Cambridge colleges
Essentially, Cambridge owes its fame to the university which takes its name, a university whith an enviable reputation for intellectual achievement and for historical and architecture magnificence of its colleges. It is to one of those colleges that this article is devoted.
Yesterday night we have met a student from St Catharine's College called Nicolas. He nicely let us visit his colleges, a visit that I would like to share with you.
To begin, a brief look at historical context. In 1473 Robert Woodlark, third Provost of King's colleges, founded Katarine Hall (later renamed St Catharine's college) for a Master and three Fellows who were to study nothing but "philosophy and sacred theology" and where to pray for their benefactors for ever.
The college is named after Catharine of Alexandria, condemned to be crucified on a wheel, it miraculously broke when she touched it and eventually she was beheaded.
This is the reason why there is a wheel on their badge and atop the College railings.
Nowdays St Catharine's college is quite like a boarding school where lived freshmans. As for all the ancient colleges St Catharine is steeped in history. We dive into a magic universe, with its customs, its vocabulary, its characters...Here is a few word that I can taught to you: In Cambridge there is formals (diner with capes in the hall), mayball (ball of the end of year), bops (students party), swaps (diner between two colleges where boy of one year invite girls of the same year but from an other college).
I hope I will be able to take part of this life and told you more about Cambridge university life.I will keep you in touch. Your infiltrated
*** ***
Cambridge University events
In Cambridge University there are a lot of social activities to participate. In this article I will try to explain those were I was invited in
First of all, and most easy to incrust there are BOPs.
A BOP is a party that students organise in their building. As you already know Cambridge University works a little bit like fraternity and each building (for example St Cath’s or St John...) organise their own BOPs. For all of them there is a theme so you have to be dress with no clothes or in pink... Some BOPs are free but for most of them you will have to pay a bit because you not from the college that organise the party.
The one I was invited to join was a beach party or should I say that I beloved that it was a beach party because when we join the party in swimming clothes everybody was in suit!
My advice: be aware of the party theme or you are going to feel very lonely.
Then you have formals.
A formal is a dinner where you have the opportunity to eat in wonderful dining room of colleges as in Harry Potter. Everybody is well dress, there is a gong and everybody stand up to let fellows enter (fellows are teachers and post graduates) then you sit down and enjoy a typical English meal. The price for that kind of night is around 15 pounds but the difficult part in it is to be invited by a society. If you got lucky like us you met someone French and you will be able to join the French society formal then it’s all yours if you arrive to impress them with your French “manières” perhaps you will be able to join other formals.
Spring Ball or should I say summer ball is a ball at the end of the academic year that happens at any one of the colleges of the University of Cambridge. They keep the name spring ball from the past but currently the only one which is not in June is the Churchill may ball in March. This kind of event is the most expensive organise by colleges..
They are formal affairs, requiring evening dress, with ticket prices of around £100 and it goes to £250 (John College) , with some colleges selling tickets only in pairs. The balls are held in the college gardens, lasting from around 9 p.m. until well after dawn, with some colleges offering rides in balloons when the ball ends, silent disco, concert and even breakfast in Paris, or, more traditionally, punting to Grantchester. "Survivors photographs" are taken of those who last until morning.
We had the chance to go to Churchill spring ball and as you can see in the following pictures we had a great fun.
Finally there are SWAPs. During swaps people of one gender and one college meet people of the opposite gender of another college. For the event they all were their gown (see picture below to understand what is a gown) and go eat in a restaurant. I do not have the opportunity to join one but somebody told me to never say never...
For sure there is lot of activities I do not try yet I heard about St John private cinema, Sunday afternoon chorus in colleges and the union a place where famous people come and debate current issue of the world.
For sure I will let you know if I manage to do one of those...
In the meantime if you have the opportunity to go to Cambridge one day I really advise you to be friend with people studying in Cambridge University because you will be able to join those kinds of social events and live the real life of a Cambridge University student.
*** ***
Discover a part of the UK
Anglia Ruskin University offer guided day tours to the UK's finest places for sightseeing, history and culture.
This year the first social event offer was an historic Cambridge tour that covers the most important aspects of the city, as well as the Cambridge University and collegues. This event is the less expensive (3 pounds only). Unfortunatelly I was not able to go there because there was a limited number of tickets.
For those who want to join Anglia Ruskin, to avoid disappointment you should book as soon as you can at the International Help Desk (in Helmore building 122).
ARU also offer:
- A day trip to London
- A trip to Stonehenge, Avebury and Salisbury
- A visit to Oxford and Blenheim palace
- A chinese lion danse in front of Helmore buiding
- A trip to Brighton
- An audio tour of the famous Windsor castel
- A guided walking tour of York city
Among those day I choose to expore the sacred prehistorical sites of Stonehenge, Avebury and Salisbury.
