 |
| The SR71 at Duxford Museum – pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
Last weekend I got a fantastic invite to stay with some twitter friends in Cambridge. I spent a year there as a student and love the place for reasons that become apparent in this blog !
 |
| Cambridge |
We arrived Saturday afternoon and had quick walk round Cambridge in the afternoon and refamiliarised myself with the city as we got to watch the punts float by. We also had a pint in a very special pub called The Eagle. It was here that RAF and USAF pilots and crew burnt graffiti on the ceilings with candles and lighters. It was also the pub where Watson and Crick figured out DNA was a helix (or so the official story goes). As genetics graduate and pilot this was the greatest watering hole ever.
In the evening and after a few ‘sports drinks’ we went to the regular Shake and Soul night in the Cow in Cambridge. Its an evening of 50s and 60s records played on their original vinyl (no MP3s!) and most people dress for the era and dance all night. You can get more info here
 |
| Our hosts Liz and ‘Frantic’ Chris at Shake and Soul in Cambridge (me smirking in background) |
After a nightcap of more ‘sports drink’ we went to bed after 3am with the intention of getting up early to go to Duxford Imperial War Museum. I woke up around 8am and donned my running gear and ran out and through Churchill College (which I was affiliated with) .
 |
| Churchill College Cambridge |
Once out past Churchill I ran West through the outer campus parts of Cambridge that include the Cavendish Laboratories (where Watson and Crick worked) and the Vet School.
 |
| Near the Vet School at Cambridge University |
My run then met up with the Wimpole Way and I ran out of Cambridge and into the countryside.
 |
| Joining the Wimpole Way in Cambridge |
As I ran along I noticed how similar to Kent and the Greensand Way this was. I also got a feeling of familiarity from something else……flour. There were flour piles along the route so I knew the Cambridge Hash House Harriers must have been through here recently.
I noticed that the hashers in Cambridge also use chalk to mark their routes. This is possible because Cambridge is a very bicycle and walker friendly city and even cross country paths to other villages are paved.
 |
| running over the M11 near Cambridge |
I crossed over the M11 using a bridge which must have been the highest point above sea level in all of Cambridgeshire.
I then ran on until I got to a little village called Coton where i got to my 30 minute mark on my run which meant it was time to turn round and head back.
 |
| The Plough at Coton |
The run back was easy, and I even saw a few other runners out that Sunday morning.
 |
| Wimpole Way heading towards Cambridge |
I took a slightly different route back to where I was staying and ran past the Observatory at Cambridge university. The run took about an hour and was about 5 easy miles. Even though I had been out through the countryside I had stayed on paved routes throughout and not even got muddy!
 |
| Cambridge University Observatory |
When I got back it was ‘only a short few minutes’ until everyone else woke up and we had breakfast and headed out to the Duxford Imperial War Museum.
I ran round like a 7 year old muttering to myself enthusiastically for hours. There were many many high points in all the hangars but in particular I got a chance to look inside another concorde (I’ve ‘harrassed’ one at RAF Yeovilton) and for the first time see and touch an SR 71 Blackbird. This holds the world speed record at 2193 mph set the year I was born and never officially beaten yet (by anything the Americans admit they have) . This jet in full flight could do the whole Greensand Way in under 3 minutes.
I also got to see a midget sub used in World War 2. There is an excellent book that includes a lot about them by Paul Kemp called Underwater Warriors that I have read. It was amazing to see them (and how small and cramped they are inside).
 |
| A world War 2 midget Sub |
I also got a picture with me and Dr G with Concorde. I liked the fact that I had the danger sign pointing towards me.
 |
| me and Dr G with concorde |
That weekend I drove back a little bit in shock, like a child that ate too much sugar at a party and went home sick. It’ll be hard to beat a weekend like that, which seemed to be almost entirely geared around my own nerdy interests.
