Category Archives: Cambridge

Domenic

Back home, jetlagged but happy. And back to a rediscovered Cambridge insitution… I was delighted to hear recently that Domenic – the hairdresser who nobly strove for nearly twenty years my ‘knotted and combined locks to part, and each particular hair to stand on end’ – has come back from retirement and is working again, this time at 45 Newnham Road – about here – which is just around the corner from me. Splendid news.

This information will be of very little interest to anybody outside Cambridge, but for those nearby desirous of the services of a gentleman’s hairdresser, he comes highly recommended.

Friends in low places

Any idea what this is?

It’s a punt pole, with my camera attached to the end using a Gorillapod. Look, here’s a close-up:

And why, you might ask, would you want to do this?

Well, when my pal Bill Thompson organised this year’s geek punting picnic, PuntCon, I felt I needed to find a suitably geeky way to take a photo of the gathering. So I put my camera on a timer and raised the pole. It’s a bit tricky to aim, but here is at least a part of the group:

Many thanks to Bill (and everyone else) for a most enjoyable afternoon.

The three roads to happiness

Public footpath signs

I’ve always felt that one of the things I’d miss most if I ever left the UK for, say, America, is our network of public footpaths. I’ve spent many a happy weekend afternoon on them, discovering places I’d never seen before.

An example from this afternoon for all you Cambridge residents. Where, within 10 miles of the city centre, can you find white limestone cliffs? You can’t see them from the road.

Quarry

They’re a lot more dramatic than they look here, too.

But as well as drama this afternoon, there was beauty:

a rose in sunlight

And history:

2008-06-08_19-11-49

and cuteness:

2008-06-08_18-27-43

But the cutest moment came near the end of my walk when, hearing lots of cheeping coming from the river, I went closer and saw a couple of swans and three cygnets heading homewards:

2008-06-08_18-49-46

There was quite a current, and the little one were having to work hard to keep up.

But no, wait, I was mistaken. Four cygnets:

2008-06-08_18-53-30

One had obviously found the current a bit too much and had to be given a lift.

They headed off in the evening sun.

2008-06-08_18-53-47

And so did I.

More photos here.

East Anglian Altitude

Yesterday I visited the Møller Centre here in Cambridge.

2008-03-06_12-21-47.jpg

Interesting architecture, and a great view from the tower:

Cambridge Skyline

There’s some other quite interesting architecture visible if we zoom in to the right:

View from the Moller Centre tower

The buildings on the right are the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, and the other tower, on the left, is the University Library, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, who created several other rather Stalinist-looking buildings but redeemed himself by designing the iconic British red telephone box.

Giles was continuing in the family business – his father was also an architect responsible for some notable buildings, and his grandfather designed the Midlands Grand Hotel which formed the front of St Pancras’ Station. Now, that is something to be proud of… take a look!

Candid camera

Last month, my friends Gerry & Tessa took a picture of me working outside a Cambridge café.
I knew nothing about it until our Christmas card from them arrived!

Quentin at Origin8

Night shift

2007-12-08_16-09-32

Kings Parade, Cambridge

Lighten our darkness

There was an amazing light against a dark sky over Cambridge on Friday.

Honey Hill, Cambridge

CamVine is hiring!

Aha! You know things are really getting serious at CamVine now… we’ve just created an ‘Opportunities‘ page! Keep your eye on it!

The first post we want to fill needs somebody who really understands web applications and enjoys creating them, and who has excellent all-round software skills and IT interests.

I’ve been doing much of this development in the past, but I now have to concentrate on other things, so somebody else gets to do the fun stuff. Besides, we now need somebody really good!

Could this be you? More info here.

Autumn colours

Grantchester Road

froggy

Around the CamVine/Ndiyo office yesterday.

Ancient and Modern

St Columba’s and John Lewis

St Columba’s church cast a splendid shadow on the side of the new John Lewis building in Cambridge this morning.

One of the reasons I think I’m so lucky to live here is that our walk into the town centre this morning incorporated feeding ducks, watching kayakers, drinking lattés, grocery and shoe shopping, and took in both the view above and the one below.

Newnham/Paradise

Apple to open Cambridge store

Oh dear. This isn’t going to do my bank balance any good at all…

Sunshine after rain

One of the many joys of working in the Ndiyo/Camvine shed is the view from the window, looking westward towards Grantchester. It rained for much of today, but the sun came out in the evening.

View from the Ndiyo shed

Click for different sizes

© Copyright Quentin Stafford-Fraser