Well, we’re now in Week 7 of lockdown and while there are glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel, life as we knew it still seems a million miles away (or at least it does to me!). I’ve put together here an eclectic selection of good Cambridge things that are happening online as well as in real life, to help keep us going through these difficult and tedious lockdown days.
Image credit: Cambridge Cookery School
Cambridge Cookery School is now open for take out from Thursday to Sunday (including this Bank Holiday Friday) from 9am – 1pm. You’ll find Tine’s beautiful fresh, healthy salads, sandwiches, cakes, breads and coffee. And now, Inder (of Inder’s Kitchen) will be cooking fresh curries for take away as well as marinated uncooked dishes ready for the barbecue plus you can pick up a bottle of wine (the white and rose will be chilled and ready to open, of course!). There’s plenty of safe social distancing queue space on the terrace and lawn but don’t leave it too late in the day … last weekend was a sell out!
Sara Rawlinson has created a virtual exhibition of her Illuminating Cambridge Libraries series on her website. Over the past 2.5 years, Sara has photographed one library from each of the 31 colleges of the University of Cambridge and she plans to show her work in a big exhibition when life returns to normal. In the meantime, take a look at her stunning photographs online, where you can also buy her fine-art prints.
Literature Cambridge is offering a new series of Online Study Sessions, starting on 9 May and continuing through the summer, giving us a chance to study literature in depth with leading scholars. Each session will have a lecture followed by a seminar and will focus on a single work or author.
Full Circle Shop is operating from its shop at 9 Norfolk Street, open Monday – Saturday 2pm – 5pm. The stall on Cambridge Market is closed for now. They’re offering a Click and Collect service and a plastic free delivery service to postcodes CB1 – 5, Histon, Impington and Cottenham. Check out their website for vegetable and herb plants, food, lifestyle and cleaning products as well as personal care items.
Circular Cambridge is running a series of Virtual Repair Cafes, happening weekly in May on Wednesday lunchtimes. An experienced Cambridge Repair Cafe repairer will look at your broken item over Zoom. This is a free event but spaces are limited so prior booking is required.
The Fitzwilliam Museum has launched a community textile project to create a large patchwork hanging inspired by art and objects in the Museum Collection, with instructive videos by textile designers and “how to” information packs.
Facebook: @fitzeducation
And finally, although we are in lockdown, they can’t cancel wisteria hysteria season here in Cambridge! Wherever you are in the world, I hope that you, your families and friends are keeping safe and well x
As I write this, yet another storm is raging. Will Spring ever come?? I’d love it to hurry up as I’m attempting to house train a lively 12 week old puppy who definitely doesn’t like going out into the garden in the cold and rain! Here’s the events listing for March. As usual, I’ll add to it as the month goes on so do check back and feel free to get in touch through my Contact page if you have an event that you’d like to be included.
Rolo is ready for the next storm!!
1 – 9th The Minerva Festival. A city wide Festival celebrating the music of women and non-binary people. http://www.minervafestival.org
1st 2.30 – 5pm Dakshina 2020. An offering of music and dance from South India. Samarpana Classical Arts. Proceeds support Indian classical arts in Cambridge. Chesterton Sports Centre, Gilbert Road, CB4 http://www.eventbrite.com
2nd 8pm Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra. Strauss, Beethoven and Brahms. West Road Concert Hall. Tickets on the door or from http://www.cuso.org.uk
3rd 8pm Continuum. Gesualdo Responses for Holy Saturday and Reproaches by Stuart Beer. Trinity College Chapel. Tickets on the door.
5th 11am – 1pm George Mallory: from student to mountaineer. A special one day exhibition exploring George Mallory’s life from his undergraduate days at Magdalene College (1905 – 1909) to his final expedition to Everest in 1924. Free event. The Old Library, Magdalene College. http://www.magd.cam.ac.uk/old-library/public-engagement
6th 12.15 – 1pm Lunchtime Concert: Cadenza. Cambridge University’s premier A Capella group perform their own arrangements and mash-ups of pop and jazz hits. Free, all welcome. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. FB: Lunchtime Concert: Cadenza
6th 8pm Clare College Music Society and Chapel Choir of Clare College. Mozart Coronation Mass, Scattergood, Schubert. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.adcticketing.com
7th 10am – 1pm Family Saturdays: Fruity Fun. Taste delicious and unusual fruits and plant pomegranate seeds that you can grow at home. Find out about Fairtrade as part of Fairtrade Fortnight 2020. Drop in, no need to book. Botanic Garden, Brookside. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
7th 2 – 4.30pm International Women’s Day event. 8 women talking for 15 minutes each on various zoological themes and the stories of many more. Free, drop in. Aged 8+. Museum of Zoology, Downing Street. https://www.museum.zoo.cam.ac.uk/
7th 6 – 7pm Moving On. Traditional close harmony and classical music. Post concert reception and exhibition of watercolour paintings. The Lucy Cavendish Singers. Emmanuel United Reformed Church, Trumpington Street. http://www.lucycavendishsingers.org.uk
7th 8pm Cambridge University Sinfonia. Rimsky Korsokov, Borodin, De Falla. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.adcticketing.com
8th 12 – 4pm Studio Sunday. Get creative with artists and education volunteers in a practical art making workshop. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
8th 7.30pm International Women’s Day Concert. Closing event of The Minerva Festival, including a performance of the winning piece of the composition competition. St. Giles’ Church, Castle Street. http://www.minervafestival.org
8th 8.15pm Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas plus miniature companion pieces. Krysia Osostowicz and Daniel Tong. King’s College Dining Hall. http://www.adcticketing.com
9 – 22nd Cambridge Science Festival. Featuring events from astronomy to zoology. Everyone is welcome to explore, discuss and discover science through talks, hands-on activities, films and exhibitions. Free entry. https://www.sciencefestival.cam.ac.uk/ PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL EVENTS AT THIS FESTIVAL ARE NOW CANCELLED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
9th 1pm Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas plus miniature companion pieces. Krysia Osostowicz and Daniel Tong. St John’s Old Divinity School. http://www.adcticketing.com
9th 7.30pm Magsoc Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Dvorak, Bruch, Schubert. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.magsoc.net/tickets
9th 7.45pm Climate Change: What it means and what we can do about it. Speaker: Prof Joanna Haigh, CBE, FRS. Part of the Science meets Faith programme of talks. Free admission, retiring collection. Wesley Church, Christ’s Pieces.
