Your Epsom Guide

Hello,

Today's post is a guide for Epsom. Epsom is located within the district borough of Epsom and Ewell (another small town, located to the North East of Epsom), which is in the county of Surrey.

Epsom High Street (west)

Epsom High Street (east)

A quick train ride of 36 minutes gets you into London (either Victoria station or Waterloo station) from the Epsom train station.

Epsom train station, Station Approach 

Along the Station Approach, you will find:

• Tescos
  
  A convenience stop for pre-made sandwiches, snacks, drinks, groceries like milk and eggs
  
• Train Station Entrance
  
  With trains southbound to Guildford, or northbound to London Victoria and London Waterloo
  
• Costa
  
  A popular coffee shop
  
• Co-Op Food
  
  A small grocery store

When you get to the accommodation, you will need to outfit your room, kitchen and bathroom. To get these items, head to the Epsom High Street where you'll find Poundland and Wilko.

Poundland , 46 High Street, KT19 8AJ

Poundland is good for:

• cutlery
• baking sheet
• refill paper
• colander
• can opener
• pasta spoons
• shampoo
• body wash
• Kleenex
• paper towel
• cleaning supplies 
• snacks
• aluminum foil
• cling wrap
• hand soap  
• garbage bags

Whatever you don't find at Poundland, you can purchase at Wilko:

Wilko, 78-80 High Street, KT19 8BA

Wilko is good for:

• pots
• pans
• dish ware
• knives
• duvet 
• pillows
• bed linens 
• cutlery 
• garment bags (don't buy the Poundland ones)
• laundry detergent 
• garbage bags 
• shampoo
• body wash
• face wash
• makeup
• toilet paper
• hand soap (a bit cheaper than Poundland)
• containers for left over food
• reusable water bottle
• chopping board
• drawer separators  
• clothes hangers
• snacks

Now that you have everything set up, you need to do some grocery shopping. I recommend Waitrose, located in the Ashley Centre. This is where I do my grocery shopping. It is close by, and it says open to 8pm (except on Sundays when it closes at 4pm).

The Ashley Centre, 54 Ashley Ave, KT18 5DB

Unlike the convenience stores, you can buy everything you need to make a meal from scratch: fresh fruit and veg here, bread, flour, herbs, etc. Keep in mind, everything sold at English grocery stores are not sold in bulk sizes, so you will be buying in small quantities (for example, small loaves of bread and half a dozen eggs).

Other notable places to do your grocery shopping is Sainsbury's. Located a 15 minute walk outside of the High Street, groceries here are cheaper than Waitrose (but sometimes not as good). However, it is open to 11pm on most days (which is a relief).




There is also the market that you can get fresh fruit and veg as well as fresh eggs.

Located beside the clock tower

You can access the market from the High Street as well as from the Ashley Centre. Its open on Thursdays and Saturdays from 9:00am to 4:00pm. On the first Sunday of the month, you can shop the farmers market, located in the same area from 9:30am to 1:30pm.

Other places to buy food (but not necessarily groceries) are Marks and Spencer's (M&S), located inside the Ashley Centre and Tescos, by the train station.

Ashley Centre, 20 Ashley Centre, KT18 5DA

Alternatively, you can order your groceries from places like ASDA (Walmart equivalent) and get it delivered as many of my flatmates do.

Also located in the mall is Boots, a drugstore where you can find cold and flu medication, makeup, skin care, hair care and hair appliances (don't bother bringing them from home).

57 High Street KT18 5DB

Okay, now for some restaurants! For a quick bite to eat, I suggest Cafe 1 and the fish and chips place by Wilko. 

122 High Street, KT19 8BJ

They have a very good selection of food, for a decent price. All day breakfast is served here. Family run.

86 High Street, KT19 8BA

Small cod fish and chips

There is also the local Weatherspoons at the Assembly Rooms pub. Where you can get a cheap meal for £5.

147-153 High Street, KT18 8EH

There is also the Cafe Rouge (96-98 High Street, KT19 8BJ) and Prezzo (5-7 High Street, KT19 8DA) for something a little more fancy. 

If I'm in a rush, or I want something to take with me on the train, I like to stop by Greggs (right beside Poundland) for a sandwhich, pastry or hot drink. 

48 High Street, KT19 8AJ

As for shopping, everything is located inside the Ashley Centre exept for the charity shops (thrift stores). Some notable stores:

WHSmith, 36 The Ashley Centre, KT18 5DB

Here you can purchase stationary items, sketchbooks and art paper, books, magazines and electronic accessories (purchase the portfolio at the school art store, its half the price!).

Other stores good for current fashion pieces are Next and New Look. There is also a specialty makeup store called Kiko Milano that just opened up recently in the mall. Although it's not big, everything you need is located in and around the High Street. 

Ashley Centre website here.

As for phone carriers, I chose to go with Giffgaff. There are many companies to choose from (O2, Three, etc.), so check out their rates and see what will suit you best. Plans are MUCH cheaper in England (even with exchange) than they are in Canada. For example, I decided to go with the £15 goody bag that Giffgaff had available. It gives me 3GB of data, unlimited texting (to UK numbers) and free texting with other Giffgaff members, and 1,000 minutes of call time. It is also pretty cheap to top-up your account for use in Europe. 

