Ins and Outs of Madison House and Where to Find THINGS
Ins, Outs, Things?
Calling all JMU London study abroaders! I am here to help you navigate the living quarters and people you will call home for fall or spring semester, or an amazing and educational summer. In addition, do not for get to check out How To London for additional London info and an online version of the recommendation list from a past JMU in London student!
Bedford Estates: A Brief History
Madison House is located amidst the Bloomsbury District, in a historical area of central London. This home residence as well as our classroom building down the street, are property owned by Bedford Estates. Bedford Estates is a historical part of central London that is the ancient property of the Russell family, who possess the peerage of the Duke of Bedford. This land has been passed on through generation since the 1600s. Originally farmland, it was later renovated into the stylish accommodations that exist today.
Bedford Estates houses a variety of modern businesses such as hotels and educational institutions today. See exactly who inhabits this land, and pinpoint its exact geographical location by checking out their website HERE.
To learn more about the history of this beautiful area keep a look out for blue plates. They highlight people of the past with buildings of the present. Learn more HERE.
Flats A-E
The flats are all run by Acorn, which is the company that JMU rents space from to be able to house students in London. Acorn is in charge of maintenance, and the physical living aspects of the housing. This includes WiFi, breakages and changes lightbulbs and the mail system.
All the flats are a bit different in structural layout, but they all have the same general amenities. Rooms are either doubles or triples, with each person receiving a bed, a side table, and a free standing closet. Closets are about two feet wide with hanging space, a shelf and a safe with a provided lock and key. Blankets, sheets, pillows and towels are provided. A kitchen is stocked with eating utensils, or all the non-edible components. A few food essentials are provided upon arrival but the weekly stipend of the JMU program is sufficient to cover the costs of food. There is also a small living room space with a few couches, a TV, normal kitchen table, and a lower living room table. A bathroom or two also exist in each flat; beware their separate faucets for hot and cold water, and removable shower heads.
A mail cabinet, small bookshelf, box of hair devices (you cannot bring yours), overflow items left behind after previous students' stays, and the office of the Programme Coordinator and the JMU Faculty Member in Residence (FMIR) are on the ground floor as well as listed numbers and information about Acorn posted on the wall. Flat irons and curling irons are provided in a large box at Madison House because the difference in UK voltage means your American hair devices will not work. I'll leave the wall art pieces that decorate the ground floor of Madison House a surprise.
Who you gunna call? Kevin & Pippy!
Kevin Chamberland is the primary guy in charge of your stay in Madison House, extensively planned group travel and acts as the Internship Coordinator for those who choose to partake in one for JMU credit. His official title is Programme Coordinator and he lives on the same street as the JMU students with his wife and puppy. If there is anything you need or anything your do not understand, he is your guy. Kevin has an extensive knowledge of London, travel and what's on or happening in London that you should take part in. And amazingly enough, Kevin also has a young, black whippet named Pippy who you will almost always see alongside him. She is very sweet and has been known to have sleep-overs and playdates with students. You will most definitely see her in Russell Square park with many four-legged friends.
Russell Square and Bloomsbury Square Gardens
Russel Square and Bloomsbury Square Gardens are two parks close to Madison House that you will definitely frequent. Look for large sign posts to read up on some history of the two squares. If there is warm weather, be sure to participate in the British-style park hangout that will undoubtably remind you of a nice day on the Quad at JMU, but with an added twist---the absence of open-carry laws. :)
Russel Square is the larger of the two, including a cafe that Moe of British Media and Society will definitely take you to on an outing. If you think it looks familiar you are probably right, as it was featured in Sherlock.
Bloomsbury Square Gardens in smaller, but cuts down your journey to either Sainsbury's the grocery or Holborn tube station.
The Underground
Holborn and Russell Square Stations
These are your two closest Tubes, and lifelines of British everyday travel. Orientation present you with Oyster Cards, or London train and bus cards operating under Transport for London (TfL), for zones 1 and 2. There will hardly ever be times that require you to leave the central locations of London, besides visiting the FMIR house in zone 3.
Holborn is much larger and is the only connecting station for the Central and Piccadilly lines. It has many large escalators and will position you right outside the larger Sainsbury's grocery store if you want to do some shopping on your way home. I was partial to this stop as it was closer to shopping and had more lines which allowed for more direct travel.
Russell Square is a smaller station and is only on the Piccadilly Line. It has a life that goes all the way to the train platform and does not have escalators. There is also an option for stairs but it takes a long time, is very swirly and wastes a lot of energy at over 100 stairs.
Tube Etiquette and Customs
Another key aspect of travel on the Underground is understanding Tube etiquette. There are a few unwritten rules everyone follows while using this transportation system.
First, everyone moves a very rapid pace. The closest American comparison is New York City-paced walking.
Second, on the escalators, you should stand on the right and walk on the left. I know this may seem obvious but it is followed very strictly in the heart of London where the Underground is the primary form of transportation. Look out for couples on the weekends, you can spot them lip-locking here in the later hours.
Third, when on a Tube platform waiting for a train, if you are simply standing you should be either along the back 1/3 of the platform, or the front 1/3 of the platform. Those looking to walk further down the platform do so in the middle.
