Blind Beauty

Last week I delivered a 3 day workshop called Developing Talent in Cambridge. Delegates came from around the UK, each morning of the programme they recalled to me in great detail all the lovely places they had seen in Cambridge the previous day.

On the first morning they described their delight at walking along the “Backs” in the winter sunshine the previous afternoon.

The next morning how they had enjoyed walking up past Castle Hill, and all the lovely buildings, alleys, nooks and crannies they had seen.

On the final morning they were so delighted that one of the delegates, (who was from Kings College) had given them a personal tour of the chapel.

They were in pure disbelief that Cambridge was such a beautiful place and how lucky people must be to live in and around this area.

Now I’ve been to Cambridge numerous times, to shop and to work, and yet I haven’t ever had the time, or should I say, taken the time, to look around and wander the back streets as they had. I’ve never marvelled at the architecture and the general ambience of this university town.

On reflection I just haven’t seen the beauty they so clearly saw because I have been visiting there for so long, I’ve become blind, or I was until it was pointed out to me last week.

A visit or mooch round Cambridge is on my “to do” list for early in 2010. If I enjoy it a quarter as much as my delegates did, it will be a fantastic day out.