Living in London


“… when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” Samuel Johnson

London is among the world’s great cities and living here can provide cultural experiences beyond your wildest dreams. As well as being a fantastically vibrant city in its own right, London can serve as a portal to the great cities of Europe and beyond making it an ideal base for your working holiday.

Accommodation

Accommodation is always a major consideration when you are contemplating a career move, which is why we have an accommodation service available to our teachers, which can help you find somewhere to live in the UK. To help you make an informed decision our consultants can provide you with information from a variety of sources including accommodation personally viewed, recommendations from other teachers, directly from landlords, real estate agents or from the Internet.
Furthermore we can also book temporary accommodation before you arrive in the UK.

Long-term Accommodation

Cost and geographical issues are top priorities. If you have a long-term post organised then commuting considerations will define your prospective location. However your accommodation doesn't have to be on the doorstep of your new school. For instance Londoners commute by public transport and living up to an hour's travel from work is quite usual. Having identified your area of choice, cost is likely to be a prime factor. Accommodation will probably represent your major outlay and the location you select will affect this considerably.
Accommodation issues may appear rather overwhelming but Academics will be happy to advise and assist you.

Renting Alternatives

Bedsits are invariably your cheapest option. These are self-contained rooms with a small cooker and fridge but sharing a bathroom with other tenants. However, as these are a budget option they can be badly maintained and you must make sure that there is a good lock on both the door of your room and also your bathroom.

Flat sharing is a good way to meet people and is generally the most cost-effective way of living in the UK, especially in London. While the accommodation is self-contained it will be shared with other people. Shared areas include the kitchen and bathroom and may include bedrooms. Many flat share situations have a communal space (living/dining room). When considering flat sharing it is important to clarify exactly how the shared space is allocated.

House bills vary depending on how many people you're sharing with and even if the rate you pay is inclusive of bills the telephone is often extra so be careful. Also beware - international calls can be very expensive! Your intended length of stay may also be an issue. Many flat sharing options are relatively flexible but most places will want a commitment of at least 3 months. If you are looking for something on a shorter-term basis you are best off staying at a hostel on a weekly rate. You can also look at short-term lets in classified publications, however rooms for short periods of time are fairly hard to come by.

Individual Flats There are many studio and one-bedroom flats on offer if you don't fancy sharing, but the prices tend to be prohibitive. If you are looking to set up in your own place rather than flat share try the following website for a listing of all estate agents in the UK, www.londonpropertyguide.co.uk
Moving In / Budgets

Whatever type of accommodation you decide on, it's almost certain that you'll have to pay cash up front, generally you need to provide a month's rent in advance plus a similar amount as a returnable deposit. It is best to budget around £1,000 to cover the rent and deposit outlay plus any extras you will need to cover. You may be asked to sign a six or 12-month contract. Always read the small print before you sign and make sure you know what your rent covers. Council tax, gas and electricity may or may not be included. You should remember that if the lease is in your name you become responsible for the rent and a leasing contract is very difficult to break if your circumstances change. Housing law in Britain is complex, but advice can be obtained free of charge from the Citizen's Advice Bureau (www.nacab.org.uk).

What should you expect to pay for accommodation?

Any real estate agent will tell you that its 'location, location, location'. They would be right. The more central you live to London, for example, the more you will pay for places to live. The following is a general guide to costs:

Bedsits start from around £15.00 per night.
Flat Shares are from £80-£120 per week
Individual Flats (One Bed) from £500 per month

The above prices may or may not include other bills, like Water or electricity so it is always important to ask what the rental includes exactly.

Cost of Living

London can be very expensive when spending dollars or rand. The key is to earn English pounds as quickly as possible. You should allow plenty of money to get yourself settled in the first couple of weeks. The big living expense is accommodation, and we have covered this previously. Food and entertainment costs vary depending on personal preferences. Be aware that a pint of lager is approximately GBP2.50; a glass of wine is GBP2.20 at a typical pub. Generally, the closer to the central night spots the more expensive the food and drink. Check out latest exchange rates at www.x-rates.com

As London becomes increasingly cosmopolitan, there is a huge amount of choice when it comes cuisine. Prices vary accordingly, and like home, the best value for money grocery shopping is done at your local supermarket (there are plenty of them)

There are plenty of reasonably priced restaurants and fast food outlets. Thai, Indian and Chinese restaurants are very good value.

Below is a list of everyday grocery items and prices that should give an estimate of the food costs in London. (NB: These prices may vary)

Milk (1 litre) £0.70, Bread (sliced white loaf) £0.70, Eggs (half dozen) £0.85, Baked beans (can) £0.35

Chicken (medium sized) £3.00, Mince (small packet) £1.60, Cheese (small packet) £1.60, Butter (250g) £0.65, Plain rice (1kg) £1.25, Corn Flakes (250g) £1.60, Spaghetti (500g) £0.75, Soup (can) £0.65, Margarine (500g) £1.50, Potatoes (1.5kg) £1.25, Onions (1lb) £0.65, Tomatoes (1lb) £0.70, Orange juice (3l) £3.00, Coffee (100g) £1.60, Tea bags (50 bags) £1.35, Toilet paper (4 rolls) £2.50

The British Currency

Britain uses the pound sterling as its currency. The denominations of pounds are as follows:
Notes/Bills
Coinage
£50.00
£2.00
£20.00
£1.00
£10.00
50 pence
£5.00
20 pence
 
10 pence
 
5 pence
 
2 pence
 
1 pence
100pence = £1.00
  

 

Entertainment

Sightseeing

The sightseeing attractions in London are among the most famous in the world. Whether it’s the classic views of Big Ben and Parliament from Westminster Bridge, Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London or some of the more modern additions like the London Eye, there is plenty to see and do in the city.

