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YOUR MONTHLY FIX OF
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LOCAL LIFE
LOVE Your
CITY FROM FOOD & DRINK TO ARTS & CULTURE: YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO LIFE IN CAMBRIDGE
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S I G N U P TO O U R W E E K LY D I G I TA L N E W S L E T T E R
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EDITORIAL
Editor in chief Nicola Foley 01223 499459 nicolafoley@bright-publishing.com Chief sub editor Beth Fletcher Senior sub editor Siobhan Godwood Sub editor Felicity Evans Junior sub editor Elisha Young
ADVERTISING
Senior sales executive Lee Fifield 01223 492240 leefifield@bright-publishing.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Alex Rushmer, Angelina Villa-Clarke, Cathy Moore, Cyrus Pundole, Charlotte Griffiths, Siobhan Godwood, Daisy Dickinson, Elodie Cameron, Jordan Worland, Ruthie Collins, Anna Taylor, Charlotte Phillips
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MANAGING DIRECTORS Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck 01223 499450
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK FIND US @CAMBSEDITION CAMBRIDGE EDITION MAGAZINE • Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3HJ, 01223 499450, cambsedition.co.uk • All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of the publishers. • Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Cambridge Edition or Bright Publishing Ltd, which do not accept any liability for loss or damage. • Every effort has been made to ensure all information is correct. • Cambridge Edition is a free publication that is distributed in Cambridge and the surrounding area.
This month’s cover illustration was created by Flo Thomas. See more of Flo’s illustrations on Etsy at HeydayDesignsUK or at heydaydesigns.co.uk
Author illustrations by Louisa Taylor louisataylorillustration.blogspot.co.uk
Welcome
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ebruary may be a short month, but it’s promising to be a good one here in Cambridge. After a sleepy January, the events calendar begins to stir as we look forward to new events, such as the Cambridge Song Festival, and welcome back old favourites like Twilight at the Museums. The latter – a chance to explore the city’s museums by night, joining in with activities, marvelling at light displays and more – is not to be missed for families. For grown-ups in search of a twilight adventure though, I wholeheartedly recommend Botanic Nights, which sees the Botanic Gardens transformed by spectacular illuminations you can enjoy while strolling about, glass of wine in hand! Find out more on page 6. If you’re experiencing a bit of winter fatigue, head to our arts column, where Ruthie Collins suggests some reinvigorating and revitalising creative experiences to be had in Cambridge, or get back to nature with Anna Taylor, who’s got the low-down on garden jobs and joys for February. Speaking of the great outdoors: have you ever wondered about the story behind the handsome cows that roam the city’s green spaces? Wonder no more and flick to page 48, where we meet their caretakers and explore our city’s unique collision between urban and rural ways of life. Elsewhere, we chat to writer Katri Skala about her stunning new novel A Perfect Mother in our Book Club (page 23), while Dolly Alderton – Times columnist and bestselling author– talks work, love and rosé-fuelled girls’ nights out over on page 32. There’s also ideas for Valentine’s meals (page 56), plus a fantastic line-up of gigs to help you dance away these chilly nights. Whether you fancy some raucous brassy fun with the Hot 8 or a laid-back evening of exquisite folk with the Transatlantic Sessions collective, turn to our After Hours pages and get inspired. Enjoy the issue and see you next month!
Nicola Foley EDITOR IN CHIEF
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CONTENTS © CLAIRE VOYLE
6 l STARTERS
Top things to do and see in the city, plus our favourite social media pics
9 l ARTS & CULTURE Exhibitions, concerts and theatre highlights to enjoy in February
21 l ART INSIDER
Ruthie Collins, founder of Cambridge Art Salon, shares her arty picks of the month
23 l BOOK CLUB
Book recommendations, special offers and author interviews
27 l AFTER HOURS
Comedy, festivals, gigs and more nightlife fun to seek out this month
32 l HELLO DOLLY
Edition chats with Dolly Alderton, who speaks in Cambridge this month
37 l FAMILY
Kid-friendly activities to keep your brood entertained in February
39 l LISTINGS
Our at-a-glance guide to the top events and goings-on this month
44 l FOOD NEWS
All the latest news and gossip from the Cambridge culinary scene
48 l CATTLE CLASS We meet the bovine residents of the city’s green spaces
48 52 l MAKE THE BEST
A quick, tasty recipe for a Sichuan-inspired beef and celery dish
55 l CHEF’S TABLE
Inspired by the Spring/Summer 2019 catwalk shows, we’re going mad for leopard print
56 l THE FOOD OF LOVE
81 l BEAUTY & WELLNESS
61 l NATURE’S LARDER
The Gog farm shop on creating the ultimate Valentine’s feast at home
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78 l FASHION
Chef Alex Rushmer uses his powers of reduction to create the ultimate comfort food Get set for a delicious Valentine’s Day with these romantic dining spots and tasty gifts
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76 l INDIE OF THE MONTH
We meet the local company reaching dizzying heights with their aerial experiences business
62 l DRINKS TROLLEY Wine tips, cocktail recipes and our favourite hidden drinking dens
65 l WEDDINGS
Inspiration for planning your perfect big day, from venues to dresses
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Beauty products you need on your radar, a new ethical hair salon and more
87 l EDUCATION
We talk to local schools about maximising school open days to aid your decision-making
103 l GARDENS
Anna offers tips and advice on what’s happening in the garden this month
107 l INTERIORS
Angelina on creating cosy corners: aka the perfect spots for hibernating
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O U R FAVO U R I T E C A M B R I D G E I N S TAG R A M P I C S O F T H E M O N T H . H A S H TAG # I N S TAC A M B F O R A C H A N C E TO F E AT U R E ! FOLLOW @CAMBSEDITION ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE GREAT PICS OF CAMBRIDGE
FEBRUARY ESSENTIAL
BOTANIC NIGHTS The much-loved Cam Lates series continues on the 21st with Botanic Nights: a chance to see the city’s Botanic Garden in a whole new light. Grab a mulled wine or craft beer from the Thirsty bar and go on an after-dark adventure exploring the famous gardens, which will be illuminated by magical light displays. Take in the 80-metre range, which houses displays showing how plants have evolved to survive in different environments across the world. From icy mountains, oceanic islands and arid lands to the nicely heated tropics, wander the specially lit changing climates. It runs 6.30pm to 8.30pm and tickets are £18, which includes two drinks. Over 18s only. museums.cam.ac.uk
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STA RT E R S
GET ON BOARD
DR AGON BOAT F ES T I VA L Now’s the time to gather together your team for the Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival 2019: a fun-packed day of river racing all in aid of a great cause. This year’s event will take place on Saturday 7 September on a stretch of the River Cam out at Fen Ditton, and more than 40 teams are expected to compete over the 200m race course, watched by hundreds of spectators. Up to ten people paddle each boat with a drummer at the front beating time and a helm at the tail steering a straight course. No previous experience is required, just plenty of team spirit! dragonboatfestivals.co.uk
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The club night for the not-so-nocturnal returns this month for a cocktail-and-cake-filled tenth birthday bash at La Raza on 15 February. The event was founded by Alex Ruczaj and Nick Welsh, who wanted to create an event especially for an older crowd who still love to go out dancing. “It started as a random idea of wanting to go out ourselves. I tried a couple of normal clubs, but found them empty at 10pm. With young kids at home, I had to be leaving just when these places were getting going, not to mention we were at least a decade older than most of the other clubbers and felt very out of place,” commented Alex. “I started to think there was a market for a club night that started early and finished early. Just shifting everything up a few hours – either for parents or for older professionals, anyone that would rather be in bed by midnight, but still wanted to party!” ENC was born: a fun party which starts early and finishes early, and always has a packed dancefloor. It’s definitely captured people’s imagination, with each event swiftly selling out. “There is a real buzz about the event, a real excitement amongst the punters. It has become far more than a night out. I would go as far as to say that it is a lifeline for many people – a release from the drudgeries of life, a chance to reconnect with who you once were, who you really are – and just let go on the dance floor. Be with your friends, and have a laugh.” Usually on a Thursday night, ENC will be celebrating its decade milestone with a Friday night outing – so if you do want to stay and celebrate the fact that you don’t have to be up for work or the school run, the venue will be open until 1am. It’s priced at £10 per ticket, which includes cake and a glass of fizz. earlynightclub.com
ONE TO TRY
WYLDE SKY BREWING
Craft beer fans: make a beeline for Linton, where Wylde Sky Brewing is making waves with its super-cool microbrewery and taproom. Sip on a delicious American Pale Ale, slurp your way through a couple of refreshingly tart Saisons, or have a go on the gently smoky Scottish 60 – you can enjoy them fresh from the brewery in the taproom, which also hosts live music and street food trucks at the weekends. Keep up to date with the beer-fuelled adventures on Twitter at @wyldeskybrewing. wyldeskybrewing.com
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Culture Club ART EXHIBITIONS • THEATRE • BOOK CLUB • CONCERTS Explore the city’s museums by night at Twilight at the Museums this month
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ILLUMINATING CAMBRIDGE LIBRARIES Libraries, those keepers of knowledge and places of quiet work, are celebrated this month in an exhibition at the Heong Gallery featuring Sara Rawlinson’s photography. Illuminating Cambridge Libraries, from 11 to 17 February, showcases the tangible materials, textures and ephemeral light that work together to create the contemplative spaces where knowledge thrives. It features libraries from 25 colleges at the University of Cambridge and also features lecterns designed in the late 17th century by Christopher Wren, on loan from the Wren Library at Trinity College. Rawlinson spent much of her childhood in her grandmother’s darkroom in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and now runs a fine art photography studio from her home in Cambridge. Last year, she had three images shortlisted for Historic Photographer of the Year 2018. sararawlinson.com CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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T W IL IGH T AT T HE MUSEUM S After-dark openings return at 14 collections across Cambridge museums this half-term. Uncover buried secrets with members of your family and watch as children discover fascinating objects and start a journey of discovery. Twilight at the Museums is on 20 February, from 4.30pm to 7.30pm, with many of the venues close to each other – making multiple short trips a possibility on the night. Perhaps a trip through time, followed by a torch-lit treasure trail? Or maybe a quest to find fluorescent creatures, before a mesmerising voyage through the stars? Shine a light on something new: an amazing fact, event or object – with free special trails and games, outdoor entertainment and pop-up food stalls to keep you going. For those in search of wonder, The Fitzwilliam Museum is collaborating with the Whipple Museum to create a starry night of light displays and astronomy. For mystery and the strange, pop over to the Museum of Classical Archaeology for a spooky
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trail through darkened galleries and for real adventurers, the Museum of Cambridge hosts a hunt for treasure and promises secrets – if you can find them! As darkness falls, creatures of the night come out to play, so hunt for lurking rodents at the Museum of Technology, discover all kinds of nocturnal animals at the University Museum of Zoology and watch out for a giant spider, rumoured to be creeping around the light displays at Kettle’s Yard. If exploring isn’t for you, treat your ears at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, with a magical mystery tour featuring music from Beats of Polynesia, while the University Library displays its collection of manuscripts by candlelight, accompanied by authentic music from the time. There’s a chance to meet some of the great historical explorers at The Polar Museum, or look further into the past at the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences. With a foot in the future, the Cambridge University
