“His tours are animated by Tim’s deep affection for his hometown, underpinned by his encyclopedic knowledge of the whos, whats, wheres, and whys.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Outstanding)

Cambridge is unlike anywhere else. Nowhere else has so much history – ancient, medieval, modern – packed in so… errr… occasionally neat, but not exactly tidy. Cambridge’s history has many muddled and divergent threads. Economic, ecclesiastical, architectural, personal, public, grand and intimate. It takes a certain kind of genius to bring all those together and weave a narrative that’s even vaguely comprehendible. Fortunately, Tim Cook is just that kind of genius. His tours are animated by Tim’s deep affection for his hometown, underpinned by his encyclopedic knowledge of the whos, whats, wheres, and whys. Of course, Tim is working with great material – perhaps the best there is was or could ever be in terms of urban walking tours – but it is tailored with a style and with a flare all Tim’s own.

We meet near the Fitzwilliam Museum, the most accessible of the University’s many, many landmarks. Our small group consists of me and Daughter 3.0 (less than a year auld) plus two very dear EdFringe pals – she’s just been reelected to a senior political post stateside – these two know about putting a show on the road and keeping it pacy. There’s also a grumpy non-professional tour guide from my local history group who’s decided to play the part of Mr Awkward and keep Tim on his toes with a regular stream of questions and tangents. How does Tim do under the ultra-sharp scrutiny of these eagle sets of eyes? Brilliantly.

As we tour through the highways and byways, college chapels, sidestreets, quads and churchyards Cambridge is brought into focus. What impresses me most is how natural and spontaneous Tim’s delivery is. He is confident. He’s assured. He’s fun to be with. The facts fly like mortar boards on graduation day (in a place that has mortar boards). This isn’t my first walking tour of Cambridge but it is the best I’ve done, pitched perfectly for a party consisting of both I-don’t-think-I’ve-actually-been-to-Cambridge-before-ers and I-can’t-imagine-living-anywhere-else-ers. There is no one I would recommend more than Tim Cook to show off and showcase the treasure trove that are the streets of Cambridge.

Come for the tailored storytelling. Stay for details done classy and classic. Get your blazers and boaters on and get in some time with Tim.

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Reviewer: Dan Lentell (Seen 15 November)

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