the leper chapel cambridge – New in Cambridge

What’s on in Cambridge – December 2019

So just like that, December is here … the city is looking even more gorgeous than usual with lights twinkling and decorations everywhere. Read on for details of all types of Christmas music and services, shopping events where you’ll find those perfect handmade presents, seasonal celebrations and activities in our wonderful museums and much more. I’ll update this listing through the month so do check back and please get in touch if you’d like me to include your event.

Christmassy vibes at The Ivy Cambridge Brasserie

1st 12 noon – 4pm Museum Shop Sunday. Stalls from local suppliers including jewellery, glasswork and pottery. Mulled wine and mince pies. Free, drop in. Museum of Cambridge, Castle Street. http://www.museumofcambridge.org.uk

1st 12 noon – 4pm Studio Sunday. Practical art making workshops, no experience necessary. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk

1st 1.15 – 2pm Cambridge University Instrumental Award Holders – a performance by the very best undergraduate chamber musicians. Free. Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

1st 6.30pm Winter Cabaret. A seasonal mix of jazzy, sassy, jingly and soulful songs and music from The Lucy Cavendish Singers. Storey’s Field Centre, Eddington. http://www.lucycavendishsingers.org.uk

4th 5 – 8pm Rowan’s Winter Warmer. A festive evening where you can buy handmade gifts and cards, commission artwork and get involved in Christmas workshops. Live music, mulled wine and mince pies. Free entry. Rowan, 140 Humberstone Road, CB4 http://www.rowanhumberstone.co.uk

5th 6.30pm Murder under the Mistletoe. Heffers’ Christmas Crime Party. Festive drinks, book buying and readings from crime authors. 10% off purchases on the evening. Heffers, Trinity Street. http://www.heffersbookshop.eventbrite.com

6th 7.30pm A Jazz Suite for Christmas. Tim Boniface and Polly Gibbons. St. Paul’s, Hills Road. http://www.stpaulsartsfest.org

6th 7.30pm Michaelmas Concert: A Musical Selection Box, to include Tchaikovsky and Gershwin. The University of Cambridge Concert Band. St Giles’ Church, CB3. Tickets on the door.

7th 8.50 – 10.30am Mill Road History Walk with Cambridge Green Badge Guides. Meet at the Romsey R on Cavendish Road. http://www.millroadhistory.org.uk

7th 10am – 1pm Family Saturday. Get festive and make all sorts of Christmas decorations using natural materials. Free. Botanic Garden, Brookside. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk

7th 10.30am – 4.30pm Mill Road Winter Fair. Live music, local crafts, art, entertainment, food. Mill Road. FB Mill Road Winter Fair 2019

7th 11.30am Bridging Binaries: LGBTQ+ Tour. Explore the spectrum of identities that exist across time, place and culture in Cambridge collections. Free. Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

7th 1 – 1.30pm Come and Sing Carols. An informal, friendly “come and sing” carolling session for shoppers, friends and visitors. Great St Mary’s Church, King’s Parade

7th 2 – 4pm Family First Saturday. Activities and art making on the theme of festive fun. Free, drop in. Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

7th 4 – 5pm Blue Christmas. A service of jazz and prayer for everyone who doesn’t find the holidays so happy. Michaelhouse Chapel, Trinity Street

7th 7pm Messiah by Candlelight. Eboracum Baroque. A charity concert in aid of Cancer Research. Great St Mary’s Church, King’s Parade. http://www.eboracumbaroque.co.uk

8th 7.30pm Christmas Orchestral and Choral Concert. Dvorak, Mendelssohn and Czech Christmas music. The Academy of Great St Mary’s. Great St Mary’s Church, King’s Parade. http://www.adcticketing.com

8th 7.30pm A Christmas Concert by The King’s Men Cambridge. Trumpington Parish Church, Grantchester Road, CB2. http://www.the-kings-men-trumpington.eventbrite.co.uk

