Hoxton Salon's Qype profile

This is the station you want if you are visiting Tesco at Surrey Quays Shopping Centre. Lots of the East London Line Extension stations have had a great refurbishment – dramatically mixing the old and new. This one is tiny and not dramatic – no shop or coffee. Couple of minutes walk to the shopping centre – 5 mins to the leisure park.

10 mins on the train from Shoreditch I usually shop here once a week – apart from the massive Tesco the rest of the offerings are distinctly average. Avoid the food court. Fairly standard range of high street shops – BHS, WHSmiths, Boots, Superdrug, Curry’s etc – all rather dull. There is a Decathlon sports kit warehouse next door spread over two buildings – far more fun shopping there.

We have held several birthday parties here over the years. Good value and great fun for all ages. Before the East London Line extension it was a trek on the 47 bus but now just 10 minutes away on the train. Never very many staff about but you don’t really need them – you can control everything from the computerised board at your station. Ideal for kids of all ages – they have rails for the lane that you can choose to have up for younger bowlers and they have a ramp thing to help the really young send the ball down. Amazing how good getting a strike feels even if playing against 8 year olds (especially as they usually win) – its hard not to have fun. They have a bar and food – probably best avoided. Clean and tidy – it all works rather well. Always offers on – so check their website. You will often find us here on teacher training days when the place is empty….

Currently closed for a refurbishment that was long overdue. Great pool to learn to swim in for younger kids and used by Anaconda Swimming Club. The deep end is deep enough for learning to dive. We miss this pool as was a handy place for training or just a quick local swim. Good showers – changing room basic. No doubt they will be updated as part of the refurbishment

Edit: Pleased to say this has now reopened as from Saturday 4 February 2012 although Anaconda no longer use it. Not been back – not sure we will be back as all the kids have outgrown it.

This is the main training pool for Anaconda Swimming Club – we have been coming here 3 evenings a week for over 10 years – all our kids are members of the club. The main pool is fine for lane training – the teaching pool is very shallow – the club run a swim school here on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings. Highly recommended. The rest of the facilities are fairly basic but it has had a spruce up fairly recently so tidy enough. Not a pool for fun but good for training.

We managed to win the quiz at the Tortilla Qype Event at the Leadenhall Market branch – which meant some great prizes including some complimentary burrito vouchers. THANK YOU!!!!! Time to get sampling…..

This is our closest branch so decided to grab a quick lunch whilst on a flying shopping trip. The actual location is fine – almost opposite Angel tube – the building itself not as cute as Leadenhall Market but bright and clean. Had a pulled pork medium burrito with hot sauce – quality just as good as our last visit so they have the production consistency right. I like Tortilla – fresh, with lots of options and great value.

Our favourite of the Waitrose stores in striking distance from Shoreditch – we regularly combine a shop here with a visit to Holloway Bridge swimming pool, Sobell leisure centre or Holloway Odeon cinema – well stocked and a decent in store butcher. The only let down is the bakery – never been that impressed with the bread. If you live in Holloway then the only other choice is Morrisons which reminds me of Primark – no staff, hundreds of customers, nasty stock piled high and sold cheap. That really is not a choice……