Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Loughborough shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Loughborough offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Loughborough at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Loughborough? Wrong! If the Loughborough is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Loughborough then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Loughborough? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Loughborough and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Loughborough wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Loughborough then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Loughborough site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Loughborough, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Loughborough, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
{{infobox UK place||country = England|latitude = 52.7705|longitude = -1.2046|map_type= Leicestershire|official_name = Loughborough|population = 57,600|shire_district = Charnwood (borough)|shire_county =
Leicestershire|post_town = LOUGHBOROUGH|postcode_district = LE11|postcode_area = LE|dial_code = 01509|os_grid_reference = SK536195-->Loughborough (pronounced locally as either , "LUFF-burra", , "LUFF-bruh", or /ˈlʌfˌb(ə)ɹə/) is a town in [Leicestershire, central
England with a population of 57,600 as of 2004.http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/your_council/about_leicestershire/statistics/research_info_population.htm It is the largest town in the county (since
Leicester is a
City status in the United Kingdom). It is the administrative centre for the Charnwood district and home to
Loughborough University.
In 1841 Loughborough was the destination for the first ever package tour organised by
Thomas Cook, for a local temperance group (see
Temperance movement) from
Leicester. The town has the world's largest
foundry —
John Taylor Bellfounders — who made the bells for the
Carillon war memorial, a landmark in the town.
To the south of the town centre lies the Shelthorpe Estate - a large
council estate which was the largest in the country when it was built in the 1920s and
1930s. On the edge of Loughborough to the north, Dishley Grange Farm was the home of agricultural revolutionist Robert Bakewell (farmer). The farm was once home to the annual Leicestershire County Show.
Loughborough has its own newspaper and guide, the
Loughborough Echo and Loughborough Guide, but in common with many towns and villages in Leicestershire it is also served by the Leicester-based
Leicester Mercury.
Transport
Rail
Loughborough
Loughborough railway station is on the
Midland Main Line, located on the eastern edge of the town. This line offers high-speed links to and from London and northbound to Nottingham,
Sheffield and
Leeds. St Pancras railway station International will open in November 2007 when Eurostar services commence.
There were at one time three railway routes to the town: the still operating Midland line; the
Great Central Railway which had its own Central station, closed as a result of the Richard Beeching cuts; and a branch line from Nuneaton, part of the erstwhile London and North Western Railway.
The Great Central Railway line is now the terminus of the south section of the
Great Central Steam Railway heritage railway; plans are in hand to reopen the line to the north and join the two sections.
Road
The M1 motorway's Junction 23 is about 2 miles (5km) west of the town. The north of the town can also be accessed from Junction 24, travelling through
Kegworth and Hathern. Local bus services are operated by Arriva, Centrebus and Trent Barton(Article is for the parent company)
Waterways
The River Soar passes to the East of the town. Navigation from Loughborough northwards towards the Trent was achieved in 1778 by the construction of the
Loughborough Navigation which terminates at Loughborough Wharf between Derby Road and Bridge Street. Subsequently the Leicester navigation was constructed connecting to the Loughborough Navigation at 'Canal Bridge'. The Leicester navigation connects to the River Soar to the South of the town. Both now form part of the
Grand Union Canal system.
Shopping
The centre of Loughborough's shopping area is the pedestrianised Market Place and Market Street, which maintain a number of original
art deco buildings. A large outdoor market is held there every Thursday and Saturday, while a smaller flea market is held on Fridays and there is a monthly farmers' market. The first mention of a market in Loughborough is 1221, however it may have existed prior to this date.
'The Rushes' shopping centre has recently been built on the site of the former bus station and is occupied by national chains. The Rushes is linked to the existing town centre area by the streets Churchgate & Churchgate Mews; the latter includes many individually styled independent outlets.
Recreation
The local Rugby Union club,
Loughborough Rugby Football Club, play at the Derby Road playing fields. The club was formed in 1891.