There is a wide range of museums and galleries to visit, ranging from the classic National Portrait Gallery to the world famous Tate Gallery and the super-modern Tate Modern. If popular culture is your thing then Madame Tussaud’s is a fantastic example of waxwork sculpture.

Here are some important links to the sights of London to help you start planning your list of places the visit:

Museums throughout London
Madame Tussauds
The Tate Modern art gallery
The London Eye – The world famous Ferris Wheel
History of London
Buckingham Palace
St. Paul's Cathedral
Westminster Abbey
Houses of Parliament & Big Ben
Tower Bridge
The Tower of London
London Dungeons

Nightlife
 
London is famous for its pubs, bars and nightclubs. It is not difficult to find either a traditional English pub or a trendy bar in most areas of London. Licensing laws in the UK are fairly strict, but you will find numerous extended licences in and around Central London and, of course, the nightclubs go on into the small hours.

London has the full range of world cuisine to choose from, including what many consider to be the finest restaurants in the world. You could visit Chinatown in the West End, have pasta in Little Italy, enjoy a Mongolian barbecue or a go for a curry at one of the many Indian restaurants found on nearly every street throughout the capital. A little known fact is that Chicken Tikka Masala has now overtaken fish and chips as the nation’s favourite dish!

Whatever your musical taste, London has live performance in abundance. Whether it is the beautiful people and funky house music of Pacha or Fabric, R ‘n’ B and Hip Hop Grooves at Plan B, or the Brazilian and salsa rhythms in the capital’s Latin bars, you’re sure to have a great night out on the tiles! Don’t forget the many huge rock music festivals and concerts held at venues across the UK in the summer. Check Time Out magazine for the latest news and events in London.

London’s West End is the spiritual home of performance theatre. Dating back to the days when Shakespeare himself wrote and performed plays at The Globe, the theatre scene is still very much alive and kicking. It is very easy to find something to match your taste, whether it be a Musical, Drama, Comedy performance or something more contemporary.

London is also a beautiful city, with green parks and romantic riverbank strolls available to those who enjoy their quiet moments. It is bursting with history and part of the fun of London is discovering your own favourite little piece of history.

Try not to follow the crowds too much. It is worth getting a bit off the beaten track and areas such as Greenwich in the east of London or Richmond in the west are lovely riverside villages with a character of their own.

Sport

Sport in London is huge. You have a fantastic choice of sporting events held at the widest selection of stadiums and arenas in any one city in the world. Major events include soccer, rugby union, cricket, tennis, swimming, golf, horse and greyhound racing, athletics, hockey and many more.

During those long British winter months you will discover that the two largest sports in the UK are rugby union and soccer.

The nation’s favourite sport is soccer and is fanatically supported. London boasts two of the best teams in Europe - Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC. The Premier League is the main competition through the winter and here are the clubs in London where you can catch the action.

Tickets for soccer are expensive and availability is limited for the larger clubs, but tickets are available to buy for some teams if you search hard enough.

You will find that Rugby is cheaper and much more available.
 
Twickenham is where the England National Rugby Union side play. There are a number of international tests throughout the year as well as the 6-Nations Championship so there are plenty of opportunities to see the current World Champions meet head-to-head with the world’s best.

During the summer, Cricket is a very popular spectator sport. London has two of the sport’s most famous arenas, Lord’s and The Oval.

Middlesex and Surrey are the two county cricket sides based in London and you should find it easy to obtain tickets for matches. Also, there will be an international Test Series each year which is a fantastic day out.

If you fancy escaping London for an afternoon, Canterbury (home of Kent CCC) is just an hour away on the train and you can see first class cricket in the sleepy and relaxing surroundings of the Kent countryside. Alternatively, why not put on your summer suits, hats and dresses and head to one of the ‘society’ events – horse racing at Royal Ascot or rowing at The Henley Regatta.

Wimbledon is the most famous tennis competition in the world and is held in SW19 each June/July. Tickets for this event are extremely expensive and very hard to obtain but you can get in to see the ‘outer court’ matches each evening free of charge if you arrive after 5pm.

These are just a selection of the fantastic assortment of sporting events to watch in London. London is a year-round playground for the world’s greatest sportsmen and women and if playing rather than watching is your thing, you will find a competitive network of clubs in almost every conceivable sport in the capital. Beware, because of the crowded nature of the city, sports fields are at a premium and are invariably costly to hire.