24 Nov 11 A Look At Cambridge United
The history of many football clubs is often long and Cambridge United is no exception. The team was founded in 1912 under the name Abbey United and they currently compete in the fifth tier of English football where they have been playing games since 2005 after their sad relegation from the football leagues after 35 years. Cambridge United play their games at Abbey Stadium, which is located only 1.5 miles from the heart of Cambridge city centre.
The History of Cambridge United
Cambridge is an old city that boasts interesting architecture blended perfectly with modern shops and entertainment districts that cater to the students who study at the colleges and universities in the city. Cambridge United has successfully reached the FA Cup quarter finals twice and the Football League Cup final once. Their highest ever league position was achieved when the club finished in fifth place in the Second Division the year before the Premier League was set up (1991-1992 season) – narrowly missing out on a spot in the top flight.
Most of Cambridge United’s early club days were played in amateur leagues and spent many seasons moving from ground to ground. However, the team finally turned professional in 1949 and by 1951, the club went by the name it does today – Cambridge United. The team competed in the Eastern Counties League where they finished as runners up in the 1957-58 season when they celebrated a promotion to the Southern League. Years later the club enjoyed more success as they reached the Premier Division of the Southern League.
By 1970, Cambridge United reached the Football League and enjoyed mixed bouts of success and disappointment in the 1980s as the club was relegated for three successive seasons dumping them back down to the Fourth Division. The early 1990s saw a better period for the club as the U’s won a play-off final at Wembley against Chesterfield and gained promotion. 1990 and 1991 saw the team reach the quarter finals of the highly coveted FA Cup. Unfortunately more relegation battles were to come and in 2005 after 35 years in the football leagues, Cambridge United slipped down into the Football Conference.
In 2011, Cambridge United was put up for sale by its owners as it desperately needed more money to move forward. No new owner has yet been found and after 87 games in charge of the U’s, manager Martin Ling parted ways with the club who now operate under the direction of Jez George.
Notable Players
Cambridge United has been the home club for many notable players including Dion Dublin, Alan Kimble, Steve Claridge, Jody Craddock, Lindsey Smith, Les Reed, Wilf Mannion and Dave Kitson. Dion Dublin will be remembered by many for scoring the winning goal for Cambridge United against Chesterfield in the playoff final at Wembley. As well as many famous players finding themselves on the playing field for the Cambridge team, the club has also attracted big-name managers including Ron Atkinson, Bill Lievers, John Beck, John Taylor and Claude Le Roy.
Cambridge United is currently on the hunt for new owners as well as a possible relocation to a new stadium although while rumours abound, nothing has currently happened on either stance. The team wears amber and black kits and with so many possible changes in the pipeline, Cambridge United could be the team to watch out for!
Cambridge football fans need look no further than the Cambridge News. For the latest results and fixtures for Cambridge United, visit the Cambridge News online.
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29 Sep 11 Museums in Cambridge
When it comes to talking about museums in Cambridge, an image of those iconic multilayered Russian dolls comes to mind because Cambridge is itself a living breathing museum where history is still being made. Everywhere you walk in Cambridge, there are endless reminders of the good and the great who spent at least part of their lives in what Oxford prefers to call the other place. Punting on the Cam takes you up to Byron’s Pool while Isaac Newton did many of his famous experiments in the grounds of Trinity College. More recently, Crick and Watson discovered DNA while working at the Cavendish and Stephen Hawking is based here. Still, even a living museum needs to keep a proper record of its past, so what’s on offer in this compact fenland city?
A History of Cambridge Museums
The Fitzwilliam Museum was founded in 1816 by the seventh Viscount Fitzwilliam of Merrion who gave his wonderful art collection and library to the University along with money for a suitable building to house it all. The classical and imposing building in Trumpington Street was completed in 1848 and the Viscount’s original collection has been greatly added to by other benefactors since.
The early collection of masterpieces by Titian and Veronese have been complemented by a more modern interest in the Arts and Crafts movement, making for an art collection that is completely unique and an establishment that is perhaps the most famous of museums in Cambridge. Continuing the art theme in Cambridge museums, why not visit Kettle’s Yard on Castle Street? This museum/gallery is in a beautiful house and contains a remarkable collection of modern art along with a programme of exhibitions throughout the year. The house and the original art collection was donated to the University in 1966 by the then owner, Jim Ede.