Fourth, people do not speak loudly or interact on the train. This is an odd concept coming from a loud American culture, but during the day people tend to whisper and avoid eye contact with strangers. At night however, you can usually hear a general murmur.
Fifth, although people may seem unfriendly they are not, it is just the social culture. You will often see and maybe participate in the custom of helping strangers carry luggage or strollers up and down stairs.
Sixth, people often leave newspapers on the train behind the seats.This is a common practice because there is not another place to put papers you have finished reading since there are no trashcans in Tube stations. It is also a great sharing system and helpful when you find yourself bored on a train and did not grab a free paper where they give them out at the station entrance.
The British Museum and UCL
This awesome museum it literally in the backyard of Madison House. From the living room area of my flat (D), I could reach a Poke-Stop of a British Museum statue. The building like many museums in London contain a massive amount of art and history. I went for about four different trips and may have just covered everything. The ceiling is extremely beautiful, layered with different sized pieces of glass.
University College London is the closest college campus to Madison House. If you know anyone studying aboard in London they will probably be studying here. They have many beautiful buildings that you will tour in Media and Society.
Shopping
Check out some important stores near Madison House! Unless I say otherwise these are walkable locations.
Money Machines
There are a bunch around the intersection near Holborn station. This will be a destination you could walk to blindfolded so have not fear if you do not yet know its location.
School Supplies, Stamps and Mail
Ryman is an office supply store chain. You can find all typical school supply items as well as stamps and it also contains postal service options. The Ryman close to home, if you make a right out of Madison House, is visible if you take the next left. There is also a drop box for mail on the same street.
Grocery Stores and Pharmacies
There are three primary grocery stores near Madison House which include Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Tesco.
Sainsbury's near us is a medium sized store right outside the Holborn Tube station across the street. This is the store we went to most often and is the nearest and dearest to my heart. It is a very good size and has normal quality food and the Indian frozen dishes are like nothing else. There is a second smaller Sainsbury's a little bit closer to Madison House but I would still go to the one nearest to Holborn.
Waitrose is a road off of Russel Square, in the Brunswick plaza, and is the size of a typical grocery store, by far the biggest one close to home. This store has the highest quality items but also the most expensive prices. It is a good place to go for items you cannot seem to find anywhere else, but not for easy essentials because they are more expensive.
There is a very small Tesco across the street from the Russell Square station but it is not the best option because it does not have much. I believe it is similar to Sainsbury's in quality in other locations but this one is not my favorite.
There are generally two sizes of grocery stores in the center of London. Metro is the medium sized store, and Express is the smallest size. These names are written on the sign below the main name of a grocery but it is also often obvious from the exteriors of the stores.
Boots and Superdrug are two pharmacies in the area. An important fact to note is that grocery stores in central London do not have much in the toiletry department. It took me a while to figure out that they do in fact sell more than two brands of shampoo, but you have to look further than one central superstore.
Boots is your best friend and they have them all over the place. The closest Boots to Madison House is right next to the Sainsbury's across from Holborn station. The closest Superdrug is off of High Holborn Street also right near Holborn station.
Clothing
A few of my favorite stores in London include Primark, New Look, Pull and Bear and Office.
Primark has two London locations, one on Oxford Street that is a bit farther away, and one near Tottenham Court Road Tube station which is the less crowded and walkable option. Primark is by far my favorite London store because the prices are cheap and you can still find quality items. It is a craze both foreigners and Europeans take part in.
New Look is another chain clothing store. It is smaller that Primark but still has a good selection as well as great accessories. There is one in the Brunswick Center as well as along High Holborn Street near the Holborn Underground station in regard to those in walking distance. There are a few along Oxford Street and there tend to be many of these stores throughout London.
Pull and Bear is a novel store I actually discovered first in Amsterdam. I enjoyed it so much that I googled it at the time to see if a location existed in London because I definitely could not fit any new items in my suitcase while on my current trip. It is a higher quality clothing store with prices that are a bit higher but not extremely expensive.
Office is a shoe store that is also a frequent pop-up. There is an Office in Brunswick Center and they can also be found along Oxford Street. This store is also great because they sometimes offer student discounts!
Phones
For this program, the 3 Store becomes of primary necessity. This phone plan provider is the method JMU recommends for travel phone plans. There is a 3 Store in the Brunswick Center as well as on very far down High Holborn Street in walking distance. There are also several along Oxford Street and throughout the city you can definitely find one if you plan in advance.
Professors
In addition to the faculty member in residence (FMIR) which changes each semester, JMU hires professors from abroad to teach us abroad. Here is a list of the professors who taught for JMU in London Fall 2016! Click their names for resources to learn a little bit about their backgrounds.
Moe Dodson: British Media and Society
Sheila Fox: London Theatre
Jay Hicks: Culture by Design
Kevin Chamberland: Internship Coordinator
Tancred Bradshaw: British Media and Politics
Steve Lally: Film Adaptations-British Literature and Film
Rachel Barnes: Art History
Caroline Dover: Communication, Diversity and Popular Culture (page 278)
Judith Dobbs: Europe in the 20th Century
Cathryn Molloy: Travel Writing, FMIR for Fall 2016 semester
