Talk:University of Cambridge legends

Not all 'myths'
Confusingly this article seems to mix myths with actual pranks. For example, I assume this is not claimed to be a myth:
 * In 2002 a toilet seat placed by a student on one of the spires remained there, eventually being retrieved by a steeplejack.

Also the Bridge of Sighs section is presumably not mythical.

The introductory paragraph saying 'some are true' is also odd - if a story is true, then it's not a myth, so shouldn't be in here.

If you don't want to omit these 'true myths', then perhaps the article should be renamed, maybe to 'Cambridge University legends' ('legend' perhaps not implying that the story is necessarily false, in the way 'myth' does). Also then it should be made clearer which of these stories are true and which false. Ben Finn 14:24, 7 May 2006 (UTC)
 * I've renamed the page as suggested. Heycos 17:46, 7 May 2006 (UTC)


 * The second Bridge of Sighs myth is definitely true - my dad did it, and has photos to prove it! PateraIncus 22:02, 3 November 2007 (UTC)

Other myths
Perhaps someone could add myths like the one (also attributed to Oxford Uni) about a student reading in the statutes that if he turned up to an exam wearing full 16th century garb he would be entitled to a flagon of beer. Or something. Except that he forgot to wear a sword, so was disqualified from the exam. Or something. Ben Finn 14:32, 7 May 2006 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the reminder; I'll add a section at some point! Heycos 17:46, 7 May 2006 (UTC)
 * This story was already on the page, only hidden, so I have now included it. Feel free to elaborate! [User:McKDandy|McKDandy]] 14:22, 26 May 2007 (UTC)

Article location
Is there any reason why this isn't at University of Cambridge legends? It should be in line with the main University of Cambridge article. If there is no objection I'll move the page in two days. Timrollpickering 23:28, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Odd link
One of the references linked not to the toilet-seat prank but to an entirely different prank regarding the wrong Cambridge. I mention it here in case it's needed elsewhere. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article703191.ece Zachary Gibbons 11:31, 14 February 2007 (UTC)
 * There's mention of three of the pranks at the bottom of the article. Might be worth keeping or using as a source.Heycos 09:22, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Clare bridge polystyrene ball
There is a legend that some students performed a prank whereby they made a polystyrene replica of a Clare bridge ball, and dropped it on a tourist punt; the tourists saw it and jumped out of the punt into the river. The students were expelled for it. If true it should be on record (I imagine explusions are recorded) M0ffx 12:59, 20 September 2007 (UTC)


 * I've heard this too except that it was a papier-mache ball; easier to paint in matching colours. It seems likely to be true. - Fayenatic (talk) 12:51, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Punt tour guides
I want to tread carefully here - I don't want to say anything libellous, or write anything aimed at any individual (this could be true of several hundred individuals), but the perpetuation of these myths is disproportionately down to a few punt tour guides who are quite well-known for spouting everything between embellisment of true stories (the story of a Mini on Senate House often has the incident relocated to another building that can actually be seen from the river, where punt tours are given) to full-blown fabrication of total fiction. Now, unlike Oxford, there aren't really any land tours given in any large numbers, whereas the professional punt tours run by about 3 different company have near-monopoly over guided tours of the city. So something about their role in all of this is probably apt.

I remember sitting by the riverbank of my own college, Clare, and we heard the following howlers in one afternoon alone, all by different guides:

-"We are now passing Clare College, the smallest college in Cambridge." (Actually, it's an above-average-sized college) -"Clare College was founded in X (insert inaccurate date that's 200+ years off here) by Lady Elisabeth de Clare." (Actually, her name was Lady Elisabeth de Burg, of Clare. Clare was her title, not her name.) -"We can see from here the famous New Court of St John's College. Now, can you see the big eagle over the front gates? It is said that Hermann Goering wanted to make that building into the Luftwaffe headquarters if he'd invaded Britain, because of that eagle. [Pause] Actually, I just made that up. But I've always thought it would be true, especially given the architecture." -"This is Queens' College." (No, it was King's College. Queens' College was much further downstream.) -"King's College porters are famous for the bowler hats they wear." (They don't, he was probably thinking of Trinity College. Meanwhile, a very miffed-looking King's porter was watching him from the river bank with a bare head.) -"...this is where the real-life James Bond joined the famous Cambridge Spies..." (Um, there was no real-life James Bond. And as far as I'm aware, Bond was never a Soviet double-agent.)

and others! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.111.149.170 (talk) 15:55, 10 July 2008 (UTC)

Material for similar Oxford article
This talk page might be a good place to assemble items that could make a similar article about Oxord. There's an uncited one at the end of Martyrs' Memorial. - Fayenatic (talk) 12:51, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Not a very impressive page, sadly
The stories are interesting, but this article is essentially a trivia section. Whether something can be called a 'myth', a 'legend', a 'rumour', an 'urban legend', etc, etc... is a difficult bit of taxonomy and some of the stories on this page do not seem to have much in common. 'Myths' was not a good title for this article but 'legends' isn't quite right either. 'Folklore' might be sufficiently broad to include all the stories already here.

The article is also not comprehensive. (Although making it comprehensive might be impossible). There are hundreds of stories about the University, the Colleges, and various daft things that Fellows and students have gotten up to. The exploits of the Night-Climbers for example, or the supposed secret porn vaults in the University Library. How widely known does a particular legend have to be in order to be included? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.60.90.102 (talk) 11:12, 25 November 2011 (UTC)

Upper Echelons
If anyone has a copy of How to Get Into Oxbridge: A Comprehensive Guide to Succeeding in Your Application Process (Elite Students Series) handy, please flip to chapter 6 and see if this edit is true. Thanks, Anna Frodesiak (talk) 22:58, 3 January 2013 (UTC)

Land Ownership
There are no references cited to disprove (or otherwise) the land ownership claim. The figure of £20m+ pa seems not that far short of the NT's income so it's not unreasonable to deduce that they might be up there. 92.27.123.95 (talk) 10:26, 28 May 2013 (UTC)

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