March, 2010
Posted March 31st, 2010 by DIGS Admin. Filed in Ashenhurst, DIGS Student, Storthes Hall
We like bargains here at DIGS, and hopefully you guys do to! To make your student loan go that little bit further we have teamed up with a whole bunch of great places in and around Huddersfield to make sure that you get the best deals! It’s totally exclusive to you guys, and is definitely worth making the most of. So check out all the deals below and get your offer on!
Flying Circus Bar
The most popular cocktail bar in town, and of course, home of Dawn Chorus. You’ll get great wristband offers when you show your DIGS card here!
Toni & Guy
You can’t really beat 25% off all services from Monday to Thursday with selected stylists. Get your hair in tip top shape for your summer hols!
Vox Bar
A great independent bar with great drinks and even better live acts. Check the bar for offer details!
Voda Bar & Grill (And bar 166)
241 Gourmet burgers all day everyday with you DIGS card! There are also other offers available- check with the bar for details. The food here really is scrummy!
Kitten Heels
A little gem of a boutique, it’s definitely worth checking out! DIGS students get 10% off everything in store with your privilege card. Bargain!
Revolution Bar
This infamous vodka bar now serves delicious Pizza’s. Flash your DIGS card for buy one get one free!
Hair Cuttery UK
You can get 20% off cut and colours from Monday to Thursday. A great hairdressers, really close to the uni. You could even get a hair cut on your lunch break!
Club Che
The new ‘Club Che’ opened it’s doors in February, and has proved to be a great venue right opposite the uni. You can get free entry Friday and Saturday nights with you DIGS card.
Tokyo
Flash your card at this popular club to get great offers. It’s the only place to be on a Wednesday night!
Cotton Factory
This popular bar and restaurant is super. Stylish, funky and with delicious food, you can get 241 Sunday lunches and a free drink with your DIGS card. Sundays only of course!
Lawrence Batley Theatre.
Free tickets for the under 25’s! Get your fill of culture and comedy here…
And of course, we’re always looking for new deals for you! If your favourite bar or shop is not featured here, drop us a comment below and we’ll see if we can charm ‘em in to taking part.
Digs xx
DIGS Student Accommodation Huddersfield.
Posted March 31st, 2010 by DIGS Admin. Filed in DIGS Student, Pinnacles
Living at The Pinnacles and mad about chocolate?? Then keep your wits about you because The Pinnacles Easter Egg Hunt is on!! Across site loads of cardboard rabbits have been hidden which entitles the lucky finder of each one to a yummy chocolate Easter egg. And rumour has it that there are still some out there yet to be found…!
If you find a rabbit then take it to the office and have your pick from the great selection of naughty treats.
If you don’t win an egg though don’t worry, as the lovely guys from St John’s Church from up the road are coming to site this week to hand out crème eggs and to discuss what Easter really means. (If anyone sees them then please bring some eggs in the office for the lovely, hardworking staff!)
Speaking of the office, they had a friendly, feathered visitor to site yesterday who took a liking to Richard and Lewis. Big bird was from the Holiday Inn who are now on board with our Privilege card- 15% off all food and drink from their bar and restaurant, £75 per night for a room (usually £100) or £65 per night if you stay for two nights… great for when your parents come to visit.
Happy hunting everyone!
The Pinnacles, Student Accommodation Sheffield.
Posted March 31st, 2010 by DIGS Admin. Filed in DIGS Student, Pinnacles
When I think of Sheffield I think ‘home’. And it has been my home for 25 years, except on the occasions i decided it a good idea to “try somewhere new”. But no matter what I do or where I go I keep getting drawn back to this iconic city…
Over the past few years Sheffield has really had a face, brow, boob and personality lift! It has always been a place of comfort and happiness for me, however, the changes that the city and its people have seen has really put Sheffield on the map and made others sit up and take notice.
Sheffield’s music scene is becoming one of the most influential movements around. With well known local artists such as Reverend and the Makers, Pulp and of course those Arctic Monkey lads encouraging others to get creative too. Across the city on almost any night you can find live performances from up and coming unsigned bands, on their way to stardom. Venues like Leadmill, The Green room, Plug and Frog and Parrott boast a generous selection of live music nights to choose from.