Other sports teams include the
non-league Loughborough Dynamo F.C. and the Loughborough Aces (Collegiate
American Football)for which the notable Kuda Mika once played. There is also a
netball league which plays at the Charnwood (borough) Leisure Centre. The town was also once the home of a professional football club,
Loughborough F.C. who played in
the Football League during the late 19th Century. Cricket is prominent in the town, with Loughborough Town C.C. being one of the most respected club sides in the county. The university is also home to the ECB National Cricket Academy, a facility used by the England Cricket Team as their primary training centre.
The
Loughborough Canal Festival which started in 1997 is an annual event and is centred on 'Chain Bridge' every year. The event typically attracts some 10,000 visitors and occurs in May.
The 'Party In the Park' started in 1980 and is an annual event held in May. It is organised by Charnwood Arts and held in Queens Park. Typically there are small stall holders, food, activities for children, circus performers, dance and live music.
The 'Streets Alive' is another event organised between Charnwood Arts and
Charnwood (borough) at a similar time of year.
The Great Central Railway (preserved) is a preserved steam railway based at Loughborough Central Station just south of the town centre, and operates services every weekend throughout the year. The railway is renowned for being the only double track mainline steam railway in the United Kingdom.
In November, the annual street fair takes over the centre of the town and closes the A6 road and numerous other roads to traffic. The fair runs from Wednesday afternoon to Saturday night, bringing visitors from Loughborough and surrounding villages, such as Quorndon, Mountsorrel, Barrow-upon-Soar, Shepshed and
Sileby. The fair has many different rides for all age groups, amusement arcades, food stands and games. Popular treats sold at the stalls include
brandy snaps, Grantham biscuits and mushy peas with
mint sauce, along with the traditional burgers, hot dogs and chips.
Loughborough Town Hall is a venue for
theatre as well as conferences and weddings. The 497-seat theatre recently underwent a £2.8 million refurbishment.
The town is also home to the The Reel Cinema, which is part of a small chain of 10 cinema, there are currently six screens housed in the theatre, which is decorated in an art deco style. The cinema was built in 1936 and has been called the Pal Court and Ballroom, Empire, Classic and Curzon. The cinema is currently building an expansion to the rear of the main building to house a bowling alley and more cinema screens.
University
Loughborough University is increasing in prominence, mainly because of its academic success. In 2004 this institution was ranked 9th among all the British Universities by the prestigious The Times' Good University Guide. In 2006 Loughborough University was ranked at an even higher overall position by the same guide: 6th. In 2007
The Guardian rated the University 8th in the country.
Loughborough University is the country's premier university for sports development, research and education. The University has the largest sports scholarship programme in the UK. Currently over 250 international athletes are studying and training there.
The institution has also received important awards, such as the Queen's Anniversary Prize 2005 .
In the same year, Loughborough University also claimed joint first place (with the University of Leicester)
Notable residents
Notable Loughborough natives include
Albert Francis Cross, the journalist, author, poet and playwright who was born on Moor Lane on
9 May 1863, the two time Laurence Olivier Award nominated stage actress
Nicola Hughes and
Coronation Street's
Roy Cropper actor David Neilson. Most biographies of Felix Buxton of
Basement Jaxx suggest he was a Londoner. In fact he was a pupil at Loughborough Grammar School and son of the one time vicar of nearby Woodhouse Eaves and
Ibstock. The Dundee-born Castaway presenter and humorous entertainer Danny Wallace (writer) attended Holywell County Primary School before moving onto Loughborough Grammar. One of Wallace's Grammar School contemporaries was
Mark Collett, notorious sidekick of Nick Griffin in the BNP.
Notable sporting graduates of Loughborough University include
Sebastian Coe, Paula Radcliffe, David Moorcroft,
Tanni Grey-Thompson,
Monty Panesar,
Steve Backley and Lawrie Sanchez.
