Cambridge is a medieval city with great stories about ghosts and the place to hear them is with Cambridge Ghost Tours. Our tour guides, Fenella and Tom had really great personalities which made this tour so enjoyable.
I have been on previous ghost tours in Cambridge. In my opinion, this was much more exciting. They were not just giving you a tour of places, pointing out places that ghosts had been reported about anyone can do that. Instead they tell in such a way that you don't want the tour to end.
This is child friendly and they can curtail the information to suit the youngest person. The youngest on our tour was 8 years old. But of course that is a decision that you will have to make.
Also, as an American I find some tours presume you know who or what they are talking about. This was not the case with Cambridge Ghost Tours. I would be confident to say that even if you do not know who they are talking about, they explain it so you will.
I would hands down recommend Cambridge Ghost Tours as a different way to see the city (and the best ghost tour in town!). They also have special Halloween events- if you are brave enough!
The tour happens rain or shine so dress appropriately! It rained during our tour but it added to the ambiance.
We were going into town to go on a Cambridge Ghost Tour, so we thought we would eat before hand. A new restaurant has popped up on Bridge Street in Cambridge. If you are looking for the American burger in the United Kingdom, Byron Burger is the place to go!
It feels like an American diner, as you see in the picture below. It serves American sodas and beers. You can get a root beer float from here! I had a cream soda (proper American cream soda high fructose corn syrup and everything! Okay actually I had two- that ruined my no caffeine rule!) and my hubby have a Brooklyn beer now that he has had a taste while we were in New York City. They serve a range of hamburgers, the American way with American style sides. It was great! Jon is a lover of burgers as it is and I usually eat them when out due to my allergy so we were happy.
They had plenty of staff so you were never waiting too long to be served or get another drink. They were super friendly and attentive. It was a comfortable place to go to. It was also affordable. Not a dinner that will break the bank, just the way I like it!
The sign says Byron- Proper Hamburgers and it is 100% correct! I feel as an American I have the qualifications to make this judgement :) I have a place to go when I am home sick and just need a proper hamburger.
If you have been following my Facebook page, you know that I am a fan of Philippa Gregory. I have not read all of her books yet. That is on my list to do when I am finished with my degree (only 3 more classes but who is counting!).
Last night I was able to attend a sold out event held by Topping & Company in Ely where Philippa Gregory talked about her new book, The King's Curse, which is about the curse placed on Henry VIII and his failure to produce a male heir. Philippa is a historian that brings it to life. So I was so excited to meet her and get her to sign a copy for myself and one of my sisters-in-law for Christmas. Don't worry she doesn't read my blog.
I was thinking last night and I think that it was a mix of Philippa's books and living in England that got me interested in history. I have always been an avid reader, well not so much since I started school again, but I just cannot get enough of a good story or finding out something new. I have a dresser full of books that I will start to read at the end of November and I can't wait.
The first book that I read of Philippa's was The Other Boleyn Girl, which was later made into the film which was also filmed in Ely Cathedral.It is the story of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, from the perspective of Mary Boleyn, her older sister and the king's mistress. What I loved so much about this book and all of the other ones I have read was that Philippa takes the historical facts that we know and fills it in with how things happened in a believable story. So you are learning about the events but feel like you know these historical people personally.
Reading her books have made me such an expert on Henry VIII at pub quiz it is my area of expertise.
I think that lead me to love England and its history so much that I wanted to do a degree in history and hopefully will improve my blog. I promise to pay it more attention after it is all said and done, I have a lot of ideas that I am writing down.
If you find history books boring but want to still learn about it, I definitely recommend reading her books, she make history delicious!
Yesterday I caught up on the Misfits series on Netflix awaiting our storm that did not come. I remember when I first started watching it. My husband used to go to pub quiz on Thursdays and he would come home and all I could talk about how great this show was. He was not sure he would like it because it was based on young delinquents in London. Once he started watching it, he was hooked.