The Polar Museum at the Scott Polar Research Institute is situated on Lensfield Road and contains a unique collection of artefacts connected with polar exploration. Photos, clothing, equipment, maps and paintings are all on display along with occasional exhibitions on particular themes. A truly fascinating visit for anyone with an interest in the history of exploration, all shown in recently refurbished up-to-date galleries. Another of the Cambridge museums is the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences in Downing Street, originally founded in 1904 and housing a vast number of specimens from Adam Sedgwick himself along with Charles Darwin and many other famous collectors.
A final choice from the many museums in Cambridge is the Cambridge County and Folk Museum in Castle Street, which is celebrating its 75th year. The 17th century timber-framed building is a piece of history itself and houses a varied collection of objects from ordinary life over the centuries, showing that Cambridge has always been about more than just its famous academics.
Popular Cambridge Museums
The Fitzwilliam is very popular with visitors, not least because it is free. Opening times are Tuesday to Saturday 10:00-17:00; Sundays and Bank Holidays 12:00-17:00; closed Mondays, Good Friday, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Kettle’s Yard is also free admission and the opening times are (winter) Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays 14:00-16:00; (summer) Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays 13:30-16:30. Christmas closure 24-27 December and 1/2 January. (Note that the gallery and bookshop close during exhibitions.) Scott Polar Museum is free admission and open 10:00-16:00 Tuesday to Saturday. Closed Monday/Tuesday and on public holidays.
Like many other museums in Cambridge, the Sedgwick also offers free admission. Opening times Monday to Friday 10:00-13:00 and 14:00-17:00; Saturday 10:00-16:00. Closed on public holidays. Finally, the Cambridge and County Folk Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday10:30-17:00; Sunday 14:00-17:00. Closed on Mondays except Bank Holidays (14:00-17:00) and on public holidays. Last admission is 16:30. This museum about ordinary folk is not free: adults £3.50; concessions £2; children (5-12 years) £1 with one child free per paying adult.
Enjoy Cambridge and its selection of great museums next time you visit the interesting city.
With many Cambridge museums offering free admission, they are popular tourist attractions. For the latest news about museums in Cambridge, visit the Cambridge news.
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27 Sep 11 A Trip to the Theatre in Cambridge
‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players’ (from Shakespeare’s As You Like It) may well be true but sometimes people prefer an hour or two away from the real world’s dramas. Today, cinema and television can fill this need for temporary escapism but at one time, it was mainly met by the theatre, be it a local village hall or something posh in London’s West End.
In the Western world, theatre itself goes back to at least as far as Ancient Greece and probably much beyond that, and occurs across all societies, so it must be meeting some universal need in people. In spite of an increasingly wide choice in forms of home entertainment, people still enjoy the intimacy of an evening at the theatre and this is no truer than in the fenland city of Cambridge, where they flock to the Cambridge Arts Theatre.
Cambridge Arts Theatre
There are a number of other active theatres in Cambridge (Christ’s College Theatre, Cambridge Corn Exchange, The Junction, etc.) but the Cambridge Arts Theatre is arguably the most popular of them all. Founded in 1936 and run by a trust, it often manages to fill its large capacity 666 seat auditorium with a mixture of offerings ranging from drama to pantomime, the Christmas panto being a regular sell out. Harold Pinter chose this venue to host his premiere of The Birthday Party, which has been followed by a host of other premieres by top playwrights. Good plays attract good actors of the likes of Sir Derek Jacobi, Nigel Havers, Susan Hampshire and Simon Callow to name but a few.
It hosts its own Gilbert & Sullivan Society as well as a Marlowe Society, and occasionally puts on a no doubt tragic Greek play. The Cambridge Footlights were hosted here, with an impressively long list of popular household names cutting their theatrical teeth. Monty Python’s John Cleese (along with many other Pythons), Hitchhiker’s Guide Douglas Adams, all three Goodies, National Theatre’s Trevor Nunn – the Footlights list of the great and the good just goes on and on, and they all walked the stage at the Cambridge Arts Theatre early in their careers.
Pubs in Cambridge
All this entertainment at the theatre can be very thirsty work for audiences, and with more liberal licensing hours there can be nothing better than going on to one of the pubs in Cambridge afterwards to have a good chinwag about the play and anything else you feel like discussing! Before that though, the theatre itself has four bars to choose from; these open some 45 minutes before the performance as well as during the interval. Within a crawling distance of about 200m, you also have five pubs and bars to choose from (Bar Room Bar, La Raza, The Cow, Eagle, Bath House), with many more within easy reach just a few minutes further away.
