A Sunny Day Out in Cambridge, Cambridge, England

The universities of Oxford and Cambridge (often shortened to ‘Oxbridge’) are known the world over for the quality of the education they provide, their many illustrious alumni and their long history. They dominate the towns in which they are based, giving each a unique atmosphere. Both towns are within easy reach of London and make for an interesting day trip from the capital.

A few years ago I spent a day in Cambridge exploring with friends who moved there some years ago. In a day it was of course only possible to visit a handful of the colleges. But those we went to were beautiful, made more so by the wonderful September sun.

My friends met me at the station, which is some way from the town centre, so we caught a bus together. Their excellent suggestion was to start with coffee and a chat about the plan for the day.

Fitzbillies is a Cambridge institution, having been here since 1920, on the same corner site. The bakery was founded by two brothers, Ernest and Arthur Mason, who used their demob money on return from the First World War to buy the shop. The Art Nouveau frontage they installed is still here. The shop thrived and was run by the Masons until 1958, when they sold it to a Mr and Mrs Day. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).