The storyline is that there are five delinquents who have been sentenced to community service. There was a huge storm and it gave nearly everyone a super power. I think it was whoever was outside when the lightning struck. This quite clever because any new person that comes in show can almost have any power such as going into the past, bringing people back from the dead (but you have to kill them as they become zombies of course!), hearing what people think, seeing through walls, etc.
I think that this is a great example of British tv. This show is a dark comedy. It has a lot of violence, sex and shocking vulgar language ( and I worked on the flightline so hard to shock me) but it is fantastically written. It is not intelligent humor like most of the shows have but it is not slapstick either. Every show keeps you wanting more. Despite some of the characters being violent, you like them because they crack you up.
I would say it is more of a lad's show but the women are just as tough as they are! I enjoy it!
I can't wait to see the rest of the series as I am caught up to Series 4.
Yesterday the question was raised in one of the Facebook groups if someone should get both the US and UK flu vaccines. It is a valid question if you do not know anything about flu vaccines. I worked in the Swine Flu Incident room in 2009 in the East of England Strategic Health Authority which is part of the NHS. I am no expert but this has given me a bit of an insight to how things work in response to emergencies.
First off the vaccines are the same. The World Health Organization predicts which three strains of flu will be prevalent during the flu season in the North Hemisphere and the manufacturers make them. So getting a flu shot on base and off base is not going to provide you with more protection and dangerous double dosing on vaccines. Also if you think about in this way, service members get the flu shot annually but they do not get another one when they reach their deployment base because they are covered. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/how-flu-vaccine-works.aspx
There are different approaches between the US and Europe on to how to distribute the flu vaccine. In America and Canada, anyone over six months old can get a flu shot. In Europe, nursing home residents, people with chronic medical conditions like asthma, the elderly, pregnant women, health care workers, and children from ages 6 months to 2 years, because they are more susceptible to the symptoms of the flu get the vaccine. America gives to everyone because if they look at the group that is suggested in Europe then about 75% of the population would meet the criteria and the patient pays for the vaccine. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/17/health/flu-vaccine-policy/
This varies for many reasons such as the lack of sick time in the US, whereas in Europe they have it. In Europe only doctors can give it out. I think that they often give it out in schools in the UK but this has to do with the NHS and the schools being part of the government's responsibility and saves the parents a trip!
Well if you ever thought about this, I hope I cleared it up!
Last Year Jon and I were in Nottingham at the same time as the Robin Hood Festival was going on in Sherwood Forest. It was great to see all the little children dressed as Robin Hood and Maid Marion.
Sherwood Forest is about 40 minute drive from Nottingham and Nottingham is about a 2 hour drive from Cambridge. While this was a great time to see Sherwood Forest, I would suggest not driving all the way from the bases for the day to see the Robin Hood Festival.
The festival going on made the trip to Sherwood Forest worth it because otherwise you just go see the Major Oak. There were all sorts of displays, falconry, jousting, games and other stalls. It was free to attend but you had to pay for parking. You could make this an affordable day by packing your own picnic and then let the children run free.
Also take them walking around Sherwood Forest and see the Major Oak.
Want to see Prince Charles and The Duchess of York? The best way to do this is to go to the Sandringham Flower Show in the 25th July 2012from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
It’s a great event to bring the children to. There are exhibits of horses and other displays like aerobatics teams, dog shows and bands and of course flower displays from the Women’s Institute (you might know about them through the movie Calendar Girls).
It’s only a 45 minute drive from base.
The Sandringham Estate is open to take a stroll. Sandringham Estate is where the Royal Family spends their Christmas and attend Christmas service at Church of St Mary Magdalene which is also usually open to visit.
I asked the question of where the Queen sits as she is the Head of the Church of England and the answer is she sits up front with the priest and other clergy members.
So take the day off and see how close you can get to royalty.
It’s is easy to think that America has been the only victim of terrorist attacks but on 7 July 2007, four suicide bombers set off 4 bombs and 52 people killed and over 700 injured in central London.
This was the deadliest terrorist attack in the United Kingdom since the Lockerbie bombings and deadliest bombing since WWII. It also killed more people than any single attack by the IRA.