The Bath House is like many traditional pubs In Cambridge on the outside but has been given a modern makeover complete with sofas inside. The Eagle (originally called The Eagle and Child), on the other hand, is traditional inside and out and has the notable distinction of being the place where the scientists Crick and Watson first worked out the physical structure of DNA, so the beer here must be truly inspirational. The Cow is a half timbered building, which has undergone recent refurbishment that got rid of the tired Victorian look and brought in laminated floors and sofas, while DJs play music here on most evenings.
DJs also play at the trendy and modernly stylish Bar Room Bar, which is the best nearby place to go for fabulous cocktails. Finally, continuing the theme of cocktails, trendy décor and DJs, you can also eat at La Raza, which offers Mediterranean inspired dishes in its restaurant.
Why not try one of them next time you want to catch a play?
If you’re catching a play at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, why not round off your evening with a quiet drink or a pub meal? Visit the Cambridge News for the lowdown on pubs in Cambridge.
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08 Aug 11 A Musical Look at Cambridge
The historic fenland city of Cambridge is rightly known for its world class university and medieval college buildings, many of them lined alongside the gently flowing waters of the River Cam but did you know that the city is also well known for its Cambridge gigs? With so many Cantabrigans directly involved in the quest for knowledge, it is not surprising to find that they are also passionately interested in many forms of culture, ranging from the famous Footlights comedy revue that has produced famous names like John Cleese and Bill Oddie through to a wide variety of musical celebrations. This is a city that knows how to enjoy itself at every opportunity, which means there are many Cambridge gigs to go to and it isn’t hard to find a good Cambridge gig guide.
Cambridge Music Festivals
The only pity about the wonderful celebration of classical music at the Cambridge Music Festival is that it is only celebrated every three years! The last was in 2009 and ran for three weeks in November so normally 2011 would be the next occasion but unfortunately this year’s Cambridge gig has been temporarily cancelled because of the resignation of Paul Gudgin. Previous festivals have been held in various colleges, often featuring choirs as well as instrumental pieces, so it is well worth looking out for any news about the next festival.
Fortunately, the Cambridge Summer Music Festival is running this year, with an interesting mix of jazz, Latin American music, string quartets, choral works and much much more. And don’t forget the Cambridge Folk Festival that runs for three days at the end of July. There’s a huge line up to enjoy, including the shanty singing Fishermen’s Friends from Port Isaac in Cornwall and ceilidh music from the Shamrock isle, accessible music for all the family.
Cambridge Brass Band
You don’t need to be an impoverished mining community to have your very own brass band, though it no doubt helped in the past! Any Cambridge gig guide to local music would have to list the City of Cambridge Brass Band, one of the most-established musical groups in the city, having been formed as early as 1900, when it was originally called the Albion Band. It first broadcast on the BBC radio in 1938 and performs concerts in and around the city, ranging out to Ely and Huntingdon. The band has also won numerous brass band competitions and even made it onto television, and if you can’t make it to one of their Cambridge gigs you can always buy their music on a CD.
King’s College Choir
One of the hottest tickets in the Cambridge musical calendar is to get into King’s College on Christmas Eve and listen to the choir sing carols. They should have had plenty of practice, as they were established by King Henry VI when he set up the college back in 1441. Their carols performance is broadcast to millions every Christmas Eve but there really is nothing like attending this Cambridge gig in person. If, like most, you can’t get a ticket, you can always hear them sing Evensong on most weekday evenings or you can attend one of their many travelling concerts. Alternatively, they have made numerous fine recordings on CD.
Pink Floyd (Syd Barrett)
Cambridge has produced a host of famous sons (and daughters), including some musical names. This list includes Syd Barrett, the remarkable star of the iconic rock band Pink Floyd. The band went through a series of names before emerging as Pink Floyd, a name Barrett claimed was given to him by a flying saucer at Glastonbury Tor. Well, there were a lot of hallucinatory substances around at the time, and the band’s work was described as psychedelic. They worked alongside many other big names of the late sixties/early seventies such as the Beatles but eventually Barrett broke away to go solo, enjoying more success before his withdrawal from public life and a return to Cambridge.
For music fans, there are plenty of Cambridge gigs to choose from. For a Cambridge gig guide, visit the Cambridge News online.
