What’s on in Cambridge – March 2020

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 The Cambridge Dachshund
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  Musical Visions.  Mendelssohn and Dvorak.  Cambridge Graduate Orchestra.  West Road Concert Hall.  http://www.cambridgegraduateorchestra.com

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  Beethoven and Mozart.  Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus.  West Road Concert Hall.  http://www.cambridgephilharmonic.com

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    5 – 9pm  LATE: Perceptions of Vision and Taste.  See four exhibitions after hours plus there will be four special events on the night, three of which require pre-booking.  Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street.  https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/calendar/whatson/late-perceptions-vision-and-taste

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

19th    7pm  A Polar Pint.  An evening of polar science talks over a pint!  Panton Arms, Panton Street.  http://www.pintofscience.co.uk/event/polar-pint-of-science-cambridge

21st    10am – 4.30pm CAMCRAFT Handmade Fair.  40 stalls of gorgeous handmade items.  Free entry.  Guildhall, Market Square

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

Snowdrops

What’s On in Cambridge – April

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!

Willow at Fort St George bridge Cambridge
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

5 – 7th    Cambridge Literary Festival.  http://www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com  Read more about the Festival 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

9th    7.30pm  Concert for Cam Sight.  Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Nielsen.  Easter Concert Orchestra.  All ticket receipts and donations go to Cam Sight.  West Road Concert Hall. http://www.adcticketing.com/whats-on/concert/concert-for-camsight   Read more about Cam Sight here

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

22 – 23rd    7.45pm (and 2.30pm on 23rd)  Ballet Central.  ADC Theatre.  http://www.adctheatre.com

24th    7.30pm  True Stories Told Live.  NCI Club, Holland Street.  FB:@cambridgetruestories

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

30th    6.30 – 9pm  The Tasting Table with Dulcedo, The Baking Jin and Bumble & Oak.  Innovative dishes, fusion bakes, high end patisserie and artisan chocolate.  Dulcedo Patisserie, Hills Road. http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-tasting-table-with-dulcedo-the-baking-jin-and-bumble-oak-tickets

Blossom Cambridge
A froth of blossom on my neighbour’s tree

Love Cambridge Restaurant Week

From cosy cafes to fine dining restaurants, we are lucky to have a wealth of places to eat delicious food here in Cambridge.  Now Cambridge BID is celebrating our foodie scene in the city’s first Restaurant Week which runs from 1 – 7 April.  Cafes and restaurants will be offering menus at £5, £10 or £15, giving you a chance to try their food and experience their ambience.  It’s a great opportunity to check out a restaurant you’ve been meaning to try and to discover new styles of cuisine.

Love Cambridge Restaurant Week
Image credit: Cambridge BID

Taking part in Restaurant Week couldn’t be simpler.  Go to the website (details at the end of this post) for info on the places that are participating.  Just click on the restaurant or cafe of your choice to check out their offer and download a voucher which you can print out or show on your phone when you get there.  For some restaurants, advance booking is recommended.

I caught up with a couple of old friends of this blog who are taking part in Restaurant Week to find out how they’ve been getting on since I wrote about them as they opened.

Amelie Flammekueche Cambridge
Regis and Alex Crepy

Over in the Grafton Centre, Alex and Regis Crepy are delighted that Amelie Flammekeuche continues to grow in popularity with customers of all ages.  Cambridge has embraced this novel French fire bread and Alex hopes that their offer of any flammekeuche on the menu plus an Amelie Golden Ale for £10 will introduce the delights of flammekeuche to new people.  (If you haven’t tried it yet, trust me, flammekeuche is VERY good!)  Amelie has held a top position in the Trip Advisor rankings since shortly after opening in August last year and they have big plans for the future.  To read more of the Amelie story, click here

Cafe Abantu Cambridge
Cafe Abantu

Cafe Abantu has been open for just over a year in Hobson Street and owner Wendy Slade tells me they haven’t looked back since moving into the city centre.  Abantu is popular with students, locals, tourists and a dedicated band of regulars.  You’ll find Fairtrade, soil association approved organic coffee, delicious home made cakes and a menu which changes daily.  Following their successful vegan and Fairtrade special events, Wendy is planning a South African supper club, so keep an eye on their social media for details of that.  Wendy hopes that Restaurant Week will encourage people to explore beyond the main streets and discover indies.  Abantu will be offering lunch, a slice of cake and tea or coffee for £10.  To read more of the Cafe Abantu story, click here

And finally, when you take part in Restaurant Week, not only will you eat well, you also have the chance to win a £100 Love Cambridge Gift Card which can be spent in over 200 locations across the city.  Simply redeem an offer in one of the participating restaurants, then share your experience with a photo on social media using the hashtag #LoveCambridgeRestaurantWeek

Good luck and bon appetit!!

http://www.cambridgebid.co.uk/restaurant-week

http://www.amelierestaurants.co.uk

FB: @Cafeabantu    Instagram: @cafeabantu