[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL] The College is part of University of London.[EBOLD][PARA][BOLD]For general information about London: [EBOLD]see [ULNE]University of London[EULNE]. [PARA]You won't be surprised to learn that RVC (as its chums call it) [PARA]only teaches students how to be vets. A recent prospectus had [PARA]a photo of 'Naso-gastric intubation of a Shire with colic' on the [PARA]front page, so if you can't hack 5 years of that, stop reading now.[PARA]The College's main site is 11/4 miles from Trafalgar Square in [PARA]Camden, [ITAL]one of the trendiest, buzziest areas of London[EITAL]. [ITAL] [EITAL]The [PARA]redbrick College buildings here are home to the pre-clinical [PARA]teaching and administration. [ITAL] [EITAL]The College's Hawkshead campus, [PARA]a couple of miles from Hatfield, is set in the [ITAL]relaxed, commuter [PARA]belt[EITAL] countryside (see [ULNE]University of Hertfordshire[EULNE]). It is a large [PARA]self-contained green site with low buildings accommodating [PARA]clinical students. In other words, students spend 2 years at [PARA]Camden, [ITAL]enjoying city life[EITAL], and then move out to [ITAL]almost tediously [PARA]tranquil[EITAL] Hawkshead. [ITAL]The atmosphere is quite intense and geared[PARA]to studying, although there is also a lot of sport going on. [EITAL][BOLD][HDNG]HAWKSHEAD:[EHDNG][PARA][EBOLD]See [ULNE]University of Hertfordshire[EULNE].[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains: [EBOLD]London is the centre of the network: Bristol (1:40hrs, 1/hr); [PARA]Birmingham (1:40hrs, 3/hr); Manchester (2:30hrs, 1/hr); Glasgow [PARA](5:20hrs, 12/day); Edinburgh ( 4:20hrs, 1/hr); Newcastle (2:45hrs, [PARA]2/hr); Leeds (2:30hrs, 1/hr); Norwich (1:49hrs, 1/hr). Trains come [PARA]into the 8 mainline termini and if passing through London (for [PARA]example from Canterbury (Kent) to Manchester), it is often [PARA]necessary to travel by tube (at extra expense) between mainline [PARA]stations .[PARA][BOLD]Coaches:[EBOLD] London is also the centre of the National Express [PARA]system and a whole variety of other national bus services (Green[PARA]Line, Blue Line and so on). Some example National Express [PARA]journeys: Birmingham (ú9.50, 2:30hrs, 1/hr); Bristol (ú12.50, [PARA]2:15hrs, 1/hr); Edinburgh (ú25, 7:50hrs, 3/day); Glasgow (ú25, [PARA]7hrs, 7/day); Manchester (ú16, 3:30hrs, 7/day); Newcastle [PARA](ú17.50, 5:10hrs, 7/day).[PARA][BOLD]Local Trains: [EBOLD]Network SouthEast operates local overground [PARA]trains [ITAL]which are a speedy and sometimes pleasant way to travel [PARA]and are moderately efficient. The main problems are the ease of[PARA]use (a fair level of understanding is necessary), the high fares [PARA]and the early closing[EITAL] (last trains between 11pm and 1am).[PARA][BOLD]Underground:[EBOLD] The 'tube' is the largest underground train system [PARA]in the world and generally,[ITAL] it is fast, easy to use, efficient (well, [PARA]maybe not the Northern Line) and takes you just about anywhere [PARA]you want to go, although South-East London is a bit hard done by.[PARA]However, it is often crowded,[EITAL] shuts down at midnight,[ITAL] it's often [PARA]disrupted by bomb scares[EITAL] and the minimum fare is 90p. [ITAL]Talking [PARA]to other tube passengers is tantamount to threatening their [PARA]mother - the only people who do it are tourists and people who [PARA]want to talk to you about Jesus.[EITAL] Nearest tube to Senate [PARA]House/ULU Building: Goodge St (Northern Line).[PARA][BOLD]Local Buses: [EBOLD][ITAL]In the tube you can't see the real sights, so why not [PARA]take the buses which are just as efficient,[EITAL] offer even more [PARA]destinations and are slightly cheaper (50p minimum). [ITAL]But buses [PARA]are slow and, until you know your way around, it's difficult to [PARA]know which ones take you where.[EITAL] After midnight, buses come [PARA]into their own - Night Buses are London's only form of all-night [PARA]public transport and[ITAL] if you don't mind how long it takes,[EITAL] you can [PARA]go almost anywhere within 10 miles of the centre.[PARA][BOLD]Travelcards:[EBOLD] For a legal way of dodging the expense of tubes, [PARA]buses and trains, Travelcards are available at ú2.60 for a daily [PARA]pass for the central 2 zones of the network.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis: [EBOLD]There are 2 types:[ITAL] the classic black cabs which are well [PARA]regulated and enormously expensive, and dodgy merchants in [PARA]Ford Escorts which are almost as expensive. There are now [PARA]also some run by and for women. Basically though, forget all [PARA]taxis, except late at night when all else fails and/or you're in a [PARA]party of 4 or more.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Parking in Central London is impossible, and, although there[PARA]is only one rush hour every day it lasts from 6 in the morning to [PARA]midnight. Driving in London is excellent training for being a [PARA]volcano.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Air: [EBOLD]Served by 4 airports, including Heathrow, the world's [PARA]busiest. Regular flights to anywhere and back.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[ITAL] [EBOLD]Not possible from Central London, but get out a little [PARA]way on to the city's escape routes or beyond the M25 and a [PARA]thumb's a first class ticket.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Bicycles: [EBOLD][ITAL] A popular form of student travel given the pros: it's [PARA]cheap and you can get through traffic. But there are the cons: [PARA]London is big, full of exhaust fumes, lacking in cycle lanes and a [PARA]Houdini-proof lock is advisable. It's also an easy way to die.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][BOLD]Hawkshead: [EBOLD]See [ULNE]University of Hertfordshire[EULNE].[PARA][PARA][BOLD]Trains: [EBOLD]Nearest stations are King's Cross, St Pancras, Euston [PARA]and Camden Road.[PARA][BOLD]Buses: [EBOLD]Numbers 46 and 214 go nearby.[PARA][BOLD]Car: [EBOLD][ITAL]At Hawkshead, fine. Camden? I think not.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Underground:[ITAL] [EITAL][EBOLD]Camden Town (Northern Line).[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[ITAL] [EITAL][EBOLD]Racks on both sites. [ITAL]Bikes at Camden tend to be [PARA]nicked, converted into Inca lava lamps, and sold at ludicrous [PARA]prices in the Market.[EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BULL]During vacations in the 1st and 2nd years, students have to [PARA]work on farms, leaving little time to ease the financial weight (see[PARA]below).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Official and alternative prospectuses.
