The rest of the day was free for members to make their own explorations. Some of our members decided to visit the University’s Botanic Gardens, which were founded in 1825 by John Stevens Henslow, Professor of Botany. They now cover 40 acres and are the largest university owned botanic garden in the world with over 8000 plant species. The gardens were magical with magnolia and cherry trees in blossom and marsh marigolds flowering by the stream. However, the star of the garden was the flower of the Jade Vine which is native to the Philippines and thus was growing in the glasshouse. It flowers in early spring and was stunning both in colour and shape with cascading clusters of jade coloured claw shaped flowers. Other members of the group took the opportunity to visit the Fitzwillam Museum, which houses the University's extensive art collection. This rather swaggering Edwardian neo-Classical building seems somewhat at odds with the predominantly Elizabethan and Georgian surroundings, but its peerless contents, including works from the renaissance, the beaux arts, the impressionists all the way to contemporary works are worthy of hours of contemplation.

On Saturday our first visit was to Girton College, built from 1872 to 1887 to the designs of Sir Alfred Waterhouse in his usual neo-Gothic style. It was the first women’s college in Cambridge and has a substantial art collection. Our visit coincided with an exhibition called ‘Peoples’ Portraits’ created to celebrate the millennium it reflects the lives of a cross section of people captured by members of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. It was also the day when Masters students resplendent in their hoods and gowns gathered before being taken into Cambridge to receive their degrees at the Senate House. We also were able to access the College's Egyptology museum containing Hermione, the oldest fellow of the College - a perfectly preserved female mummy.

Ancient and Modern, Queens' College Contrasts.

Sunday began with a walking tour of Cambridge and, in what seems to becoming a habit, we were joined by a group from another U3A, this time Stansted and Mountfitchet. Our tour took in St. Benet’s, the oldest church in Cambridge. this was followed by The Eagle pub with its association with wartime aircrew, their descendants and successors, as well as being the watering hole of scientists from the nearby Cavendish Laboratory. It is thought that regulars here were probably the first people to learn of the discovery of the DNA double helix. The Cavendish Laboratory itself came next, home of 30 Nobel Laureates and counting. The highlight was a tour of Queens’ College where we walked through from the Gatehouse at the oldest part of the College built in Tudor brickwork in around 1450 through the Old Court, past the Old Hall where students fellows and the Master take their meals, through the Cloister Court (1590) with the President’s Lodge, the only half-timbered building remaining in Cambridge. We crossed the Wooden (‘Mathematical’) Bridge over the Cam to Cripps Court, the modern part of the College built from 1972 – 2007. Our guide, Bev then gave us an explanation of the teaching system in Cambridge where students take lectures and laboratory work etc. in the various departments but receive tutorials in their own college. We then explored the New Chapel and Walnut Tree Court. Leaving Queens’ our tour continued along Kings Parade passing Kings College and the Senate House before finishing outside the entrance to Trinity College.

Following the guided walk the group were free to explore central Cambridge. The University Colleges have been wealthy patrons of architecture since their inception and so there are notable buildings of all ages and types to discover with two examples below.

Our final visit was to the American War Cemetery at Madingley on the outskirts of Cambridge. This is the final resting place of American service people based in the UK from 1942-45 who died while on active service. It is a place of great solemnity, with all of the graves radiating out from a huge flagstaff carrying a vast American flag. To one side, along an axis defined by reflecting pools, is a memorial chapel, its interior is decorated with mural maps showing the various theatres of conflict where the servicemen and women fell. The whole place has been constructed with the best quality materials and workmanship, and is beautifully maintained and has a visual impact which is redolent of, at one extreme the Commonwealth War Graves in Northern France and Flanders and at the other the various memorials along the National Mall in Washington D.C. At one side of the site is a museum depicting the involvement of the United States in the whole of the Second World War. The study weekend was deemed to be a success by all the members who took part, most of whom said they would need to return home for a rest after a very full and stimulating four days.