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Botanic Garden provides a quest for the long-term survival of some of the world’s most endangered plants. Jenny Bull, University of Cambridge Museums engagement co-ordinator, says: “We hope children and parents join us for another action-packed evening exploring their local museums and collections after dark. We’re delighted that other collections across Cambridgeshire, as far as Wisbech & Fenland Museum, are joining in by hosting their own after-dark adventures on the same night again this year.” Among the non-university bodies taking part are Cambridge Science Centre on Clifton Road and All Saints’ Church on Jesus Lane in Cambridge, the Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon, Newmarket’s National Horseracing Museum and the Norris Museum in St Ives. Pick up a copy of the Twilight What’s On leaflet or visit the website for full listings. www.museums.cam.ac.uk/whats-on/ twilight-at-the-museums
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THE CAMBRIDGE SONG FESTIVAL
The Cambridge Song Festival takes to the stage for the first time this month with three recitals celebrating the meeting of words, music, voice and instrument. Directed by pianist Ceri Owen, the programme features both acclaimed and up-and-coming singers and pianists in song recitals across three colleges. “Through words and music, we’ll be telling stories, creating characters and exploring a huge range of human emotion and experience,” explains Ceri. It launches on 15 February with A Cambridge Songbook, in the atmospheric chapel at Jesus College. Award-winning young singers Jess Dandy, James Way and Jennifer Witton will perform songs by composers with ties to the city, from Ralph Vaughan Williams to leading contemporary composers Richard Causton, Cheryl Frances-Hoad and Graham Ross. Internationally acclaimed tenor Robert Murray and pianist Andrew West perform Schubert’s Winter Journey on 16 February at St John’s College Old Divinity School. The 24-song cycle is interspersed with extracts from Captain Scott’s Antarctic diaries, read by actor and poet, Seán Street. Closing the festival is Folklore and Fairytales, featuring two Jette Parker Young Artists at the Royal Opera House – Dominic Sedgwick (baritone) and Jacquelyn Stucker (soprano, pictured right) – who join Ceri Owen to perform songs from Hugo Wolf’s Italian Songbook and from George Butterworth, Alban Berg and Claude Debussy on 17 February at Sidney Sussex College Chapel. Tickets £5 for students and under 35s, other tickets from £10. cambridgesongfestival.co.uk
BE A NS ON TOA S T Beans on Toast is something of a cult national treasure on the alt-folk scene. What seemed a throwaway festival act in the mid-noughties has evolved into a voice of truth and honesty. For his tenth album, Beans – real name Jay McAllister, who comes from Braintree – has gone back to the man who produced his first offering, Ben Lovett, of Mumford & Sons. At the time, Mumford & Sons were recording their own album at Paul Epworth’s The Church Studios, where Bob Dylan, Radiohead and Adele have recorded. During the band’s days off, or in between their sessions, Beans and Ben snuck into the studio to create A Bird in the Hand. The album is a celebration of love, life, family and the world we live in. Expect the show to provide the same ethos. Catch Beans on Toast at the Junction on 4 February. Tickets £17. junction.co.uk
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B A N F F MOU N TA IN F IL M F ES T I VA L Aiming for adventure but a little too cold just now to go out and do it yourself? Or perhaps you’re out climbing in all types of weather? Either way, this month sees the return of the jaw-dropping, spellbinding cinematic treat that is the Banff Mountain Film Festival – a collection of the best documentary films about people pushing their boundaries, with fantastic, challenging landscapes guaranteed. The festival embarks on a world tour every year and this is its tenth anniversary. Taking place over three months, the tour stops by at the Corn Exchange on 15 and 16 February. The films in the tour are selected every November from hundreds of entries by a
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committee in Canada’s Rocky Mountains. It features two collections of new films (one each night at the Corn Exchange) from the most intrepid filmmakers, starring pioneers and explorers in the wildest corners of the planet. Film highlights include This Mountain Life, featuring Martina and her 60-year-old mother, Tania, on an epic ski crossing from Vancouver to Alaska that took six months through relentless mountain wilderness. RJ Ripper is a fascinating blend of mountain sports, scenery and culture, as mountain biker Rajesh (RJ) Magar explores his homeland, Nepal – from the chaotic streets of Kathmandu to the Himalayan mountains beyond.
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And for those who can’t get out of bed to do Parkrun, meet 97-year-old George Etzweiler. He started competing in the annual 7.6 mile race up Mount Washington when he was 69. The star of For the Love of Mary, he carries something special in every step: the memory of his late wife of 68 years, Mary. Tour director Nell Teasdale says: “We guarantee that the tenth anniversary atmosphere at the shows will be buzzing – and that audiences will go home inspired to have an adventure of their own as well.” Tickets are £16.50, £29 for both evenings, £15 concessions, with films given a 12A rating. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
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C A M BR IDGE QU EER VA L EN T IN E’ S See comedians, slam poets, dancers, DJs and more this Valentine’s Day, at an evening celebrating queer love at Cambridge Junction. The event is organised by the Kite Trust, Cambridgeshire’s leading organisation working with LGBT+ young people, and features a line-up of talent that includes critically acclaimed comic Jen Brister, who you might know from Live at the Apollo and who Time Out described as “gorgeously talented”. She’s joined by multi-awardwinning UK National Poetry Slam Champion, Toby Campion – “the voice of a generation” according to Sunday Politics. Singer-songwriter Grace Petrie (pictured above) will charm with her music and there’ll also be a chance to learn to dance with London’s Queer Tango. Lara Jaffey, executive director of the Kite Trust, says: “Valentine’s is a day to celebrate love and, for us as a charity, this is crucial, as we work to ensure that all young people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can live in a world free from discrimination and judgement about who they are attracted to.” She adds: “We’re thrilled to be bringing together a message of love and acceptance with our major annual fundraiser. With ever-shifting political and financial climates, having a local support base enables us to continue to provide crucial services to LGBT+ young people. This event will be a great way to show your commitment and have a fantastic evening out.” £20 for a table seat or £13 for a balcony seat. junction.co.uk
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ARTS THEATRE NEW SEASON The new season at the Cambridge Arts Theatre features something for everyone, whether you like crime mysteries, great impersonations, wicked witches, classic musicals or cool jazz, with Noël Coward and a bit of the Bard thrown in, too. Ian Rankin’s acclaimed Rebus book series has dominated detective fiction in recent years, now it’s adapted for the stage for the first time, as the Arts Theatre presents its own co-production Rebus: Long Shadows, starring Game of Thrones actors Ron Donachie and John Stahl, plus Mona Lisa actor Cathy Tyson from 11 to 16 February. For a game of spot the voice, head along on 3 February for a show by Rory Bremner and Jan Ravens, two of Britain’s finest impressionists, as they join forces, together with special guest Jo Caulfield. For more laughs, there’s world-famous student comedy troop Cambridge Footlights, featuring Sunday night stand-up, sketches and songs on 10 and 17 March. Those shows come either side of The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, from 19 February to 2 March, by the team that created The Play that Goes Wrong. Matthew Cottle and Charlie Stemp feature in Tom Stoppard’s Rough Crossing, from 8 to 13 April, as playwrights headed for New York on an ocean liner, while Josie Lawrence and Freddie Fox star in Edmond de Bergerac, a multi-award-winning comedy that has gone down a storm in France, from 15 to 20 April. Mark Benton and Nigel Harman star in David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, a tale of stress, not success, for Chicago salesmen facing high stakes from 11 to 16 March. Meanwhile, acting royalty, in the shape of Simon Callow and Jane Asher, star in A Song for Twilight, by Noël Coward, from 4 to 9 March. Another national treasure, actor Ian McKellen, performs as part of his birthday tour, talking about his prolific career on 10 and 11 May. The Worst Witch leaps from the page to the stage in an adaptation of Jill Murphy’s books, featuring songs, music and magic perfect for anyone aged seven and up, from 6 to 10 February. Ballet Black return on 7 and 8 May, contrasting dramatic and inventive storytelling in a lively showcase of modern ballet, while jazz fans can see Cambridgebased saxophonist Dan Forshaw and his sextet pay homage to a pivotal year for the genre on 3 March, in 1959: The Year That Jazz Changed. From 2 to 6 April, opera fans can enjoy English Touring Opera’s season of Kings and Queens in the battle for love, loyalty and power, with three operas: Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Idomeneo and Gioachino Rossini’s Elizabeth I. A new take on Shakespeare’s Richard III is promised by Headlong, from 24 to 27 April, while renowned historian David Starkey presents an evening exploring the marriage customs of the British monarchy, from the Middle Ages to Meghan Markle, on 28 April. Whodunnit fans can feast on Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff (19 to 23 March), while there’s intrigue of a psychological kind in Equus (26 to 30 March). For fans of horror, The House on Cold Hill, adapted from the novel by Peter James, is a tale of intrigue and mystery with a terrific cast (20 to 25 May). cambridgeartstheatre.com
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SCOTT BRADLEE’S POST MODERN JUKEBOX Talk about forward planning! Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox are touring with the goal of preparing the world for the next decade – one that Bradlee hopes will see a return to the style that typified the music of past generations. “Last time around, the ’20s gave us jazz, America’s one true art form. Who knows what is possible in the 2020s?” asks Scott. “There are a lot of folks tired of the clickbait headlines, mindless reality TV, and smartphone addiction that has only served to divide people in the last decade. We’re using our small corner of the pop culture space to tell people to forget their troubles and join us for a night of celebrating true musical talent.” The Welcome to the Twenties 2.0 tour visits 250 venue and stops by at the Cambridge Corn Exchange on 21 February. “Get ready for the most sensational ’20s party this side of The Great Gatsby,” says Scott. Tickets start at £30.50. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
W HIS T L ER & N AT U R E A revolutionary attitude towards the natural world is behind a new exhibition, Whistler & Nature, at The Fitzwilliam Museum. James McNeill Whistler produced paintings ranging from his celebrated London Nocturnes to European and pastoral scenes. The museum focuses on 90 oil paintings, drawings and objects (such as his sketchbook) to show how his vision of nature was underpinned by a kinship with the makers of railways, bridges and ships. He came from a family of soldiers and engineers, as well as being a military map-maker. Expect an exploration of the contrast between the natural and the man-made world. Whistler & Nature continues until 17 March. fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
AC A DEM Y OF A NCIEN T MUSIC
The cello’s human voice comes alive when played by Nicolas Altstaedt, who brings out the colours of the instrument in the latest concert from the Academy of Ancient Music on 27 March. He performs Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, a lost work for nearly 200 years until the ’60s, at West Road Concert Hall, in a work that stretches the form of the baroque concerto to its limits. aam.co.uk
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The
Art Insider RUTHIE COLLINS, FOUNDER OF CAMBRIDGE ART SALON, GIVES HER ARTY PICKS OF THE MONTH
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ebruary arrives, bringing with it fresh energy for 2019. Now is the perfect time of year to reinvigorate your life with art or creative expression. Artists who work with clay, ceramicists, potters or perhaps those that simply want to try something new – check out Kiln Cambridge, a new addition to the city’s arts infrastructure. This is a well serviced, open access pottery studio, with three kilns, plenty of natural light and space to work. It’s a resource that’s long been needed in the city, so it’s no surprise it’s flourishing. “Kiln Cambridge was set up towards the end of 2018 by my partner, who’s a part-time potter, and myself,” explains painter Stephanie Hemming. “He was looking for a studio and the thought of working alone hit him – the reality of that. So to have a space with other potters that’s open and light, with decent facilities, is amazing. “We had our open evenings in November and December and virtually everyone who came signed up. We had a party. I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved,” she continues. “We wanted to create a beautiful space and give the community access to it. A studio has a high start-up cost, so not everyone can do this for themselves. “The only thing people won’t be allowed to do is fire the kiln; there’s a technician who does that. Otherwise, it will feel like their own place. People who are stuck get support and coaching.
