London ND

The Londoner

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:29:00 +0000

Question of the week: "What does it mean to be a Londoner?"

"A Londoner is an explorer. He is someone who loves to navigate the labyrinth of hidden, precious streets and revels at the discovery of an underrated gem, like a new pub, coffee hangout, or a spot with an unparalleled view. Being a Londoner is not so much a feeling, as it is a privilege, because at the end of the day, you have an extensive array of options at your doorstep and if you wish to explore, the search will prove to be unlimited."-Christina

* Photo by Scorpions and Centaurs, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

The Londoner

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:57:00 +0000

Question of the week: “What does it mean to be a Londoner?”

"You don’t have to be *from* here to be a Londoner, but I do think you have to *engage* here, make London a big part of how you choose to spend your time. Take advantage of some of the wealth of opportunities and locations on offer, get to know your parts of the city until they’re comfortably familiar, become a regular somewhere, and figure out how to use the transport system so you can be helpful next time a tourist asks you for directions!"- Miss Alice

* Photo by maistora, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

The Londoner

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:31:00 +0000

Question of the week: “What does it mean to be a Londoner?”

"I think being a Londoner is mostly a state of mind, or an attitude, rather than the number of days you've spent in the city. A true Londoner goes out into the various neighbourhoods and explores, and doesn't just go to the same old places. She (or he) walks down the street and looks around, taking in the wonderful buildings, people and atmosphere of the city, rather than just following the stream of pedestrian traffic or with her nose in a map. A Londoner understands the different communities that make up London, and loves living in such a diverse place, taking advantage of all of the advantages that diversity brings. A Londoner takes advantage of all of the Free Stuff that London can provide, and doesn't get sucked in to doing overpriced tourist activities. Londoners don't wait for things to be brought to them, they go out and make the effort to discover the city and everything it has to offer.

Londoners make their own fun!"- Kris

* Photo by Ramiro Sánchez-Crespo, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

The Londoner

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Question of the week: “What does it mean to be a Londoner?”

"I think being a Londoner involves some typically British veiled smugness, owing to the fact that Londoners are currently living in one of the greatest cities on the planet at a time when it's really at the top of its game. Brits and Londoners aren't typically patriotic in a very overt way, so that veiled smugness will really only show itself when you start criticising their city for whatever reason, or comparing it unfavourably to other places (especially Paris!)."-Jamie

* Photo by Faheem Patel, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

LUP Staff on London

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:04:00 +0000

Question of the week: How does Hal, one of our administrators, describe London in one word?

"Multifarious"

* Photo by Martino's doodles, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

LUP Staff on London

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Question of the week: How does Christina, one of our administrators, describe London in one word?

"Limitless"

* Photo by simpologist, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

LUP Staff on London

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Question of the week: How does Kris, one of our rectors, describe London in one word?

"Timeless"

* Photo by untrained eye, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

LUP Staff on London

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Question of the week: How does Jamie, one of our rectors, describe London in one single word?

"Inexhaustible"

* Photo by lewishamdreamer, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

LUP Staff on London

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Question of the week: How does Miss Alice, our LUP Librarian, describe London in one single word?

"London in one word? Expansive – literally, and metaphorically."

* Photo by .craig, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Welcome!

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:19:00 +0000

Welcome to London! The blog will be up and running the first day of your classes next week, Monday 16 January. The questions will range from what to do, see, and eat in London to favourite places, most memorable moments, historical landmarks, and much, much more! The London Undergraduate Program staff will be answering these weekly questions, so please feel free to follow along, comment, and learn. We hope you will find our suggestions useful, and wish to make your London experience as diverse, educational, and exciting as possible. Stay tuned!

* Photo by Angelina Archer, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Shop, shop, shop!

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:02:00 +0000

Question of the week: “The Christmas crunch is just around the corner! Where do you like to do most of your Christmas shopping?”

"Considering my lack of patience when it comes to shopping, I'd recommend any place that is not crowded, offers great deals either because the stores are generally affordable or have items on sale and, lastly, there must be loads of eateries around so I can look forward to a reward after a day full of laborious shopping. Since no such place exists in London, I would suggest compromising your shopping times and go to Oxford St, but instead of pushing through the crowds on a Saturday morning, go on the last opening hours of a Monday or Thursday night, say between 7.30pm-9pm. Oxford Street can actually be very pleasant this time of year, as long as you miss the surge of crowds, where you can feel the spirit of the season through random choirs, blinking lights, and decorations absolutely everywhere."- Christina

* Photo by markhillary, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Shop, shop, shop!

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:23:00 +0000

Question of the week: “The Christmas crunch is just around the corner! Where do you like to do most of your Christmas shopping?”

"London has so many markets where you can find original, often handcrafted presents. Spitalfields market one of my favourites. The Stableyard market in Camden is a great place to shop for presents, though it gets very busy on the weekend. In the last minute Christmas rush I pop down to Borough market for edibles and consumables to make hampers, Borough Market is fantastic during the festive season."- Heather

* Photo by WTL photos, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Shop, shop, shop!

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:01:00 +0000

Question of the week: “The Christmas crunch is just around the corner! Where do you like to do most of your Christmas shopping?”

"Camden Town Market and Brick Lane. Loads of intriguing items available at cool prices!"- Prof Kucich

* Photo by Franco Caruzzo, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Shop, shop, shop!

