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A Little More Info on Cambridge (10/10/22)

This morning Bob and I had our own personal walking tour of Cambridge, very generously provided by our homeowners. It was two hours of non-stop information on Cambridge (both the town and the university) provided in an entertaining manner by Tony Rogers, a Cambridge University alum.

Some fun facts about Cambridge University. 1209 is claimed as the start date for the university, as this is the year when some Oxford students fled to Cambridge when Oxford was closed. The university is made up of 31 colleges, the oldest of which is Peterhouse. It has produced an incredible number of Nobel prize winners — 121 individuals. It is built on the monastic tradition of caring for one’s mind, body, and soul and so colleges provided a library, cafeteria, and chapel.

The following photos are some of what we learned about the university. The city-related photos follow.

And so begins the nuclear age.
The courtyard of Pembroke College.
The chapel of Pembroke College
A statue of William Pitt the Younger, who went on to become the Prime Minister (as was his father, the elder). Notice the blackness of the big toe of his right foot, which students rub for luck before exams.
College of Gonville and Caius (pronounced Keys)
where Stephen Hawking was a Fellow
The chapel of Trinity College. The college was begun under Henry VIII, who is depicted on the facade. He is holding a golden orb and what is supposed to be a golden scepter but which has been replaced by enterprising students with a chair leg.

One of the newer features of Cambridge is the Corpus Clock which is behind leaded glass on the outside of the Taylor Library at Corpus Christi College. It was conceived and funded by John Taylor, an alumnus of the college. It is 24 carat gold plated stainless steel. The outer ring shows the seconds, the middle ring minutes, and the inner ring the hour via a blue light. The animal on the top, which didn’t photo well due to movement, looks a bit like an evil grasshopper, but is actually a chronophage, or time eater. The whole work is to remind us of the constant passage of time and to live life while we can.

The Corpus Clock

We also learned some history about the city of Cambridge.

Interesting quote, one embraced by many people in positions of power over the years
Apparently, the home of the last hangman in Cambridge.
Note the metal sign showing the number of the house
surrounded by a tree and a person with a noose.
Little St. Mary’s Church
A plaque in Little St. Mary’s Church,
where the great uncle of George Washington is buried.
And the plaque on top may have influenced the USA flag.
The RAF Bar. Lots of stories attached to this bar.
It was frequented by the Royal Air Force and US forces during WWII.
The writing on the ceiling is from the WWII forces.
Individuals in the military who show their IDs get to sign the walls.
A cute little nook in the Eagle Bar next to the RAF Bar.
Plaques in the Eagle Bar
where Watson and Crick announced their discovery of how DNA works.
Work by Rosalind Franklin, another Cambridge alum,
is also now credited with contributing to this understanding as well.

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