Being awake and sober at 1 am is not something students know well, but that’s exactly what we had to do to get to London in time to fit in all the activities we had planned. After a horrendous 7 hour journey, we finally arrived in the capital and headed straight to breakfast at the Breakfast Club.
Although Emilio Estevez was nowhere to be seen, the cafe was fantastic. To be perfectly honest, the food was nothing special, just what you’d expect from a breakfast place, but the service and atmosphere really made this place stand out. It was decorated with magazine clippings, polaroids and old tickets which I loved but also fitted with the fact that 80% of the people there had beards and probably described themselves as a “concept artists”, otherwise known as my friend Sara’s perfect man. She was in indie heaven.
After breakfast we moved on to Oxford Street to do what media students do best, shop whilst secretly looking for celebrities. Because most of the girls had never been to London before, they had very high celebrity expectations which were quickly crushed when they realised just how many people actually lived in London, so we just stuck to the shopping part. We failed in the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street so moved swiftly on to Shoreditch where we could explore the vintage shops in peace. Another indie haven for Sara.
After a break in Starbucks to recharge, we headed to the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland for some festive fun. It was the biggest (and most expensive) Christmas market I’ve ever seen. It was perfect for us though as the purpose of our trip was to get in the festive spirit. We gave the ice skating a miss and instead had a drink in the spinning carousel bar. I can safely tell you that any alcohol serving establishment should not spin. Repeat, should NOT spin. That was definitely a novelty idea that wasn’t thought all the way through. I feel sorry for the clean up team. 
There was just enough time for the London newcomers to experience Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square before heading back to the coach station for another excruciating bus journey, taking us back to Newcastle for 5am the next day.
Despite the early start, late night and hours sitting on a bus, the day was definitely worth it. The return journey was only £10, we easily fitted in everything we wanted to do in London town and all really got into the Christmas spirit, but most importantly, Sara was in indie heaven. We’re definitely going to take advantage of more of the great cities that Britain has to offer.
Katie x
