Town Not Gown Tours

Someone on here was asking about these ... not sure who it was ... but apparently this is the last tour of Summer 2007. I am tempted -anyone else?

Thursday September 20th 18.00

Meet: Entrance to Grafton Centre, Fitzroy St

Around the Kite: Vile Victorians ?

‘The localities are said to contain from one to two hundred prostitutes; about 100 convicted thieves, and about 200 persons of questionable character,who, there is no doubt, live by dishonesty.’

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Who was Joseph Sturton of 'Sturton Town'?
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Where was the 'Garden of Eden' ?
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Is this the same area where houses now sell for £500,000 ?
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See the 19th century Women's Refuge for young prostitutes ?
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Were the Victorians REALLY this vile??!
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Why the name 'The Kite' ??

Explore the streets around the Grafton centre & discover the dark underside of life in Victorian Cambridge.

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Cost: £6.50. Under 16 free.

Tours last 1.30hr to 2hr.

All welcome, children too !

Just turn up on the day, but numbers are limited. To guarantee a place please book in advance. Thank you.

Where do you book in advance?

Oops - email allanbrigham (at) hotmail (dot) com.

The website is http://www.colc.co.uk/cambridge/tours

I might just go on this one as well.

Oooh, sounds good. But weren't we meeting for drinkies on Thursday THL?? Or are you thinking of getting the girlies on it and then drinkies afterwards??

We did what sounds like a similar tour around the Kite with him about 2 years ago and it was brilliant - we ended up going out towards Midsummer Common. Really good value for money.

I haven't heard from either of them Clairee - will email you at lunch.

okays. email my hotmail account cos I'm off this week :D yippee!! and guess what, I spent the whole weekend cooking for people hehe :D day off today though, going to watch Stir of Echos in bed and play lots of Doom3! :) hehe...

If the others aren't up for a drink then lets go on this yeah?!?! x

I might be up for this, THL

Come!! THL booked has booked our places. I'm really excited about it!!!

Email him if you fancy coming to book a space!

I have emailed him.

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This guy is a Blue Badge Guide, so he'll be a lot more credible than the punt chauffeurs who really do talk a complete load of crap.

"Pink Floyd played their last show with Syd Barret over there in the local KFC when it used to be a sweet shop, they used to steal the sherbert bob bons and one day the shop keep casught Syd and twatted him on the side of the head. From that point on he started getting a little stranger".

Another Cambridge Tour Truth Told True.

I have just come back from this and it was excellent! I found out the area where I now work used to be a zone of ill repute! The guide also pointed out loads of stuff that I normally wander past without noticing, plus a couple of streets in town I'd never ever walked down despite living here a total of 22 years! I had no idea the area behind the Grafton centre used to be a women's refuge, or that there used to be over 200 breweries in Cambridge. I'd definitely recommend him, he was a great guide and so enthusiastic.

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It's a real shame that it was the last one of the summer. Was really interesting! And I've managed to remember some of it too :) just been telling Srob and Holliy all about it!

Going to look into the ghosty ones now THL. Thanks for booking me too. Was a lot of fun and looking forward to the start of them again next year. Would definitely want to do the Romsey one after that!

The punting/walking ones are £15 and no times are up past September at the moment but they are an hour and a half and look like fun.

The blue badge ones are every Friday at 18:00 and are £5.

Could easily do both?!?! I'm addicted to touristy things now damn it! :D

Will definitely be up for a ghosty one! Either one or both :) The one me and BooBoo went on in York was really good but it'd be interesting to do a Cambridge one as I don't know of any places in town that are haunted (apart from UL tower 8!).

I'm really glad you enjoyed it, he is good. I thought it was very creepy round where the woman's refuge used to be or maybe it was the way he described it. Did you go down...is it Auckland Road and he vented his horror at the new vicarage. When we did it, some lady was looking very angrily at us out of the windows.

And the lift near on the 4th floor on the staff entrance side too :)

Just been looking at a notice on gumtree and they have special lantern lit punts for the tours between the 25th and 31st October! I think doing it near halloween would be great. Would also be up for doing both of them me thinks!

I'll drop the punting company an email or call tomorrow and find out when it's going on and let you know. I went on a really cool ghost bus tour when I went to Dublin years ago where we learnt how to rob graves! hehe... twas a lot of fun and I've been itching to do something similar ever since!

Yeah, Smithy he did! Chelley noted that any poor bugger hearing him say who hideous their house is would be a little annoyed! We also had an amusing man at the beginning of the tour listening, laughing and also yelled sperm! :) but it was really good fun and quiet interesting. Saw some beautiful cottages that I didn't realise existed! How are you feeling at the moment anyways m'dear. x

Heh! He can be a bit loud when he gets going. I've got a Cambridge ghost book somewhere and this place is full of hauntings but has some history in it too. When/if I get back from hols I can lend it to one of you.

I did try a ghost walk in York but it was around Halloween time and there was about 10 of them on the go and we kept bumping into each other which was a bit annoying, I imagine that it's really good on a quieter night.

Oooh, i'd be interested in having a look at that. I love reading about hauntings and stuff in the places I live. Thank you. Hope you get to go on your holiday. It sounds like you really need it at the moment!

Damn - I missed it.....

The last one I went on he pulled me up for the comments I had made about the tours on here, at least they were good comments..! I quite like the fact that he is so passionate about architecture and planning. Someone has to be, else we end up with nasty buildings surrounding our city....

Hi Clairee, I'll catch up about the book when I get back.

I've been allowed to go away!!!! Hurrah! I am on anti sickness drugs and God knows what and under strict instructions to rest when I get there, so with that in mind I am floor managing Mr S and the packing ;D I'm so happy after yesterday it's bloody brilliant!