We’re spending a couple of days away with great mates, John and Trish. It’s probably our last big day out with them before they jet away for their new life in Australia in early 2027.
Our city of choice was Cambridge – a place that Ann and I know quite well. In the next two days, we were all here to enjoy the food, the fireworks and the flying machines!
American Military Cemetery, Madingley
Historic England manages the American Military Cemetery, the only permanent American Second World War Cemetery in Britain. Perry, Shaw, Hepburn and Dean, Architects, and Olmsted Brothers, landscape architects, designed it, and it was dedicated in 1956.There are 3812 graves here.
Tucked away in the leafy Cambridgeshire countryside, it’s a beautifully peaceful and incredibly well-kept place to visit. It was easy to miss the entrance though – it’s just about wide enough for one car to get through.
As we walked through the entrance, nothing could prepare us for the view. Those perfectly ordered and maintained graves certainly left an impression on the four of us, and we took some time looking at the names on the memorial wall nearby – known as ‘The Wall of the Missing’. If the rows and rows (and rows!) of graves weren’t testament to the futility of war, the Wall was even more poignant, representing the 5127 Americans never found. The nearby Reflecting Pools made it all feel very tranquil. As so many visitors (must) do, we paused and reflected on the lives remembered here and the sacrifices they made.
We then took the short walk to the Chapel. With its gigantic wallmap covering the Atlantic air assault from 1941 to 1943 and uniquely decorated ceiling featuring war planes of the time, it also left a lasting impression. Even the entrance door was a work of art.
It’s not somewhere you rush around, and that’s really the point. We took our time, enjoyed a wander, and soaked up the solemn but respectful atmosphere.
Whether you have a particular connection to someone buried here or are just interested in history, Coton War Cemetery is well worth a visit. A poignant, peaceful and genuinely special place. Our next stop? The nearby Visitor Centre.
Visitor Centre
Cambridge Park and Ride
Cambridge and cars don’t mix well these days, so we headed to the Park and Ride on Madingly Road.
That didn’t take long and we caught a bus in under five minutes. Just 20 minutes, we were in the centre of the City.
We grabbed a simple ‘lunchette’ from McDonald’s that included coffees all round and one of their Chicken Wraps each. More delicious than we thought they’d be, where the only challenge was to work out how best to open the packaging! 😆. With the packaging mastered and the food eaten, and we were now ready for a wander around the immediate area soaking up the sight and sounds that typify Cambridge.
Cambridge Wander
Bikes, bikes and more bikes! 😊. And these days, electric ones too! Welcome to Cambridge! The city was far busier than we imagined it would be – in a good way – as we headed for Kings College and a closer look at its stunning internal architecture. ‘They don’t make them like that anymore’ sprang to mind! Such craftsmanship! Such detail!
Founded in 1441 by King Henry VI and recognised for its iconic Chapel, King’s College, formally The King’s College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King’s Parade in the centre of the City.
Yes, the College (and the City in general) was really buzzing. If visitors were being asked to tighten our belts, clearly, they hadn’t got the memo! Everywhere was trading well, especially the numerous eateries 😋😋
After the visit to the College, we continued our wanderings, heading in no particular direction. We took in the daily Market, most of the shops, and even passed where it all ‘began’ for Ann – her first store manager position at Sainsbury’s Sidney Street. Some forty-five minutes later, we’d had our retail therapy for the day and we headed for our bed for the next two nights.
Travelodge
You can’t beat a Travelodge for value and knowing exactly what you’re going to get – and this one suited us all perfectly! A great price and in the perfect location too! 👍
Except, the ‘knowing what you’re going to get’ part wasn’t quite true! The bargain price we’d bagged was as low as it was, for a reason! There was no hairdryer (unless you requested one) and the wifi only lasted 30 minutes before you had to fork out another £3.50 for 24 hours – and don’t ask about the furniture and fittings!
We like a bargain as much as the next couple, but this fell well below what we expected.
Midsummer Common – Fireworks
This was the big event of our short time here in Cambridge – their communal fireworks display on Midsummer Common.
Midsummer Common is made up of an area of common land and lies northeast of the city centre on the south bank of the River Cam.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be! In a classic case of ‘man (and woman) vs machine’, a ‘disagreement’ with Google Maps put us 180 degrees of where we should have been! But do you know what? It probably didn’t matter, as there was actually very little sign of ANY firework display in the sky at all apart for a few lonely rockets! We’re not sure why, but we didn’t feel we’d missed out, and concluded that the whole event might have been cancelled. No problem! More time for what came next…
Indian Meal – Navadhanya
What better way to end the day than with a Curry!
We were soon seated and looking through the menu.
It was quiet when we arrived just before 6.45, but by the time we left at 8.20pm, it was PACKED! – and it was easy to appreciate why!
The food was amazing! Packed with flavour and piping hot, it didn’t disappoint on any level. Although we made our own choices, we did the ‘communal thing’ and dipped into each other’s too! We learned that Navadhanya was also in the Michelin Guide – and in our view, well deserved too!
Our walk back to the Travelodge was more productive, and we were in the Bar 5 minutes later! But by 9.30, the day had caught up with us, and we left Trish & John to fly the flag for Keteringites in Cambridge. It had been a great day, and good to visit Cambridge again. Better still, spending time with our mates! 👍. Nighty-night! 🥱💤🥱💤
Tomorrow
We’re off to Duxford, and the Imperial War Museum. We’ve been a few times before, but tomorrow will be extra special as it’s Remembrance Sunday.
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