The bank you should use is the HSBC, located on the High Street (54 High Street, KT19 8DS). They were the only bank that would let me open a temporary account. Also, they work with many of the exchange student at UCA, so they know exactly what you need.

As long as we are talking about money, let me suggest to you: Transferwise. This is the program my dad used to wire me money. Instead of going through your bank where you may pay other fees and the like associated with sending money to an account abroad. My dad likes that you use whatever the current exchange rate is rather than the inflated rate is the bank uses. Furthermore, the fee for doing the transaction is less than 1%! This equates to major savings (especially when the amount transferred is $1,000). 

If there is one thing to note, everything closes at 6pm. So make sure you plan accordingly if you need to pick up anything. Class usually runs to 5pm, which leaves you an hour. Banks do not open on Sundays, and close very early on Saturdays. 

The last thing I want to mention is the Ebbisham Centre (which I think recently got changed to Epsom Square). Here you will find the local public library as well and GPs (doctors) and other businesses. 

You access it from a pathway off the High Street beside Poundland and Maplin. 

Ebbisham Centre 6-7 Derby Square, KT19 8AG

Well, I believe that's everything. Epsom is a quaint town that to me is a stereotypical English town. Small, but diverse, it's a nice place to spend the school term.

xChelsx

Dorm Life

Hello there!

In this post, I'll be sharing photos of my dorm room and kitchen area, as well as an updated list of expenses.

I am located on the top floor of my building (third floor), and I have the room across from the kitchen. It is actually super convenient for that very reason. There are seven rooms on my floor, one of which is empty.

There is a laundry room in the building (that includes 3 washing machines and 3 dryers), where you access from outside: the door to the right of the main door.

Bedroom & Ensuite 

The room has a single bed, bedside drawers, desk, chair, closet, and bookshelf

No frills bathroom. There is a medicine cabinet on the left, above the toilet.

There are plenty of outlets in the room.

There is a lot of storage in the room which is great!

There is room to have a visitor sleep on the floor, but takes some rearranging of the furniture in order to optimize the space of the room.

Kwinten: Hard at work, or hardly working?

Kwinten loves the reading material here!

Kwinten: getting ready for a night on the town.

Everything unpacked and set up!

What my room looks like after roughly 2 months o living in it:

I keep all my school things by the door (you can spot the drafting paper). The rust and yellow coloured vest is a piece from a project. The bookshelf holds my bags, more school related items, fabric and books/ magazines. The bulletin board holds a calendar and map as well as some notes. The bottom level is where I have put mu shoes.

There is usually a stack of library books on my bedside drawer. 

A croquis taped to the wall, some pattern paper and school related paper work. 

I bought a suction hook for my face cloth because there was no room on the hand towel hook. British people do not use face cloths. Also where I stash my cleaning supplies. 

Kitchen 

A shared table. No one actually eats there. Its mostly used for studying when  my flat mates have others over.

2 refrigerators and 2 freezers. Everyone gets a shelf in the fridge and a drawer in the freezer.

There is plenty of cupboard space, which is great. The vacuum, ironing board and broom are in the cupboard to the left of the bin.

There are 2 ovens and 2 electric stove tops. 

In case you are wondering (or for those who are also embarking on a similar experience) here is a in-depth list of all the items I purchased to outfit the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen

Thanks for dropping by

xChelsx

London | Days 1-5

Hello! Welcome back.

Curious as to what the first few days in London have been like for me? Just keep on reading...



-Day 1 | Arrival-

Upon arriving in London, we headed straight for the hotel. It was 1:00pm after we cleared customs and retrieved our baggage.

We arrived at the Sheraton Skyline by the Heathrow airport (Heathrow Airport, Bath Rd, Harlington, Hayes UB3 5BP, UK) where we stayed during out time in London. 

After settling in, we went to dinner at Bocca di Lupo (12 Archer St, Soho, London W1D 7BB, UK). I had the Paccheri with gurnard, tomato & basil. The portions were small, but the pasta was well cooked, and the sauce tasted good. 

A quick stop at Boots (drugstore akin to Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs) for shampoo, body wash, face wash and moisturizer and some snacks, all under £5! I have noticed that facial cremes/ moisturizers aren't really a thing here, as the one I picked up was the only one along the drugstore price range. Facial cleansers/ face wash isn't a thing either, I was seeing a lot of miceller water or other products that you apply to the face but don't wash off. 




-Day 2 | South Ealing- 

After sleeping in late, we decided not to go into London since it would be late by the time we arrived and it was also New Year's Eve, meaning the city would be busy. 

Instead, we went to a town called Ealing, a stop along the Piccadilly Line. 

We stopped at a cafe right outside of the tube station called L'amandine Cafe (London W5 4QB, United Kingdom) for breakfast. I had eggs benedict! Yum! 

After breakfast, we headed for their high street to hang out until dinner time. 

