Lancaster Castle is open daily for guided tours, special events and group bookings. Visitors can enjoy the courtyard spaces, external (局部的) views of the historic building, two small exhibition spaces, and the gift shop without charge, but public access to the interiors(内部) of the castle buildings is for guided tours only.

Please note that dogs are not allowed inside the Castle, but assistance dogs are the exception to this rule. All areas are also smoke-free.

We are open 7 days a week (except for the Christmas/New Year period) from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with guided tours running throughout the day. Tours last about 60minutes.

Please note: While every effort is made to open these buildings up for public viewing, Lancaster Castle is still used as a Crown Court. If the Court is sitting, it may not be possible to view all rooms.

Adult: ￡8

Concessions（优惠） ( children, students and people aged over 65): ￡6.5

Family: ￡20 (Our family tickets are flexible(灵活的): two adults and two concessions, one adult and three concessions, or a group consisting of four concessions, all qualify)

Due to the fact that these rooms are still used as a working court, photography is not permitted anywhere in the Shire Hall/ Crown Court complex. Photography is permitted in those areas of the Castle not classified as court buildings.

For security reasons we are not able to store any luggage on site.

The gift shop closes at 4:30 p.m. Visitors can explore our gift shop and buy special souvenirs designed according to their own preference. The designs are done by professional designers without charge.

Unfortunately we’re unable to provide visitors parking on site. However, if you have a disability, please call 01524 64998 to arrange access to the Castle.

I can’t miss the little old lady with her kerchief (方头巾) on her head, a black umbrella blowing all over. I can tell she is freezing. She is standing at a bus stop, and I’m driving by, late for my early morning shift. I decide to stop and offer her a ride.

Of course, she declines, but when I ask again and insist, finally, she gets in the car. I take her to her destination, and by the time she gets out of my car, she is smiling and thanks me.

I was late for work that day, but I was so glad that I stopped. That was 40 years ago, and the beginning of a new habit, one that continues when I’m out driving in bad weather.

If there’s someone at a bus stop, especially if it’s an elderly person waiting at off hours and in bad weather, I will pull over and ask whether they need a ride.

Once, a young doctor jumped in. She had finished a long shift and had been waiting and waiting at the bus stop. She had no hesitation and, for the first time, I was able to help someone who performs miracles (奇迹) on a daily basis. That felt good.

But the best part of my ride offers is the conversation. I do tend to ask a lot of questions: where are you from, where are you going, family, background, pets and whatever else comes to mind. Surprisingly, everyone wants to chat. We are usually laughing by the time the ride is over. “What a shame!” I often think when they hop out, as the stories were just getting started.

Now as retirement approaches, I believe I have found my calling. I will be happy to join a community driving program to take people to one appointment or another – or perhaps just to the coffee shop to sit and listen for an hour.

As the years pass, perhaps I will be the one standing at the bus stop. Perhaps there will be somebody who rolls down a window and offers me a seat for a little ride. I will continue to take that leap of faith in the kindness of strangers.

Wheat is a main source of food for people across the planet, accounting for a fifth of the calories consumed globally. But as a result of climate change, scientists believe most parts of the world where the crop is grown will be hit by water shortages by the end of the century. And the US could be among the countries worst affected, the authors of the research published in the journal Science Advances told Newsweek.

If climate change isn't dealt with, by the year 2100, 60 percent of areas that grow wheat will be hit by water scarcity — up from the current level of 15 percent, according to the international team of scientists.

Co-authors Miroslav Trnka and Song Feng told Newsweek that in their previous research, they had shown climate change may cause soil to become less moist (湿润的) across most mainland US states, including those where wheat is grown. As a result, the US could be “one of the top most affected wheat producers” in terms of the increase in areas affected by severe droughts, they said in a joint statement.

Worryingly, existing research has predicted a 4.0 to 6.5 percent drop in global wheat production per 1 degree Celsius of warming if climate change isn't eased. And it's unlikely that wheat can be replaced if water becomes scarce, as it's not as thirsty as other crops and can do without water for a relatively long period of time.

“If multiple regions are affected by drought at the same time, it might be difficult to meet the demand even if the trade routes stay open and are not restricted by governmental measures,” warned Feng. However, he said, “Studies show that if we continuously improve the sustainability and technologies in the coming decades and allow for international trade, we may overcome the negative impacts of climate change.”

In a digital age, we almost never write things by hand. However, multiple studies have shown that this act has many benefits.

New brain research, led by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, confirms the same choosing handwriting over using a keyboard results in better learning and memory.

“When you write your shopping list or lecture notes by hand, you simply remember the content better afterwards,” said Audrey Van der Meer, author of the study.

The study was conducted using equipment to track and record brain wave activity. The participants included 12 young adults and 12 children. This is the first time that children have participated in such a study. Each subject was asked to write by hand and type on a keyboard while wearing a hood (风帽) with over 250 electrodes (电极). The sensors (传感器) in the electrodes are very sensitive and pick up the electrical activity that takes place in the brain. Each examination took 45 minutes per person.

The results showed that the brain in both young adults and children is much more active when writing by hand than when typing on a keyboard. According to Van der Meer, plenty of senses are activated (激活) by pressing a pen on paper, seeing the letters written and hearing the sound made while writing. These sense experiences build contact between different parts of the brain, opening the brain up for learning.

Van der Meer believes that the outcomes stress the importance of children being challenged to draw and write at an early age, especially at school. “Learning to write by hand is a bit slower process, but it’s important for children to go through the tiring phase of learning to write by hand”, she said.

The hand movements used to form the shapes of letters are beneficial in several ways. “If you use a keyboard, you use the same movement for each letter. Writing by hand requires control of your fine motor (精细动作) skills and senses. It’s important to put the brain in a learning state as often as possible,” Van der Meer added. For example, you might use a keyboard to write an essay, but you should take notes by hand during a lecture.