and beginning to look rather tarnished for want of a better word  . . .. .  

Consequently this name is by no means no accident and wont go out of fashion too quickly - at least for a thousand years . . .

Unlike the much banded about “Cambridge Phenomenon” title which has faded during the current financial crisis like a murky sunset over the gray haze of the slowing down of industry and record job losses  – and in my opinion, unless the City and University see eye to eye on the planning and redevelopment of this medieval city – traffic jams will grow as more and more vehicles become trapped in a cage of rising bollards. (Heaven knows what the powers that be will do with the recently proposed half a billion pounds to improve transport – probably more cycle paths and pedestrian bridges over motorways . . if their past record is anything to go by.    

In years past Cambridge was something of a two headed dragon – the Town and the Gown – but in more recent years it has given birth to a three headed monster – The University, The City,( represented by the various councils and sub-committees that are invariably at loggerheads with each other) and more recently, the Man in the street – grassroots democratic “What about me” voter, who is often ignored by both the University and the all powerful civil servants of the Cambridge City -  managed by Councils and Planners.

Cambridge is of course an amazing city – but it has a less than amazing management team.

The grandeur of the City is of course based in the middle ages, originally without a bridge when the Roman Legions established themselves at Granchester at the time of Christ - as they marched down the back of Castle Hill, through  Madingley and Coton, on their way to London. ( The Coton to Cambridge was in fact a toll road more than a hundred years back would you believe - as reported in the Coton Parish Records )   

Cambridge was originally a fording place like Oxford, but since the bridge was built it took on a more central development.   It really began to take shape when the Monks arrived from Oxford 800 years ago, and various Kings and Worthies sponsored the wonderful buildings to house the students of the growing University – and they did all this without local planning approval, shops and houses were quickly demolished and beautiful buildings sprung up, with the conscripted slave labor that was plentiful and of course cheap.    

By the time William the Conqueror (1066-1087) arrive,  it had about three thousand population and was an important port – hard to imagine all the stone for the colleges and churches arriving by barge along the river and the Car Dyke through Waterbeach. .