FLYING ADVENTURE

STEEPED IN HISTORY…

Martin Ferid heads to the Fens and doffs his cap to Cambridge, best known for its prestigious university…

here’s been a rivalry between the

Tuniversities of Oxford and Cambridge, both openly and in the shadows, for hundreds of years. As two of the world’s most prestigious seats of learning, both have not only produced many of our esteemed politicians but also some extremely clever people. For the majority, the closest they get to its cloisters is the annual boat race, and even then, probably with their feet up watching it on the box.

The first race was in 1829, on the River Thames between Hambleden Lock and Henley Bridge following a challenge issued by Cambridge, although a lymphatic performance resulted in an Oxford win.

If the ‘grey cells’ have been stimulated, you’ll probably want the stats, and to date the Cambridge men’s team has won 84 times, compared to Oxford’s 80, and for the women’s race, a permanent fixture during the 1960s, 45 to Oxford’s 30. Although Cambridge is ahead, the irony is that Above Cambridge Airport is relatively close to the city, making access reasonably simple and affordable. its university started life as an Oxford offshoot after the ‘town and gown’ riots between the townsfolk and scholars in 1209.

Less well known is that 100 years ago this year in 1921, former RFC pilots who had returned to the Universities, inaugurated an Oxford-Cambridge Air Race with eight surplus SE-5A fighters they had rented via the Royal Aero Club. And Cambridge won.

As a point of interest, Oxford is the UK’s oldest university, having been founded in 1096 and second oldest worldwide, having been pipped to the post by the University of Bologna by eight years.

There is evidence of a settlement on the current city’s site since the Bronze Age and was an important trading centre in Roman and Viking times. Originally known as Granta Brygg, after the River Granta that runs from Grantchester, its name became Grentebrige or Cantebrigge before gravitating to Cambridge. Having been granted its town charter in the 12th century, it only gained city status as recently as 1951.

Very topically, the largest European medical research centre is located at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, which includes the corporate HQ of the Anglo-Swedish biotech company AstraZeneca.

The Black Death pandemic of the 1340s, followed by the national epidemic of 1361, decimated the population throughout Europe and locally, killing off about one-third of the population. The general discontent felt by the poor led to what was to be known as the Great Rising or Peasants’ Revolt. In 1381, Wat Tyler led the impoverished farm workers in rebellion against the high rates of taxation and for the abolition of serfdom. This led to the stripping of many of the town’s powers, which were transferred to the university.

During the English Civil War, Cambridge served as headquarters for the Parliamentarian East Anglian army. In 1643 control of the town was handed over to their Commander-in-Chief, a former pupil of Sidney Sussex College and local boy from Huntingdon, Oliver Cromwell. As Lord Protector of England and one of the 59 signatories to the death warrant of Charles I on the reinstatement of the monarchy in 1660, Charles II had him posthumously tried for treason. Although he had died of natural causes two years previously, he was duly dug up and decapitated. For years, his head was displayed on a spike and then passed through the hands of various collectors over the centuries. In 1960 the head was finally reburied at an undisclosed location in Cambridge.

Among the many notable alumni and as they say, in no particular order are: Virginia Woolf, Dame Mary Beard, Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Francis Bacon, David Attenborough, Dame Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Stephen Hawking, Rosalind Franklin, A A Milne, Alan Turing, Lord Byron and Charles Darwin. Now, there’s a choice from which choose the perfect University Challenge dream team.

In case you are of the belief that NIMBYism is a modern phenomenon, it’s not, and it existed long before the word was coined to describe it. With the arrival of the railways in 1845, the perceived changes were met with substantial resistance, particularly from the powerful university. In a bid to ‘maintain control’, exert didactic influence and restrict travel by its undergraduates, the university ensured that the station was located outside of town, making it more difficult to access.

This simple fact inadvertently served the city well during WWII as the Luftwaffe’s bombing runs focused primarily on the station and railway line. Whilst on a wartime footing, unbeknown to the population at large, the foundations for the push against the might of Germany and the allied invasion of Europe, were laid at a secret meeting of allied leaders at Trinity College in 1944.

