museum of technology cambridge

What’s on in Cambridge – September 2019

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 Cambridge — 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 10.30am – 12 noon Walking Tour: Hidden Cambridge and the Museum of Cambridge. http://www.museumofcambridge.org.uk

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

5th 6 – 7.30pm “Mindfulness on the Meadows”. Practise mindfulness of nature and meditation with Claire Thompson. Stourbridge Common. http://www.mindfulness-of-nature.com/workshops-in-around-cambridge

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

7th 12 – 4.30pm Stourbridge Medieval Fair. Traditional dancing and singing, stalls, crafts and talks. Visit the Chapel (which is shut for most of the year). http://www.cambridgeppf.org/Event/cambridge-medieval-fair

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

8th 3 – 5pm Jazz and Brass in the Parks. City of Cambridge Brass Band. Cherry Hinton Hall. http://www.cambridgelive.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

11th 6.45 – 9pm Cafe Sci Cambridge: Gut bacteria and human health. Using genomic tools to study gut microbiome to help us understand its role in health and disease. Free, non-ticketed. Espresso Library, East Road. http://www.publicengagement.wellcomegenomecampus.org/cafe-scientifique-cambridge

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

15th 3 – 5pm Jazz and Brass in the Parks. The Brass Funkeys. Jesus Green. http://www.cambridgelive.org.uk

16th 6 – 7.30pm “Mindfulness on the Meadows”. Practise mindfulness of nature and meditation with Claire Thompson. Stourbridge Common. http://www.mindfulness-of-nature.com/workshops-in-around-cambridge

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

19th 7.30pm Clara Rackham – her life and achievements. A talk by Professor Mary Joannou (ARU). Milton Road Library, CB4. http://www.friendsofmiltonroadlibrary.org.uk

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

22nd 10.30am – 5pm Milton Country Park Autumn Festival. Seasonal food, craft, activities, music and entertainment for the family. http://www.miltoncountrypark.org/autumnfestival

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

29th 10am – 5pm Cambridge Chinese Community Mid-Autumn Festival. Parker’s Piece. http://www.cambridgechinacentre.org

King's College Cambridge — This chestnut tree at King’s College is 160 years old!

School’s out!! Summer activities in Cambridge for children and families

School’s out, the sun is shining and there’s plenty going on in the city to keep youngsters amused through the summer break, much of it low cost or free. Here are a few ideas!

Summer at the Museums 140 drop in and bookable activities at museums in and around Cambridge as well as the Botanic Garden. A mix of events, trails and hands-on activities. Download the full programme from http://www.museums.cam.ac.uk/events/summer

Cambridge Museum of Technology has recently re-opened after a major refurbishment – read more here. They are running Family Engineering Mornings, where you work together to design, build and test rockets and boats and build a tower crane, as well as Family Papercraft Mornings. The Museum is in a beautiful spot down by the river. Food and drink are available but you’re welcome to bring a picnic and there’s lots of room for children to run around. Click on http://www.museumoftechnology.com/whats-on for more.

ChYpPS is running Playdaze, a free daily programme of activities for kids plus Big Wednesdays, mini festival fun afternoons of art, sport and culture for the whole family. Details on http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/chypps-activities

Great St Mary’s, the University Church on Senate House Hill, is running Family Activity Mondays on 5, 12 and 19 August from 11am – 3pm, offering family craft events with a different theme each week. More on Facebook @GreatStMarys.

Waterstones Cambridge events — Waterstones Cambridge summer events

Waterstones in Sidney Street is offering a series of free events with storytimes, crafts and more, with a different theme each week. See the photograph for details.

Hidden Tales Riddle of the White Sphinx — Image credit: Hidden Tales

Heffers on Trinity Street has organised several free children’s activities with local authors as well as a series of Museum Adventures with the Hidden Tales, tying in with Cambridge treasure hunt Riddle of the White Sphinx – read more here – and featuring special guest appearances from four Cambridge museums and their collections. Details on http://www.heffersbookshop.business.site

Have a wonderful summer!!

Cambridge Museum of Technology

Cambridge Museum of Technology is set to reopen to the public on 7 June, following a major redevelopment funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic England. I went to meet Morgan Bell, Assistant Curator, for a peek behind the scenes ahead of opening day.

Cambridge Museum of Technology

It’s not hard to find the Museum … just look for the 53 metre tall chimney that dominates the skyline at Riverside. This chimney and the Victorian buildings that cluster round it formed a sewage pumping station where the city’s household rubbish was burned to create steam to fuel engines that pumped the city’s sewage out to a treatment plant in Milton. Prior to this, sewage had discharged into the River Cam, causing cholera outbreaks, so this wonderful Victorian engineering transformed public health in Cambridge. The pumping station was decommissioned in 1968, at which point a group of local campaigners saved it from demolition and turned the buildings into a museum.

Post this renovation, you’ll find improved visitor facilities and disabled access and a wealth of new displays, including an interactive model of the pumping station (complete with smell effect!). The historic boiler has been restored so that the Hathorn Davey pumping engines can run again later this year, once all testing of the steam lines is complete.

