Cambridge by day and Cambridge by night - two postcards from a visit to Cambridge to return my late Father's academic gowns to his college. The familiar buildings of Magdalene and Kings College are now joined by impressive recent architecture of the Centre for Mathematical Sciences (CMS) and Robinson College.
As a respect to my late Father, I was honoured to be invited to Formal Dinner by candle-light at High Table in the early 16th century hall at Magdalene College; I stayed overnight as a guest of the college, thoughtfully accommodated in a set of rooms which my Father had had the use of as a Fellow. These precious experiences have helped me understand more fully my Father's academic life and work; the warm personal memories of the Fellows whom I was honoured to meet, confirmed the glowing tribute published in the college magazine.
Outside the college walls, celebrations were under way for the weekend of Hallowe'en and the changing of the clocks back to GMT. Undergraduates scurrying in ghostly costumes around the shadows of the city streets on their way to parties: “Play hard - study hard”, one hopes.
Tourists were on the streets again next morning but concentrating on the well-known buildings near the city centre. I was guided further afield, where there is much interesting new architecture to be discovered and appreciated.
On Parker's Piece I happened upon the ancient (sic) collegiate game of Frisbee Soccer: rather appropriately as it was Parker's Piece where the rules of Association Football were first defined.