10th 7 – 8.30pm Cafe Sci Cambridge. Obscure Crops to Save the World. Free event, non-ticketed. Espresso Library, East Road. FB: Obscure Crops To Save The World
10th 7.30 – 9pm Talk: Town vs Gown – social divides in Cambridgeshire antiquarian life. Mill Road History Society. Ross Street Community Centre, Ross Street. https://millroadhistory.org.uk/events/
12th 8pm Beethoven 250. Coriolan Overture, Piano Concerto No. 3, Symphony No. 2. St John’s College Chapel. FB: St John’s College Music Society
13th 8pm March. A selection of marches, fanfares and theme tunes including Copland and Mendelssohn. The University of Cambridge Concert Band. St. Giles’ Church, CB3. Tickets on the door or from uccb.soc.srcf.net
14th 9am – 5.30pm The Rising Festival 2020. Celebrating International Women’s Day with interactive workshops, talks, 1-2-1 coaching, networking, performances, open conversations, Happy Hour and more. St Barnabas Church, Mill Road. http://www.eventbrite.co.uk PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL LATER THIS YEAR DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
14th 10am – 4pm Super Science Saturday – The Museum Takeover. Hands on activities, meet the researchers, discover more about the world of early dinosaurs. Free family drop in. Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Downing Street. FB: Super Science Saturday – The Museum Takeover
14th 10am – 4.30pm Murder Will Out: A day of crime, thriller and mystery fiction. Heffers bring a selection of authors to the city for this day long crime event. The Old Library, Emmanuel College, St Andrew’s Street. Tickets from Heffers Bookshop or http://www.eventbrite.co.uk
14th 7.30pm Earth, Sea and Space. Back to the Future, Thunder and Lightning Polka, Apollo 13, Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001: A Space Odyssey) and more. Cambridge Concert Orchestra. A fundraiser in aid of the Motor Neuron Disease Association (Cambridgeshire branch). Wesley Methodist Church, Christ’s Pieces, CB1. Tickets on the door or email cambridge@mndassociation.org or c.i.george@icloud.com
14th 7.30pm St John’s Voices. Bach, Howells, Scarlatti. St John’s College Chapel. Tickets 01223 300085
14th 7.30pm Cambs Frocktails. Meet and get to know other people who sew clothes. Cocktails, competitions and celebration of all things sewing. Wear your special me-made outfits. Clayton Hotel (formerly The Tamburlaine), CB1 https://cambsfrocktails.com/ PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO 17 OCTOBER 2020 DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
15th 11am and 2pm Science on Sundays: The mechanics of plant development. Part of a programme of free, informal, monthly drop-in plant science talks, bringing the latest discoveries in plant science to visitors in a 30 minute nutshell. Botanic Garden, Brookside. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
15th 7.30pm Folk & Blues. Alistair and Ian Anderson, Black Fen Folk Club. NCI Club, Holland Street, CB4. http://www.blackfenfolkclub.com
16 – 27th Love Cambridge Restaurant Week. Discover different places to eat as some of the city’s best eateries offer set menus at £5, £10, £15 and £20. https://www.love-cambridge.com/restaurant-week/
19th 7pm Voces 8 – Choral Dances. A celebration of choral music inspired by dance. Palestrina, Victoria, Rachmaninov, Britten. Trinity College Chapel. Tickets on the door or from http://www.CambridgeEarlyMusic.org
21st 11am – 4.30pm Cambridge Sustainable Fashion Festival. Stalls, a big Swish (clothes swap party), a free sewing Repair Cafe, learn how to recycle, reuse and create a capsule wardrobe plus pick up styling tips. St Barnabas Church, Mill Road. FB: Cambridge Sustainable Fashion Festival PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
21st 2 – 5.30pm Reading “Emma”. An intensive and exciting Study Day on this Jane Austen novel, with two lectures and a round-table seminar. Literature Cambridge. Stapleford Granary, CB22. https://www.literaturecambridge.co.uk/emma PLEASE NOTE THIS STUDY DAY HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS AND WILL BE REARRANGED FOR SEPTEMBER 2020 DATE TBC
21st 7 – 9pm Spring Equinox Mindfulness around the Campfire. Simple guided meditations, opportunities for reflection, discuss, poetry and games exploring our relationship with the natural world. Milton Country Park, CB24. https://mindfulness-of-nature.com/
21st 7.30pm The Crucifixion, Stainer. The Leys Choral Society. The Leys School Chapel, Fen Causeway. http://www.theleys.net/boxoffice PLEASE NOTE THIS CONCERT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
21st 8pm New Cambridge Singers. Frank Martin Mass for double choir and Pergolesi Stabat Mater. Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs, Hills Road. http://www.cambridgelive.org.uk
22nd 12 – 4pm Studio Sunday. Get creative with artists and education volunteers in a practical art making workshop. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
22nd 7.30pm A Crowne of sharpest Thorns. Goodall and Purcell. Fairhaven Singers. Trinity College Chapel. http://www.fairhavensingers.org.uk
25th 7.30pm The Sixteen’s Choral Pilgrimage 2020. Allegri’s Miserere. St John’s College Chapel. http://www.thesixteen.com
25th 7.30pm True Stories Told Live. Cambridge storytellers and a musical turn. No need to book, just turn up a bit early to get a drink and find a seat. NCI Club, Holland Street, CB4. FB: True Stories Told Live Cambridge PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
27 – 28th 4 – 11pm Eddington Beer Garden. A pop up with draft craft beers, gins, spirits, wines and soft drinks, food vans and live music. Free entry. Storey’s Field Centre, Eddington, CB3. You can pre-register at http://www.eventbrite.com
28th 2 – 6pm Board Games Afternoon. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. £2 per ticket. Cambridge Central Library, Lion Yard
28th 7.30 – 10.30pm Stand Up Comedy Night from Big Deal Comedy. 4 comedians and an MC, licensed bar selling alcoholic and soft drinks. Unit 1-4, The Grafton Centre, CB1. FB: Stand Up Comedy Night
29th 2.30 – 4pm A Musical Afternoon at the University Church. Haydn, Vivaldi, Boyce. The Academy of Great St Mary’s. Great St Mary’s Church, Senate House Hill. FB: A Musical Sunday Afternoon at the University Church
Well here we are, it’s October already and the rhythm of the city is changing again as the students return. There’s so much happening in Cambridge this month … festivals of film, ideas, craft beer and gin, storytelling, fundraisers for local charities, art exhibitions, Diwali celebrations and lots more. So do take a look and come back too, as I’ll update this listing through the month.
