[Holbein Official Page] [Willis Jackson Official Page] [Website]
Holbein and Willis Jackson halls (HWJ) are two separate halls under the same wardening team. They are located in Evelyn Gardens, which is a 20minutes walk away from campus. Being a wealthy residential estate, Evelyn Gardens is littered with expensive cars and at least 3 kindergartens en route to school. So, if you enjoy drooling at posh cars (and cute kids), HWJ is a pleasantly safe estate to live in. HWJ is within 3 minutes walk away from a local Sainsbury and Marks & Spencer, as well as a cinema (which is always empty enough to accommodate cheap student tickets). There are also many restaurants (Nandos, BK, KFC etc) along Gloucester Road, which is a 10-minutes walk away.
Shared Facilities
As Holbein is a small hall, all common facilities are shared with Willis Jackson. The laundry room, television room (which residents use to play Wii rather than to watch TV) and mail room are located in Willis Jackson. We also have the biggest common room in Evelyn Gardens since it’s shared between 2 halls. A wide range of DVDs (even Japanese anime and 赤壁) can be rented for free from the warden’s room, and a foosball table is also free for use (though nobody ever uses it because Wii is much more exciting). Residents also have access to a private garden shared with Southwell Hall, which is a popular venue for cookouts, picnics and sun-tanning.
However, it should be noted that no wireless internet is available in either hall. This means that you are unable to access youtube to occupy yourself in the toilet, or google for online recipes in the kitchen. All internet access is strictly confined within the radius of your LAN cable in your bedroom.
Rooms
Holbein rooms are non-ensuite, but all are equipped with washbasins. Due to the small population on each floor, the corridors are generally quiet and conducive for studying. Kitchens and toilets are shared by about 5 people. While the kitchens are generally cozy and clean, the conditions of the toilets depend on the block you are allocated to (P (un-renovated toilet) =1/3). However, if you are unlucky enough to be allocated to an unrenovated toilet, you can always walk 10 steps down the corridor to enjoy the luxuries of the bigger, newer toilets.
While the rooms in Holbein are cheaper (by about £20 weekly), all shared facilities are located in Willis Jackson, which is NOT directly connected to Holbein. Hence, if you don’t mind lugging your dirty laundry down the cold streets during winter (and getting curious stares from other filthy-rich residents who have never seen a laundry basket in their lives), Holbein is indeed a cheaper alternative for those on a tight budget.
Willis Jackson, on the other hand, is clearly a more convenient place than Holbein. The kitchens and toilets are bigger, but they are shared by a larger population of residents. Each floor houses about 15 people on one long stretch of corridor. While this allows you to interact with more residents, it also implies that the corridors could get rowdy sometimes.
Conclusion
Choose HWJ if you don’t mind waking up slightly earlier to shed off some extra kilos from your daily walk. And trust me, the kids are really cute.