University Library; Spitting Image

Cambridge University Library is the main research library of the University of Cambridge and the largest of over 100 libraries within the university; the current building opened in 1934. The main University Library hosts exhibitions in its purpose-built Milstein Exhibition Centre; this is the reason for our visit, as there is an exhibition relating to Spitting Image, a British satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn in 1984.  There is a Cambridge connection as Fluck and Law both attended the Cambridge School of Art; indeed, Robert Fluck used to live in Duxford, where I live.

The series featured puppet caricatures of contemporary celebrities and public figures, including British Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major and the British royal family.  Some of these were on display together with original drawings, letters, and notes at the small exhibition.  It was excellent and brought back many memories of the program.

From there we walked across the University's Sidgwick site (home to several of the university's arts and humanities faculties, and where there are a couple of interesting statues and carvings) and past Ridley Hall (a theological college that trains men and women intending to take Holy Orders as deacon or priest of the Church of England - it is not a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, but the school does have ties with the university's Faculty of Divinity).Read more