The place has a lovely feeling, it’s not competitive like a gym might feel. People are good to each other.” The initiative has really taken off, with evident demand, but Hemming says the plan is to grow membership and plans slowly. “We intend to limit membership so there will always be a wheel if someone wants it. We want everyone to have a great experience. We’d like to build things up slowly but surely and eventually host masterclasses, getting a well-known potter in to do specialist classes; glazing, or maybe throwing with porcelain. We will be running at least two exhibitions a year, too.” Hemming continues: “Kiln Cambridge feels a great place to be – we’re getting really positive feedback. For some people making things with their hands is really important; pottery can get you hooked.” Technician and artist in residence Tarragon Smith, educated at Central St Martins School of Design, says Kiln Cambridge is “a safe place for artistic exchange”. He adds: “All ideas are welcome. We hope and trust it will turn into a place of fruitful productivity.” Kiln Cambridge has given potter David R Stonehouse what he describes as ‘that freedom to explore’.“You can learn from each other instead of working alone at the end of the garden! To start the year with a new space is exciting.” Those seeking a new read to get stuck into this spring, let’s hear it for the
“Kiln Cambridge is a safe place for artistic exchange. All ideas are welcome” CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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long-awaited release of the first in Gytha Lodge’s murder mystery series, She Lies in Wait, published by Harper Collins. With ‘Six friends, one killer – who can you trust?’ as its punchy hook, this seems like the perfect read for a book club. Cambridge itself seems to produce an alarmingly high number of crime writers – myself included, ahem – so for anyone out there penning their own, it’s great to hear Gytha’s encouraging words. “I used to think of writing novels in terms of overnight success,” she tells me. “It’s only gradually that I’ve realised overnight success doesn’t really happen. Writing, like everything else, is a craft, and you learn it, you work at it, and you build opportunities for yourself. For everyone who’s struggling and feels like giving up, don’t. It’s taken me 20 years to even get this far. Keep writing.” I first met Gytha at a night by experimental art collective SHINDIG. Her story-to-publication journey is a total must-read for any artist needing encouragement (read it on her blog imperfectsingleparent.blog). Or check out wattpad.com/GythaLodge – where she’s had six million reads of her young adult/kids fiction. It just goes to show that sometimes the most tenacious thing you can do as an artist is diversify into new territories. Keep going. So, if you’re getting that instinct to experiment, why not take up throwing a pot? Or going in a new direction? As novelist Elizabeth Speller, who teaches creative writing at the University of Cambridge, said to me recently, talking about the various art forms there are – ‘they’re all connected’. All part of the fun. Whatever you do, have an inspiring and experimental February, all! l F E B R U A R Y 2 019
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BOOK CLUB CAMBRIDGE EDITION
Book Club BRINGING YOU TOP NEW FICTION PICKS, AUTHOR INTERVIEWS, DISCOUNTS AND LOTS MORE BOOK CHAT, THE EDITION BOOK CLUB IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH CAMBRIDGE LITERARY FESTIVAL AND HEFFERS
INTERVIEW BY CHARLOT TE GRIFFITHS
A PERFECT MOTHER BY KATRI SKALA THIS MONTH’S BOOK CHOICE EXPLORES RELATIONSHIPS, LOVE, PARENTING, VIOLENCE AND LEGACY, ALL SET AGAINST THE UNCERTAINTY OF WHETHER A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED
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irst published in September 2018, A Perfect Mother by Katri Skala is a gripping, complex and rewarding existential novel. It explores the universal themes of ageing, people’s relationships with their parents and the stories we choose to tell about our lives – all set against the stunning and richly textured historical backdrop of Trieste. Oh – and there’s even a book club. The storytelling in A Perfect Mother is so accomplished, the plotting so deft,
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that it comes as quite a surprise to discover this is Katri’s first novel – but the author has had some time to work on this particular story. “I started way back in 2010, then had a critical mass of the book by 2013,” she says. “I revised a lot over the following years, helped by a few readers and my editor at Hikari, and by an MA in 20th-century literature at UEA. It really honed my skills as a close reader and helped me formulate what it is about good writing that I value.”
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Katri finds routine essential when working on a book, with as few interruptions as possible. “I work best in sprints of several days when I do nothing but immerse myself in the writing,” she says. “That’s not to say I’m scribbling away every minute, accumulating word count – on the contrary, often I might be doing household chores, or walking or doodling in a notebook – just that I write best when no other major demand is made of my brain. When I’ve got u
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BOOK CLUB a critical mass, I can do the revisions anytime, anywhere. But the tough stuff of working the imagination and breaking the white page requires, for me, a lot of empty space. I’ve actually just started work on another novel that’s historical fiction – something I thought I’d never write! But I had an idea, several years ago, and the idea has stayed with me and I’ve done quite a bit of research so, we’ll see… It’s an experiment, as writing always is.” A Perfect Mother is written entirely from the perspective of its main character, Jacob, who visits Trieste in northern Italy to research his great-grandfather, who went missing in the city in 1938. “I had no idea where the novel was going when I first started,” Katri reveals. “I had some characters, a place and a few ideas I wanted to explore. As the characters evolved, through writing and research, the story began to take shape.” On why the real-life Trieste captured her imagination, Katri says: “It’s at the crossroads of Europe, a place where writers and exiled royals washed up through the centuries – James Joyce lived there for many years – and is a city associated with exile.” She decided to use this historic location as the setting for a story involving the meeting of strangers. Katri wanted to explore how strangers have a useful habit of telling each other secrets that they don’t normally reveal to those who know them well. In A Perfect Mother, the reader is only ever told what Jacob knows and experiences, and meets other characters at the same time that he does, which keeps a tight focus on his storyline. In order to plot the book, Katri actually wrote a great deal of first-person narrative from the viewpoint of the other two central characters, Jane and Charlotte. “Most of which was not used in the actual novel,” explains Katri. “So Jacob’s interactions with them, through talking, texts and email (and then of course what he actually feels and thinks about them) is a sifted version.” The novel asks big questions about parenting, histories and personal identity, and touches on huge universal themes that could easily overwhelm the reader – so having a single narrator keeps the story under tight control. But this required a lot of groundwork during the book’s construction. “I was keen to keep central the idea that we only know each other and love each other through the stories we hear and tell,” Katri says. “So Jacob comes to Trieste because of the stories told to him by his grandfather and he comes to know both women as they tell him stories about themselves – and each other. He is a somewhat passive character, who gains more agency as the events of the novel unfold. I felt I fully had to know all the characters and the F E B R U A R Y 2 019
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events that informed their lives and their pasts before I could more formally ‘plot’ the novel. This only happened after I’d written a draft.” And the meaning of the title? “I was interested in exploring questions and assumptions about parenting, so the title is an ironic riff on the idea of the perfect mother and the nuclear family inspired by DW Winnicott’s phrase, ‘good enough mother’,” Katri says. “It wasn’t intended to appeal directly to any one particular group over another – other than hoping that the narrative suspense would keep people reading who might otherwise find the material too dark, or too layered in a literary sense. I think it’s up to each reader to have their own experience of the novel. For me, the moment it was published, it became about those who bought and read and talked to each other about it – it’s not about me. I think this is the enormous value of book clubs.” l
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LOOK OUT FOR THE CAMBRIDGE EDITION BOOK CLUB STICKERS IN HEFFERS AND GET MONEY OFF OUR MONTHLY PICK Heffers is located at 20 Trinity Street, Cambridge. blackwells.co.uk
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C AT H Y M O O R E , D I R E C TO R O F C A M B R I D G E L I T E R A RY F E S T I VA L , O N A P E R F E C T M OT H E R This is a highly accomplished first novel, with a compelling story that explores relationships, love, parenting, violence and legacy, all set against the uncertainty of whether a crime has been committed. It beautifully evokes Trieste, with all its cultural and political complexities, as well as the sense that everything is at a crossroads – much like the history of Trieste itself. The novel is narrated by Jacob, who visits Trieste to research his long-lost great-grandfather. There, he meets Charlotte and Jane and begins a relationship with one and forms a friendship with the other. For me, the joy of A Perfect Mother is as much to be found in the haunting plot and sense of place as it is about the precise, mature and clear-eyed prose style that would suggest a writer at the peak of their career and not, as is the case, a debut novelist.
COMING SOON!
CAMBRIDGE LITERARY FESTIVAL A highlight of the local calendar for book lovers, Cambridge Literary Festival returns for its spring outing from 5-7 April. As ever, the line-up offers diversity of speakers – from the hottest novelists to political commentators, activists, thinkers, entertainers and children’s authors. Names already confirmed include Labour Party MP Hilary Benn, The Times columnist and former speech writer for Tony Blair, Phil Collins, and a brilliant array of fiction writers that includes John Lanchester, Ali Smith, Madeline Miller and Simon Mayo. Not to mention a constellation of scientists, such as the Astronomer Royal, Sir Martin Rees, Adam Rutherford and Giles Yeo. Booking opens on 5 February. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
UP NEXT MONTH
CIRCE BY M A DELINE MILLER
Escape to an ancient land of gods, heroes, magic and monsters with next month’s book club pick: Circe by Madeline Miller. The latest offering from the award-winning author of The Song of Achilles is a powerful story about the goddess Circe. The novel takes readers to the house of Helios, god of the sun, where a daughter is born – but Circe has neither the look nor the voice of divinity and is scorned and rejected by her kin. Isolated, she turns to mortals for companionship, leading her to discover a power forbidden to the gods: witchcraft. When love drives Circe to cast a dark spell, Zeus banishes her to the remote island of Aiaia, where she learns to harness her occult craft. There is danger for a solitary woman in this world and Circe’s independence draws the wrath of men and gods alike. To protect what she holds dear, Circe must decide whether she belongs with the deities she was born from, or the mortals she has come to love...
