Settling in · Birdlip
Landing in Birdlip? Start here.
The first fortnight in Birdlip, in order: the paperwork that has to happen, then the places that make it feel like somewhere you could stay.
Week one and two
The order to do things in
1
Ring your Sama contact when you land
Whoever placed you. Tell them you arrived and that you are all right.
2
Apply for your National Insurance number
You can start work before it arrives, but do not leave it: your tax will be wrong until you have it.
3
Open a bank account
Passport, visa or share code, and proof of address. A letter from your employer usually does it.
4
Get a UK SIM
A local number makes the bank and the GP straightforward.
5
Register with a GP
Free at the point of use. Do it in your first week.
6
Check your tax code with HMRC
Get on the right code early or you will be paying too much for months.
7
Save your share code
You will be asked to prove your right to work and rent more than once.
8
Find the nearest shop, place of worship and club
The part that decides whether you stay, and the part no handbook covers.
Official, and free
Official finders
Run by the State, so they stay current. Search each one for your own town.
Find a GPThe NHS list of GP surgeries, searchable by postcode.Apply for a National Insurance numberYou need one to be taxed correctly. Apply once you are in the UK.Find an NHS dentistHarder than the GP. Start early and ring around.Check your visa and BRP or eVisaView and prove your immigration status online.Find your local police stationEmergency is 999 or 112. Non-emergency is 101.Understand your tax codeCheck what HMRC thinks you earn, so you are not overtaxed for months.Driving on a foreign licenceHow long you may drive on it, and whether it can be exchanged.Renting: know the rulesYour rights as a tenant, deposit protection and what a landlord may and may not do.Citizens AdviceFree, independent help with anything at all.Public transportNational rail and bus times and tickets.
Near you
76 places in Birdlip worth knowing in week one
From OpenStreetMap, the map that locals build, plus places our team knows. Every card has a map link. If one has closed or moved, WhatsApp us and it comes down.
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Places of worship
Every faith near you, listed so people can find a community when they arrive. Sama Talent Group is not affiliated with any religion or religious organisation.
Churches
Highbury Church
Christian, United reformed
Priory Terrace, Cheltenham, GL52 6DS
About 8 km away
The Salvation Army - Gloucester
Christian, Salvation army
150 Eastgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 1QU
About 10 km away
Greek Orthodox Church of St John Chrysostom
Christian, Greek orthodox
Dog Lane, Gloucester, GL3 4UD
About 2 km away
Grace Church Cheltenham
Christian, Evangelical
Lansdown Road, Cheltenham, GL51 6QF
About 7 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Cheltenham
About 9 km away
SPRINGBANK COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE, Springbank Way, Cheltenham, GL51 0LG
Worship services: Tue 5:45pm · Sat 5:00pm · Sat 7:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Swindon
About 40 km away
Park South Community Centre, Cranmore avenue, Swindon, SN3 2ER
Worship services: Tue 8:00pm · Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:00pm · Sun 12:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Bristol
About 42 km away
Manor Hall, Henfield Road, Coalpit Heath, Bristol, BS36 2TG
Worship services: Wed 6:30pm
Addresses and worship service times from the Iglesia ni Cristo directory, checked October 2026. Times can change, so check the locale's own page before you go. directory.iglesianicristo.net
Shops from home
Orient-Asia
Supermarket. Hours: Mo-Th,Sa 09:00-19:00; Fr 09:00-13:00,14:00-19:00; Su 10:00-18:30
294 High Street, Cheltenham, GL50 3HQ
About 9 km away
Food and takeaways
Giggling Squid
Thai. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Th 12:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-22:30; Su 12:00-21:30
6-7 Montpellier Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1SX
About 8 km away
The Mahal
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Th 18:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 18:00-22:30; Su off
Montpellier Drive, Cheltenham, GL50 1TY
About 8 km away
Curry Delight
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Th,Sa,Su 16:30-23:00; Fr 16:30-24:00
72 Tennyson Road, Cheltenham, GL51 7DF
About 8 km away
Eurasia
