Joining Instructions
Contact Details Callers from outside of the British Isles should replace 0191 with +44 191 in all phone numbers below.
The Conference Venue is the St. Peter's Campus of the University of Sunderland: HCI 2000 Conference (5-8/9/00), c/o Digital Media Network (Room 310) The Informatics Centre, The University of Sunderland, St. Peter's Way, SUNDERLAND, England, SR6 0DD.
Delegates can be contacted via their accommodation or via the HCI 2000 Conference Office. Messages can be left during the Conference Day (0845-1715, BST, UTM+1) via the reception of the School of Computing, Engineering and Technology on 0191 515 2750, or if (rarely) there is no reply at that number, with the Digital Media Network on 0191 515 3780.
For delegates in University accommodation, urgent messages can be left outside of Conference Hours at Pann's Bank Accommodation via 0191 515 3652.
Hotel guests can be contacted at any time via their hotel.
- Swallow Hotel Queen's Parade, Seaburn, SUNDERLAND, England, SR6 8DB Tel: 0191 529 2041 Fax: 0191 529 3843
- Roker Hotel Roker Terrace, SUNDERLAND, England, SR6 OPH Tel: 0191 567 1786 Fax: 0191 510 0289
In cases of extreme urgency only, the 24 hour security number for St. Peter's campus is 0191 515 2659. Security staff may not deal with inappropriate calls.
Delegates who have arranged accommodation along with their registration will be staying in the Roker or Swallow Hotels or in University Accommodation at Pann's Bank. Delegates are advised to go to their accommodation and leave their luggage before registering.
Hotel guests should proceed directly to their hotel. Pann's Bank residents should pick up their keys from Russell House at Scotia Quay, just over the road from Pann's Bank. The accommodation office is at the bottom of Russell House on Low Street.
Parking at Accommodation
Hotel guests parking who require parking should arrange this independently with their hotel. For delegates at Pann's Bank, 30 spaces are available there. Spaces will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Additional spaces will be available at St. Peter's campus.
Please send email to Lynn Devaney (Lynn.Devaney@sunderland.ac.uk) as soon as possible to arrange a parking space. A parking permit is essential for use of secure university parking.
The Informatics Centre is the building 44 on the Campus Map at: http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/resdir/map/map1b.htm. The registration desk is sited in the entrance to the Informatics Centre on St. Peter's campus. You should register as soon as practically possible and avoid the morning peaks (up to 0930) if at all possible. The registration desk will be open at the following times:
- 1600-1930 Monday 4th September
- 0800-2000 Tuesday 5th September
- 0830-1730 Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th September
- 0830-0930 Friday 8th September
Coaches, Walking, Parking and Taxis
A coach service will operate before and after each day's sessions and for all social events from and to the hotels and Pann's Bank, so delegates can easily leave their cars at their accommodation. For the able bodied, Pann's Bank and the Roker are 1.5km (15 minutes) and the Swallow is 2.5km (25 minutes walk along the sea front) from the Informatics Centre.
Drivers without permits for St. Peter's can park in the overflow car park (to left of barrier entrance).
Taxis to St. Peter's Campus should drop delegates at the bus stop below St. Peter's church. Either enter by the top door of the Informatics Centre (left building) and walk down the ramp and turn right to the registration desk or walk between the Business School and the Informatics Centre and turn left to enter by the main entrance.
On-Line Maps On-line maps of the region, locality and at street level are available at www.multimap.com (zoom in from the North East of England, Sunderland is usually hidden under the 'e' of 'Wear' in 'Tyne and Wear!)
Newcastle International Airport lies approximately 20 miles from the conference venue. There are regular flights to London and many other UK and European destinations. Flights from London airports, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam all have world-wide connections. There are also direct trains to Newcastle (and some to Sunderland) from Manchester airport. This train journey takes between 3 and 4 hours.
On arrival at Newcastle airport delegates are advised to take the Nexus Metro rapid transit system from the airport via Newcastle Central Station to Sunderland (allow 70 minutes for this journey). You can buy a single Transfare ticket for �1.70 single (machines do not take notes, be sure to request a Transfare ticket). Change at Newcastle Central Station for a train to Sunderland.
