Tuesday 26th August 2025, 20:46
Got to Pittville Student Village on the outskirts of Cheltenham at about 16:00 and found my way to reception in the Laurie Lee building. I was a little disconcerted to see that there was no one at the reception desk but then I saw a notice saying the receptionist had been called away and a number to call for assistance. Did that just as she came through the main door. She quickly and efficiently handed me the key, explained how to find the room, and where I could park my car without having to pay for it, and said that there is a small shop opposite the building I'll be staying in.
Then I drove around the block to the building containing my room. The buildings are four story blocks with six rooms and a kitchen on each floor. The key let me into the building but wouldn't open the door to the flat. So I walked back to reception and was told that the locks apparently run on AA batteries which need frequent replacement. She called the maintenance man and also reprogrammed my key just in case it was the key that was the problem. I walked back across the site, got into the building, walked up the spiral stairs to the third floor (zero based), and now it unlocked the door to the flat. But, the door to my room was open and it hadn't been cleaned. I also noticed that the kitchen was locked with a padlock. Back to reception again, given profuse apologies. The receptionist called the cleaning company and they found a room on the first floor that they declared had definitely been cleaned so I was given a new key. When I mentioned the locked kitchen I was directed to a common room in the Laurie Lee building that has a microwave, toaster, and kettle.
When I got to my new room the key worked for all three doors and I noticed that in this flat the kitchen was open although it had the same notice saying that if it were used it might incur an extra cleaning charge. I have nothing better to do so I walked back to the Laurie Lee building and asked about it. I was told that so long as I don't make a mess it's most unlikely that I would be charged. The notice is there because apparently some visitors leave the place under mountains of rubbish.
Didn't need to do anything o connect to the WiFi, my Glide registration from the Nottingham hall of residence works here too. I wonder if it ever expires?