A new building houses an exhibition about Pye and Cambridge Instrument Company, with artefacts and touch screens telling the stories of how they grew to make so many innovative products and gained an international reputation for excellence and innovation. This space is also for school groups and events plus it will be available to hire to community groups.

Cambridge Museum of Technology

The Engineer’s House, just next door to the Museum, is being transformed by partner organisation Othersyde into an indoor cafe space, a bar and escape rooms. There’ll be a summer bar and food kiosk outside in the garden or you can bring a picnic to eat on the lawn at this beautiful riverside spot. Lawn games like skittles and outdoor board games will be available and there’s plenty of space for kids to run around.

Phase 1 of the development will be about 90% complete for this pilot reopening on 7 June so if you go to the Museum before 30 September, you’ll get a ticket for a free return visit in the next twelve months. All the finishing touches will be in place for the grand reopening on 1 October.

Cambridge Museum of Technology

Restoration work has been supported by corporate volunteers over recent months. The day I visited, a team from Worldpay was hard at work cleaning the Boiler House and a team from Anglian Water has been busy painting. And there are plenty of regular volunteer roles available. At the moment, the Museum is looking particularly for Welcome Volunteers and Education Volunteers. You’ll find details of these opportunities plus opening times and ticket prices on the website.

http://www.museumoftechnology.com

The Old Pumping Station, Cheddars Lane, CB5 8LD

What’s on in Cambridge – June

Well, Summer has arrived here in Cambridge and there’s loads happening in June …. outdoor celebrations as well as indoor activities, many of them free, for those rainy days (hopefully there won’t be too many of those!), lots of music, something for foodies and scientists, in fact something for everybody. I’ll update this listing as the month unfolds so please do get in touch through my Contact page if you know of an event that I can list here.

Midsummer Common Cambridge — Midsummer Common bathed in sunshine

1st 10am – 1pm Family Saturdays – Messy Mud. Get messy with mud, make mud pies and have a go at mud painting. Free event. Botanic Garden. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk

1st 10.30am – 11pm Strawberry Fair. Popular volunteer run music and arts event on Midsummer Common. Free entry. http://www.strawberry-fair.org.uk

1st 2 – 4pm Family First Saturday. Activities and art making on the theme of “dazzling doodles”. Free, drop in. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

1 – 2nd 12 – 4pm Drop in drawing activities for all ages and abilities. Free, no booking required. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk

2nd 5.30pm Songs of Song. Ancient songs in praise of music, from the British Isles c.600 – 1200. Two voiced harmonies to harp and lyre. The Round Church. http://www.cambridgelive.org.uk

7th Museum of Technology reopens. Cheddars Lane. http://www.museumoftechnology.com Read more about the Museum of Technology here

8 – 9th 10am – 5pm Cambridge Town and Country Fair. Parker’s Piece. Free entry. http://www.oakleighfairs.co.uk

8 – 9th 11am – 5pm Open Garden at 49 New Square, CB1. Free entry and refreshments. All proceeds to Red Balloon Learner Centres.

8th 10.30am – 1.30pm Flower Crown Workshop. Make your own flower crown. Includes refreshments, an out-of-hours visit to the House and all materials. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk

8th 11am – 5pm Arbury Carnival. Procession at 12 noon, leaving from Armitage Way. http://www.arburycarnival.org

8th 11am – 8pm Cambridge Pride. Jesus Green. Parade starts from Jesus Lock at 11am. FB: Cambridge Pride 2019

8th 1pm Membra Jesu Nostri. Buxtehude. Erasmus Chamber Choir and Ensemble. St Clement’s Church, Bridge Street. Free entry, retiring collection.

9th 11am and 2pm Science on Sundays. Plant genetics from Mendel to Monsanto. Free, informal, drop in monthly plant science talk (30 minutes). Botanic Garden, Brookside. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk

14th 7.30pm The Hague String Trio. Schubert, Beethoven, Krasa and Klein. The Auditorium, Gonville & Caius College. Tickets on the door. http://www.thehaguestringtrio.com

15th 10am – 4pm Eddington Discovery Day. Free fun activities and games plus a Soup Disco. Market Square and Storey’s Field Centre, Eddington. http://www.eddington-cambridge.co.uk

16th 3 – 5pm Jazz and Brass in the Parks. Cambridge Groove Orchestra and Cambridge Jazz Festival Choir. Jesus Green. http://www.cambridgelive.org.uk

18th 7.30pm – 10pm Music: Na-Mara. Folk duo Na-Mara tell the story of the “Basque Children” through words and music. Mill Road History Society. Old School Hall, St Barnabas Church, Mill Road. http://www.cambridgefolkclub.co.uk

19th 7.30pm True Stories Told Live. NCI Club, Holland Street. FB: @cambridgetruestories Read more about True Stories Told Live here

20 – 23rd Wimpole History Festival. A weekend of history and heritage for the whole family with talks, debates, book signings, performances, historical walking tours, workshops, activities and events. Wimpole Estate. http://www.wimpolehistoryfestival.com

