Temporary Household Items - how to acquire?

We are planning to go to Cambridge for 1 year.  The thing I cannot figure out is the best way to get those items you needs to live but that you don't want to ship and don't want to spend a fortune on... sheets, dishes, forks, etc.

We will be in a furnished flat, so we are lucky that we don't need furniture, but I've been told that mattress sizing is different, so we will need new sheets.  I don't mind buying something like pillows, which ned replacing regularly anyway, but the thought of purchasing all cutlery, all sheets, all cooking stuff, and then to have to donate it after 12 months seems like SUCH a waste.

I considered finding all the thrift shops around to buy things cheaply -- but I also wondered if there was such hing as rentals of these things? 

Any ideas?


PS I am getting nervous and have done ZERO planning, so I may be posting here a lot!