04 Jul 11 Cambridge in Words
There are some places that are truly inspirational, and the ancient university city of Cambridge is surely one such location. Located about 50 miles northeast from London in the heart of Cambridgeshire, it comes as no surprise that this magical city has inspired generations of writers to incorporate it into some of their literary work, be it poetry or prose. This is, after all, one place you can’t help talking about after your visit or stay.
The Faculty of English
One of the reasons for the volume of literature that involves Cambridge as its subject matter is the university. The long-established Faculty of English encourages the study of English literature right up to the present day, preferring to look at the literary perspective rather just than concentrating on the language’s history. This approach has attracted generations of future writers and editors to study at the Faculty in Cambridge and inevitably some of them have woven Cambridge into their work. Well, why wouldn’t you? Apart from providing a rich, complex architectural backdrop, the University has attracted a long and eminent cast of characters, any one of whom would be worthy of a book.
Famous Cambridge Writers and Poets
In October 1805, the aristocratic poet Lord Byron began his studies at Cambridge, though he seemed to have spent more of his time swimming in the Cam and subsequently satirised his tutors in his early work. Nonetheless, the beauty of this Fenland city must have helped inspire his quest to become an acclaimed poet.. E. M. Forster wrote about the Dell in nearby Madingley Wood in his novel The Longest Journey, while previously Rupert Brooke wrote The Old Vicarage, Grantchester, a poem describing an attractive village on the outskirts of the city which contains the river pool favoured by the young Byron.
The Story Continues…
The impact of Cambridge on literature continued with Douglas Adams and his Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. It is impossible to quickly sum up this complex fantasy detective novel here but suffice it to say that the main character operates at a university and travels through time, an experience that can be shared by any visitor to Cambridge’s medieval streets and buildings. Robert Harris wrote Enigma, a fictional novel loosely based on the work of the Cambridge scholar Alan Turing (Tom Jericho in the book) at Bletchley Park in successfully decrypting the German radio messages during World War II. Still on the topic of spying, Leslie Hickman wrote the Cambridge Spies: The Untold Story of McClean, Burgess and Philby, which exposes the closed world of Cambridge academia and the ease with which these bright but susceptible young men were manipulated and influenced.
A Sharper Perspective
Not all the stories and poems about Cambridge are flattering, as can be seen in Tom Sharpe’s satirical Porterhouse Blue and the sequel, Grantchester Grind. Porterhouse College was entirely fictional but utterly recognizable as Cambridge, the university where Sharpe worked as history lecturer and which provided him with his cutting insights into academia. Porterhouse Blue eventually made it to the small screen where Ian Richardson put in one of his best ever performances as the Master of the College.
From Modern to Old Cambridge
Susanna Gregory (real name Elizabeth Cruwys) takes us back to 14th century Cambridge in a series of novels that bear some passing resemblance to the Brother Cadfael novels, in that the main character is a medieval detective, but her stories paint a very much darker picture of those times including the Black Death that murdered more victims than any of Gregory’s fictional characters.
The complete listing of Cambridge in literature could extend to a whole book in its own right, so this has to be no more than a mere taste of the way in which this remarkable city has inspired generations of writers and poets.
If you’ve always admired Cambridge in literature, why not pay a visit yourself? The Cambridge News online has all the latest news and happenings throughout Cambridgeshire.
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03 Mar 11 Top Five Celebrities with Cambridge Connections
With Cambridge boasting many beautiful parks, historical buildings and famous universities, it’s easy to see why so many people call it home and it seems that celebrities are no different! While some studied at Cambridge University and others have chosen to live in the Cambridgeshire area, celebrities are just as drawn to Cambridge as the rest of us…
John Cleese
The British actor famed for his roles in Monty Python and Fawlty Towers as well as films such as A Fish Called Wanda and the Harry Potter franchise, John Cleese was originally accepted into Cambridge University in 1958. Cleese chose to read law at Downing College but when National Service ended, universities across the UK were inundated with students and Cleese had to put off his studies until 1960. When Cleese finally began his studies he attempted to join the infamous Footlights but was initially turned down until his material was used on a TV show called I Thought I Saw It Move. Cleese went on to meet with Graham Chapman at the university and the partnership proved to be one of the most influential things that catapulted Cleese into the spotlight. Cleese graduated with an impressive 2:1 and immediately accepted a job at the BBC.
