Cambridge Town And Gown Tours

18/06/2024

Can you guess where this cute
little baby is sleeping off this incredibly hot weather ?? under the watchful eyes of nuns and monks, no less..... answers please !

11/06/2024

Want to discover a very early feminist ? Then Angelica Kauffman is your ....man ? NO, she painted female heroines from epic tales that were overshadowed by the more famous men. Come and find out more this this Thursday afternoon 13th at Reach Village Hall - a special tribute to an exceptional independently minded woman in British history. Message me for a promo offer at https://arthistoryincambs.com/

06/06/2024

Art History Courses in Cambridge - Cambridgeshire

06/06/2024

On this auspicious D day anniversary, consider how much paintings can provide a trace of what has occurred in our past ! Specifically those who were exiled from their homes, seeking refuge from N**i occupied Europe. In the Fitzwilliam Museum, there are works by Jewish artists with poignant stories to tell as they escaped to Britain in 1938-9, able to rebuild their lives and have renewed hope for their futures ! Go to https://arthistoryincambs.com/ and check out my talks: Paths of Identity, on now and over this summer. Contact me if you want to know more !

Art History Courses in Cambridge - Cambridgeshire

24/05/2024

Travel broadens the mind and a compelling 3 part TV series on Sunday evenings- Rob and Ryland’s Grand Tour - does not fail to deliver ! But who would have guessed that Ryland would be so transformed by the cultural delights of Italy and not hooked on designer goodies at Versace and Gucci ! We see how the most memorable experiences are often the ones you discover along the way, not necessarily the go-to monuments. Jaw dropping moments are frequent as both boys find themselves on a journey of self revelation.
So why not join one of my tours at https://cambridgetownandgowntours.co.uk/ Cambridge can reveal so much more to the discerning traveller beyond the iconic sites. Prepare to be inspired by the hidden gems, the lesser known places and their town and gown stories !

18/05/2024

Bespoke walking tours of Cambridge and the surrounding areas for the discerning traveller.

17/05/2024

FOR THEIR TOMORROW, WE GAVE OUR TODAY...Such emotive words will surely ring out as the 80th anniversary of D day approaches !
American airmen and women passed through East Anglia during WW11, stationed at airfields, at an average of 8 miles apart. When off duty, many would be bused into Cambridge city centre in search of fun, alcohol and women ! A hallowed place they have earned in our local history at the Eagle pub, notably in the RAF bar, where they daubed images and wrote their names and squadron numbers on the walls and ceiling using cigarette lighters, wax candles and even lipstick !
The Eagle sits in the honey pot of Cambridge, facing the oldest surviving building- a Saxon tower. These two sites feature on my walking tours, where I invite people to step back in time and relive the past 1000 years on the doorstep.
It is easy to imagine the RAF bar filled with clouds of smoke, boisterous men and women in uniform, instead of the animated academics we get today. They were happy to live another day and they did so in the moment !
So why not check out my private tours at https://cambridgetownandgowntours.co.uk to discover more about this unforgettable WW11 connection in the heart of Cambridge and much more !

Bespoke walking tours of Cambridge and the surrounding areas for the discerning traveller.

30/04/2024

If you love history, then the recently concluded POMPEII: The New Dig, a 3 part series on BBC 2 was an absolutely riveting watch ! I had the pleasure of visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum nearly a year ago now and could see the excavation going on at one end of the enormous site. So, it was a delight to see this televised a year later.
The production team have broken new ground in this mini series, as we are invited right into the heart of their work, able to watch the discoveries of a bakery, a mosaic pavement, a sanctuary, all owned by one identified man, who was hoping for votes by offering free bread! We look over their shoulders as they brush away the meters of pumice that fell and buried the city 2000 years ago and you watch with bated breath as they progress to see what comes to light ! Such marvellous telly and what a treat for ongoing archaeology that is revealing more history every day !
Watch this back on BBC catch up !
Just like any history, new information comes to light through unearthed physical remains and new research – Cambridge is no exception and is right on our doorstep, so check out https://cambridgetownandgowntours.co.uk to discover more

Bespoke walking tours of Cambridge and the surrounding areas for the discerning traveller.

23/04/2024

SUCH VIRTUE HATH MY PEN ! Great words from the bard celebrating not just Shakespeare's birthday, but the CUP's publishing of his plays from 1863 ! Such writing continues to inspire and engage us today and lies at the very heart of my Cambridge tours to connect us with the past and the stories ( oral and written ) which inform what we can see in the city !🥳 Many happy returns dear bard of Avon !

12/04/2024

Grantchester, a Stone's Throw from Cambridge – Past and Present

The unassuming village of Grantchester, just 2 miles south of the City centre, has much to reveal… How and why did this village become such a magnet to Cambridge academics, coming to play a key role in the life of fellows and students?

Find out how a tradition was born at the Orchard Tea Rooms, God’s little acre, 120 years ago and who were among the group of Cambridge luminaries who met there.

For more information/prices, go to www.cambridgetownandgowntours.co.uk

12/04/2024

Cambridge Half Day Tour - Town & Gown Highlights

Even if time is short, we can still capture the essence of this historic city. As we walk, let us paint you a picture: a mini masterclass in architecture, viewing historic milestones from the last 800 years right up to the 21st century.

We shall animate these with stories of town and gown, that is how life in the colleges differed from that encountered on the streets of Cambridge. We hope to educate, entertain and make your visit to this remarkable ancient city a highly memorable one!
For more information/prices, go to www.cambridgetownandgowntours.co.uk

12/04/2024

Cambridge Full Day Tour - Facts and Anecdotes

We would like to make this a memorable day on your visit to Cambridge, with a programme packed full of facts and anecdotes, bringing the visits alive in an entertaining way as we travel in space and time across the historic city centre.

Discover some home truths, like how Cambridge, a market town in the Fens became a university centre of excellence by sheer chance!

And how a king dealt a blow to the heart of the town's vital river trade, creating a divide between town and gown that survives to this day!

Hear the story of how scholars, always dressed in gowns, became disliked by the townsfolk and see for yourselves how the wealthy Tudor colleges built high walls to protect scholars and keep the envious townsfolk out.

Cambridge has some unique accolades: The oldest printing and publishing house in the country and the only annual boat race, with rival Oxford.

Relish different viewpoints, strolling along the Backs of the river Cam, watching the punts or climbing up Great St. Mary's Tower for a birds eye view of the old city.

View the famous colleges associated with so many Cambridge luminaries, from Newton and Darwin to Stephen Hawking and discover why in the last century, many were jovially dubbed. the atoms and apostles of the city.

for more information/prices, go to www.cambridgetownandgowntours.co.uk