A Visit to Stratford-upon-Avon

Mahmood shares with us about his recent visit to Stratford-upon-Avon...

St.Chad's Sanctuary in Birmingham arranged a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon for a group of asylum seekers on Wednesday, the 27th of July. The coach took 45 minutes to reach the city.

Stratford is the birth place of William Shakespeare (1564-1616). He spent the last five years of his life in Stratford. When he died, at the age of 52, he was buried in Holy Trinity Church. Other members of his family were buried in the same church, next to his grave.

Top Tips for Integrating into the UK

Earlier this summer, the Blog Team gathered to discuss tips and tactics on how to adjust and make the most out of living in the UK. Many of us shared our first experiences and how we were able to beat loneliness and make new friends.

These are our top tips for integrating into the UK:

1) The local library is a great resource. You can use the Internet, read, talk to people, find people who are interested in the same fields, and get maps and information about everything including what's going on in the city and different programmes. - Ali

2) When you think everybody is calling you "Mike," they are calling you "mate." - Louie

3) Go to parks, cinemas, theatres, museums and pubs and make new friends. - Louie

4) Mix with people, walk around, observe how people are, read newspapers, watch TV. - Mahmood

5) Everyone is always thinking about the weekend. - Mohsen

6) Don't eat too much fish and chips. - Mohsen

7) Ask a British person how to use a bus map (or use tfl.gov.uk). - Nick