Student Newsletter
Date: Friday 27th November 2009 Issue No: 8
Dear Students
It’s a dark time of year to in England. Now that the clocks have changed you may be keen to get be indoors after 4.30pm! But do not be put off by England’s shorter days. We’ve got lots for you to do over the coming weeks.
Student Events Coming Up
Victorian Festival of Christmas
Saturday 28th November
HM Naval Base, Victory Gate
10am-6pm
Admission: £12.50
Experience the run up to Christmas just as the English Victorian’s would have done!
This event takes place at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. As it’s the 10th anniversary there are plans for even more snow than usual, as well as all the usual character and the largest Christmas market on the South coast.
There will be a Victorian Father of Christmas (complete in traditional green dress!), a snow covered Victorian Street, Nativity Farm, Punch & Judy shows, Parlour Games, Victorian School Room, Carol singing, Fagin’s Tavern, Lantern Parade, a Ride on Railway, Victorian Fairground and other great Christmas entertainment.
Browse a range of unique gifts, art, crafts and festive food and drink. It’s a way to bring home some special Christmas gifts from the UK.
Film: 2012
Friday 4th December
Students £5.85
Time: tbc
The world’s going to end on 21 December 2012. There’s nowhere to escape, as the world literally falls apart underneath you. What do you do? Well if you’re John Cusack, who plays a divorced father of two, Jackson Curtis, and marginally successful novelist, you follow your instincts to keep a fraction ahead of certain death. This film will have you on the edge of your seats. The special effects are awesome. If you liked The Day After Tomorrow, also directed by Roland Emmerich, you’ll love this film, co-scripted with Harald Kloser. Also stars Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton and Oliver Platt.
Trip to London
David, from Barcelona, Spain enjoyed the Saturday trip to London. Students and teachers travelled together, using a one day pass. For £16.50 this allows the traveller to use the underground and bus services all day. David thought the connections were very good, and he enjoyed the word games that the group played on the train – in fact he says that he learnt quite a lot of words that day!
The group visited Notting Hill, and the famous Portobello market, which David considered was very nice. He was particularly pleased with the visit to the British Museum – which is free to visit. All in all, because London is so big, he wished he had had more time!
Football
Tuesday
Sign up in reception for the next football session. Can you Bend it Like Beckham? Show us what you’re made of!
Ice Skating
Ryde, Isle of Wight
Saturday 12th December
10:30am-12:30
Cost: £13.50 – includes travel and ice skating
After a 10 minute trip across the Solent on a hovercraft, try your skills at ice-skating. After the ice-skating session there will be the option to watch the Wizard of Oz on ice, or visit the seaside resort of Ryde, which is much like a smaller Brighton. Built on a hill, Ryde offers seaside entertainments, tourist and gift shops, and is home to the naturally active skincare company, Liz Earle (you may have seen the products on QVC), which has an outlet in Union Street.
Coming Up ….
Panto
Aladdin
Wednesday 16th December
London Trip
Text from Student Here
Restaurant Review
Tuareg
Rajab recommends this Tunisian restaurant in Elm Grove. He says that the food is fresh, there’s a plasma tv and a pool table as well as shisha pipes. Typical food you can expect to eat is kapssa, which he explains, is rice with meat (e.g. chicken) and sauce.
How to make your student budget stretch further
Where to Eat Lunch:
This week we will look at how to save money when buying lunch.
After a morning of studying, you are likely to be very hungry. But don’t worry, there are plenty of places to eat near Spinnaker College which have delicious and healthy food, for great prices! Rendez-Vous – your own student café (just opposite reception) - has a diverse menu, including options for different dietary requirements. You can choose from a variety of hot snacks and meals such as a toasted tuna baguette for only £1.20, lasagne for £2 or a jacket potato for just £1.50. You can also choose your own combination of fillings. Enjoy a freshly brewed coffee for only 80p.
Alternatively, right next door to Spinnaker College is the sandwich bar, Olive, where they also do fresh baguettes and ‘toasties’, with a huge range of fillings to choose from such as chicken mayo, prawn cocktail, ham and cheese, cheese and onion, and many more. Prices start from £1.30. Round the corner you can find some pubs popular with students. These do good value meals for around a fiver. Or check out places like Pizza Hut in Commercial Road, where you can have two courses and a drink for just £4 between 2-6pm.
The most important thing to do when buying your lunch is to find a quality bargain; some places are considerably more expensive and are not necessarily better! As the English saying goes, ‘it pays to shop around’.
‘What’s on? 28th November - 11th December 2009
Premiership Football at Fratton Park
A great chance to see some of the best footballers in the world in action!
Portsmouth vs. Burnley
Sat 5th December 2009
Kick off 12.45pm
Fratton Park
Contact Ticket Office on 0844 847 1898 for
ticket availability and prices- from £20
Calvin Harris DJ Set
Sample the best of Portsmouth’s nightlife as one of the world’s most popular DJ’s plays in Liquid/Envy.
Sun 29th November 2009
£6 Student Ticket (liable to change)
Tickets will sell out so you must book in advance at
www.tick.it/liquid/portsmouth as soon as possible!
Charles Dickens Christmas Walk
A guided walk led by Portsmouth Guiding Service
around the area where Charles Dickens lived and worked.
Visitor Information Centre (near Portsmouth Dockyard)
Sun 6th December 2009
Adult £3
We’d love to hear from you. Did you find a great place to eat? Read a good book? Why not share the tip with your fellow students. Just tell your teacher and our roving reporter will interview you for the next newsletter.
"My host family was very welcoming and I celebrated Christmas and the New Year with them. It was my first experience of an English Christmas and I loved it. Also they have been really helpful with me and they are always willing to do me some favours. "
