Arcadia Ireland

Our students are settling into their new homes and getting stuck into their classes. But just because orientation is over, that doesn’t mean we have stopped offering our students all sorts of extra-curricular activities.

Kensington Palace

This free trip to Kensington Palace was orientation’s final hurrah. All of our students had arrived, safely navigating the polar vortex, and all had been sent off to their respective residences. This was our chance to bring everybody back together, and to thank them for such a great few weeks.

Our students had a fantastic time which made the whole event even more worthwhile.

‘I thought it was incredible. It was really cool to learn about the way that English royals have lived throughout history and up to today. The exhibits were visually stunning as well as informative.’ – Brianna Kimble

‘I thought the Palace was wonderful and I really enjoyed the opportunity to go through Arcadia! It’s amazing to learn Great Britain’s history and culture.’ – Liana Wool

‘Amazing! I loved it so much. The Victoria and Albert room made me cry. Really great day altogether.’ – Heather Quirk

‘It was absolutely fascinating. There’s so much history and it felt completely surreal to be able to walk the same halls as generations of monarchs!’ – Ruby Zenteno

Housing Events

Our RLA’s have been busy too, organizing fun for their students within housing. Philip took the Palace Court residents along to Portobello Road market. Famed for its role in Notting Hill, the road is a delight to stroll down and the market simply adds to its charm. It was a great afternoon for all the students that attended.

Lisa took her Bedford Place residents along to Trafalgar Square to join in the festivities celebrating the Chinese New Year.

Shelley DeHekker, who attended the event, summed it up perfectly:

‘The energy of the day was infectious and it was an undeniably cool cultural event to experience. London's Chinatown is a place proud of their culture, and welcoming to those interested in taking part in the festivities. I can't wait to delve further into this city's ethnic communities and discover more events expressive of its cultural diversity.’

Read more of Shelley's thoughts.

Theatreland Tour

Last week also saw the first of our series of free faculty led tours. These are free events that any of our students can attend. The theatreland tour was led by Matt Wolf, an academic and theater Critic who has written for the Guardian national newspaper, the International Herald Tribune and Variety amongst other publications.

With Matt’s insiders outlook, the students were taken on an informative walk through the West End. Perfect for anybody with a passion for theater.

This series continues with our photography themed tour taking place next week.

Life in London will continue to be busy. We shall keep everybody updated with everything that is going on.