "cross only with green man" - they're there for a very good reason!

Lincoln can be divided into uphill and downhill areas. As a student you'll spend most of the time downhill, and will only venture up Steep Hill if you're visiting the castle or cathedral, taking a ghost tour (do this at least once, they're great fun and good for a tour of the uphill area) or for the quirky shops and expensive restaurants. The big chain stores are all on the High Street or just off it. We have a Debenhams and a House of Fraser, a Topshop/man, FCUK, Burtons, Envy, HMV and MVC, Boots... any store you can think of really. The big electrical and computer stores are on Tritton Road. For supermarkets there's Morrisons also on Tritton Road which is where most on-campus students shop, Lidl if you're eatin on the really cheap, the main Co-Op (you can't escape the Co-Op in Lincoln, they're everywhere) in the middle of town and a big Tescos by Angels (it used to be 24 hour but sadly not anymore). Sunday shopping is 11am-5pm, and the town is overrun with kids most Saturdays. Most of the banks are on the High Street, but there's only one cash machine in the University itself which is frequently out of use or only issuing £20s.

Mediawise the Lincolnshire Echo is the local paper, job advertised Wednesdays but otherwise you may as well read it on their website. The university has broadband on site but not in halls-of-residence yet, where you'll have to pay dial-up rates via a calling card. You'll either get telly from Nottingham or Hull (or both) depending which side of the city you live on, and digital is a possibility but Five is patchy or nonexistant. Most private houses have NTL cable. BBC Radio Lincolnshire and Lincs FM are the only local radio stations and both are a pile of pish. You might find you get more pish from the likes of Saga, Century, Real Radio, Hallam FM and Galaxy if you're lucky. AM reception is impossible. Radio 1 is on 98.3 or 98.9 round here. For three weeks in April, the University has its own radio station, Siren FM.

The local people are generally friendly and will call you "duck" all the time, especially in shops. Walk at a safe distance from the swans and well away from the mucky "swan ramp" on the Brayford, even if it means walking into the road. The Glory Hole is not a place to get a blowjob from a stranger, it's an amusingly names cut through from the High Street to the Brayford, with a fairly crap hairdressers on it. Don't take the riverboat tour because it only goes around the Brayford and along the river to a pub and back. People will try and hand you flyers for clubs and bars all the time. I always claim I've already been given one.

I think I've covered everything that needs to be said but if you want to add or ask anything go right ahead and leave a comment. Lastly, a good website for meeting people and speaking your mind is Lesbian and Gay Lincolnshire.

 

Many thanks to DvBoy... http://www.bbcity.co.uk/entry/2752