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Better than Oxford? OutUK’s own little fresher Adrian Gillan strips ‘em down for a
boy-bender binge to examine if Cambridge really makes the gay grade.
From abused code-breaker Alan Turing to Mssrs Philby, Burgess and Maclean - those naughty commie spies - Cambridge has always had its fair quota of high-IQ'd queers. | |
| And - hotbed of learned lushes in glasses between classes - this renowned town of loosely fitting gowns boasts bow-tied balls as well as brains worth the study. Altogether less bustling and crammed than arty, spire-filled Oxford, tad more science-based Cambridge is certainly more spread out and intellectually aloof - classy yet highly stimulating. Hurrah! |
Punting on the Cam
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Many of these earnest brain-bred boffins - whose butter wouldn't melt,
newly left home - are clearly egging for a good punt around "The Backs", the grassy strip behind the big colleges just west of centre!
SightsIntellectual womb and muse of Darwin, Newton, AA Milne, Wordsworth, John Cleese, Eric Idle and Stephen Hawking! Many visitors come simply to see the historic university, its college buildings and their beautiful Backs, along the River Cam - perhaps most famously, King's College with its Chapel resplendent in fan-vaulted ceiling, stone carving and stained glass; and St John's College with elegant Cam-spanning Venetian-style Bridge of Sighs, a tad older than its more tarty Oxford namesake.Most colleges have buildings arranged around courtyards which - exams permitting - it is possible to stroll, exploring adjoining chapels and dining halls. Some colleges charge an entrance fee, some are free. Each river-fringing college owns its own out-of-bounds part of the Cam's banks, so the best way to view the Backs is from a poled, flat-bottomed punt from Scudamores, which one can hire from Silver Street or Quayside by Magdalene Bridge. You can also hire a pro "punter" if in any way anxious! Apart from the colleges themselves, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, otherwise known as the Round Church, is an attractive small Norman affair at the junction of St. John's Street and Sidney Street - one of only four round churches in Britain, all built by the Knights Templar. The free Fitzwilliam Museum has a vast collection of art and antiquities; the likewise free Museum of Classical Archaeology boasts a massive selection of gorgeous nude male plaster casts; and the 40-acre Botanic Gardens boasts delightful landscapes and glasshouses. Catch a pro show at the Arts Theatre; or more studenty fare at the ADC. Cambridge has many other attractive parks and open spaces too - notably Christ's Pieces, Parker's Piece, Jesus Green and Midsummer Common. | |
ScenePerched just east of centre, The Bird (73 Newmarket Road; T: 01223 464 845) is continually stuffed with preening young cuties, lured in by the latest tunes to get them jigging. Enticing all homo-students well way from their books, every Wednesday, Wham Baam (The Place, 22 Sidney Street; whambaam.com) offers classic club anthems plus cheap booze. But it's the 1000-capacity Dot Cotton Club (The Junction, Clifton Road; www.junction.co.uk), just below the rail station south of centre many a last Saturday of the month, that really drags in the gay and gay-friendly squires from across East Anglia with its top acts, vast dance hall and upper bar.Need some fresh air? Boys oft "take airs" on Jesus Green, the big park behind Jesus College, without doubt one of the greatest student-spotting spots in Europe for daytime, term-time talent; ditto cum night.
StayStay at Hotel du Vin & Bistro Cambridge (15-19 Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1QA; T: 01223 227 330; hotelduvin.com), in an atmospheric former-Uni-owned building - just opposite the Fitzwilliam Museum and dating back, in parts, to medieval times. Explore the cosy library, wine tasting room and wondrously labyrinthine cellar bar; before settling into one of its 41 bedrooms and suites, some with private terraces, all with luxurious hand-sprung mattresses, fine Egyptian linen, deep roll top baths and powerful drench showers, plus plasma TVs and air conditioning. | |
| Explore the cosy library, wine tasting room and wondrously labyrinthine cellar bar; before settling into one of its 41 bedrooms and suites, some with private terraces, all with luxurious hand-sprung mattresses, fine Egyptian linen, deep roll top baths and powerful drench showers, plus plasma TVs and air conditioning. |
Hotel du Vin & Bistro
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Open all-week-round, under head chef Jonathan Dean, fuel up for your big night
out with a fab meal at the trademark buzzing-yet-spacious Bistro du Vin - at the hotel's heart, also boasting the first Hotel du Vin open-style kitchen. The bistro
offers a classic, French-styled, elegant yet informal setting for local-produce-brimming, fine-wine-paired lunch or dinner, to celebrate or simply pass the time. Bravo
le sommelier! Our hotel partners Booking.com also feature the
Hotel du Vin & Bistro.
More infoFor more info about Cambridge, including walking or punting tours check out visitcambridge.org. Cambridge is just 45 minutes, non-stop, from London King's Cross by firstcapitalconnect.co.uk.Updated March 2012. | |