AUGUST 18TH, 2010
By ADMIN
Approximate Population: 120,000
Cambridge is best known as the home of the University of Cambridge, one of the world’s premier universities. The university includes the renowned Cavendish Laboratory, King’s College Chapel, and the Cambridge University Library.
The Cambridge skyline is dominated by the last two buildings, along with the chimney of Addenbrooke’s Hospital in the far south of the city and St John’s College Chapel tower in the north.
The first major development of the area began with the Roman invasion of Britain in about AD 40. Castle Hill made Cambridge a useful place for a military outpost from which to defend the River Cam. It was also the crossing point for the Via Devana which linked Colchester in Essex with the garrisons at Lincoln and the north. This Roman settlement has been identified as Duroliponte.
Cambridge is now one of East Anglia’s major settlements, along with Norwich, Ipswich and Peterborough. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the size of the city was greatly increased by several large council estates planned to hold London overspill. The biggest impact has been on the area north of the river, which is now home to the estates of Arbury, East Chesterton and King’s Hedges, while there are many smaller estates to the south of the city.
Cambridge Cambridgeshire Computer Services
AUGUST 12TH, 2010
By ADMIN
Approximate Population: 163,300
From 1889 the ancient Soke of Peterborough formed an administrative county in its own right with boundaries similar, although not identical, to the current unitary authority. The area however remained geographically part of Northamptonshire until 1965, when the Soke of Peterborough was merged with Huntingdonshire to form the county of Huntingdon and Peterborough.
Following a review of local government in 1974, Huntingdon and Peterborough was abolished and the current district created by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Peterborough with Peterborough Rural District, Barnack Rural District, Thorney Rural District, Old Fletton Urban District and part of the Norman Cross Rural District, which had each existed since 1894.
This became part of the non-metropolitan county of Cambridgeshire. Letters patent were granted which continued the style of the city over the greater area. In 1998 the city became autonomous of Cambridgeshire county council as a unitary authority, but it continues to form part of that county for ceremonial purposes. The leader and cabinet model of decision-making, first adopted by the city council in 2001, is similar to national government.
Policing in the city remains the responsibility of Cambridgeshire Constabulary; and firefighting, the responsibility of Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. Nowadays the Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade, one of few of its kind, effectively functions as a retained fire station. The Royal Anglian Regiment serves as the county regiment for Cambridgeshire. Peterborough formed its first territorial army unit, the 6th Northamptonshire Rifle Volunteer Corps, in 1860.
Peterborough Cambridgeshire Computer Services
Approximate Population: 15,102
Sir Clive Woodward, rugby union player and Rugby World Cup 2003 winning manager with England national rugby union team was born in Ely, as was Autogiro world record holder Ken Wallis and actor Simon MacCorkindale. Other notable people from Ely include The Sisters of Mercy singer Andrew Eldritch, and Australian émigrée actor Guy Pearce. Folk singer Boo Hewerdine and crime writer Jim Kelly both currently live in Ely.
Former England football player Gary Lineker currently lives in Ely with Model girlfriend Danielle Buxton. Noted press photographer Gareth Iwan Jones, lived in Ely between 1989-1999. The creators of Lethal Cocktail, Alexander and James Andrews and Carl Skipper are also based within Ely.
In the spring of 2008 a competition was held to find an official anthem for the City of Ely. The competition was sponsored by The Ely Standard, ADEC and Star 107 radio. Judges from around the town and local music scene evaluated the entries and after much deliberation chose Ship of the Fens as the winner. Written by local song writing duo Graham Brown and Geoff Meads, “Ship of the Fens” (a local nick-name for Ely Cathedral) describes life in Ely from the point of view of an elderly resident returning to the city.
Using a modern folk style in a homage to the popular Ely folk festival and recorded using all local musicians and singers, “Ship of the Fens” was first aired on Star 107s Mark Peters breakfast show on 19 June 2008 and performed live at the 2008 Ely Aquafest on 6 July 2008.
