Room available to rent at the University of Kent Medway campus

If you’re coming through clearing to join us at CfJ this year and haven’t yet sorted out where you’re living, you might be interested in looking at the super-fantastic space we’ve still got for our house!

Three (soon-to-be) second year students are looking for another journalism student to join us in our house next year after the initial plan fell through, so we're asking any new students starting next year, whether undergrads or MA's, if they'd like to join us and we’d even go so far to say the deal is better than Quays!

· Rent is just £89 a week – that’s over £30 cheaper for a room of the same size.

· This includes all bills, internet and, unlike in halls, a TV licence and our internet is wireless!

· Unlike in halls our bathroom comes with a bath as well as shower, we’ve got a living and dining area and a garden.

· All of the rooms come with their own locks and everything’s fully furnished.

· We’ve also got enough pots and pans to sink a small ship, so there’s no need to splash out on your own kitchen equipment – as long as you wash up after yourself we’re happy to share!

· We’re also closer to university (so you get to spend longer in bed), closer to town for shopping and nights out and a mere two minutes away from a Chinese and Fish and Chip shop!

The house also comes with the added plus of being able to meet the housemates before you decide whether or not to move in and we’re happy to meet you first, have a chat on the phone or give you a look round – whatever really!

Just for the record you'd be living with three other journos; two girls and one boy. Our names are Jem Collins, Lydia Hamilton & Kieran Watkins if you want to Facebook stalk us first.

If you're interested or want some more information feel free to drop us an email at jemcollins@live.co.uk or kdjwatkins@yahoo.co.uk

Or you can comment and ask questions at the bottom of this blog post!

Also free to do viewings Sept 5th!

The Spain Diaries: No.1 - the BA experience

Recently, the jourknow went on his second holiday this year to the sunny Costa Del Sol region of Spain, and following my previous diary format from my New Zealand adventures, I’ll be giving you a weekly insight into just a few of the sights and smells from my holiday in the sun.

Now it’s always been said that as soon as you set foot in the airport awaiting your departure, your holiday begins. The duty free, the flying, the screaming baby sitting next to you - these are all experiences which kick off the start of your summers break, and my journey to Spain was no different.

Well, it was a little different. You see, it was actually quite nice for a change. Always being one to sniff out a bargain, I was lucky to book a flight out with British Airways from London Gatwick to Malaga for only £50. Having never flown with the national airline, I was quite looking forward to the experience, and was surprised that when I tweeted BA, they were kind enough to tweet me back, telling me they were looking forward to me travelling with them.

On arrival at the airport, the BA check-in was a dream. All you had to do was key in a few details into one of the self-service check-in desks, print off your boarding pass and hand over your luggage. With BA, you’re allowed 23kg of luggage (3kg more than most other airlines), along with a piece of hand luggage and an option laptop bag. Pretty good if you’re planning on taking a lot with you on holiday.

Thinking that I was going to spending ages in the queue, I was pleasantly surprised to find I had enough time to truly experience the joys of duty free. A lovely meal in Café Rouge followed by a quick spray of all the perfumes quickly passed the time, and before long I was sat comfortably my window seat, waiting for the plane to take off.

The BA experience on board was fantastic. The free drinks and light meal all come included with the ticket, so it was great to save some money rather then spend it on highly inflated prices you usually pay for on your low-budget airlines. The service was great too, with cabin crew very friendly, ensuring the flight was comfortable for all passengers on board.

It was refreshing to relax, unwind and enjoy the start of my holiday before my holiday really began, and I was really happy with the service provided by British Airways. Many people might think they’re expensive as a chartered airline, but surprisingly, their service was far cheaper then any no-frills airline.

And it certainly kicked off a holiday that was full of sun, swimming and lots of San Miguel!

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

The New Zealand Diaries: No.6 - Christmas down under

If I was to pick one thing that I missed whilst in New Zealand, it would not be my family. It would not be my friends, nor my life at university. I mean, of course I missed these things, but if I was to name one thing that I really missed, it would have to be the spirit and the festivities of a Christmas in the UK.

In New Zealand, it is hard to make comparisons between there Christmas celebrations and ours back home. Yes they still celebrate it with presents, a few decorations and the annual Boxing Day sales, but that is it. Christmas in New Zealand is very plain otherwise, and I found myself pining for the traditions of the UK.

The first obvious difference was the weather. Never have I experienced a Christmas where the weather is 30c. It is the most bizarre thing, opening presents with all the windows open - forget chestnuts roasting on an open fire. It was so tiring opening presents, that we did not even open them till the afternoon, about the only traditional thing we did do that day.

My celebrations started off with a lie in, rudely interrupted by the prospect of a trek through the New Zealand bush. Sounds fun right? Well, it was I guess. We spent three hours exploring remote rainforest and rapids, clearing our path through the woodland, stopping off now and then when we found an oasis of natural spring water. Half way through, we found ourselves splashing about in white-water rapids, helplessly clinging on to rocks as we cooled off from the tiring trek. Not your usual Christmas morning!

Returning home, it was all systems go as the bird was stuffed - I point black refused having a BBQ, let the English boy have some tradition - and the veg was prepared. I guess Turkey is quite popular in New Zealand, it certainly took us a while to locate one, most of the supermarkets were sold out. After unwrapping presents, pulling crackers - festive ones I had bought over from England, they do not seem to sell them over in NZ - and eating good food, you could say tradition was restored.

But even the Turkey did not feel right. It just did not feel like Christmas. The few weeks build up before Christmas were replaced by the excitement of my holiday, so I guess you could say that I was preoccupied with my holiday then worry about the annual Christmas break. Which is exactly how I felt the Kiwi's view Christmas as; just an opportunity to get the family round, fire up the BBQ and sit back with a beer and a glass of wine. They do not really do the whole decorations thing, they are not bothered about good food and do not really care about getting up early the next day to queue for the latest bargains.

If I could use one word to say what New Zealand was missing at Christmas, I would say it was the 'commercialised' nature of Christmas (OK, maybe that is four.) I know we forget about the real meaning of Christmas, and all respect to the religious guys and girls among us, but to me it means going mad on presents, eating lots of food, watching great TV and queueing up the next day to buy lots of cheap bargains.

So forget the weather, forget the real meaning of Christmas - all I want for next Christmas, is a good old dose of commercial crap and advertising!