check out:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/cities/
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/regionalAndUrbanPlanning/

also, if you are ready to widen your search to non-english speaking places, check out the ETH zurich. usually, you are permitted to submit your thesis in english. for example:
http://www.re-is.ethz.ch/doctorate/index_EN

hey o.stoll, enjoy!

how about going on a week of cycling holiday, with your tent and gas cooker packed, with a good friend? cycling is great - you can talk when you want to, but you can also just enjoy the ever changing landscape silently. you are always busy (either putting the tent up or taking it down, cooking or eating or doing the dishes or some laundry, or cycling) so you don't have time to fret, whilst simultaneously it is very relaxing - after a day or two your dissertation will be (literally) miles away!

good for you, barnaby! i hope you get a good start and enjoy the whole thing. it's exciting, isn't it!

i'm not in linguistics but not in science either

verypoor, you say you can't get a loan because you don't work. did you think about working your way through your masters? you could get a part-time job and study at the same time. if you are lucky (get a good job and don't live in london) you might not have to work all too much to get by, and thus could still study full time.

are you aware that the fees can usually be paid in installments? it is still a lot of money but seems eminently more doable if you don't feel you need to pay all at once.

same here, also as undergraduate. it's ages ago, though. the work itself was quite boring. but i never listened to as much radio before or after! really new what music was trendy and what was going on in the world
wasn't in the UK though.

congratulations!

in my department we have to submit a 5000 word report after 8 months. that is not the upgrade from MPhil to PhD yet, but rather just a "first year report". The real upgrade is usually between 15 (which is considered as extremely early) and 27 (very late) months. in order to upgrade we have to submit 3 more or less finalized chapters (including at least one "substantial" chapter, i.e. including data & analysis) and detailed outlines of the contents of all other chapters, plus a timeline for finishing.
that's all for full-time students. parttimers have different schedules and deadlines.

i wrote my own - finally i get to do what i really want. then i applied at the university where the professor is who i wanted as my supervisor. so i basically put my own interests first, then found the place were it would be best to pursue them, my private life comes last.

i wouldn't do it any other way. but that's different for everyone.

i was accepted without any interview or previous communication, save the formal application itself. i suppose it would be different if funding were involved.
i waited 8 weeks and a bit.

oh pineapple... have a big hug! (((pineapple)))

did you see it coming, at all? was your relationship troubled in any way? it seems scary if it came out of the blue.

allow your emotions. this is a significant thing happening to you. there is no need to be all sensible about it if you don't feel like being sensible. do you know the "5 stages of grief" model?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCbler-Ross_model
it speaks of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. don't get additionally upset at yourself for going through any of these phases! i once had a 5 year relationship that broke up - i lived in denial for about a year.
get help if you need it, ok?

oz, i suspect it isn't easy. but then, what is easy in life?

on the other hand, i know there is funding available in some countries specifically for women who's careers have been difficult due to childcare-duties. in switzerland, you can get enough money that way to get a decent postdoc-project going, maybe even to complete it; after that, you're back in.

in order to 'have it all', i suspect you need to be either very rich or have an exceptional social network (stay-at-home partner, friends&family who babysit on short notice and do the laundry while they're at it, ...)

sylvia -
don't be pressurized into a 2nd best solution. this is a long term decision that will affect you and your future more than it will affect anything else. so put yourself first.
after that, it would be nice to decide quickly, to keep negative side-effects low. i am thinking more of other hopeful candidates for the position than of the department. they will find someone else for sure, and although they might be annoyed, the costs to them are minimal compared to the costs to yourself if you stay just to keep them happy.

shanghaichica -
if they didn't inform you correctly, it is them waisting your time, not you their's! don't let them make you feel guilty for that!

-wissenschaftlicher mitarbeiter (can be pre- or post PhD, involves working on larger research projects, teaching and admin, depending on the individual contract; usually no further qualification step involved)
-privatdozent (involves teaching, research on your own time)
-assistenzprofessor (mainly research, you get to employ your own research team, usually consisting of yourself and 2 PhD researchers or post-docs; you are a faculty member and on track for tenure if you manage to get good results/publications)

it is a good question you ask. a year ago i was as clueless as you. one tends to take the job descriptions of one's own university system for granted and doesn't realise how obscure it is for outsiders. unless, of course, the people who put up those job adverts just don't want anyone to apply from outside the UK, then they needn't make it clear, i suppose.

further to your question, it might be interesting to hear from people across the world what job titles they have and what they mean?

in switzerland we've got:
-assistent (the job title for PhD students. involves doing your PhD, some teaching, supervising master students, participating in other research projects, perhaps administrative work and assisting your supervisor)
-oberassistent (job title for post-docs working towards habilitation, the next qualifying step en route to professorship, involves own research projects but also teaching and administrative work)