Autumn colours in Trumpington Street
1 – 12th 8am – 5pm Illuminating Cambridge Libraries. Exhibition of Sara Rawlinson’s photographs of College libraries. Michaelhouse Centre, Trinity Street, CB2. http://www.sararawlinson.com
1 – 31st 9am – 5pm weekdays. Black Cantabs: History Makers. Photography exhibition celebrating 260 years of Cambridge education for black Cambridge students and graduates from the 1700s to the 21st century. Fitzwilliam College, Storey’s Way, CB3
3 – 27th The Cambridge Show. Painting, photography, performance, sculpture and other media from 22 local artists. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
5th 10am – 1pm Family Saturdays – Brilliant Bats. Learn loads of bat facts and enjoy bat themed craft ready for Halloween. Free event. Botanic Garden, Brookside. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
5th 10.30 – 11.15am Sharing Stories. A family friendly story telling session with stories from around the world told, read and sung. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Free, drop in. Milton Road Library, CB4. http://www.friendsofmiltonroadlibrary.org.uk
5th 11am – 1pm Toy Swap Shop. Also books (fiction/children) and clothes swap (women/children). Storey’s Field Centre, Eddington. http://www.atoyslifeandbeyond.org
5th 2.30pm Nearly New Sale of pre-loved parent and baby goods. Sports Centre, Cambridge Regional College, Kings Hedges Road. http://www.nctcambridge.org
7th 7.30 – 9pm LATE: Gallery Party. Celebrate the launch of a new season of programming on the theme of Sensual/Virtual. Music, cash bar and surprises on the night. Free event. Fitzwilliam Museum. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
10th 7.30 – 9pm Miss Jebb revisits Mill Road. An evening of fact and fiction, drama and poetry as Eglantyne Jebb, founder of Save the Children and author of “Cambridge – A Brief Study in Social Questions (1906), takes us for a walk down Mill Road. Free event. Ross Street Community Centre, Ross Street. http://www.millroadhistory.org.uk
12th 10am 2019 Heffers Classics Forum. A day of talks from some of the top names in the world of Classics. The Old Library, Emmanuel College, St Andrew’s Street. http://www.eventbrite.co.uk
12th 10am – 3pm The Kenya Youth Project Autumn Fayre. Stalls, pictures, stationery, handcrafts, nearly new, books, jigsaws, toys, homemade jam and cakes, Kenyan gifts. Wesley Methodist Church, Christ’s Pieces. http://www.kenyayouthproject.org.uk
12th 10.30am – 2.30pm Nearly New and Used Book Sale. Milton Road Library, CB4
13th 12 noon – 4pm Studio Sunday. Artist led workshop for families. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
13th 1.15 – 2pm Lunchtime Concert: Works for piano by female composers. Diana Brekalo presents music by Lily Boulanger, Fanny Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann and Countess Dora Pejacevic. Free. Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
13th 7.30pm Schumann: Overture – Genoveva, Piano Concerto in A minor, Symphony No 2 in C. Sinfonia of Cambridge. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.sinfoniaofcambridge.org.uk
14 – 27th Cambridge Festival of Ideas. Debates, workshops, talks, exhibitions and performances celebrating the arts, humanities and social sciences. This year’s theme is “Change”. Free. http://www.festivalofideas.cam.ac.uk
15th 7pm Fundraiser Evening for Cam Sight. Dining and music from CBT. The Three Horseshoes, Madingley. http://www.camsight.org.uk
16 – 19th The 2019 Cambridge Greek Play: Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles. A modern day interpretation, performed in Ancient Greek with English surtitles. The tradition of performing a play in Greek every three years at Cambridge University goes back to 1882! Cambridge Arts Theatre, Peas Hill. http://www.cambridgeartstheatre.com
16th 7pm Cafe Sci Cambridge: The ethics of medical data sharing. Espresso Library, East Road. FB @cafescicambridge
17 – 24th Cambridge Film Festival. UK premieres of new features, classic retrospectives, insightful documentaries, short films, discovery titles from the global stage, family favourites and several international film festival winners. http://www.cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk
17 – 20th Eddington Craft Beer and Gin Festival. Local craft beers, flavourful gins, live music and food vans. Storey’s Field Centre, Eddington. http://www.eventbrite.com
18th 7.30pm Somersaults. Propulsive, joyous spontaneous music ranging from swinging free jazz to timbral and textural improvisations. Unitarian Church, Emmanuel Road. http://www.wegottickets.com/listencambridge
18 – 19th 7.30pm Dracula Part 1: Jonathan Harker’s Journal with Martin Prest in the haunting and atmospheric one man show adapted from Bram Stoker’s classic novel. The Leper Chapel, Newmarket Road. http://www.ThatsMyCueProductions.com
19th 10am – 4pm Cambridge Photography Show. For anyone who is passionate about photography and video. Free entry. Guildhall, Market Square. FB Cambridge Photography Show 2019
19th 10.30 – 11.15am Sharing Stories. A family friendly storytelling session with stories from around the world told, read and sung. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Free, drop in. Milton Road Library, CB4. http://www.friendsofmiltonroadlibrary.org.uk
19th 12 noon – 4pm WE ARE CAMBRIDGE Family Day. A fun, interactive day exploring what living in and around Cambridge means to you. Artist led workshops where you can create artwork inspired by Cambridge, your ideas of home and hopes for the future of the city. Plus a wildflower seed-bomb workshop inspired by the history and work of Alan Turing. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
19th 2 – 5.30pm Literature Cambridge Study Day: An Introduction to Reading Poetry. Do you love poetry and would you like to understand it better? Accessible lectures and a seminar with leading young Cambridge scholars. Stapleford Granary, CB22. http://www.literaturecambridge.co.uk/read-poetry
19th 3 – 4pm Children’s Event: Author Isabel Thomas unlocks the life of Stephen Hawking with storytelling and activities. Free event. Heffers, Trinity Street. http://www.eventbrite.co.uk
