So I’ve been given a list of 9 different things to do around Stoke to give you my opinion. They’re kinda rubbish, with some ‘I want to do that this year’ bits thrown in. Before I start, I love Stoke so much because everything is convenient, you can walk from the uni into town or catch a bus and everything is readily available and I cannot wait to move back in September! LET’S GET DOWN TO THE LIST!
1.BEST PLACE TO GET HAIRCUTS:
I honestly don’t know with this one. I’m still a bit of a child with haircuts and still like going with my mum (I’m not a huge fan of hairdressers). So I haven’t actually experienced any in Stoke yet. Although we did get back to the flat one evening to see a hair salon that were advertising with a picture of Robert Pattinson, and probably a host of other pictures from google, so that one ?!
2. BEST NIGHTS OUT:
I’m starting to feel this list is not going to end well for me! I am not the biggest fan of going out, so I experienced very few nights out! BUT I had a few nights out with the OMG team at the LRV and Verve and they were actually really fun. One night overran with Refresh and although that got a little crazy it was fun to experience that evening. There’s loads to do on campus during the evenings, like Gobble on Wednesdays and Refresh on Fridays, with things like Karaoke scattered throughout the week. There is always plenty to do on campus but lots more in Stoke if that is what you like doing!
3. BEST OUTDOOR ADVENTURES:
I really enjoyed just going out and walking around Stoke and exploring new places! My favourite place to wander around is Hanley Park, a lot of it is quite run down and under construction but it is still gorgeous. It’s very much a city park so it is huge and there are loads of hidden gems to be found over the 63 acres (I’m a huge nerd, I know!). I discovered it properly whilst being sent out on a radio assignment, resulting in Jas and I finding a waterfall:
AND Alex and I having a run in with the locals:
https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-braybrook/a-walk-in-the-park
4. BEST INDOOR ACTIVITIES:
I AM TOO BORING TO BE WRITING THIS BLOG!!! There’s not really a lot that I have found in my first year at Staffs. I don’t really like shopping but the intuPotteries is a nice place to hang out and grab a coffee. I also love the uni library and the Ember Lounge which is also on site! However I can normally be found residing on the sofas in squeeze box with a cinnamon bun latte and Jas. This year I am planning on doing a lot more of the museums in Stoke, so I will let you know how those are in the future! Adding to this I have found an adorable cafe in Stoke called TSP. that I cannot wait to try this year as their cakes look AMAZING!!!
5. CHEAPEST PLACE WITH FRIENDS:
As spoken about in the previous section, I love to hang out in Ember. It’s a student run bar (I think) which is open all day. It is really cheap to buy food, which is also really good, and I seemed to find myself hanging out in there with my friends nearly everyday! Ember also shows the big football games as well as hosting evenings like Karaoke night!
6. BEST PLACES TO GO FOOD SHOPPING:
We’re really lucky on the Stoke campus to be so close to the city centre, there is an Asda about a 10 minute walk from us that I tend to go to because it’s closest and cheapest and has an Aldi (I believe), right near it so you can get completely sorted quite cheaply! There’s also a huge Sainsbury’s and a huge Tesco’s within a 40 minute walk from campus, which has everything you could ever need. I find the Asda to be quite rubbish with quorn products as it’s a very small store so having the Sainsburys about 20 minutes away means I can just go stock up on that when I need it! I highly suggest investing in a granny trolley if you intend to walk as taxi’s can get quite costly. Mine has come in super handy for lugging shopping back to the flat, instead of trying to carry it all!
7. BEST PLACES TO CLOTHES SHOP:
I haven’t really tended to go clothes shopping at uni, mainly because I prefer to online shop (it’s so much easier) but with the city centre just a walking distance away, intuPotteries is my go-to if I just need to grab something. It has a HUGE Primark in there, that I could get lost in, along with a host of other clothes shops. It’s one downside is that there is not a H&M (purely because their tights are the best), but it has pretty much everything else in there!
8. BEST PLACE/ THINGS TO DO NORMALLY:
What I love about Staffs is that there is always something going on on campus. There are a host of societies and clubs to join that can be really fun to try something new. There is never a boring day on campus!
9. SOMEWHERE TO TAKE THE FAMILY WHEN THEY VISIT:
I’ve got quite an outdoorsy family, so I cannot wait to show them Hanley Park and all the little things that I have found. It really depends on if your family can visit (which sadly mine can’t because I am so far away) but my best advice is to go out exploring, find something you love and show your family that area of the city when they come to see you!
I hope my 9 little tips have been somewhat helpful (I am very sorry for how lame I am!)
Rebecca
xxx
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