EXACTLY how many geese are there on the lake at York University?

They may not know the answer, but two women up at the Heslington campus know a man who does.

Angela Gee and Jo Coulthard are both receptionists in the university's newest development - a central information centre and reception where visitors can go and find out anything they want about the university.

Angela said: "They ask all sorts - new students wanting to know how to get into town on the bus, prospective students and their mums and dads coming in for information, visitors who we can provide with maps. And the most unusual was someone asking how many geese there are on the lake. We didn't know, but there's a gentleman in Chemistry who knows all about the geese. If we don't know, we can find out."

The information centre has given the university a welcoming central point, which it lacked, on a campus that has 8,000 students, 3,000 employees and which plays host to 40,000 visitors a year.

It is part of a new shopping parade development, which was built following a survey of staff and students who said they would like to see a supermarket on site.

Since it opened at the beginning of term, the new Costcutter supermarket in the Market Square development has gone down very well with students, who said they would have had to walk to Kwik Save or Sainsbury's in the past.

The university's Blackwell's bookshop has also moved into the new shopping parade from its old home next to the library, joining the Students' Union "Your Shop".

The whole development was opened in a ceremony yesterday by Roland Harris, chief executive of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

Vice-chancellor Ron Cooke thanked all those involved in the development and said: "The centre gives the university a front door for the first time - before this people were not clear whether to go to Heslington Hall or one of the colleges. Now people can draw up here."

Updated: 10:59 Saturday, November 03, 2001