CAMBRIDGE

CAMBRIDGE – CITY OF UNIVERSITY

Going to Cambridge is 'fun' – looks like I am going back in time - of my university days!! 

It reminds me of the song by Lulu, "Those school gal days....of biting nails and telling tales are gone.."

Cambridge is a 'university city' and the county town of Cambridgeshire, England, on the River Cam. It is located in east of London.

CAMBRIDGE

One can either take the Hop-On – Hop -Off City Sightseeing double decker bus to explore Cambridge.

Alternatively, take a half-day walk around Cambridge – and I choose walking as I can explore the 'city of university' personally, here.

CAMBRIDGE TOWN CENTRE

The education hub include The Leys School, Trinity College, King's College Chapel, St John's College, Downing College, Sidney Sussex College, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge University, 

SIDNEY SUSSEX COLLEGE

The world-renowned University of Cambridge was founded in 1209. The buildings of the university include King's College Chapel, Cavendish Laboratory, and the Cambridge University Library, one of the largest legal deposit libraries in the world.

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY

Not only is the town popular with education – schools, colleges and universities, it is also rich in history evidenced by the presence of unique churches, in the town centre.

TRINITY CHURCH

The churches are - Roman Catholic Church, Round Church, St Andrew Baptist, Christ Church, Trinity Church, Our Lady & The English Martyrs Rectory and St Paul's Church.

ST PAUL'S CHURCH

The most unique church is the Round Church – the round part of the church was built in 1130 by the 'fraternity fo the Holy Sepulchre'. They were evidently influenced by the round church in Jerusalem called the Church of the Holy Sepulchre built by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the 4^th century. Since they were Normans, recently arrived from France in 1066, they used the Norman or Romanesque style, hence the thick pillars and rounded arches.

ROUND CHURCH

Historically, Cambridge became important trading centre during the Roman and Viking Ages, and there is archaeological evidence of settlement in the area as early s Bronze Age. The first town charters were granted in the 112^th century although modern city status was not officially conferred until 1951.

Cambridge is twinned with two cities namely - Heidelberg (Germany) and Szeged (Hungary) since 1987. Like Cambridge, both have universities and are similar in population.

PARKER'S PIECE

Parker's Piece hosted ever game of association football.

Pink Floyd are the most notable band with roots in Cambridge. The band's former songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Syd Barret was born and lived in the city, and he and another founding member, Roger Waters, went to school together at Cambridgeshire High School for Boys. David Gilmour, the guitarist was also a Cambridge resident and attended Perse School.

FOSTERS' BANK

Worth visiting are the – traditional Arts Theatre, University of Cambridge Museum and Fitzwilliam Museum, Kettles' Yard Gallery, Wysing Arts Centre and Ruskin Gallery.

JULY 27, 2007

UPTON PARK & EAST HAM

UPTON PARK & EAST HAM

On July 28, 2007 – I took the MRT to visit places namely Upton Park and East Ham which sits along the Barking Essex railway line.

The mentioned two places Upton Park and East Ham as well as Barking – are Muslim and Indians majority areas, excluding the locals.

I drop by these two places (Upton & East Ham) in a 'hurry' and spent only about 30 minutes at each place – as we are leaving for home in Staines, after visiting Central London.

UPTON PARK

The first stop is - Upton Park or the Boleyn Ground, was previously the home stadium of West Ham United in the East End of London.

From 1904-2016 – it was home of West Ham United – it was demolished in 2016 to make way for a new development. The stadium was then moved to the Olympic Stadium because the Boleyn Ground was to be converted into flats. On May 10, 2016, saw the final game was played between West Ham United F.C and Manchester United F.C. The game finished with West Ham winning 3-2. Many West Ham fans devastated but many debate that the Olympic stadium is better. 

UPTON PARK

Besides football, Upton Park is also home to thriving business, whose well-being is in large part due to the activity a match day brings. There is a mushrooming of businesses due to the existence of West Ham United Football Team – namely pubs, eateries, sundries, fashion outlet, and souvenir shops.

