Newsletter - April 2005
Hostel News
Hostelworld.com Hosteller's Party! Every Wednesday
THE BIGGEST WILDEST PARTY just for hostellers is going to be held at Belushi's London Bridge every Wednesday from 8pm to 2am. A fun night with massive of give-aways, prizes to be won and drinks starting from £1!
Kabul Hostel in Barcelona; the place to be for exciting hostel adventures.
Out of all the places I have visited, I have never experienced a street culture quite like it. You walk down the street and you are immediately wrapped up in it all. Street performers attract crowds, while the lonely musicians console the old buildings with their alluring sounds. But the best way to experience Barcelona, is at the Kabul hostel. On passing through I noticed this hostel acts as the major hub for hip travellers wanting a taste of Catalan passion. And there is no better location to experience this famous city than from the famous Plaza Real. Just recently, I arranged to meet a friend for a quiet drink to start the evening. It just so happened that that night was Halloween. We had no expectations of a fiesta in Kabul, which made the encounter even more amazing. The place was hoppin’ with guys and gals dressed up in costumes. I felt out of place in street clothes, but the staff promptly wrapped me up in a toga & twisted twigs around my head. I was sucked into the whirlpool of it all and the evenings debauchery led us all into games, dancing on tables and memorable times that will land as one of the best All Hollows Eve’s I ever had.
The Heathrow Syndrome !!!
Having a discussion between staff members of St-Christopher’s Inns, we ended up stating that a good half of long term travellers are struck by the Heathrow Syndrome: they gain so much weight that they need a complete new set of clothes. Most of those coming to the UK for a working holiday experience are affected within 3 months of their arrival!
Coach Tours
One great option to travel around Europe is to join a coach tour. Their two main characteristics are that these tours are usually cheap (cheaper than local coaches or trains, loads of goodies), and are filled by like-minded independent travellers (which one may like or dislike…).
Deepdale Backpackers: Backpackers Hostel, Campsite and Tipis
Looking for something a little different to do while travelling? Why not try the beautiful north Norfolk coast, an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ less than 2 hours from London.
Deepdale Backpackers is converted 16th Century chalk and flint barns centred around a BBQ courtyard. Fully equipped kitchen, sitting room with woodburner and underfloor heating throughout the hostel. The hostel offers private and dorm rooms and there is camping for small campervans and tents. For something completely different try a Tipi (Teepee or Wigwams to some), they sleep 6 and have a wood burner, faux fur mattresses and a BBQ outside. The whole site is environmentally friendly...
To go or not to go to the Moulin Rouge in Paris
Natalie has been to the Moulin Rouge in Paris, and here is her detailed review of the most famous Cabaret. Congratulations, Natalie, you’ve won free accommodation in any St-Christophers’s Inns.
The home of the cabaret Moulin Rouge is in the heart of Paris' red light district. It isn't clear which came first but look above the shady shop fronts and billowing nets from the lap dancing clubs and you can't miss the eighteenth century windmill protruding into the skyline. Don’t get too excited though, it‘s nowhere near as huge or as glamorous as the film would let you believe. On the plus side there’s no sign of any cardboard cut out Nicole Kidman.
Bar News
St George's Day - Celebrate with a Pint or 2!
April 23rd is St George's Day - the patron Saint of England. Still not a national holiday like the other home countrys but still a good excuse to party. So as always we will be celebrating it large at all our venues. With fantastic food & drink promotions, music and lots more! So be sure to pop into any of our Rub-a-Dubs for a couple of Britney Spears. Diamond!
American Sports this April
We’ve got a lot of great action coming your way this month on NASN. We’ve got some great baseball rivalries with the Giants and Dodgers and Angels and A’s squaring off, not to mention the greatest grudge match of them all as the Red Sox host the Yankees. And look for some exciting LIVE Arena Football League action this weekend. NASN is your place for great North American Sports action. Check it at each of our venues. Check in-house for full details or visit http://www.nasn.com
Check WebCam
Feeling lonely back home while your friends are travelling around Europe? Get them to run to Belushi’s bar in Shepherd’s Bush, London, just below the St-Christopher’s Inn hostel, where we have a put a web cam! Log onto Belushis.com and watch them live having the time of their life! Plus get a list of all our offers and promotions!