The ever growing choice of bars and clubs in the area are also making Sheffield become an ever more popular choice for big nights, with people coming from the tradititonal hot spots such as Leeds and Manchester to sample our delights.
Sheffield’s location too makes it such a unique place to be- drive 30 minutes from the busy city centre and you find yourself in the beautiful Peak District. Here is a great place to walk off those hangovers and to sample the true Yorkshire experience!
I have in the past left my beloved Sheffield, when I went to study in the West Midlands and then again when I went travelling. All of these other places were of course wonderful in their own right. But I just never felt quite at home as I do here. Many of my school friends stayed on to study in Sheffield and have confirmed what an amazing student scene it has! If your university of choice is in Sheffield then you won’t be disappointed. Be prepared to fall in love…
Helen Sutherland
Senior Administrator and Marketing Coordinator
Do you love Sheffield also? Why not add a comment to tell us the best bits!
The Pinnacles, Student Accommodation Sheffield.
Posted March 31st, 2010 by DIGS Admin. Filed in DIGS Student
Struggling to come up with ideas at meal times? Don’t know how to make the most of what’s left in your cupboards? Then this new feature is for you! Gone are the days when students survive on beans on toast and noodles- there are loads of recipes out there to tickle your taste buds… and I am here to find them!
This blog is designed to help you students out in the kitchen and will only feature recipes that are:
• Cheap
• Quick
• Easy
• And most of all tasty!
There are loads of websites out there that have lists and lists of recipes to choose from. But here are a few of my favourites to get you started:
Channel 4.com. This is my favourite site of all- there a loads of yummy dishes and plenty of helpful videos to show you how it is done- great for all you culinary novices out there!
Best recipe: Quick Thai green curry this takes next to no time to make and looks and tastes impressive. Top tip: this is a good one to try when you have friends round for dinner. Cost: approx £6.50 (serves 4)
Blogfood.com. This site has one of the biggest selections of recipes- so you will be sure to find something to try. It also has its very own blog section so you can swap recipes with other wannabe chefs and trade some tips!
Best recipe: Italian chicken and butternut pie (this is my favourite recipe of all time!!). You only have to use one big pot and a casserole dish so cuts down on the washing up! Top tip: No need to spend a lot on the wine as it will blend in with everything else. Cost: approx £8 (serves 4)
UKTV Food. With loads of tips and a “how to section” this site is brill if you are new to cooking.
Best recipe: Italian sausage and tomato pasta this one is great if you are really hungry and you can add in extra ingredients that need using up, such as additional veggies. Top tip: if Italian sausages are too expensive, just buy regular ones and add chopped garlic and dried mixed herbs to the pan when you are frying them. Cost: approx £4 (serves 4)
Goodtoknow.co.uk. This is a site I recently found and has loads of different sections to choose from so makes it even easier to find a recipe to suit your mood. This site also gives you handy tips and tells you how much each meal costs- even better!
Best recipe: Beef and corn casserole this is a winning recipe for those cold evenings after university. Top tip: invest in a slow cooker- you can pile all your ingredients into it in the morning and you come home to a prefect meal! Slow cookers aren’t expensive to buy and split between you and your roommates makes it even more of a bargain!
If there are any recipes out there that you have tried and liked, please let us know about them! And don’t forget- if you want to get involved and fancy trying out a recipe, get in touch!
Happy cooking…
Have you tried and tested any of these recipes? Let us know how they went by adding a comment below!
DIGS Student Accommodation.
Posted March 29th, 2010 by DIGS Admin. Filed in DIGS Student, Pinnacles
*UPDATE**** 12/4/10
Early bird rooms now SOLD OUT.
100 rooms remaing and Rebookers can book these rooms from just £90/week. So Hurry, get your offer on!
Click here to apply for The Pinnacles student accommodation
Posted March 29th, 2010 by DIGS Admin. Filed in Ashenhurst, Storthes Hall
Posted March 29th, 2010 by DIGS Admin. Filed in DIGS Student, Pinnacles
The Sheffield Half Marathon is one of the biggest sporting events in the city- and this year The Pinnacles Student Accommodation are taking part! For those of you who haven’t seen the messages go out on our facebook and twitter pages, we now have our very own “Pinnacles’ Running team” who are training hard as we speak to raise as much money as possible for charity!