UPTON PARK

Next, the neighboring township called West Ham is a district in East London located east of Charing Cross.

The place name can apply to a large district forming the western part of the modern London Borough of Newham or central district. 

EAST HAM

West Ham was formed when the older territory of Ham was sub-divided in the 12^th century. Originally a civil parish, and ultimately a county borough, West Ham was an administrative unit, with largely consistent boundaries, from the 12^th century to the formation of Newham in 1965.

MOSQUE, EAST HAM

JULY 28, 2007

BARKING & ROMFORD

BARKING ESSEX & ROMFORD

Barking Essex is a familiar place to me.

It was the first ever place I stayed in, on my first trip to London.

My brother was then working with the original Shanghai Village Chinese Restaurant, here.

Subsequently, I do visit this little town, when I am in London in 2007 and 2010.

I find the place very simple – with lots of sculptures – especially feature of the 'dog' is everywhere – be it restaurant or the park.

A one-day tour is sufficient to visit places like – St Margaret of Antioch, St Patrick's Barking, Town Hall, Eastbury Manor House, Market Place and the Abbey.

BARKING ESSEX

Barking Essex is a suburban town in East London, and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

It was an ancient parish in the country of Essex. The town stands on a rich flat tract, on the River Roding, two miles north of the River Thames.

Some commented – Barking is a very unexciting suburb of east London which sprung up as an overspill after the Second War World.

BARKING ESSEX - LOGO OF FISHERY TOWN

Barking's name is a corruption of the Burging, signifying the “fortification on the meadow”, and seems to allude to an ancient entrenchment upwards of 48 acres, and still traceable.

The town rose to importance in 670, by the founding at it of an extensive abbey for Benedictine nuns, and it was the residence of William the conqueror during the erection of the Tower London, and the place where the Earls of Mercia and Northumberland and many other nobles swore fealty to him on the restoration of their estates.

MARKET PLACE, BARKING

Its economic history is characterised by a shift from fishing and farming to market gardening and industrial development south of the River Thames. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20^th century, Barking significantly expanded and increased in population, due to the development of the London County Council estate at Becontree in the 1920s, and became a municipal borough in 1931, and part of Greater London in 1965.

In addition to an extensive and fairly low-density residential area, the town centre forms a large retail and commercial district, currently a focus for regeneration. The former industrial lands to the south are being developed as Barking Riverside.

ST MARGARET'S CHURCH AND THE BARKING ABBEY

In earlier years, the inhabitants are market-gardeners, gas workers at Beckton, artisans whose work is in London, laborers at the chemical manure works in the neighborhood. Today, the community saw a mixture of the locals, the Muslim and the Indians.

The singer cum songwriter and activist Billy Brag was born in Barking. Neil Young recorded two tracks for his classic album Harvest, “A Man Needs a Maid”, and “There's a World” with the London Sympony Orchestra at Barking Assembly Hall (Broadway theatre) in 1972.

Electronic band Underworld named their 2010 album Barking after the town. The bank are associated with nearby Romford.

The artist Ramz wrote a song called “Barking” in 2017.

TOWN HALL, BARKING

Barking Town Centre has a number of recently commissioned sculptures and public art works. In 2007, two small stones from remains of the medieval London Bridge were joined together in a scuplture, found in front of St Margaret's Church facing the Barking Abbey ruins as part of several artworks placed in Barking Town centre buy artist Joost Van Santen

ROMFORD

Romford is the next door of Barking – is a large town in East London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering.

It was historically a market town within Essex and formed the administrative centre of the liberty of Havering, until it was dissolved in 1892. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20^th century, Romford expanded and increased in population in 1937, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965. It now forms one of the largest commercial, retail, entertainment and leisure districts outside Central London, and has a developed night-time economy.

JULY – AUGUST 2003/JULY 22, 2007/2010