You are here...


Frequently spotted around Cambridge: a gaggle of camera-toting tourists huddled over these kinda-cool relief maps of the city centre trying to work out how to get from where they are (in this case under Great St Mary's tower in the centre) to their favourite coffee shop. Astonishingly (the epidemically-omnipresent) Starbucks has not been ringed in dayglo-orange by the council on this map despite their best efforts in cookie-cutter-corporate-branding of the city centre. These relief maps are great reproductions though and very realistic - the most recognisable bits being King's College chapel top right and Trinity College Great Court (a la the race in Chariots of Fire, although the film actually used Eton College school) in the foreground. The only innacuracy as far as I can tell is that, unlike the actual city centre buildings, this isn't covered in pigeon s***.

Of course, the true beauty of this map is that, whilst any photoblogger can snap their city's best bits, only a really lazy one can give you the whole city centre, to scale, in one shot. Voila!

Just a Tourist Shot



...today folks. I doubt if I even have to explain it. Enjoy the sun!

Hhmmm.


A custom peculiar to Cambridge was that of selling butter in three foot lengths and an inch in diameter, a pound being rolled between two boards. The University has an ancient cylinder of sheet iron which was used to test the size of every roll of butter sold in the town. "Yard Butter" was still sold until the introduction of food rationing in the early years of the First World War.

For I loved Cambridge (where they deal
How strange! in butter by the yard):

Q - Anecdote for Fathers (1886)

Go figure.

Cambridge in the Long

Where drowsy sound of college-chimes
Across the air is blown,
And drowsy fragrance of the limes,
I lie and dream alone.

A dazzling radiance reigns o'er all -
O'er gardens densely green,
O'er old grey bridges and the small,
Slow flood which slides between.

This is the place; it is not strange,
But known of old and dear.
What went I forth to seek? The change
Is mine; why am I here?

Alas, in vain I turned away,
I fled the town in vain;
The strenuous life of yesterday
Calleth me back again.

And was it peace I came to seek?
Yet here, where memories throng,
Ev'n here, I know the past is weak,
I know the present strong.

This drowsy fragrance, silent heat,
Suit not my present mind,
Whose eager thought goes out to meet
The life it left behind.

Spirit with sky to change; such hope,
An idle one we know;
Unship the oars, make loose the rope,
Push off the boat and go...

Ah, would what binds me could have been
Thus loosened at a touch!
This pain of living is too keen,
Of loving, is too much.

Amy Levy

UnFreeze Frame



A bit of a change today... Most of you folks have seen the Whipplesnaith vid so I thought I'd show you something similar that combines two of my main loves. No, not Ambrosia Devon-knows-how-they-make-it-so-creamy Custard and latex, but Cambridge - and the climbing of it. The video's one of many available from Openbox Films - a film company/freelance Parkour stunt team who promote the sport in the media industry. They're based in Newmarket, 13 miles from Cambridge. Their talent is astonishing, I'm sure you'll agree. And behind all the action you'll see parts of the city which are recognisable to regulars - almost all have been featured on the blog in the past. Check out the guys' YouTube channel and their homepage. Very cool.

Messin' about on the River



A common sight of a morning on the Cam is the college boat clubs out training. It's a timeless thing and makes for fascinating viewing as you walk the towpath and hear the coxes (tiny) yelling at the crew (huge). Each college has a boathouse along the river and here you can see, with the red doors, Lady Margaret (St. John's) with Queens' alongside. Licences are granted by the council for boat moorings and there a whole bunch of them, mainly narrowboats with a couple of Dutch barges, lined up all the way back to Chesterton. This is one of the cleanest. One of the downsides of such a seemingly peaceful river existence must be landlubbers like myself peering in and talking photos...

Falcon becomes Lame Lion


Before the presiding brains of the time got the idea to knock down our version of York's Shambles or Brighton's and Norwich's Lanes, there was a fantastically (unhealthy) higgledy-piggleday collection of streets and yards called Petty Cury where the hideous and cookie-cutter Lion Yard now stands. Demolishing those destroyed one of the most atmospheric and intriguing city centres in the country and left us open to virtual clone-town status. Even sadder, several ancient inns were demolished as part of the development, most notably the Falcon. Queen Mary (Tudor) watched a play held in the yard there (and enjoyed it greatly, so the story goes, so presumably it involved killing Protestants). Much more recently a party in the Falcon to launch a poetry magazine was the meeting place of Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath (he had just left Pembroke, she was on a scholarship to Newnham). Plath planned a novel based on her time in Cambridge, to be called Falcon Yard, but it was still unfinished when she had her tragic appointment with a gas oven. Luckily my camera has a time travel facility...

