Katherine in Cambridge: Top Secret Week 6

I attended two plenary lectures at the Cambridge Union Society this week, both of which dealt with British and American intelligence during the Cold War. The first was by a historian of government named Lord Peter Hennessy. (Yes, that’s LORD Peter Hennessy—you don’t get those back in the States!) The second was by Professor Christopher Andrew. Both lectures were fascinating.

Interior of the Cambridge Union Society

Fun fact: the current Master of Pembroke College, Sir Richard Dearlove, used to be the head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). Guess I'd better not try any funny business while living here!

The following highlights of the week have also been declassified...

(1) Afternoon tea held in the Saltmarsh Rooms at King’s College. Ah, the joys of good conversation coupled with tea and a fruit scone slathered with jam and clotted cream!

(2) The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences. The museum contains an interesting collection of fossils, rocks, and minerals. I especially liked the fossils of ichthyosaurs (aquatic dinosaurs). The museum also contains some of Darwin’s notebooks—I hadn’t known this, but much of his early work was in geology.

(3) Creative Writing guest lecture by Katharine McMahon, historical fiction writer and author of The Rose of Sebastopol. She spoke to us about the importance of setting.

(4) Kettle’s Yard. When I visited, I was expecting a typical art gallery, but Kettle’s Yard is something unique. Upon arrival, you go up to the door of what appears to be a private cottage, ring the bell, and are greeted by a sweet, little elderly lady who will place your bag and coat in the hall closet and ask you to sign the guest book. Then you are free to wander around the cottage: you can admire the paintings and sculptures, sit in a chair to read one of the art books, or ask the volunteers about the artwork. It feels like going to your grandmother’s house, if your grandmother happened to collect art.

(5) Playing Frisbee with other PKP students and Programme Assistants on Jesus Green, one of Cambridge's parks.

Jesus Green

(6) Trip to Ely with my relatives. We visited Ely Cathedral, which was constructed during the 11^th and 12^th centuries, though there has been a Christian building on the site since the 7^th century. We got to climb to the top of the Octagon Tower, which was really cool!