Sunday, 3 April 2011

Cambridge – Week 1

We had booked into Cherry Hinton Caravan Club site for two weeks. We chose this site because if the weather was inclement we could visit museums, colleges, stately homes, etc. We were also expecting a visit by David and Carol for a few days.

The Caravan Site is in an old chalk quarry so it is set quite low down with high cliffs all around. This meant that it could be dark at some times during the day. We were allocated one of the better pitches.

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Sunday art market opposite Trinity College

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The Great Gate, of Trinity College, was built in 1530 as part of King's Hall and the largest of all the college gates, is the only one with two doors, one large and one small.

Above the Great Gate, on the outside of the College, is a statue of the College's founder, King Henry VIII. Some years ago, his sceptre was replaced by a chair leg as an undergraduate prank; its current whereabouts are unknown.

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As we were passing through the Grand Arcade we just happened to be in the right place to see this fashion show (only 10 minutes).

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On the left - The Mathematical Bridge, at Queens College, was built in 1749 by James Essex the Younger (1722-1784). It has subsequently been rebuilt to the same design in 1866 and 1905.

On the right some dodgy punting!

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Sue and I were out geocaching at Wandlebury Country Park. We teamed up with a family who were new to geocaching and having problems, no wonder, it was a difficult cache to do for a first one. Anyway they stayed with us for 3 caches and then had to return home. Local hairy resident watching us at the cache.

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David and Carol joined us on site on the Monday. Later in the week it was Sue’s birthday. Carol had come up with a novelty cake i.e. chocolate cake with opening petals and candles attached, playing Happy Birthday – it was great fun. The Happy Birthday tune played for the next 5 days, eventually it had to be dismantled so it could be disposed of safely.

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                               Birthday celebration.              

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Madingley American Cemetery is located in the heart of the Cambridgeshire countryside. Set in over thirty acres of beautifully maintained gardens and lawns, the cemetery contains the bodies of 3812 war dead from the world war two era. Every State of the Union is represented here. In addition inscribed on the Tablets Of The Missing are the names of over 8000 American service men who lost their lives during the war but whose bodies were never recovered.

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One visit was to the Polar Museum.

Set in the ceiling a map of Antarctica.      Model sailing boat - Ojga

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Left - Photography equipment of the day.        

Right – Scrimshaw – this is the name given to handiwork created by whalers made from the by products of harvesting marine mammals.

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On one of the days the ladies went for a mooch around the shops while David and I took in a few nearby geocaches. 

Right - Having a rest in the local park.

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Week 2 -  Coming Soon

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