There’s a lot of anxiety around campus about Lord Browne’s report which is going to attack the two most sacred elements of higher education. Money for research is going to be slashed, and tuition fees will go up. This is a shame since Cambridge is on top of the world for research right now, and any kid from a disadvantaged family can certainly get here if they have the marks. This will inevitably change. People are already talking about a “brain drain” to North America, and students who will be left in insurmountable debt. It’s not looking good. (P.S. Lord Browne’s last job was CEO of BP. That begs a comment, Craig) I hear a lot of other interesting talk about mucous membranes, higher maths, fugue, pregnant 5-yr-olds, the world’s smallest person, and the dreaded Friday night supervision.
I’ve finally got my appointment to see the one Elgar manuscript in the Fitzwilliam collection on the afternoon of my last day here. That was a close call, but I’ll be able to look at the score of Falstaff in Elgar’s own hand writing for a whole hour. I’ve been advised no bags, no scarves, no big coats, and I must wash my hands before entering the study room.
Can you see the whale skeleton?
To partially answer my Dad’s question – there is a Veterinary school here, slightly out-of-town on the way to the American War cemetery. The vet degree is apparently very tough and takes 6 years (like a medical degree) to complete. There’s also Zoology and many other branches of the natural sciences. See this amazing whale skeleton? About 3 times as large as the cars underneath.