Category: London

Southwark – The (almost) local’s guide

Living in Moonraker Point, you are situated in the middle of one of bustling districts of South London. The borough of Southwark was established 1965 and retains substantial parts of the old parts of London, so countless listed buildings will be around your way to University and back. Sights and landmark in the district include Tower bridge, London bridge, Tate modern, Dulwich picture gallery, Imperial War Museum, St. Georges Cathedral, the Globe theatre, the London Dungeon and Butler’s Wharf. But what would a perfect day in Southwark look like? Could you spend a whole day from breakfast to midnight WITHOUT leaving your borough? The answer is YES!

Brunch or breakfast, boozy or not, tea or coffee, Monday morning or Sunday afternoon, the options are endless. One of my all-time favorite spots is ‘The refinery’, not even 5 minutes away from Moonraker. They offer breakfast and all-day brunch on the Weekends. For a quick and authentically British bite on the go, grab a sandwich from ‘Frank’s café’. If you don’t let yourself get discouraged by the lunchtime crowd, get in line for a ham and cheese toasty. After a filling breakfast and a quick wander along the Thames, you’ll get to Borough market which you really cannot miss. It is one of the oldest markets in London and you will be spoiled for choice. Food stalls from all over the world lure with exotic smells and delicious dishes. Still fancy something for your sweet tooth? ‘Bread ahead’ doughnuts might be on the pricier side but they are definitely worth it! I would recommend the classic vanilla custard doughnut.

Activities would range on any day of the week from art exhibition at Tate or something more interactive such as the London Dungeon and Clink street prison. Enjoy a drink right next to William Shakespeare’s living room and even go and watch a show at the Globe theatre if you are interested in the real feel of 16th century London. Tired of the crowds? Fear not your new all-time favorite Borough has got you covered. Some of the prettiest (and most hidden) parks await you in walking distance of Moonraker. Right behind the building is Mint street park but my personal favorite is Southwark park, nestled behind Bermondsey tube station. It has a beautiful lake and stunning hundred-year-old oaks and you will have recovered from the hustle and bustle of zone 1 in no time. And what is for Dinner? One of Britain’s best cooks has one of his restaurants right up your street.

Try It… Easter Weekend In London

 

London is scheduled to have glorious weather over the first Bank Holiday Weekend of 2019 and the city is going to be full of super fun things to do. 

Here are some ideas on how you can get out and enjoy the sun this weekend. 

Park Life

 

 

Explore the city’s delightful parks, from boating in Hyde Park to deer-spotting in Richmond Park.  Discover incredible London wildlife and beautifully designed gardens.  As well as being perfect for relaxing, London’s parks have plenty of things to do and activities to enjoy: sports events; open-air theatre and live music, not to mention some of the most breathtaking views the city has to offer.

Some of our favourite London parks are:

Hyde Park

Richmond Park

Hampstead Heath

St James Park

Victoria Park

 

The Passion Of Jesus

Trafalgar Square, April 19th 2019

£: FREE  Time: Midday 

 

Wintershall Players return with their huge open-air re-enactment of ‘The Passion of Jesus’ on Good Friday, featuring volunteers from in and around London (as well as real-life horses, donkeys and doves). Get down early to get a good spot, or catch all of the action on one of the big screens.

 

Horniman Easter Fair

Horniman Museum and Gardens, Saturday 20th April and Sunday 21st April 2019

£ FREE  Time: 10.30am-4.30pm

 

Join in the Easter trail at the Horniman this bank holiday weekend, create something crafty in a workshop or dare to venture through the rabbit hole for a special storytelling performance inspired by The Hen That Laid The Golden Egg. The Horniman also hosts some beautiful gardens and some of those breathtaking views of London we mentioned earlier.

 

 

Whatever you spend your time doing this Easter weekend we hope you enjoy yourself and keep safe.

Try It…London Games Festival

From the humble board game to sophisticated interactive virtual reality offerings, games are big business!

This week saw the start of the annual London Games Festival – 12 days of  game play, activities and events across London celebrating games culture. With hundreds of games to discover and play there’s something for everyone  – Game On!

 

Games Character Parade

Video game fans won’t want to miss this parade where hundreds of  characters take to the streets as people dress up in costumes and cosplay and parade through the City of London. In addition to the procession, there will be lots of games, exhibits and crafts in Guildhall Yard throughout the day.

 

Now Play This 

This  festival of experimental game design runs at Somerset House and showcases the latest interactive, playful games from around the world. This year the themthat relate to the  theme of community and communities. Expect everything from quiet reflections you can sit with, to colourful installations that get people playing together.

 

Power Up

Whether you’re a retro games fan, a serious gamer or just want to beat your friends at Mario Kart, head on over to the Science Museum for this gaming event featuring the very best video games and consoles from the past 40 years. With games from Pong to Pacman and Minecraft to Mario to the latest virtual reality experiences you’ll definitely have fun and you might make it on their leaderboard!

 

Are you a gamer?

What are your favourite games?

Let us know in the comment section below.