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Th,Sa,Su 12:00-14:00,17:30-23:30; Fr 17:30-23:30
18 Hewlett Road, Cheltenham, GL52 6AA
About 8 km away
Spice Exchange
Indian, pakistani. restaurant. Hours: Mo off; Tu-Th 18:00-00:00; Fr,Sa 17:30-00:00
Clarence Parade, Cheltenham, GL50 3PA
About 8 km away
Nepalese Chef
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Sa 12:00-14:30,17:00-23:00; Su 12:00-22:00
30 Clarence Street, Cheltenham, GL50 3NX
About 8 km away
Dosa Station
Indian, south indian, sri lankan. restaurant
9 Clarence Street, Cheltenham, GL50 3JL
About 8 km away
Kashmir
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Th,Su 17:30-23:30; Fr,Sa 17:30-00:00
1 Albion Street, Cheltenham, GL52 2LH
About 9 km away
Mowgli Street Food
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Sa 12:30-22:30; Su 11:30-21:00
Saint Margaret's Road, Cheltenham, GL50 4FA
About 9 km away
Brockworth Kebab & Pizza
Kebab, pizza. takeaway. Hours: Mo-Su,PH 15:00-23:30
About 4 km away
Spice Master
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 17:00-23:00
Moorfield Road, Gloucester, GL3 4EX
About 4 km away
Hing Tai
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Mo,We-Sa 16:30-22:00; Su 17:30-22:00
14 Court Road, Brockworth, Gloucester, GL3 4EP
About 4 km away
Sports and clubs
Charlton Kings Cricket Club
Cricket. Sports centre
Greenway Lane, Cheltenham, GL52 6LF
About 8 km away
Brockworth Sports Centre
Soccer, basketball, swimming, netball. Sports centre
GL3 4QF
About 4 km away
Sandford Parks Lido
Swimming. Sports centre
Keynsham Road, Cheltenham, GL53 7PU
About 8 km away
Funky Laser tag
Sports centre
294 High Street, Cheltenham, GL50 3HQ
About 9 km away
Leisure @ Cheltenham
Multi. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Th 06:00-22:00; Fr 06:00-21:30; Sa 08:00-18:00; Su 08:00-19:00
Tommy Taylors Lane, Cheltenham, GL50 4RN
About 9 km away
Cheltenham Croquet Club
Croquet. Sports centre
Naunton Park Road, Cheltenham, GL53 7DQ
About 7 km away
Days out and things to do
Boulders
Sports centre. Hours: Mo, We 09:00-22:00; Tu, Th-Fr 13:00-22:00; Sa-Su 10:00-18:00
Kingsditch Lane, Cheltenham, GL51 9FD
About 10 km away
Driving schools
Community and support groups
Bisley WI Village Hall
Community centre. Hours: "Open for booked users only"
Manor Street, Stroud, GL6 7AX
About 8 km away
Oakley Community Resource Centre
Community centre
Clyde Crescent, Cheltenham, GL52 5QQ
About 9 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Barber 'n Bar
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo 12:00-22:00; Tu-Sa 10:00-20:00; Su 10:00-16:00
51A Winchcombe Street, Cheltenham, GL52 2NE
About 9 km away
Ben Ryan Hair
Hairdresser
8 Prestbury Road, Cheltenham, GL52 2PW
About 9 km away
Rogues and Scholars
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo 08:30-14:00; Tu 08:30-18:00; We off; Th 08:30-19:00; Fr 08:30-17:30; Sa 07:30-12:00; Su off
Court Road, Gloucester, GL3 4EL
About 4 km away
Vallenders
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu,We 09:00-17:00; Th 09:00-19:00; Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-16:00; Mo,Su off
Suffolk Parade, Cheltenham, GL50 2FE
About 8 km away
Blushes
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo 09:00-17:30 "reception only"; Tu-Fr 09:00-18:00; Th 09:00-20:00; Sa 09:00-17:00
16-17 Montpellier Walk, Cheltenham, GL50 1SD
About 8 km away
Talking Heads
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu-Fr 09:00-17:00; Sa 09:00-14:00; Mo,Su off
Tennyson Road, Cheltenham, GL51 7DF
About 8 km away
Toni & Guy
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-17:30; Su off
1 Ormond Place, Cheltenham, GL50 1JD
About 8 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Park Campus Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: 24/7
The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RW
About 7 km away
Charlton Kings Library and Children's Centre
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Church Street, Cheltenham, GL53 8AR
About 7 km away
Hesters Way Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 13:00-17:00; Tu 10:00-18:00; We 10:00-13:00; Th off; Fr 14:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-13:00
Edinburgh Place, Cheltenham, GL51 7RP
About 8 km away
Central Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo, We, Fr 09:00-19:00; Tu, Th 09:00-17:30; Sa 09:00-16:00
Clarence Street, Cheltenham, GL50 3JT
About 8 km away
Cineworld
Cinema. Hours: "30mins before first film and 15mins after last."