8th 7.30pm Messiah. Choir of Clare College with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Trinity College Chapel. http://www.adcticketing.com

9th 7.45pm Brokenness, compassion and identity in rehabilitation after brain injury. Speaker: Dr Andrew Bateman. Part of the Science meets Faith series. Free admission, retiring collection. Wesley Church, Christ’s Pieces

12th 7.30pm Music for an English Advent: Gabriel’s Message. Carols and estampies from medieval England. Mediva Ensemble. Emmanuel United Reformed Church, Trumpington Street. http://www.CambridgeEarlyMusic.org

12th 8pm A Winter Union. Five leading lights of the British roots scene present an evening of seasonal songs, new and old. Storey’s Field Centre, Eddington. http://www.cambridgelive.org.uk

13th 7.30pm – 2.30am Reach Up Disco Wonderland with DJ Andy Smith and XL Records founder Nick Halkes. 2648 Bar, Trinity Street. https://skdl.co/kFnLqa45X0

13 – 14th 7.30pm A Christmas Carol. Adapted and performed by Martin Prest in a one man show. The Leper Chapel, Newmarket Road. Wrap up warm as the Chapel can be cold! http://www.adcticketing.com

14th 10.30 – 11.15am Sharing Stories. Stories from around the world told, read and sung. Free, drop in. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. http://www.friendsofmiltonroadlibrary.org.uk

14th 3 – 3.30pm amd 4 – 4.30pm Michaelhouse Candlelit Carols. Come and sing traditional Christmas carols in the candlelit chapel. Michaelhouse Chapel, Trinity Street

14th 6 – 11pm Cambridge African Network Christmas Party. Food, Santa Claus, music and dancing. Storey’s Field Centre, Eddington. http://www.cambridgeafricannetwork.org

15th 10am – 4pm Victorian Christmas Celebration. Family friendly Victorian Christmas day with craft activities, music, mince pies and more. Cambridge Museum of Technology, Cheddars Lane. http://www.museumoftechnology.com

15th 6.30 – 8pm Carols by Candlelight, accompanied by Cottenham Brass Band. Hosted by Cambridge Past, Present and Future. The Leper Chapel, Newmarket Road. Free event, donations appreciated. http://www.cambridgeppf.org

15th 8pm Music for Advent and Christmas. Josquin, Howells and carols for audience participation. Fairhaven Singers. Trinity College Chapel. http://www.fairhavensingers.org.uk

18th 1.15 – 2pm The Food of Christmas Past. A talk with Ivan Day, Feast & Fast food historian. Free. Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

19th 7 – 9pm Mindfulness around a Campfire – Winter Solstice celebration. Guided meditations, reflections, discussions, poetry, games and toasty pre Christmas treats around a campfire. Milton Country Park, CB24. Tickets from clairethompson@mindfulness-of-nature.com

19th 7.30 – 10pm Light Up EACH Life Cambridge Concert. We Are Sound and Evelyn Glennie perform a selection of uplifting songs in celebration of the children and families cared for at East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. Great St Mary’s Church, King’s Parade. http://www.each.org.uk

20th 10.30am – 12.30pm GPS Christmas Treasure Hunt. Track down some special Christmas plants growing in the garden. A family activity. Booking essential. Botanic Garden, Brookside. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk

20th 7.30pm Celebrate Christmas with John Rutter and Bach Choir Voices. Traditional carols and works by John Rutter. Our Lady and the English Martyrs Catholic Church, Hills Road http://www.cambridgesummermusic.com

22nd 4 – 5.15pm and 6.30 – 7.45pm Carols by Candlelight. A traditional candlelit service of lessons and carols at the University Church. Arrive early to be sure of a seat. Great St Mary’s Church, King’s Parade

24th 4 – 5pm Christmas Eve Crib Service. Carols, bible stories and an impro Nativity. For children and their families. Come as you are or in Nativity fancy dress. Great St Mary’s Church, King’s Parade

25th 11.15am – 12.15pm Christmas Day Choral Mattins. Favourite carols, beautiful music, scripture and story. Great St Mary’s Church, King’s Parade

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

What’s on in October

Well, Cambridge feels a little bit different now ….. there’s a nip in the morning air, the evenings are drawing in and the rhythm of the city changes as the students return. There’s plenty going on and I’ll update this listing through the month so do check back when you can.

