Cambridge – David Kotz

Postboxes and Royal Cyphers

Wherein I complete a royal quest.

While walking through a rural area outside London, early in my year-long stay in England, I came across a bright-red postbox embedded in a very old stone wall in the tiny village of Shalford, outside Guildford. Although self-standing pillar-shaped postboxes are ubiquitous, this one sparked my curiosity. Why is this postbox – owned and maintained by the Royal Mail as a public service – embedded in a stone wall? and what does the insignia, embossed on the surface, mean? I later did some research online and found myself embarking on a months-long quest for more postboxes. Read on!

King George VI (1936-1952) postbox embedded in a stone wall between Guildford and Shalford.

Punting on the River Cam

The best way to see Cambridge.

While at the University of Cambridge for a week-long conference, I decided it was time to punt. Yes, it was worth skiving a few hours from the conference so we could experience punting along the River Cam. In both Cambridge and Oxford I’d watched from shore while students, locals, and tourists all enjoyed this classic pastime – most of them on a punt with a skilled guide, and some trying their hand at punting with friends. It looked like fun!

Punting along the River Cam in Cambridge, England.

Cambridge-Grantchester

Along the River Cam from Cambridge to Grantchester and back.

When I visited Cambridge, last month, I was in town for just the afternoon and had very little time to see the city or explore the university. I’m back, this time for five nights, to attend a computer-science conference (MobiSys). I chose to arrive early and go for a hike: from Cambridge to Grantchester, and return, along the River Cam. (Get it? Cam-bridge?) Along the way, I encountered four swans a-swimming and dozens of punters a-punting, dined al fresco in an orchard famed for its literary heritage; and explored a church nearly 900 years old.

Punting on the River Cam – Cambridge, England.

Oxbridge jubilee

Visits to Cambridge and Oxford universities, and a long loop hike outside Oxford.

This week I had the opportunity to visit Cambridge University on Wednesday, and Oxford University on Friday, to meet colleagues and present my research. (Together, these universities are colloquially known as “Oxbridge”.) The weather continues to be sunny and beautiful, so I took the opportunity to explore each of these historic cities – and to get out into the Oxfordshire countryside for a delightful hike.