CIRCE CAN BE PURCHASED FOR £16.99 IN HARDBACK. READ ALONG AND TWEET US YOUR THOUGHTS @CAMBSEDITION, WITH THE HASHTAG #EDITIONBOOKCLUB FOR A CHANCE TO FEATURE IN THE NEXT ISSUE.
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NIGHTLIFE
After Hours THE NIGHTLIFE EVENTS NOT TO MISS THIS MONTH
N EON MOON CLU B CIRQU E
Throw away your inhibitions and leap into the glamorous world of the Neon Moon club next month when Club Cirque arrives on 2 March. As usual with this flamboyant burlesque and cabaret club, you can expect dazzling performers, a night of dancing to intoxicating tunes and plenty of incredible outfits to feast your eyes upon. The crowd helps make the party and always look sensational; join the fun and unleash your inner pin-up, vintage starlet, cyber punk, rockabilly, circus freak or cosplay queen, then dance the night away to retro tunes with a modern flavour. The event runs from 9pm to 3am and early bird tickets are available starting at £22.50. junction.co.uk
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NOW BOOKING
K T T U NSTA L L 14 MAR, JUNCTION, £27.50
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Following the release of her sixth album Wax at the tail end of 2018, Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall heads out on the road, stopping in Cambridge in spring.
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HOT 8 BRASS BAND A riot of screaming trumpets and roaring horns will reverberate around Cambridge Junction this month when the Hot 8 Brass Band touch down on 19 February. Hailing from the rich musical landscape of New Orleans, this popular band are known for their boundless energy and raw, funky sound. They combine elements of a traditional marching brass band with hip hop, funk and jazz, and are known for covers of tracks like Snoop Dogg’s What’s My Name and The Temptations’ Papa Was A Rolling Stone. Most famous of all is their joyous take on Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing, which was the track responsible for getting their name out and securing them a record deal. They always put on a great show, and you can join the fun for £20 per ticket. junction.co.uk
JOHN GR A N T
John Grant, known to shop at Mill Road’s Relevant Record Cafe when he’s been in town in the past, returns to play the Corn Exchange on 7 February. His latest album Love is Magic captures, says Grant, the closest sound yet to how he wants his records to be. His inventive, heartfelt, sometimes whimsical lyrics, mixed with a range of musical styles, have made him a must-see for many. Tickets from £28. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
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T OM WA L K ER 2 MAY, CORN EX, £20.50
A huge voice and minimalist, rap-style production have earned Tom Walker an army of fans – catch him in Cambridge performing tracks including Leave a Light On in May.
SPOONFED RETURNS Cambridge’s legendary drum and bass night Spoonfed returns this month, bringing a line-up of genre heavyweights to Fez Club on 7 February. The brainchild of local producer and DJ Logistics, aka Matt Gresham, and his older brother Dan (Nu:Tone), together with Saikon & In:Most, the night runs from 10pm until 3am and offers a chance to see some of the biggest names in DnB in an intimate setting. This month’s special guest is SpectraSoul. Snap up a third release ticket for £8.50. fixr.co
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JIM M Y C A R R 7 JULY, CORN EX, £32.50
The sharp-tongued comedian is back in Cambridge for more witty one-liners and close-tothe-bone gags as part of his Terribly Funny tour, which also returns in December.
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NNI G I GHHT LTILFI EF E
Gig Guide JORDAN WORLAND FROM LOCAL MUSIC WEBSITE SLATE THE DISCO GIVES HIS TOP LIVE MUSIC PICKS FOR THE MONTH AHEAD
A T R A NS AT L A N T IC SESSIONS A tonic for the bleak days of winter, Transatlantic Sessions is serving up a soul-warming evening of exquisite folk music on 6 February. Celebrating the unique connections between Celtic and US musical traditions, this touring concert features an ever-changing line-up of special guests playing together with back-porch informality. Nearly 25 years on from the original TV series, screened on the BBC, the live show has become an eagerly anticipated annual highlight of many folk fans’ musical calendar. The setlists are chosen by guest performers, with solo and ensemble instrumentals from the programme’s joint musical directors, Scottish fiddler Aly Bain and Nashville legend Jerry Douglas, and their long-serving eight-man house band featuring Russ Barenberg, Phil Cunningham, John Doyle, Michael McGoldrick, John McCusker, Donald Shaw, Danny Thompson and James Mackintosh. The guests for 2019 include AMA award-winning Gretchen Peters and the great Tim O’Brien, whose new release, Where the River Meets the Road, covers songwriters from his native West Virginia. Also on the line-up is Californian wunderkind Molly Tuttle, who at 25 years old was crowned the first-ever female International Bluegrass Music Awards Guitar Player of the Year, plus won Song of the Year at the International Folk Music Awards 2018 – all before releasing her debut album. Celtic voices among the line-up include the peerless Cara Dillon and Scotland’s own Paul McKenna, considered to be one of the finest young singer-songwriters on the scene. Tickets for the show are £24-£32. cornex.co.uk CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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t the Blue Moon this month you’ll find the unusual line-up of two singing drummers. It sounds like it can’t be done, but Rattles, performing on the 1st, use the limitations of their arrangement to create pieces of intertwined, flowing, textural percussion, while threading sublime melodies through the gaps. The same venue also sees the return of Cambridge’s eclectic night of electronic music, Theo Sayers & Friends on the 15th with COIN OP headlining and hosts History & Lore on the 23rd. Our top Blue Moon pick, however, comes courtesy of Leeds noise-rock and DIY linchpins Bilge Pimp, who released their first record ten years ago. They will be performing on the 21st. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead are one of the best live bands we’ve seen, and they return to the UK this month to celebrate 20 years since the release of their seminal sophomore album, Madonna. The band is performing it in full, alongside a host of songs from their other studio albums, at Storey’s Field Centre on the 10th. After a gap of ten years since their last album (Varshons, released in 2009), alt-rockers The Lemonheads perform at the Junction on the 14th, in support of their new album Varshons 2. Like Varshons, the new record is dedicated to covers. The same venue hosts White Lies on the 13th, who are celebrating an entire decade as a band. They return with their new album, Five, and a headline tour to flaunt it on. The record sees the indie trio reaching new creative heights that’s bolder and more complex than previous efforts, and sure to cement their status as one of the most important bands on the scene. Canadian hardcore legends Cancer Bats (7th) and New Orleans street brass legends Hot 8 Brass Band (19th) complete our Junction recommendations. Our Portland Arms tip this month is Kevin Krauter on the 11th. An insightful songwriter with a lyrical style that is both economical and evocative, Krauter crafts unique soundscapes that scramble a range of influences: 1960s flower pop, 1970s easy listening, 1980s New Wave, 1990s alt-radio and 2000s indie rock. Also at Portland this month are John Smith on the 1st, Kris Barras on the 13th, Kulk on the 16th and Sean McGowan on the 20th. Always popular in Cambridge, John Grant returns to the Corn Exchange on the 7th. Grant laces sumptuous soft-rock ballads with an array of spacey, wistful synthesiser sounds, increasingly adding taut, fizzing sequencers, nu-synth disco settings and icy soundscapes to the incredible sound mix.
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NIGHTLIFE
C A M BR IDGE CLU B A N NOU NCES AC T S A day of music, family entertainment, and tasty food and drink in the Cambridgeshire countryside, The Cambridge Club Festival returns on 16 June. Taking place at Haggis Farm, this one-day festival is now entering its third year and will feature over 20 artists across two stages, ranging from bonafide legends to up-and-coming local talent. Headlining are disco queens Sister Sledge, the sibling hitmakers responsible for He’s The Greatest Dancer, We Are Family, Lost in Music and Thinking of You. They will be joined by Cambridge Club Festival returnee Craig Charles, who will bring his much-loved Funk & Soul Club show featuring 70s grooves, vintage soul and brand new beats. Uncle Funk & The Boogie Wonderband, Swagger and JJ Rossa will also be doing their thing on the main stage, while on the second stage, guests will be treated to performances from Georgia and the Vintage Youth, The Trials of Kato, Woodley Taylor and more. As well as plenty of top tunes throughout the day, there will be a kids’ entertainment tent and a whopping selection of local food and drinks vendors serving everything from boutique spirits and craft ales to jerk chicken and tasty vegan treats. Tickets are available for £25. thecambridgeclub.co CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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NEWMARKET NIGHTS 2019 Enjoy a flutter on the horses followed by an evening of top live music at Newmarket Nights, which returns to the town’s racecourse this summer. Combining thrilling racing and A-list artists, who perform to the crowd as dusk falls, this series of concerts runs from June to August and will feature stars including Pete Tong and Rudimental for its 2019 outing. Up first, on 21 June, are Madness, one of Britain’s most treasured bands. Blending ska, reggae and pop, Suggs and co have delivered historic performances at events including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert and at the London 2012 Olympic Games closing ceremony. Next up, on 19 July, it’s the turn of Thriller Live, the West End smash
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hit that has now been seen by more than five million fans across the globe. The show takes you on an electrifying visual and audio journey through Michael Jackson’s staggering musical career, paying homage to his live performances, innovative dance moves and revisiting hits including I Want You Back, ABC, Smooth Criminal, Bad, Thriller and many more. Rudimental, the genre-defying, Brit Award-winning band who burst onto the scene in 2013 with their debut album Home, will take to the stage on 26 July. Then, on 2 August, it’s over to dance music pioneer Pete Tong for a night of Ibiza classics, with live accompaniment provided by the Heritage Orchestra. thejockeyclub.co.uk
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Hello
DOLLY
EDITION CATCHES UP WITH BESTSELLING AUTHOR DOLLY ALDERTON AHEAD OF HER LIVE SHOW IN CAMBRIDGE THIS MONTH
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WORDS BY CHARLOT TE GRIFFITHS
ournalist and author Dolly Alderton is in Cambridge on 20 February as part of a UK-wide tour to mark the paperback release of her bestselling debut, Everything I Know About Love. Her wildly successful book is best described as a series of chronological essays, charting Dolly’s experiences from her early 20s through to almost 30, and includes her ever-evolving thoughts on friendship, love and growing up. There’s also laugh-outloud sections on the horrors of eventorganising group emails and a very reliable recipe for macaroni cheese, which means the book, in short, wholeheartedly deserves a space on your bookshelf. Owners of the hardback copy may want to seek out the paperback for a new chapter, Everything I know at thirty, which Dolly describes as having been “a total joy” to put together. “I loved writing that chapter,” she says. “The thing that no one tells you is that you write a book because you love writing, and then you publish a book and you’re basically not allowed to write, because you’re doing Woman’s Hour, or interviews with charming journalists from Cambridge, or you’re doing tours, or promotion – and all these opportunities come up that are nothing to do with writing. It amazes me how little of my life I spend writing now: I feel like every day, my life is a battle to push stuff back so that I can do what I love doing, what makes me happy, which is writing.” Dolly finished writing her book two years ago, and now feels as though it’s from a different life. “I think that’s just the nature of your 20s: it feels like dog years, to borrow a metaphor from Nora Ephron,” she says. “The difference between a 21 year old and a 26 year old is just enormous. I already feel like I would have written it so differently. I’m still so proud of the book, of course, but it just feels like such a long time ago. I got the [paperback] proofs through and it’s like a different woman’s writing this new final chapter.” When she comes to Cambridge, Dolly will be sharing the Corn Exchange’s stage with writer and director Lauren Bensted, her best friend and former teenage bandmate.
