Settling in · Bladon
Landing in Bladon? Start here.
The first fortnight in Bladon, 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
63 places in Bladon 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.
Nothing nearby matches that yet. Try a shorter word.
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
Woodstock Road Baptist Church
Christian, Evangelical
198 Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 7NQ
About 8 km away
St Andrew's Church
Christian, Anglican. Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-16:00
Linton Road, Oxford, OX2 6UG
About 9 km away
Kidlington Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
Oxford Road, Cherwell District, OX5 2BP
About 4 km away
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Oxford
About 17 km away
Wheatley Park School Sixth Forom, Sixth Forom, Wheatley Holton, Oxfordshire, OX33 1QH
Worship services: Wed 7:15pm · Sun 10:00am · Sun 12:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Swindon
About 41 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)
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
La Cumatru
Convenience. stocks Romanian goods. Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-20:00; Su 09:00-18:00
229 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7HQ
About 8 km away
Food and takeaways
Al-Shami Lebanese Restaurant And Richmond Hotel
Lebanese. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Fr 17:00-21:30; Sa-Su 12:00-21:30
25 Walton Crescent, Oxford, OX1 2JG
About 10 km away
Sports and clubs
Tiger Martial Arts
Martial arts. Sports centre
St Peter's Road, Oxford, OX2 8AU
About 7 km away
Kidlington Football Club
Soccer. Sports centre
Bowerman Close, Cherwell District, OX5 1TP
About 4 km away
Witney Rugby Football Club
Rugby union. Sports centre
Witney Road, West Oxfordshire, OX29 9UH
About 10 km away
Equilibrium
Fitness centre
340A Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 7NS
About 7 km away
Ferry Sports Centre
Multi, swimming. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 06:00-22:00; Sa-Su 08:00-18:00
Diamond Place, Oxford, OX2 7DP
About 9 km away
Oxford Sailing Club
Sailing. Sports centre
Countryside Walk, Vale of White Horse, OX2 9LU
About 9 km away
Naomi Swain
Yoga. Fitness centre. Hours: 08:00-20:00
6 King Street, Oxford, OX2 6DF
About 10 km away
Community and support groups
North Leigh Memorial Hall
Community centre
Park Road, West Oxfordshire, OX29 6SA
About 6 km away
Wolvercote Young People’s Club
Community centre. Hours: "Generally there is someone in most weekday mornings."
St Peter's Road, Oxford, OX2 8AU
About 7 km away
Stanton Harcourt Village Hall
Community centre. Hours: "by arrangement with the village committee"
Blackditch West Oxfordshire, OX29 5RS
About 10 km away
Jericho Community Centre
Community centre
33a Canal Street, Oxford, OX2 6BQ
About 10 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Afro hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Jericho Barbers
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-18:00; Su 10:00-17:00
165 Kingston Road, Oxford, OX2 6EG
About 9 km away
Cowboymod and Son
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Sa 10:00-18:00; PH off
33 Walton Street, Oxford, OX2 6AA
About 10 km away
Cinemas and libraries
KB Chen China Centre Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Canterbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6LU
About 9 km away
Summertown Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
South Parade, Oxford, OX2 7JN
About 8 km away
Howard Piper Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
St Margaret's Road, Oxford, OX2 6LD
About 9 km away
Latin American Centre Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Su 09:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00; PH off
1 Church Walk, Oxford, OX2 6LY
About 9 km away
Phoenix Picturehouse
Cinema. Hours: unknown
57-58 Walton Street, Oxford, OX2 6AE
About 10 km away
Education Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00
15 Norham Gardens, Oxford, OX2 6PY
About 10 km away
County Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Oxford Road, Kidlington, OX5 2BP
About 4 km away
Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: PH,Mo-Su 00:00-24:00+
Benson Place, Oxford, OX2 6QA
About 10 km away
Somerville College Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Walton Street, Oxford, OX2 6AH
About 10 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 Bladon
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