Here are our six sections we want to look at:
1. Map
Map of places that we have mentioned around Leeds.
2. Food
Takeaways; recipes; restaurants; food shopping.
3. Recreation
Club nights (best place, cheap places, calender), cinema on a wednesday, events (film festival, bowling)
4. Travel
Taxis (Apollo/Amber); get a railcard; where not to go at night.
5. House keeping
House hunting; how to load washing machine; how to clean etc.
6. Graphic Design
Remember to blog as soon as possible; other tips and tricks.
We both got on the Macs and started researching different things.
Food
I started to look at the Food section, and realised that the information I was writing down is biased, and there isn't that much I know considering the amount of takeaways/restaurants in Leeds. So I decided to create a survery, and me and Sarah thought of some questions we could include, and here it is:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RGH2DVC
I sent the email to Tom and asked him to send it to all of the students, which he did, so now all the feedback I get will be from the target audience that the publication will be aimed at, making it relevantIt looks at different areas such as takeaways, food shopping and different restaurants. I think it would be good to include these answers in the publication so that it makes it more personal.
Recipes
I thought of some recipes which would be good to include:
Stir Fry - This is perfect for when you want something quick for yourself - Home Bargains sell Blue Dragon stir fry sauces for 29p (chow mein; peking lemon; black bean and sweet and sour), pack of two noodles for £1 and a pack of frozen stir fry veg for £1 from Morrisons.
Pasta Bake - When you are cooking with a few friends this is the perfect quick meal with lots of different options. You can add meat such as chicken or mince; different vegetables like peppers, courgettes and red onion; different sauces like chopped tomatos or different flavoured pasta sauces (pepperoni; med veg; creamy tomato) and top with whatever cheese you like!
Sunday Dinner - For when you miss this meal at home and you're not quite sure how to do it like your grandma's, this is how. Write my recipe down.
Restaurants
Red's - Perfect for meat lovers, and you will appreciate the branding
Red Hot World Buffet - When you haven't eaten in days, and you and a group of friends fancy different things come here to experience food from all over the world. You can also take your student card here (except on weekends) and they do offers on their facebook page.
Nandos - You can get a loyalty card; bottomless drinks; good chicken; good branding.
Those are my initial restaurant ideas, but I will wait until the survery has acquired some more answers and will probably base it on those.
Takeaways
This was the main reason I did the survery, so I could find out people's experiences and put them down as when I started writing down my own experiences there weren't that many.
This is from experience:
Spice Ranch - Wrong curry; no fanta gave me coke instead; delivery driver asked me if he could put flyers round my accommodation!
Cinnamon House - good pizza and good curries; big naan breads; long delivery time.
Universal - deep pan pizzas; really good offers; lots of choice but crust is a bit chewy.
Food Shopping
On the survey I asked what supermarkets people use, and why they use them for a more varied answer. Because I have asked people that are students at LCA, the answers will be very relevant for the prospective students.
I personally shop from Morrison's because it is convenient to where I live, there is a lot of choice and it is cheap. However most of my flatmates order Asda Delivery, but I don't like to do that because I know I will forget something, not being able to look at what I'm buying.
Recreation
I decided to look at local events and places to go in Leeds.
Bowling
Offers on throughout the week (eg £1.50 on Thursdays)
Leeds Art Gallery
Different exhibitions on throughout the year
Millenium Square
Seasonal events to look forward to such as ice skating and the German market.
West Yorkshire Playhouse/ The Grand Theatre and Opera House
Plays and shows held throughout the year
Places Near Leeds
Magma; Yorkshire Sculpture Park; York Dungeons; National Media Museum (Bradford).
Cinema
2 for 1 on a Wednesday - and go to Home Bargains before for sweets as they are so expensive in the Cinema
We've made a survey looking at recreation in Leeds, asking people where their favourite places to go are and why, so this should help with adding information to this section based on where people actually go. I thought it would also be handy to include events that happen throughout the year in a clear manner, so people can refer back to it in one place.
Travel
There are a couple of things to be aware of when it comes to travelling in Leeds.