Rachel Weisz
The popular British actress that is famous for her roles in blockbuster movies such as The Mummy, About a Boy and The Constant Gardener began her acting career in Trinity Hall at Cambridge University. Whilst living in Cambridgeshire, Weisz co-founded Cambridge Talking Tongues, which was a theatrical group that was awarded some coveted accolades including the Student Drama Award by The Guardian. She was often seen wandering the streets in the city when she wasn’t studying and her family is known to have had a house in Cambridgeshire while she was studying.
Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking was the Lucasian Professor for Mathematics at the University of Cambridge for 30 years, before retiring from the role in 2009. After studying at a very young age at Oxford, Hawking moved to Cambridge to study Cosmology and gained his Ph.D. before becoming a Research Fellow and then a Professional Fellow at both Gonville and Caius College. Hawking lives in Cambridge and has three children as well as three grandchildren. His academic awards include a grand total of 12 honorary degrees!
Syd Barrett
One of the more modern-day residents of Cambridge was Syd Barrett, who is famous for being one of the founding members of Pink Floyd. The rock musician was often spotted around the city and he lived in a house that can be found just off Cherry Hinton Road where he was known to frequent Maido House, the local Chinese takeaway! The house once belonged to his now deceased mother and before his death in 2006, Barrett was well known in the local area for hating the attention he received from local paparazzi.
Jeffrey Archer
Archer was born in London and raised in Somerset but now resides in Cambridge. He is married to Dr Mary Archer who is the chairman for the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation that is part of the Rosie Hospital and the Addenbrooke’s Hospital in the city. Archer can often be spotted in the local pubs and shops and he was once quoted for saying that Cambridge is the best city to live in. His Cambridge home covers immense acreage, complete with bridges, extensive gardens and a river even runs past the front door!
Cambridge was also home to Olivia Newton-John before her rise to fame in Grease and Winston Churchill while comedian Rory McGrath, Stephen Fry, Clive James and Terry Waite also have or have had homes in Cambridge. Either for its beautiful scenery or stunning architecture, Cambridge is appealing to a wide range of people from all walks of life…
While it cannot be guaranteed that you will run into any celebrities in Cambridge, the area still has much to offer. Visit the Cambridge News for all you need to know about Cambridgeshire.
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14 Feb 11 An Insight into the Top Law School in Cambridge
Cambridge has rightly been and is still regarded as one of the very best centres of higher education in the world; a reputation gradually established since a group of frightened academics fled there to escape rioting in Oxford in 1209. One wonders quite what they had done to so excite the local Oxford townspeople! Even today, Cambridge has a more tranquil air than its lively counterpart Oxford in the Thames Valley, sitting on the edge of open Fenland and separated from the rest of England’s bustling urban centres by some distance. This is also a long way from today’s Cambridge Law School and its thriving business studies work but the past is always the key to the present.
The History of Cambridge Law School
Many of these early scholars were clergymen or involved with the Church in some form as this was the usual gateway to advancement in areas like the Civil Service or perhaps within the Royal Household. Law was taught at Cambridge from these very early days, offering fruitful career possibilities at a time when there were few other professional openings for those who wanted to climb the social order. The law may be called an ass at times but there were many who rode it on the road to success. Even today, the highest offices in the land are often occupied by lawyers, an example being former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who benefited from training in the art of making a case for or against a particular course of action.
Civil and Canon law were taught together at first but the Faculty of Canon Law was eventually shut down by King Henry VIII in 1535 when he took on the power of the Catholic Church in England, although he attoned for this at least in part by appointing the first Regius Professor of Civil Law in Cambridge around 1540. Subsequent law graduates of the University continued to work on ecclesiastical matters even after Henry’s Reformation but they also served in the field of international diplomacy. This underlines the reputation the Law School has gained in the fields of international and comparative law.
English law made its way onto the scene by being added to the curriculum in 1800 through the establishment of the Downing Professorship of the Laws of England. BA exams in law followed in 1858, along with a string of Professorships in a variety of legal fields such as Criminology and (more recently) Corporate Law and Intellectual Property. The professorial team is comprised of 16 professors supported by 10 readers and a string of other academics who together can cover much of the legal field, both national and international.
