We Attend Cambridge Doncha Know

Yesterday, (Oct 26th already!) the day dawned bright and sunny. Malcolm and Delyth had planned a day in Cambridge for us. This ancient university city is about 1 hour's drive from Felixstowe and so off we went after breakfast.

One does not just drive into Cambridge if one has two brain cells to rub together. One will find one driving around for hours cursing under one's breath because there is nowhere for one to park. No, one goes to park and ride and takes a bus into the city.

Cambridge is a charming tangle of streets, wide and narrow, with an array of the colleges strung along the river and through the town.

Pembroke College was one that was open yesterday so we can show you the quad and also the chapel which is the first designed and built by Christopher Wren

Queens' College, Kings' College, Magdalene (pronounced Modlin) College and umpteen others that I can't remember. They are each a separate entity operating under the Cambridge umbrella. They all have their special areas of interest and history. There are far too many stories to tell about the various characters and conflicts surrounding this place so I shall just relate a couple that I found interesting.
The kings and queens of England have always had an interest in this, the second oldest university in England.

The Henrys including the VIIIth were very keen on Kings college, and Trinity College. When Henry VIII took all the land away from the Catholic institutions, he gave a bunch of it to Trinity and made them the third largest land holder in England. And therefore they are very wealthy.  Prince Charles is rumoured to be the graduate who had the poorest marks on his entry exam. He may have known someone.
For a while, Kings College only accepted graduates of Eton. There were no exams, ever, and you emerged, after 3 years, with a gentleman's degree. This has changed.

Queen Victoria stood looking at a particular bridge that was built over the River Cam in the heart of the university. She kept saying it was like the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. Nobody was about to disagree with her, so there is the Bridge of Sighs in Cambridge.








Lastly, Magdalene, refused women right up to 1988. And when that was changed, the male staff and students wore black arm bands and carried a coffin through the streets.

We took a wonderful 45 minute punt ride on the river along The Backs of the various colleges. It gave us a little taste of the gracious life of days past.