yoga cambridge – New in Cambridge

What’s on in Cambridge – August 2019

Summer is here and there’s lots going on in the city this month. And take a look at my recent posts for details of some great analogue pursuits and events (most of them low cost or free) to keep the kids occupied for a bit. Happy summer everybody!!

Portugal Place Cambridge — Portugal Place, looking lovely in the sunshine

1st 5.30 – 7.30pm Wellbeing in Romsey – an evening of Breathwork and Yoga to celebrate Mill Road Summer. No experience necessary and no need to book. Outside Tesco Express, 163 Mill Road http://www.millroadsummer.org/whats-on/

1 – 4th Cambridge Folk Festival. Cherry Hinton Hall Park. http://www.cambridgelive.org.uk/folk-festival

1 – 24th Cambridge Shakespeare Festival. Productions performed in College gardens, in full period costume and with live Elizabethan music. http://www.cambridgeshakespeare.com

1 – 31st Summer at the Museums. Over 140 low cost and free family events in and around Cambridge. http://www.museums.cam.ac.uk/events/summer

3rd 10am – 1pm Family Saturday. The Nightshade Family. Find out about the Nightshades, one of the most amazing families in the plant kingdom. Free, drop in. Botanic Garden. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk

3rd 2 – 5pm Come and Sing! A light, summery programme of song. All welcome. St Barnabas Church, Mill Road. http://www.millroadsummer.org/whats-on/

3rd 7 – 8.15pm Flute and Guitar Recital. Charity concert in aid of Romsey Mill, featuring a range of musical styles. St Philip’s Church, 185 Mill Road. http://www.millroadsummer.org/whats-on/

4th 9am – 2pm Mill Road Summer Car Boot Sale. Gwydir Street Car Park

4th 12 – 4pm Studio Sunday. Artist led workshop for families. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk

6th 7.30pm Shoot for the Moon. Improvised comedy night with The Ministry of Unplanned Occurrences. Pay what you want. The Blue Moon Pub, Norfolk Street, CB1

7th 7 – 8pm Hula Hoop Workshop with Penny Farthing. Free class for all ages and abilities, no need to book. Outside Tesco Express, 163 Mill Road. http://www.millroadsummer.org/whats-on/

10th 3 – 5pm Folk Music and Storytelling by Serendipity Sessions. Open mic event. Come and have a go at storytelling, playing, poetry reading or singing. Turn up at 3pm to book your slot on the day. St Barnabas Church, Mill Road. http://www.millroadsummer.org/whats-on/

10th 3 – 8.30pm RomseyFest! Music on Mill Road. An afternoon of busking, bands and dancing. Outside Tesco Express, 163 Mill Road. http://www.millroadsummer.org/whats-on/

10th 8pm Hamlet. A solo performance by Richard Spaul. The Leper Chapel, off Newmarket Road. http://www.insitutheatre.co.uk

10 – 25th 10am – 6pm/5pm on Sundays Anglian Potters Cambridge Exhibition. Handmade ceramics from 60+ local potters. All Saints’ Church, Jesus Lane. http://www.anglianpotters.org uk

11th 4.30 – 6.30pm A Journey to the Centre of the Hive. A fun and educational workshop taking you through the life of the honey bee colony. Observation hive, blind honey tasting experience, complimentary tea and coffee. Dulcedo Patisserie, 60 Hills Road. Online booking at http://www.beesitter.co.uk

15th 9pm Queers in Shorts. An evening of queer-themed short films from around the world. Free event. Arts Picturehouse Bar, St Andrew’s Street, CB2 https://www.picturehouses.com/cinema/Arts_Picturehouse_Cambridge

17th 1am – 4pm Making the most of ….. A reuse and recycle event featuring artists, makers, fashion designers and creatives who work with sustainable media. Interactive activities and varied shopping opportunities. Organised by local charities the Children’s Society, Arthur Rank Hospice and Romsey Mill. St Philip’s Church, 185 Mill Road. http://www.millroadsummer.org/whats-on/

18th 9am – 2pm Mill Road Summer Car Boot Sale. Gwydir Street Car Park

18th 12 – 4pm Studio Sunday. Artist led workshop for families. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk

18th 6.30pm Meditation Taster Session. Sample two meditation techniques and mindful breathing. White Lotus Meditation. The Bodywise Studio, Gwydir Street, Off Mill Road. http://www.whitelotusmeditation.co.uk

20th 2 – 6pm Mill Road Bridges: Meet the Artists. Join local artists to make art and share stories about Mill Road. Try your hand at origami, printing and clay work. St Barnabas Church, Mill Road. http://www.millroadsummer.org/whats-on/

23 – 26th Movies on the Meadows. Open air film screenings in the river meadows at Grantchester. http://www.cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk/news/movies-meadows-2019