Why Cambridge Business Lawyers Choose Cambridge Law School…
This makes Cambridge Law School the largest and arguably the best of its kind in the country, with about six per cent of the University’s undergraduates studying there. Many of them will go on into the business world rather than the courtroom, if only because there are more opportunities for well-paid work. Successful QCs might command footballer-type incomes but many barristers only scratch an uncertain living from practising advocacy. A number of new buildings such as the Squire Law Library and the Institute for Criminology have been built in part through the generous support of benefactors from the business community such as Hambros Bank and the Foreign and Colonial Investment Trust, which shows the high regard the Law School has outside the narrow corridors of academia.
Networking is one of the key elements of a successful business career and this is facilitated by the University Law Society, open to all members of Cambridge University and especially those studying at the Law School to become Cambridge business lawyers.
Cambridge is home to one of the most famous universities in the world and part of this university is the Cambridge Law School. For all the news relating to Cambridge business lawyers, visit the Cambridge News.
01 Feb 11 Top Five Activities in Cambridge
Cambridge entertainment is varied and there are plenty of activities for all types of visitors to partake in. Cambridge City attracts millions of visitors every year to soak up the architectural beauty of this bustling English city and if you want to soak up the local sights and attractions then you will be spoilt for choice! Many visitors choose to explore Cambridge City by bicycle, as much of the area is car-free while others choose to simply walk around. Buses and taxis are available for trips further out of the city centre and if you prefer to travel on the water then a punting excursion is perfect!
Here are the top five things to do in Cambridge City as a tourist:
1. Punt the Rivers
Punting in Cambridge is great fun and while best done in the summer months there are also lots of trips available in the winter, unless the water is frozen of course! Punting can be enjoyed as part of a chauffeured tour or on your own and using an experienced guide is a fun way to learn about the local area while messing about on the water!
2. Cambridge City Colleges and Universities
No visit to Cambridge City is complete without a trip around the universities that the city is so famous for! Trinity College and King’s College are well worth a look and the Wren Library at the former boasts manuscripts that were written by Sir Isaac Newton. The guided walking tours are a great way to get educated about the colleges, from the buildings and architecture through to details of the schooling available. Clare College is home to Fellows Garden, which is perfect for exploring on a warm summer’s day.
3. Discover the Old Estates
There are many old and interesting buildings in Cambridge and, as well as a wealth of churches and cathedrals to see, there are also many famous estates that are ideal for exploring. Anglesey Abbey is home to a 20th century garden that is in full bloom in the spring as well as a scenic mansion that is filled with a range of paintings of Windsor that span a 350-year history. Wimpole Hall, AKA Wimpole Home Farm, is another popular estate and here children can spend hours feeding and learning about the animals that live here, from pot belly pigs through to pure bred horses. Owned by the National Trust, this estate covers a massive 3,500 acres and dates back to the 1600s.
4. Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve
Found just a short drive out of Cambridge City is Britain’s oldest nature reserve. A diverse selection of birds, insects, mammals and plants are all found here and there is a nature trail made from a board walk.
5. Cambridge Museums
There are endless museums and galleries to discover in Cambridge City and the top Cambridge entertainment for history buffs is available in the displays found in these museums! The Fitzwilliam Museum is a popular choice with the great art displays that have earned this museum the nickname of being the finest yet smallest museum in Europe. Kettle’s Yard offers displays of domestic arts and crafts while the Museum of Classical Archaeology is home to displays that relate to Roman and Greek sculptures.
Cambridge entertainment can also be had in any of the many cafés, restaurants, bars and clubs that can be found in the modern parts of the city. Also within easy reach of the city is Wicksteed Park. This theme park is about an hour from Cambridge, offering great fun for all ages.
Cambridge city is by no means lacking in tourist activities. For all the latest news on the Cambridge entertainment available, visit the Cambridge News.
Tags: Cambridge city, Cambridge entertainment, Cambridge News
15 Nov 10 News Stories that Rocked Cambridge University
Cambridge University is one of the most famous universities in the entire world so it comes as little surprise that over the years it has attracted a lot of newsworthy attention. Every year the boat race that sees the university compete with rivals Oxford hits the headlines with team news proving popular year after year. Other Cambridge University stories range from complaints about noise in the dorms through to the appointment of new professors and lecturers. The university is famous around the world for its academic offerings, ensuring it often hits the headlines.
Some of the biggest news stories in the history of Cambridge University are as follows:
Female Students
The first female students were only fully accepted into Cambridge University in 1947. Prior to this, women were only permitted to study for degrees away from the university and some were not recognised as a qualification. Cambridge University made the news when it accepted its first female students who were allowed to study for a qualification that would be recognised. Many other universities in the UK at the time continued to separate genders while studying.