Cambridge Airport also has an interesting history as Marshall Aerospace has its origins in the chauffeur company created by David Marshall in 1909, and the Aero Club its beginnings utilising Arthur Marshall’s Gypsy Moth in 1929 at nearby Fen Ditton. This led to over 22,000 pilots being trained at Marshall’s Flying School during WWII. These days, training is limited to all aspects of the PPL, including aerobatics. cambridgeairport.com/

At around 2½ miles outside of the town, getting in is simple and, as it should be everywhere, with a Park & Ride stop just outside. At £3 for a day trip, it brings a whole new meaning to the ‘park & ride’ concept. For the energetic, the walk takes a little under an hour, less than 10 minutes by taxi or there are two options by bus, both a short walk away. Turn right out of the airport, and the number 3 Citi bus goes from Rawlyn Road, or turn left and the number 114-bus stop can be found by Sainsbury’s. Above The intriguing Corpus (Grasshopper) Clock, was installed on the outside of the Taylor Library at Corpus Christi College in 2008.

A bite to eat….

So many of the places I visit around the UK are pretty banausic regarding food, where steaks, pies or meat and two vegs are the norm. Cambridge could not be more different! The dissilient mix of cuisine from all around the world is exciting, possessing an inspiring vibrancy. For those who want pub grub it is freely available, but there is so much more to try, taste and experience. Prices range from cheap and cheerful to eye-wateringly expensive, and way beyond my budget, but you don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy good food. If the selection below doesn’t whet the appetite, I’m sure that a little wander around town will produce the required predilection. The Cook’s Nest. 1 Walnut Tree Avenue Under the bridge, essentially the equivalent of a burger van selling Greek street food with the student clientele in mind. Admittedly not a sit-down restaurant, but ideal for a picnic in the park or by the river. For a cheap meal out, all you need is a blanket, a bottle of wine, good company and a nice summer’s evening. 100% ***** star reviews. Midsummer House. The pricing at Daniel Clifford’s ** star Michelin restaurant is stratospheric at £230 per person for the tasting menu. I’m guessing it’s aimed at the successful post-graduates, now earning megabucks, but as the restaurant has been a success for over 20 years, it must

have a winning formula. Midsummer Common 01223 369299 midsummerhouse.co.uk/. Amélie Flam-kuche. I’ve sampled flam-kuche in eastern France and Germany, as it originates from the Alsace region. Translating as ‘flame-cake’, it is a different take on the standard pizza, with an ultra-thin base made of flatbread and costs around £15.

East Car Park Access 101 Grafton Centre 01223 778898 amelierestaurants.co.uk/ Navadhanya is the combination of upmarket Indian food and nouvelle cuisine, and not your standard curry house. Much as I enjoy both independently, the mix doesn’t work for me. The tasting menu is £56. navadhanya.co.uk/ Restaurant 22 offers nice food, once again at the expensive end, with their set lunch menu at £37.50. Chesterton Road, 01223 351880 restaurant22.co.uk/ Little Petra is a family-run Jordanian restaurant serving many dishes new to me. The owner Yaseen Hlalat, was born on the outskirts of Rose City, Petra, in Wadi Musa, adding to its allure. Expect to pay about £20 per head. 94 Mill Road 01223 470784 littlepetra.co.uk/.

And sleep…

Ramada Cambridge. A pleasant and comfortable ****star hotel, in the other direction from the town to the airfield. With prices from around £45 per night is just about as cheap as it gets for a comfortable hotel. Much of the saving is indeed lost on the cost of taxis, but may make good sense if there are two or more of you. A14/M11, Boxworth, Cambridge, CB23 4WU.

Right The chapel at Selwyn College, named after George Augustus Selwyn and opened in 1882.

Left As with Oxford, Cambridge has a history of ‘messing about in boats’.

Below The AstraZeneca corporate HQ is based at Cambridge, which has extensive links with the biochemical research industry.

Bottom The wooden Mathematical Bridge, a self-supporting structure built in 1749.

Rectory Farm. A lovely country house hotel in a pleasant setting. Unfortunately, most rooms are in the adjacent building, but at around £70 per night it’s good value for the area. Although it is also out on the other side of town, the number 4 Citi bus stop is a two-minute walk away and takes about 10 minutes to get into the centre. Madingley Road, CB23 7PG rectoryfarm.net/ Ashley Hotel. A comfortable hotel 20-minutes walk from the centre of town through Midsummer Common. Cost is around £100 per night, including a full English/Irish breakfast. 74 Chesterton Road, Cambridge, CB4 1ER. ashley.com-hotel.info/.

The selection above is of the more affordable ones and the ease of getting into town, but if you have money to burn, there are many hotels in the £200-£300 bracket that a quick internet search will locate.

Out & About

When Sian and I last visited, we embraced the student life almost like students ourselves. Our walks through town included lunch on the riverbanks with ingredients from the market, lazily watching the boats going up and down. At the other end of the day, or should I say in the early hours of the next morning, we chanced upon a celebrating group of terpsichorean secondyear students, whom we joined in a glass or two while debating everything, from solipsism to world peace.

