The current Virtual Lancaster website is at:
https://virtual-lancaster.net.

You are looking at an earlier version of the site that was archived on 23.02.17 and is no longer updated.

The Virtual Lancaster website project was founded in 1999 and has run continuously since. It started life as 'Lancaster-UK-Online' and the name was changed to 'Virtual-Lancaster' a couple of years later. It is independent of large media corporations or any official bodies. It is wholly owned and operated by unpaid volunteer community members.

The web site sprang from the past success of two alternative print news magazines circulated in local venues and retail outlets, Off the Beat (which began as On The Beat in 1984, founded by magazine editor John Freeman) and Something Completely Different, the latter founded by now well-known SF author Jo Walton and her then partner, games designer Ken Walton.

Please read theterms of use.

MISSION STATEMENT

Our aim is to develop a locally-based Internet Site which will:

Encourage and support local talent and initiatives - and the development of an online community.

Reflect and respond to the diverse interests and needs of local people - individuals and enterprises.

Provide an essential guide to the area for visitors, potential visitors and newcomers, or those just wanting more info.

Promote Lancaster + Morecambe to the world, to stimulate interest and opportunities and new possibilities that benefit all.

Our immediate objectives are:

To create a functional and informative guide to the area, with both the local community and visitors in mind.

To create a user-friendly KEY SITE for the area, with links to other relevant and useful local sites/resources.

To provide a free and independent platform to represent the genuine interests of local people.

To provide free space for the posting of notices and 'classified ads' of interest to others who might use the site.

To create comprehensive listings of forthcoming events, venues, entertainment and attractions, local groups and organisations, institutions, businesses and services in the area.

To provide a virtual gallery to showcase the work - and celebrate the creativity - of local people.

There is always more that can be done. We will continue to work toward these aims and objectives to bring you the definitive guide and online resource for the Lancaster + Morecambe Area in the UK and the surrounding area.

Thank you for your interest

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GET INVOLVED

Email: ed@virtual-lancaster.net

All work is undertaken on a voluntary and unpaid basis by dedicated members of the local community (see credits), in their spare time, from their own pcs. Commitment levels can vary depending on individual circumstances, which may change. If you'd like to get involved, please contact ed@virtual-lancaster.net.

Ways you could help
Ways you can help include: putting a link to Virtual-Lancaster on your website, liking Virtual-Lancaster on Facebook, submitting events to our events calendar, sending us your classified local business / resource listings.

We find it very helpful if you let us know about anything on the site that isn't working, any content that may be false or misleading, or any broken / obsolete links and listings, especially if you tell us which page they are on.

You could help out by sending us reviews of businesses or entertainments; maybe even becoming a member of our review team. Or in a technical or editorial capacity, large or small, or as a one-off.
We welcome contact from people who can edit webpages who would like to update a page or section of the site.

You could try your hand at moderating events, writing and / or researching news items, supplying us with written-up publicity / news updates for your group or campaign (ie press releases).

Other ways to support our efforts include; using the site regularly (as your main source of info. online about the area), making use of the extensive features and resources provided, making a donation ...and by telling others about the site (email all your friends online, and mention it down the pub). Cheers!

Email: ed@virtual-lancaster.net

CREDITS - the people who keep this site together can be contacted via the Editor and are:

• Chris Satori is the domain registrant and site editor. Chris, aka Satori, had all her IT training on White Cross Adult Ed College open courses in Lancaster.

• John Freeman associate editor - created the 1980s local events magazines On the Beat and worked on later issues of Off the Beat.

• Dean Marshall consultant and all round IT genius based at CityLab in Lancaster, kindly hosted the site for years, gave us brilliant development advice and tech support and patiently helped us develop the site at our own speed.

• Peter Clarke Cinema Editor - edits our Cinema page and weekly movie round-up and keeps us all up to date with all the local screenings

• Henry Prince Music Critic - Virtual Lancaster Arts Review Team

• Sally Ryde Arts Correspondent - Virtual Lancaster Arts Review Team

• Jane Sunderland Theatre Critic - Virtual Lancaster Arts Review Team

• Paul Ely was the original developer and designer of the site. Paul left Lancaster back around the turn of the century and is currently giving a number of other interesting projects the benefit of his immense skill and experience.

There are numerous other occasional or new members of the VL team who have not yet supplied their listing text to this list but whose contributions to the Virtual-Lancaster website are visible and valuable.