On the 31st July 2013, the University of Cambridge Physical Education Department bade a fond farewell to Fenner’s Gym on Gresham Road, which first opened in 1951.

As we packed up crate upon crate of medicine balls, exercise mats and a plethora of other sporting equipment, staff members began to reminisce about the stories they had heard about Fenner’s. There was talk of the famous faces that have passed through its doors, from boat crews, to tennis player Mark Cox, to cricketer Mike Atherton, who used to take part in the early morning warm ups in the gym. There was also the time a weight lifter fell through the floor of the powerlifting room complete with their weight, but the less said about that the better! We also found an ode to the powerlifting room written on the chalkboard, which said:

RIP PL Room
Chalk, salts, sweat, rammstein. We leave you now Fenner’s – your walls reeking of shattered P.Bs – WS298

Saying goodbye to Fenner’s was a sad moment for many of the members of the staff who have been there for a number of years. However, the cricket ground, cricket school and tennis ground will remain there, so Fenner’s will remain an important part of the Physical Education Department for many more years to come. And now we look forward to a new era in the University’s sporting life, with the opening of the University of Cambridge Sports Centre!

- by Lauren Thomas