An interesting point borne out from the lengthy discourse were the differences between rowing, which is apparently done with a single oar, sculling, which is done with two unless, of course, it is done in a skiff when it becomes skiffing. Confused? Try it at 2am in the morning after a night out! Walking tours. You can, as we did, wander around the various historic colleges on your own, to enjoy the architecture, and discover the ‘insect eating time’ at The Corpus Clock corpus.cam.ac.uk/about-corpus/ corpus-clock or book a guided tour where you’ll get the background information too. For different types of walking tours, prices vary from around £10-£25 per person, depending on the company.

Below The university’s computer laboratory, the area is one of the UK’s foremost centres of the technology industry. Museums. There are eight museums, with millions of artefacts from all over the world, illustrating a historical journey from over four billion years ago to the present day. They variously specialise in archaeology, anthropology and science, and there is even a modern art gallery. This link will provide the selection and let you select any area of special interest. Oh, and don’t forget the botanical gardens. museums.cam.ac.uk/ Punting on the river. For me, the activity has always been synonymous with Oxford and images of the Edwardian dandy, sporting a striped jacket and straw boater, gliding genteelly along the river; with the ‘lady’ of his affections dressed in white, sitting cool and demure beneath her parasol. Well, Cambridge also has a river and punts for hire, with prices ranging from around £37.50 for 1½ hours to £105 for six hours for up to six people. For a couple or a group of four, armed with cucumber sandwiches and something fizzy trailing in the water behind, it should make for a memorable day out. visitcambridge.org/punting-tours Market. A market has been a daily fixture since the Middle Ages and can be found at Market Square in the city centre. Cambridge Gin Distillery offers interactive tours promoting its products. Not being a gin drinker, I didn't know that there was so much to it, or that it had such a strong following. For an insight into the making of what became known as ‘mother’s ruin’ see cambridgedistillery.co.uk/ Cycle hire. You can’t really go to Cambridge without mentioning bicycles, which act as the main mode of transport for many students. Available for hire from around £12 per day from City Cycle Hire, a short walk from the centre of town 01223 365629 www. citycyclehire.com/. Rutland Cycling, is a bit dearer right in the centre and also offers e-bikes. rutlandcycling.com/pages/cycle-hire-grand-arcade/

Cambridge would be a very different place without the university, with some students and lecturers adding to its mystique by wearing the full academic gowns as a matter of course. Its libraries house millions of books and get a complimentary copy of every book published within the UK.

Football fans will find it interesting that the first official game was played on Parker’s Piece, using ‘Cambridge Rules’ in 1848. These formed the basis of the 1863 Football Association’s rules that are in use today.

The Mathematical Bridge, or Wooden Bridge, is one of the most well-known of the 26 bridges that cross the river, and connects the two sections of Queen’s College. It was built in 1749 by James Essex and was the first designed using mathematical principles by William Etheridge. The timbers are laid in a series of tangents, with radial members locking them together, creating a self-supporting structure.

As one of the foremost centres of the technology industry with up to 3,000 science and tech businesses based in the area, which is known as ‘Silicon Fen’, gleaning its name from the surrounding fenlands and its Silicon Valley connections.

Visiting is straightforward, as all it needs is a bit of imagination and the willingness to go, although it has to be said that the landing fees are somewhat off-putting at £29. Until recently, there was a reduced fee for associate members, but unfortunately that ended at the beginning of the year. The aeroclub is very friendly and where you’ll pay the landing fee. Give Cat a call for further info, 01223 373717 cambridgeaeroclub.com/

As we have this ability to whizz in and out, taking a snapshot of the best a place has to offer, we owe it to ourselves to reap the fruits of our endeavours. Hiring a car gives access to the many quaint local villages, whereas a stay in town soaks up the youthful atmosphere that’s kept forever young by the ever changing student population. ■

Get inspired…

Martin Ferid is a Class Rating Instructor / Revalidation Examiner, specialising in advanced tuition and confidence-building flights – day trips or a few days away – in your aircraft throughout Europe and the UK. A browse through over 150 ‘favourite destinations’ on the website below should inspire tyro and experienced pilots alike. For amusement, try the ‘bit of fun’ section on the ‘contacts’ tab. Email: lightaircrafttraining@yahoo.com Tel: 07598 880 178 Website: http://www.lightaircrafttraining.co.uk

ben@aerofabrestorations.co.uk

01264 773724

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