Events Diary
London
London Marathon London, April 17th
The London Marathon is more than just a sporting event; it is the longest street party in the world. Roads along the route come alive to the sounds of bands, cheering crowds, pub entertainment and, of course, 30,000 pairs of feet hitting the tarmac of the 26.2-mile course. Internationally, the London Marathon is seen as the biggest and best of the big city marathons. The race kicks off at Greenwich Park and Blackheath, continues through Surrey Quays, Brunel Rd, Tooley St, Canary Wharf, the Tower of London, Embankment, Parliament Square and Birdcage Walk, then comes to a rousing finish on The Mall by Buckingham Palace. Need a place to crash after the marathon, why not try St. Christopher’s Greenwich near the starting point or any one of St. Christopher’s three hostels on the South Bank
Shakespeare's Birthday Celebrations at The Globe London, South Bank 23rd Apr
Following on from the success of last year's event, Shakespeare's Globe once again throws open its doors to the public on Saturday 23 April in celebration of Shakespeare's birthday. The event is free and open to all, with activities suitable for the whole family. Finish up your day by toasting a pint or two to the Bard at our own St. Christopher’s Inn on Borough High St.
International Guitar Festival London, South Bank April 30th-may 2nd
London's South Bank Centre and the International Guitar Foundation celebrate six-string wizardry from around the globe at this festival of the guitar. After a hard day strumming the guitar, head down to Belushi’s on Borough high street for one of their two weekly karaoke nights (Mondays and Wednesdays).
The Greenwich Arts and Crafts Marktet
The Greenwich Arts and Crafts Market is one of London's best sources for handcrafted items. Several cutting-edge jewellery designers choose to sell from the Undercover Market (along with more than 120 other stall owners), while the antiques market on a Thursday features items pre-1960 and is always worth a nose around. Welcome to bargain-finding territory. A larger, more sprawling market with plenty of second-hand clothes and assorted bric-a-brac sprouts up all over Greenwich Village on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If your shopping has built up an appetite, pop into St. Christopher’s Greenwich for a relaxing meal on their patio.
Edinburgh
TripTych Festival Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen 27 April - 1 May 2005
An enviable mix of gigs and DJ sets in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen makes up Scotland's TripTych Festival, which has been running since 2001. Headliners in 2005 include Herbie Hancock playing at Edinburgh's Usher Hall on 1 May and Karlheinz Stockhausen making his first-ever Scottish visit for concerts at Glasgow's Tramway (27 April) and Edinburgh's Queen's Hall (30 April), performing in complete darkness. This festival intermixes informative workshops, industry lecturers, and multi media film instillations. Enjoy a pre-show pint at Belushi’s in Edinburgh or catch our weekly in house bands prior to a TripTych event.
Newquay
Eden Project St. Austell, 20 Miles from Newquay
Still not summer in your town or want to hold onto winter just a little longer? Well, head to the place where it’s always summer, and spring, and fall and winter, the Eden project near Newquay. The Eden Project opened in March 2001, replacing a disused clay pit with a 45-acre "global garden" and the world's largest geodesic domes. The aim of this Millennium Commission-sponsored Charitable Trust is to improve relations between "plants, people and resources, leading towards a sustainable future for all". Once you’ve seen all the seasons relax at Belushi’s Newquay in a hot tub overlooking the seaside.
That's another rap!
Hope to see you very soon! In the meantime you can see us on the BUSHCAM!
Thank you for reading.
The Live Your Life Team
Quote
“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894) Scottish author, poet, essayist, critic Travels with a Donkey.