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Question of the week: “The Christmas crunch is just around the corner! Where do you like to do most of your Christmas shopping?”

"I’m planning a visit to Greenwich Market to finish up my Christmas shopping – lots of hand-made goodies and indie shops mean that I should be able to find jewellery that my mum will love, cute toys that my nephew and nieces will enjoy that don’t need batteries, and something my hard-to-buy-for brother doesn’t already have! I also plan to pick up some mulled cider and walk up to the top of Greenwich park, to escape the crowds and recharge my festive batteries with a visit to the deer who roam the woods there."- Miss Alice

* Photo by Ian Wilson, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Study Space

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Alice) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:30:00 +0000

You asked about alternative study space near Conway Hall

- Heather answers,

"Most of these are coffee shop style areas (a fair few are tried and tested by myself during my masters a few years ago!)

Royal Festival Hall - various study friendly spots in the building, free wifi
Imax - Benugo coffee house - on the Lower Ground floor at the Imax
Oasis Hub Coffee House -Kennington Road (a coffee house situated inside a church building - so there is lots of space, can get busy at lunch times but tends to be quieter in the morning or afternoons, free wifi)
BFI - Benugo coffee house/kitchen (big sofas and comfy seating, not a lot of table space but you can sit there a long time with one coffee without being moved on, free wifi )
Waterloo Library on Lower Marsh
Costa - Kennington Road - A fairly quiet coffee house (by Costa's standards)"

Miss Alice adds:

"Just around the corner from the London Centre, you’ll find the Westminster Reference Library, with three floors of study space as well as specialist collections in art, theatre, law and business.

Further afield, try the Bishopsgate Library, to study in a beautiful Victorian reference library surrounded by hundreds of books on London , or the Guildhall Library, which may be less beautiful than the 15^thCentury Guildhall it sits alongside, but offers plentiful study space, and a rich London-focussed collection.

For non-Library options, you could break out the books in the British Museum’s Great Court, or make revision a pleasure with tea and cake at YumChaa on Berwick Street, where they have a capacious basement area, or a book shop cafe - maybe the Cafe at Foyles, or closer to home, the Costa upstairs in Waterstones on Trafalgar Square."

* Photo by Auntie P, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Spread The Good Cheer

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Question of the week: “Can you recommend a tree lighting, jolly fair, or festive market to boost your Christmas spirit in London?”

"Whilst studying at drama school in my late teens, it was necessary for me to work all available free hours that I could find to supplement my living costs (so what’s new?). Opting for the easy solution, I took up work as a waiter and spent a number of seasons employed at my local Café Rouge in Hampstead. As many will already know, higher degrees of pay can be earned during unsocial hours and I found myself willingly working late on Christmas Eve, and for as much as I expected to have any festive spirit dashed by working those crucial hours I instead found myself flung headfirst into the Christmas atmosphere through engaging with a steady stream of extremely cheery families & well wishers.

Ever since then (and yes, it feels like an age ago) I’ve tried, where possible, to visit Hampstead as late as I can on Christmas Eve to indulge in the general feeling of everyone savouring the last few hours of socialising before digging their heels into some arduous ‘quality time’ with close, and sometimes all too distant family."-Hal

* Photo by Arslan, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Spread The Good Cheer

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Question of the week: “Can you recommend a tree lighting, jolly fair, or festive market to boost your Christmas spirit in London?”

"The first Christmas tree lighting I saw in London was the one right next to the London Centre, Trafalgar Square, and it has since been my favourite! Every year, London is presented with a Norwegian tree as a symbol and gift reflecting Norway's appreciation for Britain's assistance during World War II. This Thursday's lighting marks the 65th year of this long standing tradition, and starts at 5pm. It will surely bolster your holiday spirit to pop out of your last class tomorrow and enjoy the festivities by listening to Christmas carols and seeing a tree lit not only by its own twinkling lights, but by the magnificent surroundings of Trafalgar Square."-Christina

* Photo by jaimelondonboy, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Spread The Good Cheer

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Question of the week: “Can you recommend a tree lighting, jolly fair, or festive market to boost your Christmas spirit in London?”

"From December 7th-14th, Petersham Nurseries hosts a wonderful Christmas fair, which is lit by candlelight and accompanied by a carolling choir. Doesn't get much more Christmassy than that!"-Jamie

* Photo by Skokie Public Library, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Spread The Good Cheer

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Question of the week: “Can you recommend a tree lighting, jolly fair, or festive market to boost your Christmas spirit in London?”

"It’s not a Christmas Market per se, but I always find myself drawn to Spitalfields Markets at this time of year, for the wide variety of stalls, shops, and a sprinkling of festive events. I’m thinking the Crisis Christmas Market on the 10th in particular, which sounds like fun, and for a good cause. (Crisis is a major housing and homelessness charity).

Plus, visiting Spitalfields puts you within easy reach of the Geffrye Museum, a museum about ordinary people’s homes through history. For Christmas they decorate each of their period rooms in appropriate historical Christmas style, and, especially if you haven’t already visited them, it’s a Christmas must-see."-Miss Alice

* Photo by Daquella manera, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Road Load

noreply@blogger.com (ND London Undergraduate Program) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0000