Though the live event is hooked on the themes of the book, it’s not directly about the book itself: “It’s more about us talking through the millennial female experience and growing up: it’s nostalgic and anecdotal, and looking to the future,” the author says. The audience is invited to ask questions, which again, tend to spin off into wider themes. “Most of that section [of the show] ends up being women looking for advice, which I often feel like I’m in no position – in terms of experience or expertise – to advise on. I think it feels like a really supportive space – Lauren and I try to set the tone of it being honest and irreverent, but also safe. It does turn into a bit of group therapy and the section often goes on for twice as long as you think it will, because women just aren’t really afforded space a lot of the time, where they’re allowed to talk about their experiences in a way that’s taken seriously and uninterrupted. The rooms we’ve done those shows in have felt really magical: there’s normally thousands of women and one begrudging husband,” she laughs. One of the most appealing aspects of Everything I know about love is the honest documentation of both peaks and pitfalls of the modern experience. “It’s the journey of a woman getting older and realising what’s important in life,” Dolly says. “It’s exposing the journey of self and growing up, and the mistakes we make, and the things that we come to realise are what matters, and the things that don’t – and that means there are going to be uncomfortable chapters. I’m against the idea that when women are on the page or screen they have to be bastions of puritanism, and always behave in this exemplary, compassionate, well-mannered and beautiful way – that’s just not how life goes. I don’t know any 21 year old that wasn’t a bit of a twat.” Dolly continues: “With women, we always talk about transgressions as evidence of poor morality or selfindulgence, but what we don’t leave room for is what we leave so much room for when we’re talking about male flâneurs or anarchists or bon viveurs. “First of all, life is really hard, and life is difficult when you go from childhood to adulthood, and you have to face the reality of what this experience is going to be until the day you die, and the way a lot of us cope with that is in oblivion. If you’re not an addict and you’re not harming u
“It does turn into a bit of group therapy”
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“I’ve always had records, be it public or private, but I had no idea what the book was going to be about” anyone, to push those boundaries is not only acceptable, but to be expected. I find it bewildering that this should be something we punish or shame women about.” “You can celebrate being alive with many things: you can celebrate it with hard work, raising children, falling in love, charitable work, connection with others, achievement, being in nature… but you can also celebrate being alive by going out and drinking two bottles of rosé between two friends, dancing to Common People, doing the worm on the floor of a pub with a dance floor and then going home with a bloke you’ll never see again. It might not be for everyone, but it certainly was for me and I know lots of women who it was also true for.” With two hit podcasts, scripts in development, regular columns and the emotional labour of everyday life to tackle – plus as Dolly says, “maybe doing something as radical as going on a date, and falling in love and having a family at some point” – it’s fair to say the writer has A Lot On. “I have so many different things going on in my work life with so many different people that if I start thinking about all the components of my career in a macro way I immediately want to cry, because I can’t see how I’m ever going to be good at all of them at the same time, and keep everyone happy and create good work,” she says. “The only way I can deal with my career now is to think day by day, and what I have to do that day – otherwise I just feel crushed by it.” To navigate a smooth course, Dolly creates structures: she sets aside Monday to go for a long walk or run, and holds monthly planning meetings with editors for her weekly column to lay out the four or five topics ahead. “It’s really difficult coming up with a column every week. Sometimes something big will happen in my life, or I’ll have an interesting experience and I’ll change [the plan], but I like having the four in my head because it means I’ve done a lot of the writing in the back of my mind before I sit down with the page, which is such an important part of the process. For example, I know I’m going to write about vaping – so every dinner I have with a friend, every party I go to, there’s a little box open in my subconscious mind that’s looking for material and stories and anecdotes – and by the time I get to write it, I open up that little box and I’ve absent-mindedly been absorbing all the detail for it, so writing it is easier.” Having kept diaries and notebooks her entire life and worked as a journalist for almost a decade, Dolly’s plethora of source material made the act of piecing F E B R U A R Y 2 019
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together Everything I Know About Love relatively straightforward. “I’ve always had records, be it private or public, of things that were happening in my life, but I had no idea what the book was going to be about when I started – I knew I was following certain themes and stories,” she explains. “I knew I wanted to write about my relationship with men and intimacy and romance; I knew I wanted to write about living with girls; and I knew I wanted to write about growing up, and going through your 20s, and facing realities – about coping mechanisms and hedonism. But it was only by the time I got to the end that I realised what the book was actually about.” Once all the stories were written, Dolly’s editor pointed out the lack of a strong narrative thread – so the writer set about the task of finding one. “I looked back retrospectively to edit and signpost, and to come up with a satisfying conclusion – and I realised there were two massive themes,” she says. “The first was my relationship to myself, and how that wasn’t very good in my younger life, and how that manifested in dysfunctional relationships – and I also realised that in every single anecdote there was a chorus of women, these recurring characters. And then I thought – oh – this is a love story, about these people that have been in my life at every moment, and they are in this book on every single page. I didn’t realise it was about friendship until I’d reached the final chapter.” Though the book’s open approach is a huge part of its appeal, one conceivable challenge of having revealed so much in the pages is the perceived imbalance of familiarity: audience members and readers feel deeply connected to the book and its creator, yet Dolly knows nothing about them or their lives – though this isn’t something that fazes the author. “I don’t mind it,” she says. “When you’ve made money and taken people’s time by telling them all about yourself, who you are and what you stand for – to then, when anyone shows you the great compliment of taking an interest in that or feeling like they have some sense of intimacy, turn round and say ‘you don’t know me’ is shitty. Because they do and if you don’t want them to, then you shouldn’t open up your life, your heart and your thoughts to them. Sometimes it’s a little uncomfortable, but it’s a small price to pay for feeling very close with a lot of people I’ve never met before. That’s a really profound sense of loveliness.” l Dolly Alderton: Everything I Know About Love Live is at Cambridge Corn Exchange on 20 February, tickets are £23.
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FA M I LY DAYS O U T
Family Days Out HANSEL AND GRETEL An updated version of the classic Grimm’s fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, from Uchenna Dance, finds two young people lost in a big city, overwhelmed by the sights and sounds. Expect to groove in your seat to house beats mixed with African and contemporary dance, as you are transported to a different world while the duo try to find their way back to their family. Catch Hansel and Gretel at the Junction on 10 February, with tickets £10 adults, £6 children, group tickets available. junction.co.uk
C A M BR IDGE COOK ERY CL A SSES Inspire your kids in the kitchen with mouthwatering classes at
Cambridge Cookery, from 19 to 22 February. Some classes are for parents and children together, with curries on the 19th and all things pizza and pasta on the 21st – morning and afternoon classes available. A kitchen confidential class for teenagers is on the 20th, designed to be motivational, whether your teen experiments in the kitchen or shows little interest. On the 22nd try Terrific Tray Bakes, with a suggested age range of 12 years up. cambridgecookery.com
CRAZY CONE CAPERS The Botanic Garden needs young secret agents! A self-guided family trail gives children the chance to enjoy Crazy Cone Caper: seeds are going missing, but who is taking them? Collect a free trail booklet from the ticket office and discover cool facts along the way. Successful agents can collect a prize, and the trail runs until 1 April. botanic.cam.ac.uk
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AUDL E Y BU T L ER SCHO OL Being the butler of a country house is no easy job: do you have what it takes? All ages can learn the tricks of the trade, but make sure your shoes are polished and you stand up straight! Learn everything from dressing a table to folding a napkin at Audley End House during half term, from 18 to 22 February, 11am to 4pm. Tickets will be available to buy on the day, but free for English Heritage members. english-heritage.org.uk
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W H AT ’ S O N
What’s On YOUR AT-A-GLANCE GUIDE TO EVENTS AROUND CAMBRIDGE THIS MONTH
2 FEBRUARY
6-10 FEBRUARY
13 FEBRUARY
WINE GUMS 2 COMEDY NIGHT
THE WORST WITCH
CAM LATES: FOSSILS AND FIZZ AFTER HOURS
Cambridge Wine Merchants presents a night of laughs featuring Cally Beaton, Mad Ron, Dinesh Nathan and Mark Simmons. 7.30pm | Cambridge University Centre Wine Bar | £13 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
Featuring Jill Murphy’s characters from her long-running series of books, Mildred Hubble is an ordinary girl in a highly unusual school, featuring fierce, anti-fun deputy headteacher Miss Hardbroom. Various times | Cambridge Arts Theatre from £17 | cambridgeartstheatre.com
3 FEBRUARY 9 FEBRUARY
RORY BREMNER & JAN RAVENS
WARNING
A mix of impressions and hilarious satire from the stars of Bremner, Bird and Fortune and Dead Ringers. Expect visits from Trump, Merkel, BoJo and Mrs May. With special guest Jo Caulfield. 7.45pm | Cambridge Arts Theatre from £20 | cambridgeartstheatre.com
One of the longest-running and best-loved nights on the drum and bass scene, Warning runs from 10pm to 6am, taking you from Saturday to Sunday. Featuring a DJ set from Noisia. Over 18s only. 10pm | Cambridge Junction £22.50 | junction.co.uk
6 FEBRUARY
11-16 FEBRUARY
WINE TASTING: TOUR OF THE WORLD
REBUS: LONG SHADOWS
The Cambridge Wine Academy promises a guided tour around the wines of South Africa, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. 7.30pm | Cambridge Wine Merchants Cherry Hinton Road | £22.50 cambridgewineacademy.com
Wander around the Sedgwick Museum in the dark and chat to researchers if you wish, set against a backdrop of live music with traces of jazz, blues and Gershwin, from The Accidentalists. All with a glass of bubbly in hand. 7pm | Sedgwick Museum | £8 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
Starring Ron Donachie as John Rebus (star of the BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of the Rebus mystery novels). Now retired, the detective is still haunted by shadows of his former life... 7.45pm Monday-Saturday & 2.30pm Thursday & Saturday | Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £20 cambridgeartstheatre.com