21st 6pm Summer Night Market and Open Air Cinema (Peter Rabbit/Mamma Mia Here We Go Again). Free event. http://www.cambridgebid.co.uk/open-air-cinema-night-market

21 – 28th Chesterton Festival, including Community Fun Day (22nd). http://www.chestertonfestival.wordpress.com Read more about last year’s Festival here

22nd 10am – 4.30pm Zoology Live! Live animals, hands on activities and expert lightning talks for all ages. Free, drop in. Museum of Zoology, Downing Street. http://www.museum.zoo.cam.ac.uk

22nd 7.30pm Coronation Anthems. Handel, Boyce and Blow. Collegium Laureatum. West Road Concert Hall. tickets@collegium.org.uk

23rd 3 – 5pm Jazz and Brass in the Parks. Cambridgeshire Youth Jazz Orchestra. Jesus Green. http://www.cambridgelive.org.uk

23rd 6 – 7pm In Good Company. Music for a summer evening, with traditional and classical pieces. The Lucy Cavendish Singers. Sidney Sussex College Chapel. All proceeds support the work of Cambridge City Foodbank. http://www.lucycavendishsingers.org.uk Read more about Cambridge City Foodbank here

23rd 7.30pm Singing on the River. A selection of madrigals, part-song and close-harmony from The King’s Men. Back Court, King’s College. Bring a picnic! Tickets from shop@kings.cam.ac.uk or 01223 769340. http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/events/concerts-at-kings

24th 7.30pm A Midsummer’s Day Concert of Georgian Song. Chela and Buska, the Cambridge Georgian choirs. Emmanuel United Reformed Church, Trumpington Street. Free entry with retiring collection. Tickets from chelatickets@gmail.com. http://www.georgianchoircambridge.wordpress.com

28 – 30th Foodies Festival, Parker’s Piece. http://www.foodiesfestival.com/cambridge

Chestnut tree at King's College Cambridge — The chestnut tree at King’s College is 160 years old!

Riverside Tea Garden at Cambridge Museum of Technology

There’s a massive chimney that dominates the skyline down at Riverside. It’s in amongst a cluster of Victorian buildings that make up the Museum of Technology and I’ve walked past it dozens of times but never really knew what it was all about. When I heard that there’s going to be a pop up Riverside Tea Garden there this summer, I decided to find out more and met with Assistant Curator, Morgan Bell.

Cambridge Museum of Technology

Built in 1894, the 53 metre tall chimney is part of a Victorian sewage pumping station which is now the Museum. Here they burned the city’s household rubbish to create steam to fuel engines that pumped the city’s sewage out to a treatment plant in Milton. Prior to this, sewage had discharged into the River Cam, causing cholera outbreaks so this wonderful Victorian engineering transformed public health in Cambridge. The pumping station was decommissioned in 1968, at which point a group of local campaigners saved it from demolition and turned the buildings into a museum.

Hathorn Davey pumping machine Cambridge

Owned independently and funded by admission fees and donations, the Museum houses the last Hathorn Davey pumping engines in the world that still work. It has also built up a collection of telecoms equipment, televisions and radios from Pye and historic scientific instruments from Cambridge Instrument Company.

Hathorn Davey pumping machine Cambridge

The Museum is currently closed as there’s a major redevelopment under way, thanks to money from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Restoration of the old buildings is complicated and painstaking as they are a Scheduled Ancient Monument and permission is needed even to paint in there! There are plans for a new building to house exhibition and learning space plus a cafe building with views over the river. The boiler is being repaired so it can once again supply steam to run the pumping engines and they’re hoping to be open by mid 2019.

Boiler at Cambridge Museum of Technology

This redevelopment is about preserving heritage of course but it’s also about inspiring a generation of future engineers and innovators. Jinx St. Leger, the Education Officer, tells me about the outreach programme with primary and secondary schools, encouraging students to look at STEM subjects in a new light. “It’s teaching engineering by stealth,” she smiles. “We make stomp rockets, create origami, make print blocks and masks and use a morse code machine to send and decode messages.” Jinx will be running four craft based and four engineering based events over the summer at the Museum of Cambridge (check out http://www.museumofcambridge.org.uk/events for more details).

Cambridge Museum of Technology

Now back to the tea and cake … on Sunday afternoons between 15 July and 5 August, you’ll be able to enjoy drinks and cream teas at the Riverside Tea Garden in idyllic surroundings on the Museum’s lawn overlooking the river. There’ll be stalls selling treasures, crafts, books, clothes, baked goods and produce. And I’ve booked my ticket for The Floating Museum, a boat trip happening on various dates through the summer, during which you’ll discover more about the city’s industrial heritage along the river. All profits from these ventures go back to the Museum to help fund the restoration. Full details, plus a booking facility for The Floating Museum, are on the website.

http://www.museumoftechnology.com

The Old Pumping Station, Cheddars Lane, Cambridge CB5 8LD