19th 7.30pm Locked Opened! Stories from the underground railroad told by Sheila Arnold. Unitarian Church Hall, Emmanuel Road. http://www.cambridgestorytellers.com
19th 7.30pm Stargaze. Adams, Prokofiev and Dove. Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra. West Road Concert Hall. Free pre concert talk at 6.45pm. http://www.cambridgephilharmonic.com
20th 10am – 4pm Apple Day. Apple tasting, identification, cultivation, activities and edibles. Free Garden seasonal highlight tours, live music, pop up food trucks and craft stalls. Botanic Garden, Brookside. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
20th 1.15 – 2pm Lunchtime Concert: Music for harpsichord. Final concert of the complete Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, recital No. 30, performed by Francis Knights. Free. Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
20th 7 – 9.45pm Sakhya Diwali celebrations. A fundraiser evening of music, Indian food and Bollywood dancing. All proceeds go to grass-root education and development oriented projects in India. St Paul’s, Hills Road. Booking required. Email tickets.sakhya@gmail.com
20 – 26th 10am – 4pm Art Exhibition. Original paintings, drawing, prints and sculptures. Cambridge Drawing Society. The Leys School, Fen Causeway. http://www.cambridgedrawingsociety.org
26th 5 – 9pm Cambridge Mindful Pub Crawl. Low and no alcohol drinks at three venues with the first round on Adnams. Starting at The Castle Inn, Castle Street, CB3. Tickets from http://www.joinclubsoda.com
27th 12 – 4pm Studio Sunday. Artist led workshop for families. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
27th 1.15 – 2pm Lunchtime Concert: Music for piano. George Harliono performs Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor. Free. Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
28th 7.45pm Centenary Lecture: Professor Dame Sally C Davies, Master of Trinity College, on being the UK’s Chief Medical Officer. Free admission, retiring collection. Wesley Methodist Church, Christ’s Pieces.
29th 7pm Graphene the new wonder material: But will it change the world? Fundraising lecture from Professor Sir Colin Humphreys, CBE, FREng, FRS Director of Research Dept of Materials Science and Metallurgy. In aid of Cam Sight. Dept of Material Sciences and Metallurgy, Charles Babbage Road, CB3. http://www.camsight.org.uk
Fantastic harvest of Laxton’s Superb apples from our tree this year
September always feels to me like a time of new beginnings and although it’s never easy to get back into top gear after the hazy drift of summer days, the slight nip in the morning air reminds us that it’s time to crack on. There’s lots of fun stuff happening in the city this month, which should help us ease back into routine. I’ll update this listing through the month so do check back and please get in touch if you know of an event that I can add to it.
Acorns on Jesus Green
1st – 29th Cambridge Festival of Cycling. A month of events celebrating our city’s cycling culture. Over 20 cycling themed events, including social bike rides, bike maintenance and photography workshops, a film night showing the documentary “Motherload” and the Cargo Carnival. Most events are free or have a minimal charge. http://www.cambridgefestivalofcycling.org
1st 12 – 4pm Studio Sunday. Artist led workshop for families. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
3rd 7.30pm Shoot for the Moon. Improvised comedy night with the Ministry of Unplanned Occurrences. Pay what you want. Blue Moon Pub, Norfolk Street, CB1
7 – 8th 10am – 5pm Wimpole Autumn Craft and Produce Fair. Crafts, food stalls, live music, beer tent serving local ales, face painting. Wimpole Estate. FB Wimpole Autumn Craft and Produce Fair
7th Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival. In aid of Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust. River Cam, Ditton Meadows, Fen Ditton. http://www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk
7th 10am – 1pm Family Saturday. Plants of the Pharoahs. Find out about plants used by the Ancient Egyptians, including plants used to make paper and to help preserve bodies. Free event. Botanic Garden, Brookside. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
7th 10.30 – 11.15am “Sharing Stories”. A friendly family story telling session with stories from around the world told, read and sung. Free, drop in. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Milton Road Library, CB4. http://www.friendsofmiltonroadlibrary.org.uk
8th 11.30am – 4.30pm Knit for the River. Free, drop in, all ages welcome, no need to book. Museum of Cambridge, Castle Street. http://www.museumofcambridge.org.uk
9th 7.45 – 9pm Talk about the history of Cambridge Railway Station by Rob Shorland-Ball. Cambridge Museum of Technology, Pye Building. Tickets £3 on the door. Enter via Cheddars Lane entrance. http://www.museumoftechnology.com
10th (until 9th October) Open Eco Homes. Advice from local householders and experts, householder led tours and low energy home workshops. http://www.openecohomes.org
10th 7.30 – 9pm “Archeology found by the public”. Talk from Mill Road History Society with Dr Helen Geake, well known for being party of Channel 4’s Time Team. Ross Street Community Centre. http://www.millroadhistory.org.uk
13 – 14th Open Cambridge. Discover the local history and heritage of Cambridge with special access to places that are normally closed to the public or charge admission. http://www.opencambridge.cam.ac.uk
15th 9.30am Bridge the Gap. A charity walk through Cambridge University College grounds. The route is wheelchair and pushchair friendly. Raising funds for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Romsey Mill. http://www.arhc.org.uk/bridge-the-gap.asp
15th 9.30am – 12.30pm An Introduction to Mindfulness of Nature with Claire Thompson. Mindfulness based exercises, meditations, walking, games, discussions and poetry. Trumpington Meadows Nature Reserve. http://www.mindfulness-of-nature.com/workshops-in-around-cambridge
15th 10.30am – 5.30pm Dog Day. Free ice cream for kids with a dog. Gift stalls and more. Benets Cafe, King’s Parade.
