The Eagle Pub
Recently Borg and I had an opportunity to visit a pub in Cambridge, England that has a unique bit of fighter pilot history. The Eagle, haled as The RAF Pub, at 8 Benet Street is a World War II era establishment that was frequented by RAF and US Army Air Corps fighter pilots. It became a custom of fighter pilots to burn their names into the ceiling and walls of the pub. Those names are still visible having been varnished over.Like most English pubs the beer is great, the pub food is quite tasty, the atmosphere outstanding and the clientele, locals and foreign, very enjoyable. The fighter pilot ambiance inside the pub and a great beer garden outside make it a kickass stop anytime of day.
The pub is owned by Corpus Christi College which we think is kickass. Every college/university should own a bar. We have a bar here at Fighter Pilot University but right now you can't get a beer there. An interesting side to the Eagle Pub history is that it’s a place that was frequented by molecular biologists Francis Crick and James Watson. It was here, in the Eagle Pub, in February 1958, that the two men interrupted the noon lunch service to announce to patrons that they had “discovered the secret of life.” Crick and Watson had indeed determined the structure of DNA and later would be awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine. That’s pretty kickass, two brainiacs enjoying the confines of a fighter pilot bar.
Overall the Eagle Pub was a kickass experience and a highly recommended destination for anyone that enjoys a good beer and the little fighter pilot history to boot.
Overall the Eagle Pub was a kickass experience and a highly recommended destination for anyone that enjoys a good beer and the little fighter pilot history to boot.
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