Try It…Chinese New Year in London 2019

Last week saw the start of the Lunar New Year, and the ‘Year of the Pig’ and celebrations have begun around the world and much closer to home here in residences – you may have showcased your artistic talents decorating lanterns and fans at Art Night or cooked some delicious dishes at Cooking With Confidence.

To enjoy more of the celebrations head to the Chinese New Year in London festival that will have events and activities across Chinatown, the West End and Trafalgar Square including a parade of dragon and lion dances, stage shows with traditional dance, contemporary hip-hop acts and Chinese performers and a fireworks display to close. There will also be lots of food stalls and restaurants in will have special festive treats on the menu 

Check out Visit London’s guide to the festival or follow the official #CNYLondon hashtag on social media.

Photo:  michelmond / Shutterstock.com

 

Try It … Whats On In London ?

 

Tired of your regular weekly routine? Not sure what’s going on over the upcoming week? Below are a few activities happening over the next week that we thought were interesting.

All To Play- V&A Late 

If you’re a gamer or want to know what all the fuss is about this free event might be of interest to you. Find out what the future of gaming looks like and play newly commissioned video games. You can even try your hand at designing your own.

V&A Late

ResiLife Welcome Back Silent Disco

If you live in any of our 13 residences join us at Guys Bar for our welcome back disco. Flip through channels of music ranging from classic disco to house music, you’ll be sure to find something you can boogie to. There will be a glitter station and photo booth for you to indulge in and as well as a complimentary drink.  Get your ticket via the link below.

Silent Disco

MMT Presents: Footloose the Musical 

Cut Loose and enjoy this classic  Rock and Roll musical for an early weekend treat at The Greenwood Theatre. Follow the story of a teenager who moves to a small midwestern town only to discover dancing and rock music is banned.  Ren McCormack tries to fit in but just can’t seem to resist breaking the rules.  An uplifting and fun show brought to you by MSA Musical Theatre.

FOOTLOOSE

Comment below and share with us any interesting events you’re going to this coming week.

Words By Keira ResiLife

Photo – Shutterstock

 

 

 

 

 

How am I going to find my new home?

A lot of our residents are making their way to London for the first time. Whether you’re arriving by car, plane or train it’s going to be tricky navigating to your residence with a suitcase or two. To make thing’s a lot smoother, make sure you download a navigation app like Citymapper or Google Maps before you arrive. Here are King’s College London’s tips for getting around:

Arriving in the UK – Getting from the airport

ConfusAirportMapingly, London has several major airports. Each has several routes for getting into central London, some of which are quicker and more expensive than others.

From Heathrow: you can get the Piccadilly Line all the way into central London. This is by far the cheapest option, but can be difficult if you have lots of luggage. Alternatively, the Heathrow Express is really quick (just fifteen minutes!) but more expensive. It goes directly to Paddington Station. A taxi can cost around £85, but if you are travelling with other people and can share the cost this can be a good options if you have lots of luggage. National Express coaches go to London Victoria and are a cheap option.

From Gatwick: there are plenty of trains and buses that go to central London. You can get the Gatwick Express direct to Victoria. However, it is far cheaper – and almost as quick – to take a normal train (Southern or First Capital Connect) to Victoria, London Bridge or St Pancras, which run regularly. Tip: there is usually an option to buy a ticket that allows you to travel on all routes except the Gatwick Express. National Express coaches leave fairly regularly and are one of the cheapest options.

From Stansted: London Stansted Airport is quite a long way from London itself. You can take the Stansted Express to London Liverpool Street, which takes around 45 minutes. Alternatively, several coach services go to central London, but travelling times are much longer. Don’t get a taxi from Stansted as it will be really expensive!

From London City Airport: London City Airport is actually within London so is on the TFL network (see below). You can get the Docklands Light Railway into central London and connect with various underground services to reach your final destination.

 

Getting around London

 tube-map

Getting around London can be confusing. The Transport for London (TfL) network is huge and is comprised of the London Underground (colloquially known as the “Tube”), buses, trains, river transport, trams and even a cable car! Most Londoners get what is known as an Oyster Card as this is cheaper than buying single tickets for every journey. You can use this by topping it up with money and paying for journeys individually or if you’re travelling around London regularly (i.e. you’re using public transport most days) then you can buy a weekly, monthly or annual travel card and upload it to your Oyster card. Many students are entitled to a special 18+ Student Oyster card that allows them to get a discount on these weekly, monthly or annual cards (see below). Oyster Cards work on most forms of London transport, though fares are higher for riverboat services and the Emirates cable car. They should also work on local train services within the London area.

We found this light-hearted, useful guide to using the London Underground, which you might find helpful.

Many people cycle in London and you can now hire what the locals call “Boris Bikes” (because the scheme was started by London Mayor Boris Johnson) for a small fee. You need to be careful if you cycle in London that you take safety precautions, and ensure that your bicycle is secure. You can find more information and useful tips on the TfL website and through the Metropolitan Police.

 

View more about Oyster Cards, 18+ Cards and cabs on the main King’s College Website.

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