15th 12 – 4pm Studio Sunday. Artist led workshop for families. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
17th 5.30 – 7.30pm Circuit Social. A creative evening for 18 – 25 year olds. Make some art, meet new people and discover more about Circuit, the young people’s programme. All welcome, no previous art experience needed. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
17th 7.30pm Poetry in the Pub with John Clegg and Steve Xerri. CB1 Poetry. Blue Moon Pub, Norfolk Street, CB1 http://www.cb1poetry.org.uk
18th 7.30pm True Stories Told Live. NCI Club, Holland Street, CB4. FB True Stories Told Live Cambridge
21st 9 – 10am Day of Peace Meditation. On International Day of Peace, gather for meditations to find inner peace and to cultivate feelings of peace of others in our families, our communities and across the world. White Lotus Meditation. The Bodywise Studio, Gwydir Street. http://www.whitelotusmeditation.co.uk/classesandcourses
21st 10.30 – 11.15am “Sharing Stories”. A friendly family story telling session with stories from around the world told, read and sung. Free, drop in. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Milton Road Library, CB4. http://www.friendsofmiltonroadlibrary.org.uk
21st 10.30am – 4pm Artsfest 2019. A day of workshops in printmaking, life drawing, papercloth, drawing, exploring abstraction, creative writing, expressive lettering and drop in sewing plus an all day cafe. Early booking advised as workshop places are limited. St Paul’s Church, Hills Road. http://www.stpaulsartsfest.org
21st 11am – 5pm Literature Cambridge Study Day: Reading The Waves. An intensive day of lectures and a seminar on Virginia Woolf’s lyrical novel of 1931, with leading scholars. Stapleford Granary, CB22. http://www.literaturecambridge.co.uk/waves
21 – 22nd 10am – 5pm Cambridge Food, Garden and Produce Show. Parker’s Piece. Free entry. Oakleigh Fairs. http://www.oakleighfairs.co.uk
25th 6 – 9pm Zoology Late: Board Games. Animal inspired board games and bar. Free, no need to book. 18+ Museum of Zoology, Downing Street. http://www.museum.zoo.cam.ac.uk
26th 6 – 9pm LATE: The Greatest Showman. Special screening of The Greatest Showman to complement a new exhibition about Giovanni Belzoni, the 19th century explorer and circus showman. Fitzwilliam Museum. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
28th 10am – 4pm Worth The Weight Vintage Kilo Sale. Vintage clothing at £15 per kilo. St Paul’s Church, Hills Road. FB Worth The Weight Vintage Kilo Sale – Cambridge
29th 3pm rehearsal, 7.30pm performance. Come and Sing Carmina Burana. Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.cambridgephilharmonic.com
Spring has sprung and the sun is shining! There’s plenty happening in the city and I’ll update this listing through the month so do check back when you can. Please get in touch if you know of an event that I could add in here!
Fresh green willow at Fort St George
1 – 7th Love Cambridge Restaurant Week. Menus at £5, £10 and £15 in a variety of cafes and restaurants across the city. http://www.cambridgebid.co.uk/restaurant-week Read more about Love Cambridge Restaurant Week here
2nd 7 – 9pm Cambridge 1888 – 1988 – Chronicle of an English University City. Mill Road History Society. The Bath House, Gwydir Street. http://www.millroadhistory.org.uk/events
5th 7.30pm Dining in the Dark. Identify key ingredients of your starter and dessert while blindfolded. Fundraiser for Cam Sight. The Red Lion, Hinxton. http://www.camsight.org.uk Read more about Cam Sight here
6th 10am – 1pm Family Saturday – Nature Weaving. Have fun, play and weave amazing creations using natural material from the Garden. Free event. Cambridge University Botanic Garden. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
6th 12 noon – 3pm The Leper Chapel Opening. A chance to see inside one of the oldest buildings in Cambridge. The Chapel is not usually open to the public. Free entry, donations appreciated. Cambridge Past, Present and Future. The Leper Chapel, off Newmarket Road. FB: @CambridgePFF
6th 2 – 4pm Family First Saturday. Activities and art making on the theme of “coin it”. Free, drop in. Fitzwilliam Museum. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
6th 7.30pm Movie Music Spectacular. Cambridge Wind Band. West Road Concert Hall. In support of Arthur Rank Hospice Charity. http://www.adcticketing.com
6 – 22nd April Easter Trail. Pick up a free trail from the Ticket Office, go on a springtime adventure and collect an Easter prize at the end. Drop in, self led trail. Cambridge University Botanic Garden. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
8th 7.30 – 10pm Louise Jordan – The Hard Way. One woman performance of live music and theatre charting the rise of a working class suffragette. St Barnabas Centre, Mill Road. http://www.cambridgefolkclub.co.uk
9th 2 – 4pm Printing Workshop for 8 – 12 year olds. Design your own T shirt to take home with you. Booking required. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
10th 7 – 8.30pm Personal medicines: all in your genes? Talk from Cafe Sci Cambridge. Espresso Library, East Road. FB @cafescicambridge
11th 1 – 3pm What can art do? Explore environmental activism for 13 – 19 year olds. Free, booking required. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
12th 10am – 1pm Cambridge Jobs Fair. Speak with potential employers face to face (don’t forget to bring your CV!). The Guildhall, Market Square. http://www.thejobfairs.co.uk