Donations
In 2000, the founder of Microsoft Bill Gates donated a generous US$210 million through his foundation known as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The donation was aimed at helping and supporting overseas students seeking to study at a postgraduate level at Cambridge. The original computing courses began in 1953 and the building in which it is currently housed is named after Bill Gates’ father William Gates. Cambridge University celebrated its 800th Anniversary in 2009 and it made the headlines again in 2005 when it launched the 800th Anniversary Campaign that raised £940 million of funding for the same cause.
Research and Development
During the 1990s, the university added many new research laboratories to its already extensive list of sites in the city of Cambridge. Massive expansion plans are still going on in this sector to ensure that Cambridge University boasts top research and development programmes. Cambridge University hit the headlines again when it formed a partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US.
Recognition and Reputation
Cambridge University news stories were apparent in 2001 and again in 2008 as the university was ranked top in the country. In 2005, the university also became newsworthy when it laid claim to producing more PhDs per annum than any other university in the UK. This put them ahead of Oxford, boasting 30% more PhDs than their rivals. In 2009, leading marketing consultancy World Brand Lab ranked Cambridge as the 50th most ‘influential brand in the world’ as well as the ‘4th most influential university brand’ only coming behind Harvard, MIT and Stanford.
Cambridge University Press
The most recent story to hit the headlines is that Cambridge University Press has successfully made the biggest sale in its history to an academic library in India. The sale is worth an impressive £1.275 million and it goes to the newest library in South Asia, located in Chennai.
Cambridge is famous for its punting, beautiful architecture and range of modern-meets-old styles but Cambridge University is arguably its most famous attraction. The university is synonymous with the city and as such, Cambridge University hits the news every month.. One thing’s for sure – the city wouldn’t be the same without the stunning and historical university building.
When you think of Cambridge, you cannot help but think of the famous university. For all the latest Cambridge University news stories, you can do no better than visit the Cambridge News website.
08 Oct 10 Good News for a Change
They say no news is good news and it is certainly true that much of the national news coverage including Cambridge news does focus on human tragedies and misfortunes. However, they also say that rules are there to be broken. With news stories breaking about the University through to coverage of local events, there is still much positive news coming out of Cambridge.
Cambridge is Number One
This September saw the announcement in the news that Cambridge University managed to overtake Harvard in the USA and take first place in the University world rankings table run by QS, a prestigious careers advice company. Now, table rankings are always controversial, especially in education, but this result is still a very important achievement for the University and for the UK. Now that the financial goose no longer lays golden eggs, we have to look to other areas for our future economic growth, so well done Cambridge University.
Boating History
Another good news story about the University in 2010 was that Cambridge University won the 156th Boat Race, in spite of Oxford being clear favourites. The race was closely fought over the entire length of the arduous course along the Thames, but Cambridge managed to dig in and overhaul Oxford towards the end to win with clear water between the boats.
The End of Time?
The end of 2008 witnessed the most peculiar if not downright wacky Cambridge news story about the installation of a new £1 million clock on Corpus Christi College’s walls. After the clock was set in motion by Professor Stephen Hawking, himself a qualified expert on the nature of time, the internet started buzzing with a story backed up by a short film that this clock would mark the very end of time itself. It is certainly true that the Corpus Christi clock does things a bit differently with hands replaced by blue LED lights and mini-shows every five minutes but fortunately the various net-induced predictions of imminent doom based on symbolic interpretations have been shown to be completely inaccurate (at least so far!).
Cambridge Folk Festival
Another good news event that makes its way into the press each year is the ever popular Cambridge Folk Festival at Cherry Hinton Hall. It started as long ago as 1964 with only 1,400 tickets sold but has now become a regular sell-out event. Lasting for almost four days during the golden days of East Anglia’s summer, it has developed a strong tradition of featuring an eclectic mix of artists, pushing the definition of folk music to the very limit. This plays well with the large audience though, who keep coming back each year for more musical surprises as well as hearing some of those good old favourites, occasionally sung or performed by members of the audience. The event always gets coverage by the local press as well as music critics on national newspapers and BBC TV and Radio.
These examples all go to show that no news is good news is not always the case…
The wide variety of Cambridge news that hits the headlines proves that life in the city is never dull. For all the latest headlines about Cambridge, visit the Cambridge News.
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