Old Fire Hall
2 St Mary's Square London W5 4QX, UK

St. Mary's Church
St Mary's Rd, London W5 5RH, UK

Some building along St. Mary's Road

While shopping on the high street, I went into Primark. I had been watching lots of Primark Haul videos on YouTube before arriving in London because everyone raved at how inexpensive everything was! I needed to check this store out and see what it was like, plus I needed to get bedding for my student housing. The inexpensive price in Primark's case means inexpensive quality (I have been told it's along the lines of Walmart by a co-worker), but for a college/ uni student it's perfect! Here is a cost breakdown if you were interested:

• Duvet- £8
• Duvet cover set (comes with duvet cover and pillow case)- £9
• for a plain duvet cover set- £8
• for a more elaborate duvet cover set- £11
• Sheets- £4 

Other home type items that Primark sells (for reference):

• Pillow case (set of 2)- £1.80
• Body towel- £3.50
• Face towels (set of 3)- £1.70
• Hand towel- £2.50

We went back to the hotel for dinner as neither one of us were hungry for dinner when the shops closed at 6. I had the pene pasta arrabiatta. The portion was quite large and it was a no-frills pasta, just what I needed. 


-Day 3 | Tower Bridge, Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral & The Royal Courts of Justice-

We hit all these locations as they were convenient to go to when traveling from point A to point B. We started by traveling to the Tower Bridge (Tower Bridge Rd, London SE1 2UP, UK) and continued until the Royal Courts of Justice. We charted a course to Buckingham Palace, but as it was New Year's Day, everywhere around Trafalgar Square was crowed, and we couldn't get around. So we switched directions and headed to Oxford Street to end the day. 

Watch my Vlog about the day here: 

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of  London

St. Paul's Cathedral 

St. Paul's Cathedral

-Day 4 | Notting Hill, Hyde Park & Buckingham Palace-

We decided to hit up another part of the city and get away from downtown London. We hopped on the tube and went to Notting Hill. My father and I both described it as a Kerrisdale type town. Upon arrival, you can tell by the architecture that it is much different. Gone are the run down brick buildings that are who-knows-how-old, replaced by a plethora of white-washed tall stone buildings with black painted metal gates.

It is definitely worth a visit and a walk along the shops on Holland Park Ave/ Bayswater Road just outside of the Notting Hill Gate station.
We stopped at the Westfeild mall to have a look around and from there we took a bus to Hyde Park.

I thought Hyde Park was going to be impressive, but it was not. Maybe it was the time of year we happened to be there... The park was pretty bare, trees were scattered around, making the park look scarce (hence no pictures). When we were there, a theme park was open called Wonderland. That area of the park was busy because of it.

After a walk through Hyde Park, we made our way to Buckingham Palace. Racing against daylight (to take photos) we walked along the very scenic street, Constitution Hill to reach the palace.

Honestly, I thought the guard's hats would've been taller.


For dinner, we walked around looking for a place to eat around Buckingham Palace. We stumbled upon Greencoat Boy (2 Greencoat Place, Victoria, London, SW1P 1PJ). I had the fish and chips (cod). The fish was HUGE! So much more fish than the ones at home! I only took me 4 days to have a British classic. The fish and chips were nice. There was a good ratio of batter to fish.



-Day 5 | Carnaby Street, Savile Row, Regent Street-

Today we decided to take it slow. We took the tube to Oxford Circus and wandered around for a place to eat breakfast. We picked this place called Frankie & Benny's (1 Argyll St, Soho, London W1F 7TB, UK). I had the waffle with fruit. 

After filling our stomachs, we walked over to Carnaby Street (as suggested by my dad's friend). It has a completely different feel from the rest of SOHO. Note the pictures below. Some of the buildings were colourful (from the '60s) in contrast to the rest of the city. 

Savile Row was interesting. A lot less exciting than what I thought it would be. The shop windows looked very impressive from the street, but the area wasn't busy. When I walked up to the Alexander McQueen, I noticed that the atelier was in the basement of the building and the shop was on ground level. They had patterns scattered on the table and an unfinished blazer on the dress form. Way cool! 

Regent Street like Oxford Street is a place for the serious shopper. If you hit these two streets, you'll hit every shop. 

Carnaby Street

Carnaby Street

Carnaby Street

Me casually standing in front of the Savile Row Alexander McQueen 

Regent Street

For dinner. we walked into Chinatown and ate at a Singaprean/ Milaysian restaurant called Rasa Sayang (5 Macclesfield St, London W1D 6AY, UK). It was pretty dang tasty. I had the char kuay teow (a dry noodle not spicy) with roti canai.

Some tid-bits:

• I have tea everyday
• Lots of American music gets played 
• I may have found some decent looking Chinese/ Asian restaurants, but I have yet to find a decent looking sushi restaurant that sells rolls for reasonable prices (the places I saw today were selling California rolls for £6.50- £11 ( ~$10.80- $18.40 CAD) RIDICULOUS!!! Guess I am spoiled coming from Vancouver) 
• Also, Pret A Manger's are everywhere! You seriously can not get away from them in the city. Every corner you turn, you will see one! They are far more common than Starbucks. 

Well, that's all for now. Check back for more updates!


x Chels x