13th 1.30 – 4pm Toy Swap. Bring toys to swap. Also a pilot books (fiction/children) and clothes (women/children) swap plus Full Circle, Cambridge’s own zero waste shop, will be there. Free event. Storey’s Field Centre, Eddington Avenue, CB3 1AA http://www.atoyslifeandbeyond Read more about Full Circle Shop here
13th 5pm “Waste Not, Want Not: How to live zero waste and plastic-free”. Talk by Full Circle Shop. Free entry, donations welcome. Stir Cafe, Chesterton Road. FB @FullCircleShopUK Read more about Full Circle Shop here
14th 12 – 4pm Studio Sunday. Art making workshops for families with children of all ages. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
19 – 20th 10am – 5pm Botanical Days. A botanical themed event and pop up shop from Cultivate Gardens with refreshments by Caffiend. Hope Street Yard, off Mill Road. http://www.cultivategardens.co.uk
19 – 22nd 12 – 4pm Action Drawing. Drawing activities inspired by the Oscar Murillo Violent Amnesia exhibition. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
28th 2 – 3.30pm Writers in Conversation. Jill Dawson in conversation with Dame Gillian Beer. Stapleford Granary, CB22. Literature Cambridge. http://www.literaturecambridge.co.uk Read more about Literature Cambridge here
Well, Spring is definitely in the air and there’s lots happening in the city this month – in particular there are some wonderful concerts to enjoy. I’ll update this listing through the month so if you know of an event that could be included, please let me know through my Contact page.
4 – 16th 8am – 5pm Spring Exhibition. Quy Art Group. Work by six local artists in a variety of media. Michaelhouse Cafe, Trinity Street. Closed Sundays.
5, 12 and 19th 7pm Meditation and Emotional Intelligence. Michaelhouse, Trinity Street. cambridge.cea@gmail.com
7th 6.45pm Parasitic Plants: a question of degree. Cambridge Natural History Society. David Attenborough Building, New Museums Site, Pembroke Street http://www.cnhs.org.uk
7th 7pm Cam Lates: Pacific Late. Museum of Archeology and Anthropology. Facebook:@cambridgeuniversitymuseums Read more about Cam Lates here
8th (until 22nd April) Hannah Kemp-Welch: Hyperlocal Radio. The 2018 Open House artist-in-residence shares the process and outcome of her year-long residency with North Cambridge communities. Kettle’s Yard. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk Read more about Kettle’s Yard here
9th 10am – 4pm Cambridge Vintage Kilo Sale. St Paul’s, Hills Road. Facebook: Cambridge Vintage Kilo Sale
9th 6pm Sisters, Saints and Sirens. A blend of cabaret, Latin American, classical and opera. The Lucy Cavendish Singers. Emmanuel United Reformed Church. http://www.lucycavendishsingers.org.uk
9th 7.30pm Liszt and Debussy: The Composer as Narrator. Clare Hall Intimate Engagements. Book through music@clarehall.cam.ac.uk
9th 8pm Choral Favourites Concert. Vivaldi, Handel, Faure, Parry and more. Trinity Singers. Trinity College Chapel. http://www.tcms.org.uk/the-trinity-singers. Tickets on the door.
12th 7.30 – 9pm Talk: Ginger Beer and Silicon Chips. The curious tale of a building in Willis Road. Mill Road History Society. Ross Street Community Centre http://www.millroadhistory.org.uk
14th 8pm John Rutter with the Orchestra and Choir of Clare College Music Society. Butterworth, Grieg, Rutter. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.adcticketing.com
16th 2 – 5.30pm Study Day: Understanding Macbeth. Literature Cambridge. Stapleford Granary, CB22. http://www.literaturecambridge.co.uk Read more about Literature Cambridge here
16th 5.30pm Foundation Concert. Bruckner and Elgar. Members of King’s College Choir (past and present) and Cambridge University Orchestra, conducted by Stephen Cleobury, King’s College Chapel. http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk
16th 7.30pm Mass in B Minor, Bach. New Cambridge Singers with the Cambridge Baroque Camerata. St John’s College Chapel. http://www.cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
17th 10am – 5pm “What A Nerve”. Contemporary art exhibition and talk series exploring all aspects of living with Multiple Sclerosis. Cambridge Union Society Debating Chamber, Bridge Street. Free, fully accessible. http://www.sciencefestival.cam.ac.uk/events/what-nerve
23rd 2.30 – 4pm NCT Cambridge Nearly New Sale. Cambridge Regional College, CB4. Facebook: @NctCambridgeNNS
23rd 7.30pm Faure Requiem, Cantique de Jean Racine and Ave Verum. The Leys Choral Society. The Leys School Chapel, Trumpington Street. Tickets from http://www.theleys.net/boxoffice
23 – 30th 10am – 5.30pm Art Exhibition, Cambridge Drawing Society. Original paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures. Pitt Building, Trumpington Street. Free admission. http://www.cambridgedrawingsociety.org
24th 3.30pm Sounds of Spring. Vocal concert, fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support, followed by tea and cake. Lee Hall, Wolfson College. mjh64@cam.ac.uk
30 – 31st 10am Cambridge Home and Garden Show. The Guildhall, Market Hill. http://www.camhomeshow.com Read more about the Show here
30th 7.30pm St John Passion, Bach. Collegium Laureatum. West Road Concert Hall. tickets@collegium.org.uk
Well, a new year has dawned and at the time of writing, things are pretty quiet in the city as life slowly resumes after the festive break. Here’s the listing for January and I’ll add to it as I discover more events – please do get in touch if you are involved in something that could be included.