The team are running for 4 charities this year; The Archer Project, The Teenage Cancer Trust, The Sheffield Childrens Hospital and The Huntingtons Alliance and they are hoping to raise as much money as possible.
Our very own RSV Matt has been heading the team and plans to hold regular meetings for updates and to trade training tips. Even Richard and Steve from the office have got involved and began their training at the end of January. These two outstanding athletes (cough) can now run up to 4 miles without collapsing- providing their recurring injuries don’t raise their ugly heads of course.
Steve has what we in the office like to call a “glass back” which is basically an old back injury that seems to hurt him when he is training…only! Although he has assured me that he is currently going for Physio and it seems to be doing the trick (we will see on the day though eh??). Richard on the other hand seems to have weak calves but I am told he is battling through like the true Olympic athlete he is and hopes to complete the run in 3.5 hours (yes, the longest possible time).
Everyone running seems pretty confident at the moment and thinks they will be fit enough on the day to make an impressive time- however the up and coming Boot Camp will surely separate the Rik Wallers from the Linford Christies. This Fitness extravaganza is taking place on Thursday 1st April so look out for full (and no doubt funny) coverage of this event online soon…
If you would like to sponsor any of our runners you can visit here if they have registered or simply come to the office with your pennies.
The Pinnacles, Student Accommodation Sheffield.
Posted March 29th, 2010 by DIGS Admin. Filed in Digs Reviews
Sherlock Holmes, the latest offering from Guy Richie is a pretty decent movie if I’m honest. Not at all what I expected. For the most part you don’t even feel like you’re watching a movie. For instance, part of the opening titles are superimposed onto cobblestones and the other part is written in a newspaper-like form. It’s a pretty refreshing change.
It’s pretty clear from the outset that Downey Jr. nails Holmes’ accent and speech patterns. Not once do you believe the actor playing Holmes’ actually has an American accent, and the same can be said for Jude Law as Watson.
Although I don’t usually comment on the soundtrack of films, I do feel I should mention the soundtrack inSherlock Holmes. Hans Zimmer’s ‘Discombobulate’ is used at various points in the movie, most notably in the opening credits and it helps greatly in setting the scene. It’s hard to imagine a better fitting score for this movie.
Although this is going to sound pretty cliché, Jude Law is on fine form here, his portrayal of Dr. Watson as both a friend of Holmes and as a professional is literally flawless, the chemistry between Downey Jr. and Law works extremely well. Mark Strong is brilliant as the movie’s villain Lord Blackwood, he seems to play bad guys pretty well, he’s all you could want from the ‘dark side’: mysterious, cunning and quite creepy. A notable highlight here for me was Rachel McAdams’ portrayal of Irene Adler, a criminal and past love-interest of Holmes’. McAdams has certainly come a long way since her Mean Girls days and really shows exactly what she can do with her acting skills here.
Acting talent aside, I was pleasantly surprised when I went to my local cinema to see Sherlock
Holmes. The martial arts aspect was new to me. I’ve never pictured Sherlock Holmes as a martial artist, but it did bring a decent helping of action to the table. There’s a pretty decent helping of humour here too; the movie works surprisingly well with a small helping of comedy thrown in here and there, although there’s not enough there for big laughs, it brings a certain charm to the scene.
I won’t ruin any of the story in this review as I’m aware my past two reviews were a little too revealing in terms of plot details and spoilers. All I can say is if you haven’t already, I would strongly recommend going to see Sherlock Holmes. There really is something there for anyone.
Rating: ★★★★½
This review was brought to you by Ryan one of our Storthes Hall Park residents and film review extraordinaire. You can check out his page here.
DIGS Student Accommodation.
Posted March 26th, 2010 by DIGS Admin. Filed in DIGS Student
Are exams making you crazy?
It’s that time of year again. Spring is in the air, summer is around the corner and exams are looming. Argh! Not only do you have impending exams but you also have three essays to write and a presentation to, well, present. With hand outs.
