On our way from Windsor to Corsham, we stopped off in Cambridge. Not only was it home of one of the most prestigious universities in the UK but we were meeting Andy and his wife San. Andy is an auto-racing fan that Allan met through Facebook.
We met at The Eagle, a very busy pub with a rich history. The inn was founded in 1667 and was used by Watson and Crick to relax and discuss their theories in the 1950’s. On Feb. 8, 1953 they publicly announced “We have discovered the secret of life” from that spot with the discovery of DNA.
The Eagle also had a unique ceiling. During WWII, the RAF and USAF airmen put their names and squadron numbers on the ceiling of the bar before leaving for war. It was their way of leaving their mark and being remembered. Those names were still on the ceiling and it was neat to see that little piece of wartime history.
As you would expect, Cambridge is full of young adults and it was a nice combination of young and old to see young people set against such traditional buildings. We even saw quirky things like the Man in the Bin singing Dylan songs from a garbage can.
We saw the oldest church there, established in 1020.
The University of Cambridge is a confederation of schools, faculties, departments and colleges. There are 31 colleges (King’s College, Queen’s College, St. Catherine’s College etc.), autonomous institutions but integral to the makeup of the university. Cambridge is a university town but very different than the ones back home.