24 – 26th 11am – 5pm Drop in drawing. Drawing activities for all in the gallery spaces. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk

24th 7 – 9pm Soiree with Adam Pounds. Music, poetry and storytelling, featuring performances of Cajun and other folk styles. St Philip’s Church, 185 Mill Road. http://www.millroadsummer.org/whats-on/

25th 3 – 5pm Jazz and Brass in the Parks. Caxton Swing. Jesus Green. http://www.cambridgelive.org.uk

30th 6pm Summer Night Market and Open Air Cinema (Early Man/Bohemian Rhapsody). Free event. Market Square http://www.cambridgebid.co.uk/open-air-cinema-night-market

30th 7 – 10.30pm Legendary: The Big Fantasy Quiz. Immerse yourself in the epic worlds of Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Disney and much more. C3 Centre, 2 Brooks Road. http://www.millroadsummer.org/whats-on/

31st 5 – 11pm Wonder at the Museum of Technology. A festival event with life-living workshops, vegan food, SoBar (alcohol free) drinks and DJs. Museum of Technology, Cheddars Lane, CB5 https://www.wonderfestival.co.uk/

Punting on the River Cam Cambridge — Messing about on the river

WONDER Take-over: New You and Dry January Cambridge

As we pack away the Christmas decorations and Dry January rolls around, there’s a new way to party in the city. “WONDER Take-over: New You and Dry January” is happening on Saturday 26 January at Cambridge University Centre on Granta Place, running from 2pm until late. This sober social is an event for everyone and revolves around good feelings rather than alcohol.

Wonder Take-over Cambridge — Image credit: Charlie Snape

Created by friends Lisa Pollitt and Suzie Young, “WONDER Take-over” reflects a cultural shift and the fact that many people are now more mindful of their drinking habits or are avoiding alcohol for a multitude of reasons. Lisa and Suzie are both busy working mothers. They’re conscious of the choices they make about what goes into their bodies and whilst not teetotal, they both have periods of abstaining from alcohol. “We’ve witnessed unhealthy relationships with alcohol and we want to model something different for our kids,” Lisa tells me.

Inspired by the endorphin high they experienced at a 5 Rhythms dance class, Lisa and Suzie wanted to get that feeling again on a night out but when they couldn’t find an event without alcohol, they decided to set one up themselves from scratch, starting with a day event last July and following up with “Winter WONDER: The Alternative Christmas Party” in December.

So what can you expect from “WONDER Take-over”? A plethora of happenings designed to trigger your happy neurochemicals, raise your oxytocin levels and give you a natural buzz. There’ll be plenty of non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails with a vegan menu served up by Meatless street food van. Daytime workshops include Uplifting Joy Yoga, Kundalini Yoga and Gong Bath. The evening kicks off with quick witted comedy from Cambridge Improv Factory, uplifting club classics, disco, house, funk and soul from DJs Paul Darking, MissChivers and Luna Love, immersive theatre sessions and dancefloor massages.

With an enthusiastic fan base of happy partygoers aged from 17 – 74, Lisa and Suzie have plans for more WONDER Festival events in Cambridge and possibly beyond. For details of “WONDER Take-over: New You and Dry January” and to book tickets, check out the website.

www.wonderfestival.co.uk

This post is part of my “New in Cambridge” column in the January issue of Velvet Magazine. Read more on http://www.velvetmag.co.uk

What’s on in June

Well, summer has arrived in Cambridge and here’s the what’s on listing for June. It’s a mix of all sorts of events that come to my attention and I update it through the month so do check back when you can. And if there’s an event that you’d like me to include, please get in touch through my Contact page.

A stroll along the towpath to Stourbridge Common

2nd 10.30am – 11pm Strawberry Fair, Midsummer Common. Free entry. http://www.strawberry-fair.org.uk

2nd 7.30pm Ave Verum Corpus, Music for Corpus Christi. Erasmus Chamber Choir and Ensemble. Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs, Hills Road. Free entry.

2nd 8pm Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe. Insitu Theatre. The Leper Chapel, CB5. Tickets from http://www.insitutheatre.co.uk or on the door.

4th Iyengar Yoga Summer Classes with Robert Ashman, running until 30th August at various venues. http://www.robertashmanyoga.co.uk

4 – 16th 8am – 5pm The Yellow Brick Road. A fundraising art exhibition by established and emerging artists on the theme of ‘memory and childhood’. Michaelhouse Centre, Trinity Street. All proceeds to Cambridge Children’s Charity Week. Free admission. http://www.camccweek.org

7 – 16th 7.45pm Cats. Festival Players. Mumford Theatre, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road http://www.festivalplayers.org

9th 10am – 4pm The Eddington Cycling Festival. Eddington Market Square, CB3. http://www.nwcambridge.co.uk

9th 7.30pm The Academy of Great St Mary’s Orchestra and Choir. Beethoven, Berkeley and Mozart. Great St Mary’s Church. http://www.adcticketing.com

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

9 – 10th 11am – 5pm Open Garden. 49 New Square. Free entry. Proceeds to Red Balloon Learner Centres.