Twinning
Loughborough is Town twinning with:{|| valign="top" |
|}
External links
- Official website Charnwood Arts
- Charnwood Borough Council
- Loughborough University
- Official website of the Town Hall
- Loughborough Towntalk Official website of Lougborough Town Centre
References
{{infobox UK place||country = England|latitude = 52.7705|longitude = -1.2046|map_type= Leicestershire|official_name = Loughborough|population = 57,600|shire_district = Charnwood (borough)|shire_county = Leicestershire|post_town = LOUGHBOROUGH|postcode_district = LE11|postcode_area = LE|dial_code = 01509|os_grid_reference = SK536195-->
Loughborough (pronounced locally as either , "LUFF-burra", , "LUFF-bruh", or /ˈlʌfˌb(ə)ɹə/) is a town in [Leicestershire, central England with a population of 57,600 as of 2004.http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/your_council/about_leicestershire/statistics/research_info_population.htm It is the largest town in the county (since
Leicester is a
City status in the United Kingdom). It is the administrative centre for the
Charnwood district and home to
Loughborough University.
In
1841 Loughborough was the destination for the first ever package tour organised by Thomas Cook, for a local temperance group (see
Temperance movement) from Leicester. The town has the world's largest foundry —
John Taylor Bellfounders — who made the bells for the Carillon war memorial, a landmark in the town.
To the south of the town centre lies the
Shelthorpe Estate - a large council estate which was the largest in the country when it was built in the 1920s and
1930s. On the edge of Loughborough to the north, Dishley Grange Farm was the home of agricultural revolutionist Robert Bakewell (farmer). The farm was once home to the annual Leicestershire County Show.
Loughborough has its own newspaper and guide, the Loughborough Echo and Loughborough Guide, but in common with many towns and villages in Leicestershire it is also served by the Leicester-based
Leicester Mercury.
Transport
Rail
Loughborough
Loughborough railway station is on the
Midland Main Line, located on the eastern edge of the town. This line offers high-speed links to and from
London and northbound to
Nottingham,
Sheffield and Leeds. St Pancras railway station International will open in November 2007 when Eurostar services commence.
There were at one time three railway routes to the town: the still operating Midland line; the Great Central Railway which had its own Central station, closed as a result of the Richard Beeching cuts; and a branch line from Nuneaton, part of the erstwhile
London and North Western Railway.
The Great Central Railway line is now the terminus of the south section of the
Great Central Steam Railway heritage railway; plans are in hand to reopen the line to the north and join the two sections.
Road
The M1 motorway's Junction 23 is about 2 miles (5km) west of the town. The north of the town can also be accessed from Junction 24, travelling through Kegworth and Hathern. Local bus services are operated by Arriva,
Centrebus and
Trent Barton(Article is for the parent company)
Waterways
The
River Soar passes to the East of the town. Navigation from Loughborough northwards towards the Trent was achieved in 1778 by the construction of the
Loughborough Navigation which terminates at Loughborough Wharf between Derby Road and Bridge Street. Subsequently the Leicester navigation was constructed connecting to the Loughborough Navigation at 'Canal Bridge'. The Leicester navigation connects to the River Soar to the South of the town. Both now form part of the
Grand Union Canal system.
Shopping
The centre of Loughborough's shopping area is the pedestrianised Market Place and Market Street, which maintain a number of original art deco buildings. A large outdoor market is held there every Thursday and Saturday, while a smaller
flea market is held on Fridays and there is a monthly farmers' market. The first mention of a market in Loughborough is 1221, however it may have existed prior to this date.
'The Rushes' shopping centre has recently been built on the site of the former bus station and is occupied by national chains. The Rushes is linked to the existing town centre area by the streets Churchgate & Churchgate Mews; the latter includes many individually styled independent outlets.
Recreation
The local
Rugby Union club, Loughborough Rugby Football Club, play at the Derby Road playing fields. The club was formed in 1891.