Sound familiar? It does to me too. The end of a uni year, whether it’s your first or your final, can be stressful and daunting. How does everybody cope? Why do all your class mates look calm and collected but you feel like you’re running around like a headless chicken? In reality, everyone is stressed (whether they look it or not) and nearly everyone I have spoken to, both during my time at uni and after, feels there is just too much to do and too little time to do it in! If you’re looking at your class mates and thinking; “they’re so much more together than me” you can rest assured they’re thinking exactly the same about you.
Experience has taught me that the simplest way of expelling your own exam stress is to talk to your mates. Not that I heeded this advice during my own studies but hindsight is a marvellous thing. If I had talked to my course mates I would have been able to calm myself down and realise that however much you prepare and work during the year, you’ll always feel on edge come test time!
It’s natural, even if you know your stuff inside out. I realise it’s easy for me to say; “it’s fine, everything will be OK” but I have been where you are! I was incredibly stressed during my final year and had convinced myself during one of many sleepless nights that I knew nothing of my chosen subject and this would of course lead to failure. To put it into perspective, I still have nightmares several years after I graduated that I have failed (don’t let this phase you though, I’m the only one I know who does this!). I did pass my degree with good grades (as did all my mates who felt the fear) So let us all be proof that even the most anxious of students can pass this stressful time with flying colours.
If I could give you any advice that I think would help then these points would be it;
- Talk to your friends, your course mates, your parents, anyone who can help you gain a rational perspective when it comes to exams.
- Be realistic! Don’t create such a hectic work and revision timetable that you don’t have time to eat, let alone let off some steam. Give yourself realistic goals and stick to them. Rather than state you are going to complete X amount of hours per day on revision, set yourself tangible goals, such as revising a particular mock exam question or completing an essay summary. Much easier to stick to and real progress can be seen.
- Have a night off! Watch TV or go out for tea. Listen to some music, just anything to make you relax as you’ll be much more productive. It also helps you to feel human rather than an academic machine.
- If like me stress affects your sleep patterns try this; take a note pad and pen to bed with you. If you wake up stressed, write down what it is that’s bothering you then first thing the next day take positive steps to rectify it.
- Coffee can be your saviour.
- Remember; whatever happens it will be OK!
So, there it is. I hope this has made you feel better or at least given you a tip or two that can help during this busy period.
Good luck, try not to worry too much or put too much pressure on yourself. Remember your GCSEs and your A levels? Remember how scary and stressful it was? You got through it and you’ll get through this. Once you do you’ll have a lovely long summer ahead of you as a reward. You never know, the sun might even shine! Remember, DIGS supports you!
Samantha Barnes
Digs Student Accommodation Marketing Assistant.
Posted March 24th, 2010 by DIGS Admin. Filed in Digs Reviews, DIGS Student
I’m sure even before you started to read this review you knew it was going to be a good one. But it’s hard to find faults with James Cameron’s Avatar. The fact that the movie has been in development since 1999 says a great deal about Cameron’s determination and the sheer volume of work that went into producing this cinematic delight.
Avatar is a tricky one, you do actually have to pay attention and follow the plot as it happens. It’s not a sit down and lounge about on the sofa movie. I’m not going to waffle on and tell you the plot though, I really don’t want to ruin it for you. You can use WIkipedia or IMDb for that anyway.
The visuals in Avatar are just stunning. The CGI is literally flawless. So much so that it’s not directly obvious that you’re actually watching computer generated images, it all looks extremely realistic. Sam Worthington, of Terminator: Salvation fame, is absolutely brilliant in this, the same can be said for Sigourney Weaver, who features in the film quite surprisingly, as she isn’t featured prominently on any of the promotional material.
There is really no reason not to watch Avatar in 3D or in an IMAX theatre, I couldn’t give a completely accurate comparison of watching in 3D as opposed to 2D but the three dimensional aspect of the film worked amazingly well, people in the cinema were actually wow-ing throughout. The world of the Na’vi tribe is literally breathtaking and full of colour and life. You really do have to see it for yourself. I’m really quite happy to name Avatar as my first five-star review.
Rating: ★★★★★
This review was brought to you by Ryan one of our Storthes Hall Park residents and film review extraordinaire. You can check out his page here.
DIGS Student Accommodation.