16th 7pm Music for Africa, Benefit Concert. London Adventist Chorale. Queen’s College. https://bit.ly/M4A Concert

16th 7.30pm Nelson Mass and St Ursula Mass. Collegium Laureatum. West Road Concert Hall. tickets@collegium.org.uk

16th 8pm Summer in the City. Prime Brass. Great St Mary’s Church. http://www.adcticketing.com

17th 4pm Summer Concert in aid of Camtrust. Mozart, Britten, Boyce, Finzi, Hess and Tchaikovsky. The Medlock Ensemble. St Andrew’s Church, Histon. http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/medlockensemble

22 – 29th Chesterton Festival. http://www.chestertonfestival.wordpress.com

22 – 24th Wimpole History Festival. Wimpole Estate. http://www.wimpolehistoryfestival.com

22nd 6.30 – 10pm Summer Night Market and outdoor cinema, screening “Moana” and “Dirty Dancing”. Market Square http://www.cambridgebid.co.uk/events

23rd Cambridge Summer Music Festival, running until 25th July at multiple venues across the city. http://www.cambridgesummermusic.com

Artsfest 2018

Artsfest 2018 returns to St Paul’s Church on Hills Road from 26 – 31 March, celebrating creativity and culture with events and activities for all ages throughout the week, based around the theme of “Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained”.

The Festival has been organised by Martin and Julia Evans with Kip and Jane Gresham. They’re building on the foundations of the very successful inaugural Artsfest held in 2016 and they firmly believe that people can flourish when they have the chance to be creative.

Artfest 18 workshop — Image credit: Artsfest 2018

There’s a packed schedule through the week, whether you want to be hands on or prefer to watch and listen. Daytime workshops for adults include printmaking, creative writing, drawing and painting and there’s a daily after school art workshop for children while a drop in embroidery group will stitch through each day. Anyone can share in the daily lunchtime and evening meals; indeed, the cafe is at the heart of the Festival, offering a place for everyone to meet, talk and share experiences.

A range of talks includes print maker Kip Gresham who will look at the way artists make their work and Dr Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury and now Master of Magdalene College, who will explore the theme of hope and loss through poetry.

Artsfest 2018 music — Image credit: Artsfest 2018

Evening events include a performance from local performing arts college Bodywork Company Cambridge, a jazz concert and the world premiere of an opera based on John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” with leading counter tenor Lawrence Zazzo. On the final day of the Festival, there’ll be a Scratch “Messiah” in which everybody is welcome to take part, whether as a singer, an orchestra musician or an audience member.

Artsfest 2018 St Paul's, Hills Road — Image credit: Artsfest 2018

St Paul’s is an Anglican church and community centre. Its motto is “All are welcome, all are safe” and its doors are open every day to welcome everybody, whether they have a faith or not. “We want to bring people together,” Martin tells me, “and we believe that in creating a positive community we can help to combat the loneliness felt by so many.” Around two thousand people use the building each week, either to attend the daily service, to join in with one of the many classes (think yoga, lindy hop, salsa and more) or simply to sit quietly in the foyer.

You’ll find full details of all the Artsfest 2018 events on their website. Most workshops and all the exhibitions, talks and lunchtime concerts are free, although voluntary donations are always welcome. Evening events cost £7.50 per head. For logistical purposes, workshop places need to be booked in advance through the website. Finally, please email juliaevans51@hotmail.co.uk if you’d like to get involved as a volunteer and help to run this wonderful celebration of culture and creativity.

http://www.stpaulsartsfest.org

http://www.stpaulscambridge.org.uk/

Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1JP

What’s On in January

So here’s the first what’s on listing for the year. I’ll update this through the month so do check back every so often and if you know about an event that could be listed, please get in touch via my Contact page.

