Well, it’s grey and gloomy as I write this but we got through January and there are definite signs of Spring now. I’ve noticed buds on the trees, little froths of blossom and the birds are chirping morning and evening. Read on for details of what’s happening in the city this month … this listing is not exhaustive but is an eclectic mix of events that come to my attention. I’ll update it through the month so do check back and if you are involved in an event that you’d like me to include, please get in touch via my Contact page.
1st 10am – 1pm Family Saturday: Plant Fibres. Create your own wall hanging to take home. Free activity for children, drop in event. Botanic Garden, Brookside. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
1st 10.30am – 12 noon Learn 5-a-side chess. Free, drop in event, all welcome. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Milton Road Library, CB4. http://www.friendsofmiltonroadlibrary.org.uk
1st 10.30am – 4.30pm Cambridge’s Affordable Vintage Fair. Vintage, handmade, reworked and retro. Fashion, accessories and collectables from the 40’s to the 90’s. Guildhall, Market Square. FB: Cambridge’s Affordable Vintage Fair
1st 12 noon, 1pm and 2pm Children’s Workshop: Chinese Calligraphy. Celebrate Chinese New year and learn how to create characters with Chinese brushes and ink. For children aged 8+, must be accompanied by an adult. Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
1st 12 – 4pm Family First Saturday: Chinese New Year. Celebrate Chinese New Year with family activities which include lion dance, animals of the zodiac trail, lantern making, paper cutting. Free, drop in. Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
1st 2 – 4pm “Undiscovered beauty spots within an hour’s drive of Cherry Hinton”. Talk from Peter Green, Walks Co-ordinator, National Trust. All welcome, free entry, contribution invited towards expenses. Food for Thought Cafe, Cherry Hinton Baptist Church Building, corner of Fisher’s Lane and Cherry Hinton High Street.
1 – 23rd Snowdrop Trail. Discover more about snowdrop science, history, folklore and cultivation when you follow the Garden’s snowdrop routes. Botanic Garden, Brookside. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
2nd – 28th The Minerva Festival. A city wide celebration of music composed by women and non-binary people. http://www.theminervafestival.org
3rd 7 – 10pm An evening at The White Hart Country Inn, Fulbourn. A two course meal and live entertainment for £20. Fundraiser for Camsight http://www.camsight.org.uk
4 – 8th 7.45pm My Fair Lady. Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society. ADC Theatre, Park Street http://www.adctheatre.com
6th 11am – 1pm Twentieth-century First Editions Exhibition. The Old Library, Magdalene College will be open for visitors to these historic book-lined rooms, with displays of items from the College’s special collections and archives which are rarely seen in public. Free entry, no need to book. Magdalene College, Magdalene Street.
7 – 16th Ahbab Festival. A festival of music, film, food and culture from the Middle East and North Africa. Cambridge Junction and multiple venues across the city. FB: @AhbabFestival
8th 1 – 4pm Chinese New Year Crafts. Celebrate Chinese New Year with CFT Chinese School. Decorate a paper lantern, paint a panda and try your hand at Chinese calligraphy and pictograms. Free, drop in event for families. Parents/carers must stay with children. Cambridge Central Library, Lion Yard
8th 7pm Hungarian Music for Cello and Accordian. Cambridge Szeged Society. Free entry, retiring collection. Church of Our Lady and English Martyrs, Hills Road.
8 – 9th 11am – 4pm Rowan Art Exhibition. Buy original art at this “Celebrate Your World” art exhibition. Pictures from amateur and professional artists on sale at £45 each, raising funds to support Rowan’s student artists. Chesterton Community College, Gilbert Road, CB4 http://www.rowanhumberstone.co.uk
9th 8.30pm King’s Voices Lent Concert. Haydn, Beethoven and Reger. King’s Voices with the King’s College Symphony Orchestra. King’s College Hall http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk
10th 7.45pm Seeking to know: A humane philosophy of science and religion. Speaker: Professor Andrew Steane, Physics Department, Oxford University. Part of the Science Meets Faith series. Wesley Church, Christ’s Pieces. Free entry, retiring collection.
15th 1pm Come and Sing Faure Requiem. For singers of all ages and abilities who can read music. St Catherine’s College Music Society. McGrath Centre, St Catherine’s College, Trumpington Street http://www.eventbrite.co.uk
15th 7 – 9.30pm Winter Mindfulness around the Campfire. Simple guided meditations, opportunities for reflection, discussions, poetry and games exploring our relationship with the natural world, around a campfire. Byron’s Pool, Trumpington http://www.mindfulness-of-nature.com
18th 7 – 8.30pm Cafe Sci Cambridge: The Genetics of Depression. Free, non ticketed. Espresso Library, East Road. FB: Free event: The Genetics of Depression
19th 4.30 – 7.30pm Twilight at the Museums at the Botanic Garden. Bring your torch for a night time adventure around the Glasshouses and discover some seriously freaky plants. Free, no charge for entry after 4.30pm, no need to book. The Garden Shop and Cafe will be open until 7pm. Botanic Garden, Brookside http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
19th 4.30 – 7.30pm Twilight at the Museums: De-lightful! Take a journey through light and dark at this annual Twilight event which takes place across University of Cambridge Museums. Discover torch lit treasure, sensory activities, interactive theatre, stories, dance and studio art creativity. Free event. http://www.museums.cam.ac.uk/events/twilight_museums
21 – 22nd 12 – 5pm Cambridge Antiquarian Book Fair. Old books, prints, maps and manuscripts. Guildhall, Market Square
21st 6.30 – 8.30pm Cam Lates: Garden Kitchen Takeover. Explore the diverse plant collections in the Glasshouse Range which will be filled with imaginative illuminations. Food and drink from The Garden Kitchen. Booking essential. Botanic Garden, Brookside http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
21st 8pm St John Passion. St John’s College Music Society with Trinity College Music Society. St John’s College Chapel. Tickets on the door.
22nd 11am – 5pm Cambridge’s Craft and Flea. Local produce, street food, collectables, crafts, vegan and more. St Barnabas Church, Mill Road
22nd 2 – 6pm Board Games Afternoon. LGBTQ+ board games social afternoon. Free admission. Cambridge Central Library, Lion Yard
25 – 29th Stage adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s “The Waves”. Pre-show talk on 28th. ADC Theatre, Park Street. http://www.adctheatre.com/whats-on/play/the-waves/
27th 6 – 9pm Student LATE: Love Art After Dark. A dynamic programme of art events, performances, live music, pop up talks, behind the scenes tours plus creative arts and crafts activities. Cash bar and snacks in the Courtyard Cafe. Free but booking essential. Student ID card required. Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street http://www.loveartafterdark-event.getqpay.com
29th 6 – 9.30pm Mastana. South Asian cultural performances ranging from dance to music to fashion, acting, magic and more. Guildhall, Market Square http://www.fixr.co/event/82327218
29th 7.30pm Harmony in Harlem Jazz Orchestra. Duke Ellington’s Primping for the Prom. St Andrew’s Baptist Church, St Andrew’s Street. Tickets on the door or from http://www.hhjazz.co.uk
Rowan is holding its popular annual Winter Warmer on Wednesday 5 December from 5 – 8pm. Everybody is welcome and entry is free. You’ll find handmade gifts and cards, wooden reindeer, wooden table displays and ceramic tree decorations to buy and you can make a gorgeous ceramic Christmas tree at the Christmas workshop. And, of course, there’ll be mulled wine, mince pies and live music too!
New in Cambridge 