14 FEBRUARY
THE LEMONHEADS Evan Dando and his 90s grunge/rock outfit Lemonheads return ten years after the release of their last LP(the covers album Varshons). A follow-up set of covers, Varshons 2, is due for release later this year. 7pm | Cambridge Junction £21.50 | junction.co.uk 15-16 FEBRUARY
BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL The festival that tours the globe with a selection of jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring short films makes a welcome return to Cambridge. Playing across two nights, the choices of films on offer will differ each evening. 7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £16.50 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 18 FEBRUARY
KATHRYN JOSEPH
7 FEBRUARY
JOHN GR A N T Grant brings tracks from his fourth album Love is Magic to the Corn Exchange. It’s his most electronic album yet, and Grant says it’s “closer still to how I’ve always wanted my records to sound”. 7.30pm | from £28 Corn Exchange cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
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One of Scotland’s best-kept secrets, Kathryn Joseph’s voice is comparable with Björk’s and Joanna Newsom’s. Her music is very different, however, with a haunting, soulful sound. 8pm | Cambridge Junction | £11.50 junction.co.uk 19 FEBRUARY-2 MARCH
THE COMEDY ABOUT A BANK ROBBERY Ocean’s Eleven meets the Marx Brothers in this heist comedy from Mischief Theatre, the group behind the long-running smash hit, The Play That Goes Wrong. Various times | Cambridge Arts Theatre from £20 | cambridgeartstheatre.com
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W H AT ’ S O N
19 FEBRUARY
THE STORY COLLIDER Whether you wear a lab coat or haven’t seen a test tube since school, hear stories about how science shapes our lives. 7.30pm | Cambridge Junction £8, £6 cons | junction.co.uk 20 FEBRUARY
MOOCH AND A MOO WALK Meet Wandlebury’s handsome cows and learn why they are important, on a guided walk with one of the wardens. 10.30am-12pm | Wandlebury Country Park Free (donations welcome) cambridgeppf.org 20 FEBRUARY
19 FEBRUARY
HOT 8 BR A SS B A N D A raw, funky brass band from the streets of New Orleans, these guys always create a party. Go and see them for raucous covers of tracks by Snoop Dogg, Marvin Gaye and George Benson, amongst many others, delivered with swagger and energy. 7pm | Cambridge Junction | £20 | junction.co.uk
24 FEBRUARY
27 FEBRUARY
HOLY HOLY
ENDELLION STRING QUARTET
This Edinburgh Comedy Award best newcomer nominee from 2018 tours with her acclaimed Fringe sell-out show, Sandhog. You may have seen her on QI and Have I Got News For You. 8pm | Cambridge Junction £15.50 | junction.co.uk
Woody Woodmansey, drummer from David Bowie’s legendary The Spiders from Mars, joins Tony Visconti, Bowie’s long-term producer and bass player on The Man Who Sold The World, plus Heaven 17’s Glenn Gregory, for a selection of Bowie classics from 1969 to 1973. 7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £35.50 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
This internationally renowned string quartet formed in 1979, and three of the original players continue to be members. They return to Cambridge to play works by Haydn, Kissin and Beethoven. 7.30pm | West Road Concert Hall from £6 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
22 FEBRUARY
26 FEBRUARY-2 MARCH
27 FEBRUARY
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
THE FOOTLIGHTS SPRING REVUE
PETER ANDRE
One of the world’s best-loved orchestras plays ‘the greatest symphony of all time’ – as voted for by 151 conductors in BBC Music Magazine – Beethoven’s Symphony No 3. 7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £17 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
New comedy from the graduating members of one of the oldest comedy societies in the country. 7.45pm Tuesday-Saturday & 2.30pm Saturday | ADC Theatre | from £9 adctheatre.com
SINDHU VEE
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A pop and reality star spanning several decades, Andre was the sixth-highest selling artist in the 90s in the UK. With several No 1 singles and two No 1 albums, he’s celebrating 25 years in the biz with a 25-date UK tour. 7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £35.50 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
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Food & Drink N E W O P E N I N G S • R E C I P E S • D R I N KS • VA L E N T I N E ' S D I N I N G
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FO O D & D R I N K
A MONTHLY ROUND-UP OF GASTRO GOINGSON AROUND CAMBRIDGESHIRE
PI M P M Y F ISH
New to the thriving Cambridge food van scene is Pimp My Fish. This is no ordinary chip van; all the fish is MSC certified and fried in omega oil, while the chips are double cooked for that perfect combination of fluff and crunch. Traditional, ‘Old School’ fish and chips is available, of course, but you can also choose from Run DMC – delicious miso cod served with sweet potato fries, chilli-minted peas and wasabi tartare sauce – or the scrummy Del Torro, a burrito filled with crispy freshly-fried fish goujons, sriracha sauce, slaw, mango and chef John’s signature Saturday night curry sauce. Frying from 5-8.30pm, Pimp My Fish will be at Shelford Memorial Hall on Wednesdays and on The Grip Industrial Estate in Linton on Fridays. It’ll also be at other street food locations around Cambridge – check the Facebook page or Instagram for more details. pimp-my-fish.co.uk facebook.com/PimpMyFishUK
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NEW OPENING ATITHI When it comes to Indian cuisine, Mill Road is Cambridge’s answer to Brick Lane: teeming with topnotch curry houses vying for diners’ attention. The latest addition, Atithi, is found at number 52 and opened at the end of January, promising “contemporary Indian cuisine with a sophisticated twist”. With a fresh and modern interior that draws on traditional ethnic arts, the restaurant offers guests a fine dining experience complete with in-house wine expert. To eat, you can choose between the six-course tasting menu, the à la carte menu, vegan and vegetarian menus or the Dawat (sharing) menu. There’s also a lunch menu at weekends. Manning the stoves is head chef Kamaladasan, who spent eight years at the Michelinstarred Tamarind in London, honing his unique style and creativity. He’ll be overseeing a menu inspired by flavours and techniques from across India, and created using top-quality, fresh ingredients. Dishes on offer include six-hour slow cooked Hyderabadi lamb shank, and stuffed paneer with Indian five spice and dried pickled fig. There are also traditional staple dishes such as butter chicken masala and daal makhani. atithi.co.uk
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C A M BR IDGE COOK ERY COM M I T S TO Z ERO WA S T E With around a million tonnes of food being thrown away by UK hospitality and food businesses each year, one local eaterie has adopted a radical approach to combating food waste. Cambridge Cookery & Bistro, located on Purbeck Road, joined the ‘Taste Not Waste’ campaign run by the Cambridge Sustainable Food network to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and as a result, has now become the city’s first zero waste café. In order to achieve zero waste, owner Tine took a unique approach, making a decision to become the hub for locally grown, organic produce which was about to become waste or pig feed. By taking in tens of kilos of (great quality and organic, but no longer absolutely fresh) produce and adding it to CCS’s existing waste, it allowed her chefs to create 30 cooked meals each week for Jimmy’s Homeless Shelter. Additionally, the team works closely with a number of charities and schools in Cambridge, hosting fundraising events and donating food to people in need. For more info on the ‘Taste Not Waste’ programme, visit the Cambridge Sustainable Food website at cambridgesustainablefood.org
DON’T MISS
VEGAN VICE AT TA BOUCHE Vegan Vice Club, which first caught our eye with its colourful weekly market stall, has now taken up residence at city centre cocktail bar Ta Bouche. Having given the Market Passage venue a suitably Vegan Vice-style makeover, it’s now serving plant-based burgers there every day of
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the week – perfect for enjoying alongside drinks from Ta Bouche’s selection of cocktails, gins, craft beers and new vegan milkshakes. Vegan Vice’s bestsellers include the Peanut Butter BBQ – with a soy-based Viceburger, peanut butter barbecue sauce, melted vegan cheese,
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onion rings, sweet pickles, purple slaw and fresh salad sandwiched in a toasted brioche bun – and the Truffle Shuffle: a TenderCrop Chick’n Fillet made with seitan, served with truffle mayo, slaw and melty cheese. veganvice.club
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My Favourite Table LUCY LOWE, CO-FOUNDER OF THE CAMBRIDGE DISTILLERY, GIVES HER TOP TIPS FOR EATING AND DRINKING AROUND THE CITY WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO EAT IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE?
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I love Parker’s Tavern: Tristan’s menu seems to cover every sort of occasion whether I need a working lunch, dinner out with friends or a date night. And I can’t get enough of the truffle risotto! YOU’RE HAVING A NIGHT IN: WHERE ARE YOU CALLING FOR TAKEAWAY?
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It’s normally Thai, either from Mai Thai on Parker’s Piece (I’ve been eating there since the building sold pancakes!) or Sala Thong on Newnham Road. And if we’re ordering in, then it’s got to be a green Thai curry for me: comfort food that’s still flavoursome and fragrant. WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO SHOP FOR INGREDIENTS?
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The Histon Chop Shop is fantastic: Mark, the owner, is a great source of advice and is always ready to help if Will and I are making something slightly more adventurous. Their sausage rolls are superb, but I’m also a fan of their steaks: sometimes you just can’t beat a rib-eye... WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE LOCAL FOOD SCENE?
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COMING SOON
R ES TAU R A N T W EEK
Explore and celebrate Cambridge’s dining scene in April, when the city’s first Restaurant Week will be serving up fantastic food all over town. Organised by Cambridge Business Improvement District (BID), partnered with Cambridge Edition, the event will run 1 to 7 April. It aims to help residents discover different places to eat by offering set menus at some of the city’s best eateries for just £10 or £15, or lunch for £5 (cafés only). Eateries can sign up to get involved at the Cambridge BID website. cambridgebid.co.uk CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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I love how it’s changed and matured over the past few years: watching local businesses grow and evolve from trading in vans to bricks-and-mortar operations is just so exciting – especially when you’ve supported them throughout. We have some truly dedicated individuals working in the food scene in Cambridge and it’s genuinely really thrilling to be a part of it. l
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE OF?
I’d like to see more seasonality in the food and drink offerings in Cambridge. It’s a big part of what we do in the distillery and I appreciate the sensitivity and tactility required to stay synchronised with, and reflective of, your environment rather than sticking to one unwavering path.