Just to remind you that if you want a final skating session at The North Pole on Parker’s Piece, be quick as it shuts on 8th January. And if you haven’t made it to the Degas exhibition at The Fitzwilliam Museum yet, get there soon as it closes on 14th January – details at http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

Railings — The railings at All Saints Passage

6th Camyoga Open Day (also 13th and 20th). Free taster sessions at three locations. http://www.camyoga.co.uk

8th Life Drawing Class. Various days and times. Buchan Street Centre, CB4 http://www.cambridgelifedrawing.co.uk

9th – 13th 7.45pm Company. Festival Players. http://www.adctheatre.com

11th 7pm Introduction to pen, pencil and ink drawing class. 5 weeks. Barton Pavilion. http://www.made-in-ely.com

12th 10.45am South African Writing: Poetry, Prose, Theatre. 9 weeks. St Andrew’s Baptist Church, CB2. http://www.wea-eastern.org.uk

12th – 13th 7.30pm Bring It On, The Musical. Mumford Theatre. http://www.anglia.ac.uk/mumfordtheatre

13th 2pm and 4pm Tim and Tom’s Symphonic Adventure. Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.cam-phil.org.uk

13th 6pm King’s Voices. Evensong for the choir’s 20th anniversary. King’s College. http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/kings-voices-anniversary-evensong.html

13th 7.30pm Cambridge Graduate Orchestra. Handel, Strauss and Rossini. Corpus Christi Chapel. http://www.cambridgegraduateorchestra.com

16th 7.30pm The King’s Singers with the Choir of King’s College. 50th Anniversary Gala Concert. http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/concerts

16th – 20th 7.45pm Much Ado About Nothing. Cambridge University European Theatre Group. http://www.adctheatre.com

17th – 20th 7.30pm Sweeney Todd. Cambridge Operatic Society. http://www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

19th 5.30pm Migration 2018: Black and British Migration. Lady Mitchell Hall, Sidgwick Avenue. http://www.darwin.cam.ac.uk/lectures

19th 8pm Bringing It All Back Home, Flavors of American Music. The Portland Arms, CB4. http://www.cambridgeamericana.com

20th 7.30pm Sinfonia of Cambridge. Tchaikovsky, Elgar and Dvorak. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.sinfoniaofcambridge.org.uk

26th 5.30pm Migration 2018: Immigration and Freedom. Lady Mitchell Hall, Sidgwick Avenue. http://www.darwin.cam.ac.uk/lectures

28th 2pm Reading Great Expectations. Stapleford Granary, CB22. http://www.literaturecambridge.co.uk

28th 7.30pm Sampson Orchestra. Romance and Revolution: Rachmaninov, Shostakovich and Khachaturian. In aid of Camsight. West Road Concert Hall. Tickets from sally.n@camsight.org.uk

Stem + Glory

Louise Palmer-Masterton is a powerhouse! She has founded and is running two highly successful businesses in the city and she’s fizzing with energy and ideas. I met Louise in Stem + Glory, her new vegan cafe in King Street.

Image credit: Stem + Glory

Louise tells me that she enjoys food and cooking and has herself been vegan for many years. Camyoga, the yoga business that she started in 2003, took off straight away and over fourteen years has grown into a multi studio enterprise offering not only yoga classes but workshops and teacher training courses too. Having opened a small cafe, really just for the yoga clients, Louise began to develop ideas for a larger vegan cafe and when a site became available at Mitchams Corner in 2016, she successfully crowdfunded the project to open a cafe and yoga studio there. The cafe was open to the public from the start, offering fast, fresh and healthy plant-based food to eat in or take out through the day and vegan fine dining in the evenings.

When the opportunity came to open a city centre vegan cafe at the old Afternoon Tease premises in King Street earlier this year, Louise didn’t waste any time. She again crowdfunded successfully to refurbish and refit both sites. Mitchams Corner is now a table service restaurant at lunch and dinner. The new King Street cafe, staffed by the existing Afternoon Tease team, is the place for fast healthy eating and it’s been buzzing since it opened its doors in November.

Stem and Glory counter — Image credit: Stem + Glory

If you’re eating in, you can pile your plate from a selection of hot dishes and salads for £9. If you’re on the go, you can do the same but put it in a box (small, medium or large) to take away. Wraps are always available along with cakes, coffee, tea, soft drinks and shakes. There’s a small breakfast menu at the moment but that will be expanding soon and a brunch menu is on the way.

Stem and Glory cauli and rocket salad — Image credit: Stem + Glory

My daughter and I grabbed a table on a busy Saturday and we were eating the colourful food with our eyes before it got anywhere near our mouths! Pumpkin tagine was aromatic while the earthy warmth of a beetroot and horseradish pie with mushroom was perfectly complemented by a fluffy mashed potato topping. Spicy bulghur wheat salad came speckled with herbs and mixed seeds, carrot and fennel salad was fresh and crunchy while the cauliflower and rocket salad was drizzled with a silky tahini dressing. There’ll be a different style of menu each week so there’s always something new and delicious on offer.

Louise’s success with Camyoga and Stem + Glory has been recognised with two awards this year – the Cambridge Business Excellence Awards Small Business of the Year and Best Newcomer at the Cambridge Food and Drink Awards. And I can’t wait to see what Louise does next ….. she has big plans for Stem + Glory in 2018 so watch this space!

http://www.stemandglory.uk

13 King Street, Cambridge CB1 1LH