Student Railcard
You might be planning on going home every weekend, or staying away forever, but at some point you will be going home (whether its for Christmas or to get your clothes washed), so it is worth investing in a 16-25 railcard as you save a third on all your journeys. If you go on more than 3 train journeys in a year, then you will have saved money.
Being Safe
There are a few places in Leeds that you shouldn't work home on your own at night on your own. It is easy to forget the news when you come to Leeds, if you don't own a TV anymore and you don't buy a newspaper, but make sure you keep up to date with the local news on the internet as you can keep aware of places where people have been mugged/assaulted. Little London is a no go, and Hyde Park.
Taxis
Sarah has made a survey which includes people's opinions on taxis, so this will be useful to add to this section.
It will be handy to have a list of taxi companies and their numbers so that people have a list to refer to, and this could be one of the perforated posters, so they can stick it on their walls.
Buses
It can be daunting in a new city to know what buses to get, where they go and what stops they take, so it would be useful to include information about key services that go through the city centre, to supermarkets and accommodations.
Graphic Design
There are certain things that I have learnt and observed throughout this year so far, and it would have been useful for everyone to know these at the start of the year.
Craft shops in Leeds; what is sold at the library; using the photography studio/print room; blogging straight away; be open minded at working in a group because you will be working in one a lot and you don't want a reputation of being hard to work with; you need to do work everyday; look at blogs; use pinterest; looking at everybody else's blogs; knowing key people to help you with certain things (James downstairs in digital dungeon; Mike for help with printer settings and InDesign; Neil at Vernon Street for print room; Tom for whenever you are ill, want a survey/event info to be sent out to all students and all other enquiries non-related to design, and the photography technicians for using the studio.
House Keeping
When students have just moved away from home, having to look after themselves, cook, clean and get used to uni work is a big adjustment to make. So we thought it would be a good idea to include tips that will help people keep on top of things.
How to clean an oven; where to buy cleaning products from (home bargains); check to see if your insured (in some places you are insured, but only if your door is locked - s0 make sure you lock it).
Further Research
We then went for something to eat, and decided over dinner that we should have three sections each to focus on, and I am looking at Food, Travel and House Keeping. I am now starting to write the bodycopy for each section.
Food
I looked at the feedback from the survey:
There is quite a substantial amount, and I am really happy with it.
I am now going to write the bodycopy for each section in Food, with the research from this survey. As the book is going to be about things which you can only know from experience, I think primary research is the most appropriate thing to use.
Takeaways
There are a lot of takeaways in Leeds, and you will get a lot of menus through your door, making it hard to decide where to go. So we've asked the students who have tried and tested it for you!
Then feature infographics of the takeaway section of the survey, and perhaps own experiences.
Restaurants
There is so much choice of restaurants in Leeds, and you will want to amke sure you pick a good place to eat so you're not wasting your money. We've asked the students of LCA what their favourite restaurants are, and you can also find them located on the map.
Feature infographics of peoples favourite places, prices, deals and reviews.
Recipes
We asked people what the main reasons for cooking was, as this was an essay style answer, I have tallied up what people have said.
Tasty 22
Cheap 21
Easy 19
Quick 11
Healthy 6
Can freeze/eat next day 4
Sense of achievement 2
Minimal washing up 2
Filling 2
Cultural 1
From this, I have thought of some recipes that coincide with these.
Stir Fry
Tasty
Quick
Cheap
Easy
Healthy
Ingredients:
Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables £1 Morrisons
Blue Dragon Sauces 29p Home Bargains
Pack 2 Noodles £1 Home Bargains
Total: £2.29
Perfect for eating on your own, as a group, or for packed lunch
Method:
1. Turn hob to high
2. Add oil to frying pan
3. Put frozen veg in
4. When it starts to thaw out, add sauce and noodles
5. Let cook for 3-4 minutes and serve
Utensils needed:
Frying pan
Wooden spoon
Tip: If you want to add meat, dice some chicken up and put in pan first. When outside is white add the vegetables.