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LO CA L L I F E
TILL THE COWS COME HOME YOU CAN’T HAVE MISSED THE COWS STROLLING THROUGH OUR CITY’S GREEN SPACES. CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS MEETS CAMBRIDGE’S MOST FAMOUS FOUR-LEGGED RESIDENTS
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PHOTOS BY CLAIRE VOYLE
ambridge is undeniably a city with green space at its heart. The Botanic Gardens cover 40 acres, Parker’s Piece a further 25, and visitors often remark on the beauty of the college gardens, carefully tended to provide displays of seasonal colour that break up the urban sprawl. Yet it’s the narrow slivers of wild common land reaching right into the heart of Cambridge that provide the strongest sense of our Fenland setting – in part, the reason our city looks the way it does today is thanks to generations of farmers who’ve chosen to exercise their right to graze livestock on those common spaces. Just 3% of land in England is registered as commons: the majority lies in the north of the country, but small pockets can be found dotted across the landscape, with several right in the heart of our city. This isn’t public land, but rather spaces that are owned by the Council, the Colleges or corporations, and on which we – as residents and landowners – can exercise several ancient rights, including one to pasture: to graze and keep specified animals without needing land of our own. The Commons Registration Act 1965 gives evocative descriptions of our city’s grazing grounds. Laundress Green, the small parcel
of land at the end of Silver Street where the colleges’ washing used to be done, and that now welcomes the majority of our city in the summer months for picnics and drinks on balmy evenings, is described as being able to hold “a total of two beasts... all the year on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays from sunset to sunrise”, while Empty Common, a sliver of land stretching off Brooklands Avenue – now home to a thriving and beautiful community garden – could host up to five “mares, geldings and cows”. In 1985, the Cambridge City Council Act revised the council’s rights to determine where, when and how many animals were grazed: the current application form for those looking to raise livestock within the city gives the options of Coe Fen, Coldham’s Common, Midsummer Common, Sheep’s Green, and Stourbridge Common. The council also employs a dedicated ‘pinder’ (or ‘pindar), an individual who, historically, would ‘pin’ loose cattle in place, and now keeps a watchful eye on our city’s bovine residents. The ‘armadillo’ public restrooms on Midsummer Common, designed by local architects Freeland Rees Roberts, even had to include a dedicated storeroom for the pinder, where they can keep cattle feed and necessary equipment. Several individual farmers now make use of the pinder’s services and exercise their grazing rights, paying £60.98 per animal or £38.44 per animal for herds of ten or more – and that’s why you’ll spot a variety of different breeds as you make your way across the city. u
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One of the farmers is Angelika von Heimendahl, local veterinary surgeon and owner of around 65 Red Poll cattle, which you’ll normally be able to find grazing on Grantchester Meadows and across Midsummer Common. “Red Poll are the local breed,” she explains. “They’re from East Anglia, they grow well on grass, and they have a good temperament – plus they’re also a little smaller compared to other breeds. When you have that many people encountering the cattle, and cyclists and so on, smaller is probably not a bad idea.” The winter months see the cows turned out of the common land (Angelika’s are currently in what she laughingly refers to as “bed and breakfast” near Royston) not because it’s too cold, but because the cows would swiftly turn any field to mud in wintery conditions. They’ll return to Cambridge’s green spaces on 1 April, all set to eat their fill until the commons close up again on 1 November, just a few days before the city’s annual bonfire. “We have a big group of cattle on Grantchester Meadows, and we keep our older cattle on Midsummer Common and then replenish from Grantchester. Two or three go every month for the farmers’ market – they’re between 27 months and 30 months old. People say, ‘do you not get attached to them – do you find it hard when they go?’ And I say no, it’s strange – you get to the stage where you feel they’re ready. I see them as a herd: I love going to count them, and look at them, but I don’t get attached to individuals.” Having wanted to keep cattle her whole life but lacking the land on which to do so, Angelika was finally inspired by the lull in common grazing in Cambridge following 2001’s outbreak of foot and mouth disease. “I was talking to someone from the Friends of Midsummer Common who mentioned that they didn’t have livestock on the common at the time, and that it was starting to lose its character as a meadow – and I remember thinking that I should do something.” Increased regulation following 2001 means keeping cattle is not a wise career path for disorganised individuals. “Each head of cattle now has a passport, two eartag numbers, and you have to register movement within two days, you’re constantly inspected… the amount of attention is amazing. A calf has to be registered with British Cattle Movement within four weeks; a human baby gets six weeks. Basically, if you’re ever lonely, buy yourself a cow...” she laughs.
“Such a visible collide between rural and urban ways of life” F E B R U A R Y 2 019
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Dry-aged for three weeks before arriving at the markets, the beef from CamCattle’s Red Poll is marbled, but doesn’t carry much fat on the outside, meaning the meat makes an excellent all-rounder that offers something for every type of cook. “We have quite a few continental European customers on the market who ask for different cuts, and our butcher loves that,” Angelika says. “Some people really like steaks, some people prefer slow cooking, others like roast beef, some like brisket – maybe it’s down to your temperament. I like topside: proper roast beef, pink in the middle with horseradish and gravy.” There are a few other cities around the UK with such a visible collide between rural and urban ways of life, but not many, and the fact that – thanks to Angelika’s CamCattle – you can cycle past Cambridge’s cows and then
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just a few minutes later buy the same herd’s beef from the market, is an aspect of life in our city that is deeply cherished by a growing number of food enthusiasts. “There’s a certain part of the population who make an extra effort to source their food and support the farmers whose methods they approve of, and that is a very powerful tool,” Angelika says. “In Cambridge, people can see the cattle and know where their food comes from, they can see they’ve had a good life. Fifty years ago, or 100 years ago, this visibility in the food chain was completely normal – but it’s just all so separate these days. Sometimes consumers underestimate how much they can shape a system. We have an incredible community – particularly on a Sunday at the local produce market, where people get up, get on their bikes and come. I have a lot of respect for them.” l
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LEARN MORE The cows of Cambridge have their own Twitter account, sharing images taken by those encountering the cattle. Follow them at twitter.com/cambridgecow To learn more about CamCattle, visit the CamCattle and CamLamb Facebook page, where you can follow their news and keep up to date with the goings-on of both the business and the herd. You can also find CamCattle at Cambridge central market every weekend, plus at markets in Impington, Fowlmere and St Ives, as well as a market in London’s Hampstead.
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H OW TO M A K E T H E B E S T
Sichuan Beef & Celery ALEX RUSHMER SHARES A SPEEDY, LIP-SMACKINGLY DELICIOUS SICHUAN-INSPIRED RECIPE
“There’s lots to love about this recipe. I love how it makes a hero out of the celery. I love how it reminds me of slightly awful 1980s-style ‘spag bols’. I love the whip-punch of heat and umami. I love that it takes about five minutes to cook. I love that, like so many dishes from the Sichuan province, it relies on a balance of acidity, sweetness, heat and saltiness. It would also work with minced pork, lamb, chicken, turkey or soy protein.” F E B R U A R Y 2 019
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INGREDIENTS
l 4 50g minced beef
l O ne large head of celery, diced into 1cm pieces l S alt
l T wo tablespoons cooking oil
l T hree tablespoons gochujang paste
l 5 -7 dried Sichuan chillies, roughly chopped
l T hree cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced l T wo tablespoons ginger and garlic paste l T hree tablespoons light soy sauce l O ne to two tablespoons sugar
l T wo tablespoons rice wine vinegar l O ne tablespoon Shaoxing wine l
Half a teaspoon MSG
l T wo packets udon noodles
l S esame seeds, chopped celery leaves and sesame
oil to garnish
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE l B ring a large pan of water to the boil (large enough
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to blanch the celery). When it is boiling add enough salt to make it taste vaguely like the sea (three teaspoons or so). C ook the celery for 45 seconds to a minute then drain and rinse in cold water. Heat a large wok over a ferociously high heat. Add the oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the beef in two stages so as not to overcrowd the wok. Stir regularly until all the meat is well browned and beginning to caramelise. A dd the gochujang and cook for a further three minutes until the beef is well coated then add the chillies, ginger and garlic paste, and sliced garlic. Stir then add the celery. Cook for another two minutes to heat the celery through, but not long enough to soften it too much. F inally, add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Shaoxing wine, sugar and MSG. Stir and taste to check the balance and seasoning. F eel free to add more sugar, soy, vinegar or MSG if you think it needs it. C ook the noodles according to the packet and serve immediately. G arnish with sesame seeds, chopped celery leaves and a drizzle of sesame oil.
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© CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
FO O D X&X XDXRXIXNX KX
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Comfort Zone ALEX RUSHMER USES POWERS OF REDUCTION TO CREATE RICH AND COMFORTING WINTER DISHES TO WARM THE SOUL
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et’s face it: February is nobody’s favourite month. The sprightly mornings of spring are still several weeks away – especially if last year was anything to go by – and the menu is still dominated by dark, heavy, robust flavours and ingredients like brassicas, roots and game. Of course, there is nothing wrong with kale, beetroot and partridge, as well as their various cousins, but it does leave one craving the arrival of asparagus, wild garlic and the tender green leaves that signify the start of several months of produce that has felt the warmth of the sun, as opposed to the chilling embrace of the cold earth. Despite that, there is still some solace to be had in the kitchen. My love of braised food has been well documented on these pages. The alchemy that takes place inside a closed pot when tough pieces of meat and gnarly vegetables yield to the warmth of an oven over several hours is still something that brings me
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joy. When collagen-heavy cuts form a friendship with wine (or even water) and herb or spices, it is a joyously unbreakable bond, the only improvement coming from the introduction of hearty carbohydrates. This happy triumvirate is one that appears throughout the European cookery canon and must have served our ancestors well prior to the advent of double glazing and phone-operated thermostats. Historically, this style of cooking is dominant in countries and cultures where bread was the staple filling agent: the heat from communal bread ovens once the bread had been baked would have provided an alternate heat source other than the hearth or open fire in the home. The ingredients would have been assembled together in a pot at home then sent to the baker’s oven to cook slowly throughout the day. It is lazy food that doesn’t need attention or stirring or nurturing. Food that could sit all day in the fading heat of a large space until
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being collected on the way back from the factory or field, gently steaming and ready to be spooned out and mopped up with the remains of yesterday’s loaf. The classics are exemplars with good reason, their names alone enough to warm the soul: beef bourguignon, daube provencale, osso bucco milanese, beef goulash, red braised pork belly, coq au vin, Lancashire hotpot. These are dishes that encapsulate the necessity of generosity when cooking at this time of year: when the grip of winter begins to loosen, but there is still strength in its lashing tail. It’s hard not to smile when thinking of lifting the heavy cast-iron lid of a favourite casserole dish and smelling the delights within, not to mention the satisfaction of seeing a previously tough piece of meat yield to the gentlest of prods with a spoon. The crucial ingredient when cooking like this is time. Don’t be tempted to rush the process: brown your core ingredients well – especially the meat – or the resultant dish will come up short in terms of flavour and colour (an insipid, watery stew is displeasing for all concerned). Bring the whole lot to a gentle boil on the stove top before putting it in the oven and then letting the magic of chemistry do the rest. Time and temperature transform rubbery collagen into meltingly tender gelatin, which gives dishes such as these their pleasing and satisfyingly rich texture: if the meat isn’t spoon soft just return it to the oven and wait a little longer. Trust me, you’ll know when it’s ready. Finally, don’t forget about the power of reduction – if your sauce comes up a little thin, even after the meat has reached optimal tenderness, remove it and keep it warm somewhere. Then reduce the sauce over a high heat until it becomes a fitting partner for those tender morsels and a pile of creamy mashed potato. l F E B R U A R Y 2 019
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FOOD of LOVE MAKE A MEAL OUT OF VALENTINE’S DAY WITH A ROMANTIC FEAST AT ONE OF THESE LOCAL EATERIES
PARKER’S TAVERN Looking to impress this Valentine’s Day? Steer your significant other towards Parker’s Tavern, the stunning in-house restaurant at the University Arms. Overlooking Parker’s Piece, this stylish eaterie offers flamboyant cocktails, delicious food and of course, plenty of luxurious bedrooms if you fancy making a night of it. For V-Day, chef Tristan Welch has put together a “provocative sharing menu”, which includes oysters, celeriac and black truffle carbonara and baked goats’ cheese with roasted figs and walnuts. Plus a parting gift of a pot of home-made chocolate body paint to enjoy later. It’s priced at £42 per person, which includes three courses and a Parfait d’Amour cocktail. parkerstavern.com
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FO O D & D R I N K
DE LUCA HOL IDAY IN N For a romantic feast on a shoestring, you’ll struggle to beat the offer at Holiday Inn, Impington. Book a table for two this Valentine’s Day and for £50 per couple, you’ll get a four-course meal and a glass of bubbly (available 14 -16 February). Want to make a weekend out of it? The hotel is offering a 10% discount on Executive Double Rooms, plus you can bag a special offer on a massage through the whole of Valentine’s week – perfect for de-stressing before your night of romance! All offers must be booked in advance – for dinner call 01223 582408, bedrooms 01223 582403 and Leisure Club 01223 236620.