Snowdrops at Anglesey Abbey
5th 10am – 1pm Family Saturday – Crazy Cone Creations. Use twigs, paint and wire to make crazy cone works of art. Botanic Garden. Free event. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
5th 2 – 4pm Family First Saturday. Fun activities and art making for all the family on the theme “Start with Art”. Fitzwilliam Museum. Free, drop in. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
6th 12 noon – 4pm Studio Sunday. Artist led workshop for families. Kettle’s Yard. Free, drop in. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk Read more about Kettle’s Yard here
7th 7.30pm A Georgian Christmas Wassail with Chela and Buska, the Cambridge Georgian choirs. Jesus College Chapel. Free entry. Reserve seats at chelatickets@gmail.com
14th 7.45pm Light to the World – Experiences of a Veterinary Opthalmologist. Speaker: Dr David Williams, Dept of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge. Part of the monthly Science meets Faith series. Wesley Church, Christ’s Pieces.
19th 2pm The Big Sing 2019. Faure Requiem. Join The New Cambridge Singers and hundreds of other singers. Rehearsal 2 – 4.30pm, performance 6pm. Great St Mary’s Church. http://www.newcambridgesingers.org.uk
19th 8pm War Requiem, Britten. Choirs of Clare, Jesus, Selwyn and Trinity Colleges with choristers of Jesus and St Catherine’s College choirs and Cambridge University Chamber Choir. King’s College Chapel. Tickets from shop.kings.cam.ac.uk or on the door.
20th 12 noon – 4pm Studio Sunday. Artist led workshop for families. Kettle’s Yard. Free, drop in. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk Read more about Kettle’s Yard here
24th 7.30pm Poetry at the Pub. Six published and prize winning local poets read their work, open mic floor spots and books for sale. The Blue Moon pub, Norfolk Street, CB1. http://www.cb1poetry.org.uk
24th 7.30pm An Evening with Sophie Hannah, presented by Literature Cambridge. Stapleford Granary, CB22. www.staplefordgranary.org.uk Read more about Literature Cambridge here
26th 2pm WONDER New You sober social. Yoga and Gong Bath, alcohol free drinks, vegan food, comedy and music. Cambridge University Centre, Granta Place. http://www.wonderfestival.co.uk Read more about WONDER here
26th 2pm and 4pm The Mouse Who Jumped. A musical adventure for adults and children. Family concert suitable for age 5+. Come dressed as a Carnival Creature! Cambridge Philharmonic. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.cambridgephilharmonic.com
27th 10.30am – 4pm Cambridge Vegan Market. Vegan food and drinks, ethical clothing and charities plus ethically produced cosmetics. The Guildhall, Market Square. http://www.veganmarkets.co.uk/cambridge Read more about last year’s Vegan Market here
30th 6 – 9pm Zoology Late: Winter Escape! Arts and crafts, the science of animal migration and cocktails. Museum of Zoology, Downing Street. Age 18+. Free, no need to book. http://www.museum.zoo.cam.ac.uk/events
As the nights draw in and the leaves crunch under our feet, it’s another busy month here in Cambridge. This what’s on listing for November is by no means exhaustive but you’ll find an eclectic mix of events that have come to my attention. Please get in touch through my Contact page if you know of an event that I can add in. And I’ll try to update through the month, so do check back when you can.
Autumn morning on Midsummer Common, image by Harriet Kelsall
1st 6pm Parisian Women and the Nazi Occupation, uncovering their lives and their relationships. Part of the Liberation Literature Lecture Series. The Auditorium, Robinson College. Booking essential. http://www.clarehall.cam.ac.uk
2nd 7.30pm Michaelmas Concert. Vaughan Williams, Stanford and Beethoven. Clare College Music Society. West Road Concert Hall, CB3
3rd Remembering the First World War. Literature Cambridge Study Day. Stapleford Granary, CB22 5BP http://www.literaturecambridge.co.uk Read more about Literature Cambridge here
3rd 1pm Voices and Viols, Laments of the Renaissance. Carissimi, Gibbons, Weelkes and Byrd. Erasmus Chamber Choir with Cambridge University Consort of Viols. St. Clements Church, Bridge Street, CB2
6th Translation as Music, Music as Translation. Part of Women, Languages and Translation in the Italian Tradition Conference. Talk 4.50 – 5.30pm. Concert 6 – 7pm Bach, Chopin and Brahms. Clare College. Advance registration required on womenandtranslation2018@gmail.com
9th 7pm West Road Remembers, a remembrance concert. West Road Concert Hall, CB3
10th 3pm History of Tango. Talk and dance demonstration by Cambridge Tango Academy. St Paul’s Church, Hills Road, CB2. http://www.cambridgelivetickets.co.uk
10th 3.15pm O Nata Lux. London Oriana Choir. Monteverdi, Vaughan-Williams, Britten, Andrew, Hagan and Dale. Queens’ College Chapel. Free entry. http://www.londonoriana.com
10th 7.30pm A Farewell to Arms, an evening of music to reflect on war and peace. Fairhaven Singers. Queens’ College Chapel. http://www.fairhavensingers.org.uk
11th 8.30pm An evening of new choral and orchestral music to commemorate the WW1 armistice centenary. The Phoenix Choir and The Phoenix Ensemble. Great St Mary’s Church, CB2. http://www.adcticketing.com/armistice or tickets on the door
12th 7.45pm Science meets Faith: Issues concerning palliative and end of life care. Dr Stephen Barclay. Wesley Church, CB1
17th 8pm Trinity Singers Concert. Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonnelle. Trinity College Chapel.
