A day out to Cambridge on Monday. My alma mater (Corpus Christi) was displaying the 6th century Augustine Gospels, used at the recent coronation, before they went back into the library’s vault.

So despite half the Thameslink services being cancelled due to overrunning engineering work, I picked up a train from Earlswood to St Pancras.  I was going to look and see what was in the station, but it is such a warren of shops, I just headed for Kings Cross.  Again, I was going to explore, but there was a train about to depart so I stepped on board.  It turned to be all stations to Cambridge, so it was a slow, but very pleasant, trundle out of London and into the fens.  Plenty to look at, including this Class 59.

Cambridge station is still a most attractive station building, but the station has gained a new island platform, and the area around it has been totally redeveloped.  Very modern, but better than I remember!

Cambridge station was always a long way from the town centre (well over a mile), but it seemed a lot longer 50 years after my student days!  I got to Corpus a bit before my viewing time for the Gospels.

A chance to look at the river, and visit Newnham House, the college hostel where I lived during my second year.  A lovely spot, but very cold in the winter, with high ceilings and a small gas fire.

And back to the college chapel to view the Gospels.

After that, it was time for lunch – an excellent bowl of pho – and a swift half in the Eagle pub, that is conveniently situated by Corpus’ back door!

A chance, too, to have a wander around Cambridge, and spot a few old haunts that are still there, then the even longer walk back to the station.  I had just a few minutes before my train left, but long enough to see how busy a station it still is.  Note the scissors crossover next to the long main platform – used to feed trains from the double track main line into the original single platform.  That was an old feature of the station, and I remember it from the 1970’s.

A simpler journey home, all on Thameslink – Cambridge to Farringdon, a five minute wait, then Farringdon to Earlswood.  I spotted this four-car rail grinding unit on the way home.

All in all, a grand day out!