It was on Saturday 5 of March, we left Cambridge at 8am and arrived at Avebury our first stop at 11am.
Avebury Stone circle is a complex of monuments centred around the village of Avebury in an area of beautiful rolling countryside. Monuments include the largest known stone ring in the world. Avebury was started in about 3200BCE.
Then we stop at Silbury hill which is the largest prehistoric artificial mound in Europe. It is 4300 years old. It is 40m high, almost half-a-milion tons of chalk were shifted to achieve this .
After this we go to Stonehenge. This ancien stone circle is located 220km south-west of Cambridge. The monument was begun in a Neolithic Age and completed in the Early Bronze age by the ancient Britons.
The driver-guide explain us that there is much debate about the meaning of the site. It is belived to be an open-sky temple dedicated to the worship of the earth mother but others have suggested that it is simply a graveyard or an agricultural calendar to predict the seasons. In any case which is not debatable is that this place is really majestic.
Our last stop was in Salisbury. It is a pretty town with quaint streets, a busy market and old heritage buildings, but it is most renowned for its wonderful cathedral. The Cathedral was built in just 38 years (AD 1220) and has the highest spire of any church in Britain.
The cathedral is the home to one of only four relaining examples of the Magna Carta, a document signed by king John under pressure from the nobles of the time. The document was a series of written promises between king and his subjects that he, the king, would govern England and treat its people according to the customs of feudal law. Magna CArta was an attempt by the barons to stop a King abusing his power at the expense of the people of England.
We finished by visiting Mompesson House a wonderful example of Queen Anne Architecture built in 1701.
Then we go back to Cambridge to be home around 8pm.
This trip was really interesting, the guide always have something to explain and sites are quiete impressive. And I hope to be part of many other tours...
If you want to discover more about Britain I recommend you a company called Roots which offer guided day tour each week end with departure from Cambridge. Theire guides are wonderfull! (To book online :www.roots-traval.co.uk)
*** ***
Crop circle
As you already know if you read my previous article I join the group of Anglia student who visit Stonehenge and during the visit our guide told us about a very strange phenomenon: Crop circles.
As you all know crop circle a crop circle is a sizable pattern created by the flattening of a crop. It appears that the first one was discover near Stonehenge.
Formations usually are made overnight, but have also been made during the day. But the mystery is who made them and how...
For human the most widely known method for a person or group to construct a crop formation is to tie one end of a rope to an anchor point, and the other end to a board which is used to crush the plants. More recent methods include the use of a lawn roller.
Some people have suggested that crop circles are the result of extraordinary meteorological phenomena.
But the funniest explanation is that they were created by extraterrestrial beings.
For sure the main criticism of alleged non-human creation of crop circles is that while evidence of these origins, besides eyewitness testimonies, is essentially absent, some are definitely known to be the work of human pranksters and others can be adequately explained as such. There have been cases in which researchers declared crop circles to be "the real thing", only to be confronted with the people who created the circle and documented the fraud.
As nobody got the answer I let you decide which of those explanations you want to believe but I personally will choose the human one even if I think that it can be consider as an extraterrestrial behaviour to wake up at night to do that kind of stuff.
*** ***
British sports
As I like to practice sport when I am Lyon I was interesting by try some British sports. Here are the most typical I found.
Croquet – The UK’s answer to American football, except that all bodily contact is strictly forbidden (even tripping opponents with your mallet is frowned upon). Croquet is an extremely genteel sport which is mandatory at English garden parties.
Frisbee – Believe it or not, throwing plastic discs around has actually developed into a competitive ‘sport’, with national and local league and cup competitions. We lived in front of a park and it is all day long full of people playing Frisbee.
Hockey – Hockey is a very old sport in the UK and has gained wider appeal since Great Britain won the Olympic gold medal in Seoul, although it still faces an uphill battle to woo youngsters away from soccer, rugby and cricket. It’s equally popular among both sexes.
Lacrosse – Lacrosse is similar to hockey and although thought of as strictly a women’s game (whose training ground is the playing fields of the UK’s most exclusive private girl’s schools).
Polo – Polo is a minority sport for princes and millionaires but very popular. Similar to croquet on horseback, it involves players attempting to hit a ball into a goal while riding at speeds of up to 40mph.
Rugby
Soccer – The English football
Zumba – Not as famous as the previous sport it is a sport I practice here for only 3.6 pound an hour. Very tonic fitness-dance girls surely will enjoy.
*** ***
Tea time in London
A teapot, scones accompanied with jam and cream, mini-sandwiches and delicious cakes we do not make more British than a tea afternoon in London.
In these big restaurants of London, to reserve in advance an to wear elegant dress is practically indispensable.
