#23

I think you’d hear similar stories from a lot of designers but I came down to London on a bit of a wing and a prayer, I had my placement at The Partners confirmed and that was it, I didn’t really know anyone who lived in London at that point (or not well enough to crash on their couch for a month anyway) so after a desperate search on the web and some pleading phone calls I managed to wangle a room in a seriously dodgy hostel round the back of Russell Square. It was a bit of a shit hole, it had a plastic covered mattress that meant every time I moved in bed it would sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies.

There was also nowhere to keep food so I had to eat out every night for what turned into a Three a month stay. Slowly a few of my course mates decided to make the move down to London while I was about a month or so into my placement, we would meet up a few times a week and trade horror stories about the hostels each of us where staying in. The most horrific of which included my mate Peasland having to share a bunk bed with an American traveller who he had slept under for 2 weeks. The guy seemed pleasant enough during the day but had the nasty habit of setting his watch alarm for 2am every night so he could try and secretly polish one off under his duvet.

He would usually get up such a speed that he would rock the bed back and forth with Peasland lying wide eyed and mentally violated underneath. Peasland spent most of the rest of his time on placement sleeping on the floor in my hostel room (probably being kept awake by the sound of Rice Krispies).

Bob Young.
Creative Director & Founder

Alphabet. London