From the station, take a taxi to your accommodation (Pann's Bank is 800m away, a 10 minute walk via Fawcett Street and High Street West).
Alternatively delegates may take a taxi from the airport direct to their accommodation. This would cost between �18-�20 depending on the time of day. There is a taxi rank situated at the front of the airport.
Flight information can be found at: http://www.newcastleairport.com/
Local transport information can be found at: http://www.nexus.org.uk/
- Newcastle Airport Phone Enquiries: 0191 286 0966
- Nexus (local transport) Phone Enquiries: 0870 608 2608
- Station Taxis, Sunderland: 0191 565 6565 & 0191 567 6767
You need not prefix 0191 in Sunderland, Durham or on Tyneside.
UK train timetables can be found (via a well hidden turquoise link!) via: http://www.railtrack.co.uk/
Alternatively follow go direct to the link's mega-geeky destination: http://195.92.21.203/bin/query.exe/en
Delegates should travel to either Newcastle Central Station or Durham Station.
- On arrival at Newcastle Central Station
- transfer to a train to Sunderland (journey time approximately 30 minutes).
- From Sunderland station, take a taxi to your accommodation (Pann's Bank is 800m away, 10 minutes walk via Fawcett Street and High Street West).
- Delegates travelling from the South and Manchester may find it quicker to travel to Durham Station and then take a Taxi from Durham Station direct to your accommodation (cost approx �15)
The recommended routes are the simplest and generally quickest, not the shortest. Note that apparently shorter routes, especially via the A690 and A183 east from the A19 will take you through confusing one way systems. All recommended routes meet at the A19 junction with the A1231. From there, follow signs to the National Glass Centre. These will take you via the A1290 (ex-B1289) and (very briefly) A1018 to the A183.
The next paragraph gives details and lane recommendations
- From the A19, you will cross several roundabouts until the Queen Alexander Bridge gyratory system (a very big roundabout with lots of traffic lights).
- Go straight ahead by staying in the left lane at both traffic lights.
- Go straight ahead at the next two traffic lights (take the right lane at the first).
- Then keep in the left lane and go straight through the traffic lights at the Stadium of Light (Sunderland Football stadium) mini-roundabout.
- Crossing a railway bridge, you reach the A1018 gyratory system.
- Keep your eyes open for signs to the National Glass Centre.
- After the bridge, take the centre lane through the traffic lights, and bear right into the left lane of the roundabout.
- After the next traffic lights, stay in the centre lane and turn left with the one-way system (watch out for cars changing lane on both sides).
- Follow the one way system to the right at the next traffic lights (by the Fort pub).
- You will now be in the left lane in a one way system that forks soon ahead.
- Pann's Bank delegates should turn right (A1018).
- Everyone else should turn left (A183).
From there on
- Hotel guests should keep following signs to the National Glass Centre until they pass St. Peter's Church on the right.
- They should then cross the mini roundabout and stay on the A183 towards Whitburn by turning left at the second mini-roundabout.
- The Roker Hotel is on the left, just after the mini roundabout.
- The Swallow Hotel is a further 1km north. Drive past the Roker to the roundabout. The second small exit takes you straight into the Swallow's car park.
- They should then cross the mini roundabout and stay on the A183 towards Whitburn by turning left at the second mini-roundabout.
- Pann's Pank residents should follow signs to the City Centre (A1018) by turning right at the T-junction.
- Move to the left lane before the traffic lights, where you will turn left to cross the Wearmouth bridge and stay in the left lane over the bridge.
- Turn left at the roundabout at the end of the bridge (A1018 Teeside) and continue to the next roundabout.
- Turn left off the roundabout and immediately left again to descend Russell Street.
- Turn right at the bottom and park on the right of Low Street just beyond the accommodation office.
- Conference delegates should turn left at the T-junction and follow the signs to the National Glass Centre and pass it to their left.
- Delegates with parking permits should drive forward and stop at the security barrier (press the intercom barrier or use a Pann's Bank entry card).
- Delegates without parking permits should turn left to use the lower overflow car park.