Henrietta Street, Cheltenham, GL50 4FA
About 9 km away
Brockworth Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Th 10:00-13:00,14:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-12:00
Gloucester GL3 4EX
About 4 km away
Up Hatherley Library & Children's Centre
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Tu 09:30-13:00,14:00-17:30; Th 09:30-13:00,14:00-19:00; Fr 09:30-19:00; Sa 09:30-16:00
Hulbert Crescent, Cheltenham, GL51 3EB
About 6 km away
Hucclecote Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Tu 09:30-12:00,12:00-13:00; We 09:30-12:00,13:00-17:00; Th 14:00-17:00; Fr 09:30-12:00,13:00-19:00; Sa 10:00-16:00
Hucclecote Road, Gloucester, GL3 3TW
About 7 km away
Painswick Community Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Victoria Square, Stroud, GL6 6UN
About 8 km away
Matson Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Winsley Road, Gloucester, GL4 6NG
About 8 km away
Churchdown Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu-Sa 10:00-13:00; We-Fr 14:00-17:00; Tu 14:00-18:00
Parton Road, Tewkesbury, GL3 2AQ
About 8 km away
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. We do not make places up: if the map has it wrong, fix it on openstreetmap.org and it comes through at the next refresh.
Saving money
What locals use to spend less
The shops and sites people here use for cheap clothes, second-hand furniture, a car, and the weekly shop. We are not paid to list any of them.
Facebook Marketplace and GumtreeSecond-hand furniture, bikes, tools and cars, often for very little. Meet in public, and never pay before you see it.Freecycle and OlioThings people give away for free, and food from neighbours and shops that would otherwise go in the bin.Too Good To GoSurprise bags of food from cafes, bakeries and supermarkets at the end of the day, at a fraction of the price.PrimarkCheap everyday clothes, work basics and bedding.Aldi and LidlThe cheapest big supermarkets for the weekly shop.B&M and Home BargainsCleaning products, kitchen kit and household bits for less.Charity shopsClothes, coats and furniture, and the money goes to a good cause.MoneySavingExpertFree guides to cheaper phones, energy, bank accounts and sending money.
Getting around
Getting around from Birdlip
TravelineBus, coach and train times for the whole of Great Britain.National RailTrain times, tickets and railcards.Transport for LondonThe Tube, buses and the Oyster and contactless fares.
Driving here on your licence
Once you live in Great Britain you can drive a car or motorcycle on your full, valid licence for 12 months. After that, a licence from a designated country can be exchanged for a GB licence; from other countries you apply for a provisional licence and pass the theory and practical tests. Lorries, minibuses and buses have stricter rules: check before you drive one.
Check your licence on GOV.UK Exchange a licence
Hiring a car
Each rental company sets its own rules on age, how long you have held your licence and which licences it accepts, and young drivers often pay more. Check those rules before you book, and bring your licence and passport to the desk.
Driving rules taken from the official pages linked above, checked October 2026. They change, so the official page is the one to rely on.
While you are here