One bomb went off on the underground (tube) just as it left the Liverpool Street station near the Monument to the Great Fire 1666. Another at Edgeware Road Station near Madame Tussauds and one that was between King’s Cross and Russell Square. The final bomb went off on a double decker bus in Tavistock Square, near King’s Cross.
Two weeks later on 21 July 2005, a second series of bombings took part on the London underground. However, none of the main detonators went off so luckily no one was killed. All of the failed suicide bombers escaped but were later arrested.
Although it was not on the same level of devastation, the British have also been targets for terrorism. They are also fighting alongside our troops. Please take a moment today in memory of all innocent victims of terrorism.
I remember the first time I took my husband to his first fourth of July celebration and when my jaw dropped as an American asked him the question "Why don't the British celebrate the 4th of July?". I thought the answer was quite obvious but I suppose it isn't.
As Americans, we celebrate the 4th of July because it is the day in 1776 we adopted the Declaration of Independence which was finally signed by all members on 2 August 1776. The colonists felt that they wanted to become independent because the King in Great Britain was raising their taxes and increasing the rules that they had to follow.
The reason why I think it is obvious is because as Americans we would not celebrate the Independence of Guam or other territories that we have.
But don't worry there will be plenty of celebrating here on the bases, every year RAF Feltwell host a huge event with fireworks, airshow and of course rides!
Ladies Day is great event. The women wear dresses and their hats. There is a competition for the best dressed (you have to register). One year the prize was for champagne for a year.
Many have a picnic in the parking lot and bet on the horses. It happens every July.
It's a great reason to get your girlfriends together, get dresses up and drink some bubbly.
I always wanted to go to the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival but never got around to getting there until last year. It is one of the best art festivals in the UK and if you buy the season ticket like I did, it makes it more cost effective. I bought two of the season tickets which allowed me to go to 3 plays, each costing £37 and one ticket costing £15 so it saved me £8 in the end. I went with my husband to one, and took some friends to the others.
This is outdoors so you can bring a blanket and a picnic. It does go on if it rains! There are also some seats but you will have to get there early to ensure that you get one!
I really like it, it makes going to see things like this affordable. I like going to the theatre and I like that these are in the gardens of the colleges in Cambridge.
If you are American, you must visit the Madingley American Memorial Cemetery. Its is best to take it in at a ceremony on Veteran's Day or Memorial Day where they often have a fly by. But it is the most serene place.
This is the only cemetery in the UK dedicated to Americans who fought in WWII. There is a long wall with the names of 5,126 names of those lost in action. There are four different statues for all the services. and this is inscribed on the top of the wall:
THE AMERICANS WHOSE NAMES HERE APPEAR
WERE PART OF THE PRICE THAT FREE MEN
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THIS CENTURY
HAVE BEEN FORCED TO PAY TO DEFEND
HUMAN LIBERTY AND RIGHTS
ALL WHO SHALL HEREAFTER LIVE IN FREEDOM
WILL BE HERE REMINDED THAT TO THESE MEN
AND THEIR COMRADES
WE OWE A DEBT TO BE PAID
WITH GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THEIR SACRIFICE
AND THE HIGH RESOLVE THAT THE CAUSE FOR WHICH THEY DIED
SHALL LIVE ETERNALLY
The Chapel is very nice as well. Inside, there is something for all religions in there. The stain glass in the windows are of the 50 US stats listed in order of joining the Union. There is a map of the the shipping lanes during the war and bombing targets. On the outside of the chapel, there is a map of the American airfields in the UK during the war.
There are over 3,800 Americans men and women buried in this cemetery. There are 24 graves that have not been positively identified.
If you need a reminder on why you are stationed here, this is a good one that is not to be missed. It makes me proud to have served my country.
If you like to go to the theatre like I do, it can get expensive so here are some tips that I use:
Sit in restricted seating. At the Cambridge Arts Theatre, there are 3 seats on each side of the upper circle that are cheaper , I always get these seats and move if it is not crowded that night.
If you can buy a pass, go for it. At the Shakespeare Festival in Cambridge, they allow you to buy a 3 or 6 play pass. This means you can go without booking a day, so if it is raining, then you can go another day since they are outside. Works out cheaper per play!
