I went to stay for a few days in Cambridge, one of those places that I always meant to go to, but somehow just hadn’t made the time for. I loved it. It was incredible to feel so surrounded by history, especially with the lovely English Summer weather. One of the places I was especially looking forward to visiting was Kettle’s Yard, a contemporary art gallery in a home setting. The owner knew lots of artists and collected their works, and some wonderful natural objects, and then donated the whole house to the University to be used as a gallery. Incredible! I stayed for a long time, soaking in the atmosphere and doing several sketches.
I really enjoyed walking around the city, exploring the alleyways and green spaces. I felt like I was in a movie…
We stayed at the Graduate Hotel in Cambridge, which was perfectly placed, and the staff were really kind. I loved the view from our room over the river and sketched it several times.
I also visited the Cambridge University Library to see the Raymond Briggs exhibition. I find his work so moving and deeply emotional. He celebrates our humanity in such a touching way. I loved seeing his pen tests and little notes on the edges of the paper, and reading about his life and career.
The first image is from my sketchbook.
One afternoon I treated myself to afternoon tea at Fitzbillies, a Cambridge institution. It was pretty tasty.
I spent several hours at the Fitzwilliam Museum and could have spent more - they had to throw me out at closing time! I saw their famous paintings, but was much more interested in their big collection of ceramics from around the world. Stunning.
As ever, when I travel, I end up working too, and the hotel desk provided a good place to get on with it. I had a wonderful stay and would love to spend a little more time exploring.
