Gay Times

Oh, we missed a trick there,’ says someone in a punt as we glide past them, champagne in hand. Yes, it seems even in this day and age there are some people who will do a tour of the Backs – the backside of the lovely university buildings – in Cambridge without a bottle of champagne. Who are these people? What do they want from us?

Not that we would have probably thought of bringing champagne – actually, English sparkling wine, which is even smarter – on a guided tour. Or maybe we would have. Whatever here we are leaning back on our University Arms-branded cushions in our University Arms-branded punt while someone talks us through the history – from Henry VIII to Harry Potter – attached to these beautiful buildings, up to and including the story of Alan Turing, the man credited with ending the war by breaking the Nazi’s code, who was a big noise in Cambridge.

From geeky beginnings to war hero status to condemned for going about his gay business back before the fight had been fought and largely won,

. Heck his name is even on the door of our suite at the University Arms, not to mention the fact he’s just been promoted to the backside of the new £50 note in a picture that makes him look cute, boyish. And the University Arms have just launched a Turing tour of the town, that’s how seriously Cambridge’s best hotel takes its gay – and now national! – history.