Abbey Days


Just outside Cambridge is Anglesey Abbey. Dating from 1600 and built on the foundations of a 12th Century priory, it is now owned by the National Trust. It was for many years owned by Huttleston Broughton, 1st Lord Fairhaven and the wonderful interiors are a reflection of his taste. It's very interesting - especially the huge collection of paintings of Windsor Castle, spanning 350 years. I must admit though - culturally improving though that is, I simply prefer to wander with friends around the 100 acres of grounds and gardens. The views are stunning, the walks fascinating (not least the colonnade of Roman Emperor statuary) and there's a very picturesque watermill where you can buy your organic home-milled flour. Essential for all my home baking...

Familiar...


Ok, so it's one of the most photographed buildings in the UK but what Cambridge photoblog would be complete without a shot of King's College chapel? It is truly stunning from every angle. The foundation stone of the chapel was laid by Henry VI in 1446 but it wasn't finished until the reign (and death) of Henry VIII in 1547. Just in time for me to take this shot.

Puntificating



The recent weeks' proper summer weather means the desultory straggle of hardy cold-weather punters have been overwhelmed by hordes of amateurs who, having learned the art, will leave the city never to so much as see a punt again. It is great fun though and something everyone has to do once. Most of the fun is in the drinking and sinking that takes place but apparently there are also some historic buildings to see along the route... The punt-voyeur can achieve most enjoyment by just sitting on the bank and watching the inept create carnage on the Cam and the inevitable fallings in that occur with hilarious regularity - generally due to an absolute refusal to release the pole when it gets stuck in the mud whilst the punt continues its momentum... The young lady shown here was clearly an improver - becoming confident whilst still not entirely comfortable with the pole but she acquitted herself more than adequately. Sadly.

A Year and a Day

I shall remember miraculous things you said

My whole life through,

Things to go unforgotten till I am dead;

But the hundredfold, adorable ways of you,

The tilt of your chin for laughter, the turn of your head

That I loved, that I knew -

Oh! While I fed on the dreams of them, these have fled!

Words which no time can touch are my life's refrain,

But each picture flies.

All that was left to hold till I met you again,

Your mouth's deep curve, your brow where the shadow lies,

These are the things I strive to capture in vain,

And I have forgotten your eyes;

And the way that your hair spun curls in the beating of rain!

Kathleen M. Coates, 1914.

Kathleen Coates was a Cambridge student around 1910-13; I'm working on a small collection of her poems at the moment and decided to post this, my favourite. The picture is of Trinity Street, a scene hardly changed from when she'd have wandered down it, giddy with love and hope, hand in hand with her husband-to-be. Of course, if he was anything like me, he'd have whipped his hand away and told her not to be so soppy... ;p

Lovely - not.



If there's one building that symbolises Cambridge for me it is the University Library (I'm here for a meeting today). One of five copyright libraries in the UK (it's entitled to receive a copy of every book and journal published) it pretty much dominates the skyline of the city when viewed from the west. Only Addenbrooke's charnel chimneys match it for prominence. Built 1931-34, and pretty ugly if you ask me, it was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott who also designed Bankside power station in London which is now home to Tate Modern– perhaps you can see the similarity... But what most people don't know is that he also designed what is perhaps, alongside the double-decker bus, the pre-eminent icon of 20th Century Britain. I'm assuming you've guessed....

Herds of Wildebeest?


But not a bad view nevertheless. And back in Cambridge (this post dedicated to the lovely Liz). New Court, St John's as seen from Trinity. Actually, from the Fellows' Bowling Green in Trinity, a place I've never been before but managed to sneak into yesterday. There are times when you have to think of Cambridge, 'It sure is purty...' and this is one of 'em.

Those of you who follow my ramblings will instantly recognise the Wedding Cake behind the tree and think of Nares Craig, the chap who was photographed atop its apex in a particular book I'm fond of. We spent a while discussing the foolish bravery needed to do that yesterday and concluded that he was way more courageous / stoopid than any of us lily-livered losers...

Have a great week folks.

What - a wall? A waterwall...



London's only 40 minutes away from the fabulous city of Cambridge so there's no harm in popping down every now and then to sample the delights of the ol' Smoke. I slid down on Wednesday to see a movie at the IMAX (I love that place!) and walked from Kings Cross down to the South Bank in the glorious sunshine. It was incredibly hot but I'm a boring old fart and I wasn't tempted to join these damp folks who were taking the direct route to cooling down.

A Load of Old...


Was slightly off the Cambridge map yesterday but couldn't resist the free ticket to the Royal Norfolk Show from a buddy. There were so many stands and a lot of great stuff to see and do; I was less than moved by the combine harvesters and tractors on show but couldn't get over the size of this guy. Immense at over 1500 kgs...

Sshh...


Sidney Sussex College cloister. Lovely.