Tip: Add soy sauce for extra flavour
Spaghetti Bolognese
Tasty
Easy
Quick
Cheap
Can Freeze
Filling
Ingredients:
Mince meat £1.60 Morrisons
Spaghetti
Sauce £1 Home Bargains
Peppers 3pk 70p Aldi/£1.25 Morrisons
Garlic Baguette 32p Morrisons
Total:
Hearty meal, which is cheap to make.
Method:
1. Boil water in a saucepan and add spaghetti
2. Heat up frying pan on the hob and add oil and preheat oven
3. Cook mince meat until brown all over
4. Add peppers and put garlic baguette in the oven
5. Add sauce to frying pan and let simmer for a few minutes
6. Sieve spaghetti and serve, along with the bolognese and baguette
Utensils
Frying pan
Saucepan
Sieve
Wooden spoon
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Tip: If you like really your meal really sauce, add a tin of chopped tomatoes.
Pasta Bake
Cheap
Freeze/Next day
Tasty
Easy
Ingredients
Essential:
Pasta 49p Home Bargains
Cheese (pre grated) £2 Morrisons
Sauce £1 Home Bargains
Total: £3.49
Optional:
Peppers
Red Onion
Courgettes
Sausage
Chicken
Tuna
Perfect for when a few of you are cooking, and is great for packed lunch.
Method
1. Preheat oven
2. Boil water in a saucepan and add pasta
3. Once pasta is cooked put in a casserole dish
4. Pour sauce and veg in the dish and stir
5. Top with cheese and put in oven until melted
Utensils
Saucepan
Frying pan
Casserole Dish
Oven mitt
For veg:
Chopping board
Knife
Tip: If you are putting meat in cook through in a frying pan before putting it in the casserole dish
Curry
Tasty
Filling
Easy
Ingredients
Rice 40p Morrisons
Pataks Curry Sauce £1 Home Bargains
Chicken £3.50 Morrisons
Naan bread £1 for 4 Home Bargains
Total: £5.90
This is good when you are having a group meal so you can share out the costs and make use of the curry sauce as it serves four.
Include any vegetables:
Sweet potato
Peppers
Red onion
Garlic
Spinach
Courgettes
Method
1. Boil water in saucepan and add rice
2. Turn hob and and heat oil in a frying pan
3. Preheat oven
4. Dice chicken, add to frying pan and cook through
5. Then add any vegetables you want to include
6. Put naan bread in oven
7. Once vegetables are nearly cooked, add sauce
8. Sieve rice and serve, along with curry
9. Take naan bread of the oven
Utensils
Saucepan
Frying pan
Sieve
Oven mitt
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Wooden spoon
Tip: Try with puppodums (£1) and mango chutney (79p)
Food Shopping
Have a pie chart of the most commonly gone to supermarkets
Asda delivery - just as cheap to get food delivered, as it is £3.00 and if you get a taxi from a supermarket you will be paying more, and a return journey on the bus is £2
Leeds Kirkgate Market - student meat pack for £10.00 includes 4 rashers of bacon; two chicken breasts; two sirloin steaks; mince meat and five minty lamb burgers.
Home Bargains - top brands are always a reduced price and also sells alcohol/home products
Morrisons - convenient being in city centre
Travel
Railcard
You might be planning on going home every weekend, or never going back, but at some point you will be going home (whether its for Christmas or to get your clothes washed), so it is worth investing in a 16-25 railcard as you save a third on all your journeys. If you go on more than 3 train journeys in a year, then you will have saved money.
Being Safe
As Leeds is a big city, there are certain places to avoid walking at night, or at least walking alone. Students are particularly vulnerable at the start of university because you are new to the area.
Check the news frequently (app/internet/newspaper) to keep up to date on things happening in the area, as chances are you won't have a tv license to watch the news now.
Places with a bad reputation for crime:
Little London
Hyde Park
Chapeltown
Taxis
Most used taxi ranks:
Things to know:
Amber Cars have an app which you can order a taxi from
On way home from a night out you usually have to agree on a price with a taxi driver rather than have a tariff system, making journeys quite expensive
Booking a taxi is a good idea for when you are planning to go out late as busy nights usually means having a long waiting time
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