Alternative Freshers Guide to London

Feeling sick of SOAS already? Is the weather today suspiciously nice? Want something a little different from the SOAS Freshers’ schedule? The SOAS Sprit team takes you on a little tour of London.

In an attempt to improve the state of my soul and inner being, I’ve made it a purposeful mission to witness as much beauty as possible. And what better place than London? If you want to experience something new and awesome every day, London is the place. I’ve committed myself to finding and going to as many events as I can, and to that I use TIME Out’s guide to London, and the app for free and cheap events- Frugl. This has led me to the Sunday evening free classical music performances at Conway Hall which I attend religiously. I met an elderly man there who used to arrange the concerts, and he swears Conway Hall has the best acoustics in all of London. I also scour the event lists for places such as South Bank Centre to find plays and concerts I can attend cheaply as a student. And then there’s the free museums. The Tate Modern reawakens my appreciation for humanity every time I go, and when I have some spare cash I try and attend exhibitions that catch my eye. Make an effort to take advantage of this sprawling and overwhelming city – it has much to offer in the way of music and art! – Ella Linskens

Although the continuous rat race of living in London can have its own charm, sometimes you need a few quiet moments away from it all to unwind. And if your own room or the library won’t suffice, then consider a trip to the Counter in Hackney Wick. Situated on Fish Island, this independent café and coffee roastery is set inside the Stour Space Art Gallery, so there’s plenty to look at when you enter, or even whilst you wait for your food to arrive. Try and go there on a sunny day if possible, so you can sit outside on the floating pontoon. The café is situated on a canal, with a view of the Olympic Stadium, which might not be the most picturesque setting, but it’s certainly relaxing to just watch the birds and boats glide past. If you don’t fancy that, or if the sun is too shy to come out, then there are two floors of indoor seating too. The food is simple, but homemade and tasty. The eggs in particular have that orange yolk that can be elusive these days, and the relish goes well with just about everything. It’s best to get there early to avoid the inevitable queues, but in any case, don’t visit without plenty of time in hand. The food can take a while to arrive and there’s no rushing it, so sit back and enjoy the wait. It’ll be worth it. – Nikheel Gorolay

Sometimes the most beautiful things come after a long walk on a hard day, and that’s the way I arrived at most of my favourite spots in London. Truth be told, writing about them here is nothing new, but last year it took me quite a while to find one of London’s best walking paths so close to the doorstep of Dinwiddy. Walk five minutes down the road and you’ll come to Regent’s Canal, best explored on brisk-weathered weekdays when you should probably be in class. Take a stroll past the house-boats and over the wooden walkways into Camden, from where you can either continue to Primrose Hill on the canal or walk through Camden to Hampstead Heath. Make sure to stop for a coffee and a slice of cake at Inspiral, a vegan cafe hanging over Camden lock that somehow manages to avoid total pretention. Take snacks to Primrose Hill and watch the sun set over the city, or take a tour of Hampstead Heath where it’s preferable to get lost in the inner-city wilderness before slowly finding your way to Parliament Hill, if you’re keen on catching the sunset there too. In the depths of the Heath, some perfectly quiet spots can be found, where you can read without interruption: the perfect self-care. Lastly, I can’t sign off without bigging up my new neighbourhood: make the short trek up the Piccadilly Line to Manor House, where you can savour all kinds of Turkish (and Kurdish) delights. On your way down Green Lanes to Taksim restaurant, pick up some honey and sesame covered cashews from the nut store and pomegranates from a grocery store. Oh, and if you’re not vegetarian: my favourite choice at Taksim so far is the lahmacun gozleme. – Mel Plant

You will quickly discover that London is a place of many worlds, one that will never quite make sense. One of these worlds is occupied by Pret A Manger, Costa and Starbucks on every corner and will have you believe that you can’t consume a latte without comprising every moral fibre in your body. Do not fear though, there are plenty of lovely independent cafes out there that pay tax and don’t regularly destroy the environment. My favourite is Kahaila, on Brick Lane in Shoreditch. Kahaila is a charity, so any profit they make goes directly to local community projects and other charitable causes.  They also work with Luminary Bakery, a social enterprise which trains vulnerable women in bakery skills and offers them work experience and paid employment in their bakery; aiming to break cycles of abuse, prostitution, criminal activity and poverty. You can enjoy enjoy your coffee and sandwiches in the full knowledge that they’re not only delicious, but ethical. I would highly recommend the incredible red velvet cake, they are not ungenerous with their slices. For something a bit closer to uni and Dinwiddy, check out Fairly Square in Holborn, allegedly London’s first fully Fairtrade cafe. It’s a bar at night, and the vodka is made from quinoa folks. Of course, don’t forget to get your coffee from the SOAS Student Union shops in Vernon Square and Russell Square too; it’s all Fairtrade and the money goes back into the SU to support student activities. Plus, it’s 20p cheaper if you bring your own mug, can’t say fairer than that. – Caitlin Shewell Cooper

Through the garden of the Gallery Cafe (Bethnal Green) you will find a space to explore, experience and experiment with the performance of the arts in poetry and prose. Mouths Wide Shut, a monthly open mic night, welcomes anyone and everyone to appreciate and perform poetry in a fully accessible and fully inclusive space open to every poet from all walks of life – old and new – who are looking for a small and welcoming community. Whether you are one who appreciates or one who performs, expect riffing by candlelight in a centuries-old Chapel on the last Saturday of every month. Admission is £4 on the door, most of which goes to the feature act (Jason Pilley on 26th September) as the Mouths Wide Shut committee believe all artists should be paid for their work. Before entering the Chapel lit by candle light, feel free to buy yourself one of the delicious vegan or vegetarian dishes offered by The Gallery Cafe. Be sure to grab yourself a drink too! To book your open mic slot in advance (advisable): mouthswideshut@gmail.com – Atika Dawood

I’m a sucker for a good bookshop and Housmans is one of my absolute favourites. A self-described ‘radical bookshop’, it’s a must-visit for any SOAS student. Their online booklist categories range from Anarchism to New Atheism to Gender Politics. Whatever your chosen radical cause; there’s something here for you. Aside from spending hours roaming through their incredibly packed shelves, you can also attend their regular evening events. If you’re getting tired of the usual Freshers events, drop by at 7pm on Thursday 24th to see Mike Gonzelez speak on his latest book: ‘The Last Drop: The Politics of Water’. And if you’re living in Dinwiddy House, Housmans is ideally located just around the corner on Caledonian Road –and they even do a 10% discount for anyone with a student or trade union card. – Florence Goddard