The best way to get around Cambridge is on a bike, and bike hire is available from Cambridge Station Cycles who have two branches, one at the new Grand Arcade shopping centre in the centre of town and another at the railway station.

The most beloved ‘sport’ in Cambridge is punting. A punt is a flat-bottomed boat that is propelled by means of a long pole. They were introduced as pleasure craft in Edwardian times, and since then punting has become one of the most popular ways to see the famous bridges and colleges along the River Cam. You can pick up a punt at the Quayside, a 15 minute walk from our house along the river, though the best value punts (£12 per hour in 2009) are the ones that can be hired from Trinity College (go down Garret Hostel Lane, to avoid going through the college itself).

Once you are confident (!) you can punt upstream through wooded glades and open meadows, to the picturesque village of Grantchester, written about by the famous poet Rupert Brooke. Here you can picnic on the riverbank or take tea beneath the rambling fruit trees at the Orchard Tea Gardens.

Chauffeur punts, often punted by students, are a way to get the punting experience with less sweat…

There are two swimming pools within walking distance of our house. Five minutes walk away is Jesus Green pool – one of the few remaining examples of the lidos (open air swimming pools) which were built across the country in the Twenties and Thirties. Set in an ideal position by the River Cam, it is also one of the longest such pools still operating in the country and a perfect place to while away a summer day.

For those who like a warmer swim and the opportunity to dive and/or use flumes, a better bet is Parkside Pools opposite Parkers Piece.

The Kelsey Kerridge Sports Centre, also by Parkers Piece, is open 7 days a week from 9am to 11pm daily and offers a wide range of activities to adults and children. The Chesterton Sports Centre is also nearby.

In addition to the swimming pool, Jesus Green has tennis courts for hire, a skateboarding park and a children’s playground. It’s also regularly used for informal games of football, rounders, Frisbee, lacrosse and American football (amongst many other sports).

If you prefer spectator sports, the sport of kings is held at Newmarket Racecourses just 12 miles from Cambridge. Races are run from April to November and a variety of hospitality packages are offered. Cricket can be watched at Fenners, the home of Cambridge University Cricket Club, and many college rowing clubs have boathouses on the river. Side-by-side racing isn’t possible on the narrow River Cam so the exciting ‘bumps’ format has evolved. The university clubs hold races twice a year, the Lents at the end of February and the Mays in, you guessed it, June. The Town Bumps (featuring clubs from the city) are held in July.