In London you can get half-price last minute tickets at the TKTS booth in Leicester Square from 10 am on the day you want tickets. The earlier you get there the better the seats!
I work fulltime so I can't do this but you can go to the earlier shows and the tickets are often less.
If you go to London by the train, you can get 2 for 1 tickets.
Go to the theatre on the day and see if they have any going for a discounted rate.
You should use smaller theatres. Often there are traveling groups so you can see the same play at the Theatre Royale in Bury St Edmunds for less than at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. It doesn't make sense for me all of the time because I cycle into town but if you are driving it might be worth it!
If you just like going to the theatre, there are some amateur dramatic groups you can go see locally:
I was able to score some free tickets to the Discover Ascot day at the Ascot Racecourse. Ascot is famous for the Royal Ascot which brings out people by the droves dressed to the nines. At other times in the year the dress code is a bit more relaxed but if you do not dress appropriately you risk not being allowed in. Different enclosures have different rules so do check the website for the rules.
Ascot is two hours drive from Cambridge. Its best to go A14->A11->M11->M25->M4. It does not seem like it would be faster but the M25 gets really busy. Use Transport Direct info. Also leave yourself additional time in case there is an accident. Do not park in the places where they charge you, if you keep going around, you will see free parking.
It is also down the road from Windsor Castle so while the racing will take up a whole day, you could try to book a room and stay in the area and hit that up as well.
The website also tells you how to place a bet and all other useful information so I would definitely read everything before you go. If you have been to the Newmarket races then you might know how racecourses operate.
I had a really good time with my friends, Laura and Jane. We brought a picnic which we ate before we went in. You are able to bring one in with you but there are only certain areas you can lay this out and you cannot bring seats.
We got really lucky with the weather as it didn't look like it was going to be very nice. We also won a bit of money, which covered our losses. We saw Frank Dettori make a great comeback and Princess Anne! Not a bad day out!
I would love to come for the Royal Ascot and dress up!
Jane and I took part in the London to Cambridge bike ride in 2011. It is a 60 mile bike ride that begins with Pickett's Lock (outside of London) and ends at Midsummers Common.
We met some lovely girls from Lakenheath while we were waiting to get on our bus and they must have kept up a good pace as we never saw them again :)
I have been training in the sense that I ride my bike to and from work and around Cambridge. I am also a keen runner so I was hoping that I would be in good enough shape to get me through this.
Jane loves long walks and did cycle for an hour a day leading up to the event.
It was a really great experience. The weather was fabulous. It was so motivating seeing the amount of people who were taking part, especially the people I inspired to take part like Dean (All Star Cleaning, window cleaner for my shop) and the guys I used to work with at Amino.
My father-in-law also took part on the Marshalls team. My husband and a family friend are looking to take part that is if my husband can get a few days off work (he has a arthritis in his ankle due to a work-related accident- 2.5 ton cherry picker falling on his leg) and the family friend has to get the okay after surviving cancer.
I would love to do this again and again.
Looking for a challenge? Get a team together and tackle this :)
A lot of people are looking for the perfect house with the look that they are after. If you have been reading my blog for some time, you will know that while this can make a difference, I suggest that you get a house that suits your needs as you are only here temporarily. Many people like to look at houses with a view as if they are buying a house but this can be a very costly mistake.
Outside of the house that will suit your needs (but may not be what you have dreamt you will be living in since you heard you were going to be living the UK), you MUST look at the Energy Performance Certification (EPC) rating. This is going to tell you how much running the house will cost you, this is how you can save money on energy because it costs 3 times as much as in the US.
Any house that is sold or rented out must have an EPC. Most advertisements will have the rating of the house in them. The ratings go from A to G. A is the most efficient and G is the worst. The average one is D/E and if you are in the military, your utility allowance should cover a home with this rating. Here is an example of what an EPC looks like. If it does not have it in the advertisement, I would be weary of the property and ask to get a copy of it before viewing.