5th 8pm Fresher Brass. A “Meet and Greet” concert with the City of Cambridge Brass Band. St Giles Church, Castle Street, CB3. Free entry.

6th 7.30pm The Fishermen. Mumford Theatre, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, CB1. http://www.anglia.ac.uk

7th 10.30am – 4pm Cambridge Vegan Market. Guildhall, Market Square. http://www.vegfest.co.uk

7th 2 – 4pm/5 – 7pm Cambridge Wine Fair. Royal Cambridge Hotel, Trumpington Street, CB2. Meet local independent wine merchants. http://www.cambridgewinefair.com

8th 7.45pm Climate Change: A Scientific Update. Speaker: Dr Emily Shuckburgh OBE. Part of the Science meets Faith series. Wesley Church, Christ’s Pieces, CB1. Free admission.

15 – 18th Cambridge Festival of Ideas http://www.festivalofideas.cam.ac.uk Read more here

15th 7pm Oompah Brass. The Leys School, Fen Causeway, CB2. http://www.theleys.net/boxoffice

18th 7pm Cambridge Breast Cancer Appeal Fashion Show. Grand Arcade, St Andrew’s Street, CB2. Tickets include welcome drink and canapes. http://www.cambridgebreastcancerappeal.com Read more here

19th 8pm The Choral Pilgrimage 2018. Music by Cornysh and Britten. The Sixteen. St John’s College Chapel. http://www.thesixteen.com

20th 11am – 4pm Volunteer for Cambridge. Free showcase for the diversity of volunteering opportunities in the city with around 90 organisations attending. Guildhall, Market Square, CB2. http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/volunteer-for-cambridge

20th 2 – 5.30pm Understanding King Lear. Study Day with Literature Cambridge. Stapleford Granary, Stapleford, CB22. http://www.literaturecambridge.co.uk/lear/ Read more here

20th 7.30pm Let there be Light. Charity concert for CBM UK, the overseas disability charity, showcasing local musicians and voices. St Paul’s Church, Hills Road, CB2. http://www.ticketsource.co.uk

21st 10am – 4pm Apple Day. Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Brookside, CB2. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk Read more here

22nd 1 – 3pm The Fitzwilliam Museum. Disability friendly opening. A relaxed afternoon aimed at children with sensory sensitivities along with their families, siblings and carers. Free entry but please book in advance. Trumpington Street, CB2. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

23rd 11am – 5pm Tues – Sun. Richard Pousette-Dart: Beginnings. Abstract Expressionist. This exhibition runs until 6 January 2019. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk

24th 7 – 10pm Plague Late. Part of the Cam Lates season. Get up close and personal with the past and present of the Plague. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Downing Street, CB2. Book in advance. http://www.museums.cam.ac.uk

24 – 27th 7.30pm plus two matinees at 2.30pm. West Side Story. Cambridge Theatre Company. The Leys School, Fen Causeway, CB2. http://www.camtheatrecompany.co.uk

25 – 1 Nov Cambridge Film Festival. http://www.cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk Read more here

26th 9.30am – 12.30pm Kids’ Repair Cafe. Fixing children’s games and toys. Arts Picturehouse, St Andrew’s Street, CB2. http://www.cambridgecarbonfootprint.org Read more here

26 – 28th 7.30pm Ghost Stories for Halloween. The Leper Chapel, Newmarket Road, CB5. http://www.nunkie.co.uk

28th 1pm Cambridge Halloween Dog Parade. Facebook: Cambridge Halloween Dog Parade Read more here

Autumn colours on Trumpington Street, Cambridge