Tab Cribs: King’s

A sunny autumn afternoon finds me outside of what promises to be the best room available in King’s College.  Perfectly situated above the bar and with nearly 40 metres squared space, this room belongs to lucky girl, Jessica Middleton-Pugh.

Room Stats:

Lounge (three piece sofa)

Bedroom (including two large wardrobes and two desks)

Best views of King’s College Chapel (general King’s consensus)

How did you get the room?

By sheer chance because I was bottom of the room ballot in second year and in King’s they reverse it in the third year so that meant I had first pickings.

What are the main perks of the room?

The size – I can have loads of people in here drinking a lot of wine! However, as a result I did get portered for the first time of my life. I had some people over for dinner and they were leaning out of the window to smoke and dancing on the windowsill. It’s quite a drop and I saw a porter scurrying towards us – ironically the problem he had wasn’t with people dancing on the window sills drunkenly risking their lives, it was more that we were smoking in a non-smoking room. The views are incredible though and looking at them when you wake up is enough to make you beat any hangover.

Has anything unusual happened here to your knowledge?

The guy who lived here before me apparently had to move out really quickly, I don’t know why.  But in his hurry he shoved a pair of shoes and three little paintings up the chimney breast.  There might be more stuff up there, who knows?  There are also stories of some strapping rugby lads practicing line-outs in here last year because the ceilings are so high.  Just one way to let off a bit of steam in exam term!

How far would you go to get this room?

(When asked whether she would perform sexual favours to gain the room) Have you seen our Dean?  But  in all seriousness I would do anything else to get this room.

Out of ten, how would you rate this room?

9/10 – it can’t be a 10 because it hasn’t got a sink.

A14 offers glorious views of the iconic King’s Chapel, and it’s all yours if you can cough up £1400.  Not only does that price include views of sweeping pristine green lawns and the sights and sounds of King’s Parade, but you’re also buying a slice of history.  According to King’s third year art historian James Hillson, A14 was built around the 1820s, and legend has it that war poet Rupert Brooke once resided there.

‘An artistic mind suitably inspired waking up to one of the most beautiful views in Cambridge’ says Jessica, perhaps the most envied undergraduate at King’s.