One thing to look for in a house, always go for double glazing. I have been living in a house for the last 3 years that does not have it in the bedrooms (its my MIL's house) and they have been just been installed, you can feel the difference now in the spring but just imagine the difference it will make in the winter- we were sleeping under 4 blankets! Please see the video below to see the impact that this can have.
Another thing to think about is other heating elements. Fireplaces are another way to heat your home. Just be sure to only use coal in a coal one and wood in a wood one. Wood burners are more energy efficient than coal burning ones. If you do get other heating elements like space heaters, make sure that they have timers on them and do not leave them running when you are not home. Do not heat rooms you do not use.
You can also look in the report to see the suggestions made to increase the EPC rating, therefore saving you money on your utilities. Things like replacing regular lightbulbs with energy saving lightbulbs you can do yourself. Although they are more expensive than regular ones definitely save you money in the long run. Other things like increasing the loft insulation or having the hot water cylinder insulated could be a good negotiating point especially if you are paying above the asking price.
As Americans, we like to have our homes very warm but this can cost an arm and a leg over here. So dress warmly in the cold times and put a blanket over you when watching TV. This is why I think that you should choose a home with a better EPC rating almost anything else. You will feel the difference in your bones (the humidity makes the chill way different here) and you will feel it in your wallet.
I have never watched the Eurovision for the last seven years. I am not sure why, it just was not on my radar but in 2013, I did watch it and really could not understand what was going on or how big it is over here and in Europe.
The Eurovision began in 1956. Only members of Europe Broadcasting Union can take place in this singing competition. This includes Russia, some countries in Africa and most of the Euoprean countries. The country that won the Eurovision last year have to host the next one. Sometimes people have a Eurovision party and they invite their friends over to their homes to watch it.
So the interesting bit of the competition is that it is very political. So you go through out the night having the singing and the voting. The people in the countries can then vote for their favorite song and then the top 3 countries are given 12, 10 and 8 points. So some of the Eastern Bloc countries vote for each other as does Ireland and the United Kingdom and so forth.
A song is written every year for the Eurovision and performed by an act from that country. One of famous band that rose to fame after being part of this competition is ABBA who won in 1974. One of the UK's most famous performers were Bucks Fizz who won in 1981 with their song Making Your Mind Up. Celine Dion won it for Switzerland in 1988 which helped launch her career.
So if you in when the next Eurovision is on, watch it and let me know what you think of it. This year's is on 6 May 2014.
I made some bunting for the Cam Sailing Club's Summer Party and also because I always wanted bunting but wanted to make it myself.
I got the template from the Big Lunch website. A couple of weeks before I got some squares from Cally Co store in the centre of Cambridge. I was a bit unsure with what I had picked out and almost went with the set that they had already bundled together but the lady said mine looked great together.
From my last escapade doing curtains and pillow covers for the caravan, I was really not looking forward to working with my sewing machine. I did not know what was wrong with it and because it was American, I wasn't sure if I could take it anywhere to be fixed. It was gathering on the bottom which is a symptom of the tension not being correct. In my case, it was because the bobbin case was broken. So I ordered a new one and now it works!
So I cut out my triangles. You can use shears and make them one sided, but I cut out two so mine would be double sided. I drew a triangle with my pencil and pinned them as I went along..
Then I cut them out and then sewed them along to the long sides and turned them right side out.
Then I lined up the flags along the bias tape. You need to leave enough on both ends so that you can tie them up. I pinned the entire line. Then I sewed from one end to the other. I ended up having enough flags to make two sets of bunting.
Every year the CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) holds a beer festival in Cambridge. I wasn't sure what to expect but found the atmosphere to be laid back and got to try Mead (honey based alcohol- traditionally given to newly wedded couple because it was believed that it increases fertility.
You buy a glass to use for the day but if you give it back when you leave, you will get your money back. Be ready for queues but its worth it. Make sure you have a DD and they get free drinks (not very common here!).
Last year they had 200 real ales, 80 ciders and perries, foreign beer, English wine, mead and cheese.
So get a group of you together and try the ales of England.
I was very lucky to be able to go on a tour with Cambridge Ghost Tours.