Here are following some place to have a tea time in London you just have to choose the one you will enjoy the most.
First of all if you have more than a student budget or if you parents are visiting London you can take them to the Ritz because have a tea in the Ritz is an amazing experience. It is so popular that there are henceforth five services a day, at 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm. It is indispensable to reserve at least four weeks in advance. Tea is served in the elegant man Palm Court, with the musical accompaniment of a pianist or a harpist.To St James Restaurant at Fortnum and Mason, you can taste a whole range of teas resulting from the whole world, specially selected by the taster of tea of Fortnum. The menu of tea afternoon includes sandwiches, scones and cake pastries.
If you like fashion, go in the Toffy Room of Berkeley for tea afternoon ' Prêt-à-Porter '. Flashes of lighting, cakes and other pleasures are all inspired by the last collections, and are served in diet miniatures for those who are worried about their weight. Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Beckham all was seen in these places.The tea afternoon at Lanesborough includes freshly prepared scones, smooth ice cream and home made jams. If you have difficulties choosing among the big selection of teas, you can ask advice from the Wine steward of the tea of Lanesborough - the first one in England - which will recommend tea to you.
One of the most pleasant tea afternoon of London can be savoured in the restaurant called Espelette of the Connaught hotel, with a wonderfull view on the district of Mayfair. The menu is vast: sandwiches, scones, cakes and cake pastries are sublime and the service answers exactly that we wait of for one most upper-class hotels of London - discreet and thoughtful.
Tea afternoon is served between 2:30 pm and 4:45 pm in the marbled frame and gilt of the famous Walk in Dorchester there you can taste the famous 'Laurent Perrier Rosé Champagne Tea ' or savour the traditional ' Dorchester afternoon tea '.
Traditional tea afternoon of Walford Hilton is daily served at the Homage Patisserie, between 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm. Expect a selection of mini-sandwiches, freshly prepared scones, home made tarts and the other specialities were created by Homage.
You can literaly eat London at the Swiss hotel called The Howard. Their menu TLSee (tea and tourism) presents delicious cake in the shape of attractions of London, as Tower Bridge and London Eye, as well as mini-sandwiches and home-made scones served with some ice cream.
Queen Anne made build idyllic Orangery on the lands of Kensington Palace in 1705. Strawberries and cream are a speciality of season there. You can also savour ' Tregothnan English Tea ', served with a glass of English Pinot noir. There tea afternoon is served between 2:30 pm and 5 pm.
Other options of Afternoon Tea
You will prefer maybe a less traditional experience (and more affordable). British Museum, National Gallery and Sotheby serve all tea afternoon in their dining room. Or try Candy Cakes, Tea or The Original Maids of Honour to savour teas and delicious cakes in a more moderate price.
Here are all the adress I can advise you in London but an other way to have a tea afternoon is to invite your friends at your place. If you want to do so just serve tea with scones.
Tea is easy so lets talk about scones. Here is following a video of a scones receipe:
I'll just have one last word for you : ENJOY !
*** ***
English painting
In this section I would like to share with you one of my passions: Paiting
Being in England I'm leaning on English painting.
This article tells you what I learned over the period of the 18th century that remains even with English painters my favourite period.
In the 18th century, English painting finally developed a distinct style and tradition again, still concentrating on portraits and landscapes, but also attempting, without much success, to find an approach to history painting, regarded as the highest of the hierarchy of genres. William Hogarth reflected the new English middle-class temperament — English in habits, disposition, and temperament, as well as by birth. His satirical works, full of black humour, point out to contemporary society the deformities, weaknesses and vices of London life.
The shrimp girl - Hogarth
Portraits were, as elsewhere in Europe, much the most easiest and most profitable way for an artist to make a living, and the English tradition continued to draw of the relaxed elegance of the portrait style developed in England by Van Dyck, although there was little actual transmission from his work via his workshop.
Leading portraitists were Thomas Gainsbotough and Sir Thomas Lawrence.
The two daughter - Gainsbotough
Other notable 18th and 19th-century landscape painters include Richard Wilson, George Morland, John Robbert Cozens, Thomas Girtin, John Constable ane John Linnell.
Weymouth Bay - Constable
But now let me introduce you my favourite English painter: Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851). He was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker.
Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscaê painting to an eminence rivalling history painting. Although renowned for his oil paintings, Turner is also one of the greatest masters of British watercolour landscape painting. He is commonly known as "the painter of light and his work regarded as a Romantic preface to impessionism.
My favourite paintings of him are:
Rain Steam and Speed the Great Western Railway
Wreckers Coast of Northumberland
A wondrefull place to see all those wonders in real is the national gallery in London. I strongly advise you to stop tere if you have the chance to go to London.