Other sports teams include the
non-league Loughborough Dynamo F.C. and the Loughborough Aces (Collegiate
American Football)for which the notable Kuda Mika once played. There is also a netball league which plays at the Charnwood (borough) Leisure Centre. The town was also once the home of a professional football club,
Loughborough F.C. who played in the Football League during the late 19th Century. Cricket is prominent in the town, with Loughborough Town C.C. being one of the most respected club sides in the county. The university is also home to the ECB National Cricket Academy, a facility used by the England Cricket Team as their primary training centre.
The
Loughborough Canal Festival which started in 1997 is an annual event and is centred on 'Chain Bridge' every year. The event typically attracts some 10,000 visitors and occurs in May.
The 'Party In the Park' started in 1980 and is an annual event held in May. It is organised by Charnwood Arts and held in Queens Park. Typically there are small stall holders, food, activities for children, circus performers, dance and live music.
The 'Streets Alive' is another event organised between Charnwood Arts and
Charnwood (borough) at a similar time of year.
The Great Central Railway (preserved) is a preserved steam railway based at Loughborough Central Station just south of the town centre, and operates services every weekend throughout the year. The railway is renowned for being the only double track mainline steam railway in the United Kingdom.
In November, the annual street fair takes over the centre of the town and closes the
A6 road and numerous other roads to traffic. The fair runs from Wednesday afternoon to Saturday night, bringing visitors from Loughborough and surrounding villages, such as Quorndon,
Mountsorrel, Barrow-upon-Soar,
Shepshed and
Sileby. The fair has many different rides for all age groups, amusement arcades, food stands and games. Popular treats sold at the stalls include
brandy snaps, Grantham
biscuits and mushy peas with
mint sauce, along with the traditional burgers, hot dogs and chips.
Loughborough Town Hall is a venue for theatre as well as conferences and
weddings. The 497-seat theatre recently underwent a £2.8 million refurbishment.
The town is also home to the The Reel Cinema, which is part of a small chain of 10 cinema, there are currently six screens housed in the theatre, which is decorated in an art deco style. The cinema was built in 1936 and has been called the Pal Court and Ballroom, Empire, Classic and Curzon. The cinema is currently building an expansion to the rear of the main building to house a bowling alley and more cinema screens.
University
Loughborough University is increasing in prominence, mainly because of its academic success. In 2004 this institution was ranked 9th among all the British Universities by the prestigious
The Times'
Good University Guide. In 2006 Loughborough University was ranked at an even higher overall position by the same guide: 6th. In 2007 The Guardian rated the University 8th in the country.
Loughborough University is the country's premier university for sports development, research and education. The University has the largest sports scholarship programme in the UK. Currently over 250 international athletes are studying and training there.
The institution has also received important awards, such as the Queen's Anniversary Prize 2005 .
In the same year, Loughborough University also claimed joint first place (with the
University of Leicester)
Notable residents
Notable Loughborough natives include
Albert Francis Cross, the journalist, author, poet and playwright who was born on Moor Lane on
9 May 1863, the two time Laurence Olivier Award nominated stage actress
Nicola Hughes and Coronation Street's
Roy Cropper actor David Neilson. Most biographies of Felix Buxton of Basement Jaxx suggest he was a Londoner. In fact he was a pupil at Loughborough Grammar School and son of the one time vicar of nearby
Woodhouse Eaves and
Ibstock. The Dundee-born Castaway presenter and humorous entertainer
Danny Wallace (writer) attended Holywell County Primary School before moving onto Loughborough Grammar. One of Wallace's Grammar School contemporaries was
Mark Collett, notorious sidekick of Nick Griffin in the BNP.
Notable sporting graduates of Loughborough University include
Sebastian Coe, Paula Radcliffe, David Moorcroft,
Tanni Grey-Thompson, Monty Panesar,
Steve Backley and
Lawrie Sanchez.
Twinning
Loughborough is Town twinning with:{|| valign="top" |
|}
External links
- Official website Charnwood Arts
- Charnwood Borough Council
- Loughborough University
- Official website of the Town Hall
- Loughborough Towntalk Official website of Lougborough Town Centre
References