17th 7.30pm Raise your Voices Cambridge. A variety of musical styles and songs, raising money for Church Urban Fund. Great St Mary’s Church, CB2 http://www.raiseyourvoices.org.uk
24th 8pm Enchantment and Passion. Delibes, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and Khachaturian. Cambridge Graduate Orchestra. West Road Concert Hall, CB3. http://www.cambridgegraduateorchestra.com
29th – 1st Dec Cambridge Made Christmas Fair. St Andrew’s Street Baptist Church, CB2 Facebook: Cambridge Made Christmas Fair 2018 Read more about Cambridge Made and last year’s Christmas Fair here
30th 6 – 8pm Pots for Poverty. Charity sale raising funds for Jimmy’s Night Shelter. The Locker Cafe, King Street, CB1. Read more about last year’s Pots for Poverty here
Well, now we’re in to those last days of the summer holidays, there’s a distinctly autumnal nip in the air most mornings and a sort of back-to-school feeling, even for those of us who left school many moons ago. Maybe it’s better thought of as a time for new beginnings! Here’s the what’s on listing for September. There’s plenty happening in the city and I’ll update through the month so do check back when you can.
1 – 2nd Taste of Anatolia. Films from Turkey. Facebook: tasteofanatolia
8th 9.30am – 2pm Queen Edith’s Share Fair and Skip Day. Wulfstan Way shops, Wulfstan Way CB1. Pop up moneyless market to swap and share clothes, games, books, stories, skills, home grown fruit, veg, flowers and more. http://www.queen-ediths.info/event/8sept2018
9th From 8.30am Bridge the Gap. Depart from Parker’s Piece CB1. A circular walk through the gardens of six Cambridge colleges, raising money for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Romsey Mill. http://www.arhc.org.uk/bridge-the-gap.asp Read more here
11 – 29th fig-futures. A month of free performances, installations, film screenings and talks. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street CB3. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
15th 1pm Phoenix Vocal Ensemble. Mozart, Faure and Bruckner. Great St Mary’s Church CB2. Free admission.
15th 7.30pm O Quam Gloriosum. Music for the saints by Tomas Luis de Victoria. De Profundis, Cambridge’s all male early music vocal ensemble. Jesus College Chapel CB5. Tickets on the door or from bit.ly/DPSaints
15 – 16th 10am – 5pm Cambridge Food, Garden and Produce Festival. Parker’s Piece CB1. Free entry. http://www.oakleighfairs.co.uk
23rd 10.30am – 5pm Milton Country Park Autumn Festival. Milton, Cambridge CB24. http://www.miltoncountrypark.org/autumnfestival PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT HAS NOW BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR 7 OCTOBER DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS
25 – 27th Sorted! Festival. To celebrate the opening of Rising Path. Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Brookside CB2 http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
28 – 29th LifeLab Celebrate science and join LifeLab investigators in events and activities exploring the latest breakthroughs and discoveries www.camlifelab.co.uk
30th Open Eco Homes. Ten eco homes in and around Cambridge open for householder led tours. There’s a repeat of this event on 6th October. Free but advance booking is essential. www.openecohomes.org
30th 7.30pm East Anglian Chamber Orchestra. Mozart, Strauss and Sibelius. West Road Concert Hall CB3. http://www.adcticketing.com
I’ve been following Literature Cambridge on social media for some time now so I was really pleased to meet Trudi Tate last week to find out more about this independent educational organisation which offers a range of study days and summer courses, open to all lovers of literature.
Image credit: Ian Olsson
Trudi is a Fellow and Praelector at Clare Hall, a graduate college of the University of Cambridge, and an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of English where she also supervises graduate students. Trudi’s passion for literature shines through as she tells me how she came to set up Literature Cambridge late in 2015, running the first week long summer school on Virginia Woolf in 2016 at Homerton College. It was hugely successful and the programme has since gone from strength to strength.
Trudi’s aim with the residential summer courses is to offer a Cambridge style educational experience, with lectures and supervisions from senior academics and post-docs. Every morning, there’s an hour long lecture and a small group supervision or a seminar but there’s also plenty of time to socialise and chat with fellow students, lecturers and supervisors in tea breaks and at lunchtime.
Image credit: Jeremy Peters
Afternoons offer free time to read and reflect plus there’s a programme of visits to places like King’s College, The Wren Library at Trinity College and the Fitzwilliam Museum. All visits are led by Cambridge academics and give privileged access to places and original manuscripts not normally available to public view.
Image credit: Jeremy PetersImage credit: Jeremy Peters
Students on the summer courses range in age from 17 – 70 years, are from every walk of life and from all over the world. They come together to share their common love of literature and to immerse themselves in it, with many students returning year on year.
Image credit: Jeremy Peters
Summer courses for 2019 are based at Wolfson College and include “Virginia Woolf’s Gardens” and “Fictions of Home: Jane Austen to the Present Day”, a course which explores the idea of home in literature and loss of home through the work of contemporary refugee writers, including Vietnamese-American Viet Nguyen.
Literature Cambridge also runs a programme of study days at Stapleford Granary, a study centre for the arts and music in south Cambridge. Taught by leading academics, upcoming days this autumn include “Reading A Room of One’s Own”, Virginia Woolf’s 1929 book about women and fiction, “Understanding King Lear” and “Remembering the First World War”, a new look at the literature of war including the poetry of Wilfred Owen and Ivor Gurney. Trudi is currently planning a series of events with contemporary writers for 2019.
For full details of all Literature Cambridge’s study days, summer courses and lecturers plus testimonials, which speak for themselves, from previous course participants, take a look at the website.
New in Cambridge 