Regent Street’s stylish little Italian eaterie is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner à deux this Valentine’s Day. The restaurant is sticking with its winning formula from previous years and will be serving a four-course meal, featuring the ever-popular trio of desserts (tiramisu, chocolate torte and cheesecake). The rest of the menu, priced at £35, teems with authentic Italian fare, with dishes like saltimbocca, arancini and handmade ravioli, plus you can round off your feast with a couple of cocktails upstairs: De Luca’s resident songsmith will be playing love songs in the Piano Bar. delucacucina.co.uk
TUDDENHAM MILL
You couldn’t ask for a more romantic Valentine’s location than Tuddenham Mill. An atmospherically lit bar sets the mood for a nightcap or two, while the cosy restaurant upstairs holds three AA Rosettes. On 14 February, there’s a special menu for £130 per couple, which features oysters, fillet of beef and a delicioussounding passionfruit baked Alaska to finish. Make a night of it with a stay in one of the gorgeous bedrooms, from £255. tuddenhammill.co.uk
T HE T HR EE HIL L S, B A R T LOW
Escape to The Three Hills, where you’ll be treated to a cosy feast in a countryside setting. Combining village pub, fine-dining restaurant and mini boutique hotel, this gorgeous venue is sure to impress, whether you’re staying the night or just for dinner. From 14-16 February, there will be a special three-course Valentine’s dinner menu which includes a glass of prosecco for £45. There’s just six bedrooms on offer, so you’ll have to get in quick to secure one, but you won’t be disappointed once you see the luxurious interiors and ludicrously comfy beds. The hearty breakfasts get a big thumbs up for the morning after as well. thethreehills.co.uk CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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FO O D & D R I N K
FOODIE GIFTS VHARI RUSSELL AND CAT NEW FROM GRUB CLUB CAMBRIDGE SHARE SOME IDEAS FOR DELICIOUS GIFTS THIS VALENTINE’S DAY
CHOCOLATE KISSES
The Geographer in Histon has all kinds of lovely foodie gifts, including these bags of baci di dama: Italian chocolate and hazlenut biscuits (£5.75). SEED AND BEAN HAMPER
The Ultimate Collection hamper features 26 bars of chocolate (£75). Delicious! seedandbean.co.uk NAUTEAS
AFTERNOON TEA
Take a trip back in time at the Carriages tea room in Fen Drayton. They have a wonderful array of tasty treats to be enjoyed in the old railway carriages. Afternoon tea is priced at £21.50 per person. carriagesofcambridge.co.uk
A lovely gift to give to a tea lover. Nauteas has a range of flavours, including Elephant Chai and Pina Colada. £6.99 for 18 bags. nauteas.com WINE TASTING AT THE OLD BRIDGE HOTEL
CH EESE COUR SE
If your partner is a cheese fiend, the answer is the Academy of Cheese level one course. This is the WSET course for cheese and involves learning all about how cheese is made, getting to grips with different families of cheeses and tasting over 25 fabulous fromages to expand your knowledge and palate (£195 per person). gff.co.uk
For the wine lover in your life, the Old Bridge Hotel is a must-visit. It boasts a wonderful array of wine and is owned and run by one of the leading Masters of Wine in the world. You can do a help-yourself tasting of a range of fine wines from as little as £12. It works equally well for enthusiasts and novices alike. huntsbridge.com
FITZBILLIES MACARONS
CRAFT GIN CLUB BOX
A gift that keeps on giving: Craft Gin Club costs £40 per month, which gets you a gin-y goodie box featuring wonderful gins, plus mixers and other foodie treats. craftginclub.co.uk/join
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Delicious and light, these colourful confections are a wonderful gift to receive at any time. They retail at £7.80 for a box of six and are available from both Fitzbillies branches.
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Nature’s Larder THE TEAM FROM THE GOG, THE AWARD-WINNING LOCAL FARM SHOP, BUTCHERY, DELI AND CAFE, GIVES THE LOW-DOWN ON THE SEASONAL PRODUCE TO SEEK OUT THIS MONTH
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s the days are slowly getting longer, you may be pleased to read that there are only a handful of Mondays remaining until spring is upon us! If that’s not enough to lift your spirits, then hopefully you can feel the love in the air this month. As Shakespeare said: ‘If music be the food of love, play on’, but as we foodies all know, food itself is the real food of love. So why not dust off your culinary skills and woo your significant other this Valentine’s Day? The first Valentine’s Day was in 496 AD and is thought to have originated from a Roman Festival called Lupercalia, held at the start of springtime, in the middle of February. As part of the celebrations, boys drew the names of girls from a box and they would be boyfriend and girlfriend during the festival, sometimes going on to get married. Years later, the Christian church adopted the event and used it to remember St Valentine, too. Gradually St Valentine’s name became synonymous with expressing feelings to those we love.
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There isn’t a carnivore in the land who wouldn’t be happy with a delicious steak, lovingly prepared by their Valentine. Use our simple guide to ensure you’re tucking into a steak that’s sourced from the finest farms and cooked to perfection, just the way they like it. The key is getting a good-quality cut with the right amount of fat, a vibrant reddish pink colour and loose texture – almost like that of a tuna steak. Avoid dark meat that is too tight, as this will be dry and tough. Everybody knows that fillet is the showstopper of all steaks – tender meat that literally melts in the mouth. Of course, it comes at a price and you get less meat for your money. If your loved one has a healthy appetite, sirloin or rib-eye cooked in the right way can be just as tender as a fillet. The rib-eye generally has more fat, so you’ll need to cook it for a little longer, but the flavours will be divine. Sirloin is a leaner option that comes from behind the ribs and will deliver a tender yet juicy steak.
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A good rule of thumb (literally) is to use your fingers and do the touch test. For a perfect rare steak, press your index finger and thumb together, then touch the fleshy ball at the base of your thumb with the other hand. This is the texture of (and should give the same resistance as) your steak when cooked. Use your middle finger for medium rare, ring finger for medium and your pinky for well-done. Whichever option you choose, serve it with your loved one's favourite sauce, seasonal veg and some home-made sweet potato fries. There is beauty in simplicity. Our butchers are on hand seven days a week at The Gog Farm Shop to provide you with all the advice you need. l Why not share a photo of your finished dish on our Facebook or Instagram pages? Use the hashtag #GogRecipes to be in with a chance of becoming our recipe of the month and winning a prize! The Gog, Heath Farm, Shelford Bottom, Cambridge CB22 3AD | 01223 248352 thegog.com
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Drinks TROLLEY I K N OW T H I S G R E AT L I T T L E P L AC E . . .
The Maypole In the heart of the city centre but off the beaten track enough to be a safe distance from the throngs of tourists and shoppers, The Maypole at Portugal Place has been one of Cambridge’s favourite watering holes for decades. The current owners, the Castiglione family, have been at the helm since the early ’80s, but the venue’s history as an inn dates all the way back to 1851, when The Maypole was opened by the Anchor Brewery. It’s known for its range of cocktails – recent hits include a ‘Flat White Russian’ and a spicy ‘Gunpowder Martini’ – but it’s the beer selection that really pulls in the punters. One of very few freehouses in the city, The Maypole stocks a staggeringly huge selection of real ales, local beers from smaller breweries and speciality bottles from across the globe. Beer festivals are a welcome regular occurrence at the pub, which was named 2018 Cambridge & District CAMRA Pub of the Year. The fairy-lit, heated courtyard is an ideal spot for sinking a few G&Ts, which you’ll definitely be tempted to do when you spy the 50-plus gins on offer behind the bar. When it comes to food, the Sicilian heritage of the owners is reflected with arancini, homemade pizzas, antipasti platters and traditional dishes like boscaiola, alongside some pub grub classics, such as pies and burgers. Most of all though, The Maypole is known for its charm, character and great atmosphere – and that’s what keeps locals and students alike returning year after year.
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F E E L I N G T H I RS T Y?
New Wave South Africa W IN E GUM S
Cambridge Wine Merchants’ comedy night returns on 2 February with a crop of great comedians to entertain you while you enjoy a few drinks. Taking place at CWM’s University Centre bar, the event kicks off at 7.30pm with a line-up that includes Mad Ron Spanners, aka the hardest, funniest man in comedy, plus stand up from Dinesh Nathan and Cally Beaton. Headlining is master of one-liners, Mark Simmons. Join the fun for £13 a ticket.
UP THIS MONTH
BREWERY TOUR Local craft brewery BrewBoard is offering the chance to explore its Harston HQ with a tour and tutored tasting on 16 February. Attendees will be introduced to the BrewBoard story so far and its future plans, as well as enjoy the aromas and tastes of hop and malt samples and slurp their way through six of the brewery’s excellent beers. The event lasts approx two hours and costs £15 per person. You can also see what it’s all about at one of the regular taproom events: stop by on 1 March for live music and street food from The Mac Daddy from 5pm to 11pm.
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ELODIE CAMERON FROM THIRSTY ON THE NEW GENERATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN WINES THAT WILL THRILL YOUR TASTEBUDS
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ith winemakers that look more like surfers than farmers the name is truly apt, but the ‘rock star’ look sported by many of these young (and a few not so young) winemakers means they are equally at home drinking craft beer in Shoreditch as blending top-notch, small-batch wines back home. But what’s so exciting about these guys in T-shirts, ripped jeans and beards, and should we be bothered to pick up some of their wines and give them a go? These are deemed to be some of the most exciting wines in the world at the moment. When you get lots of talent together, an energy emerges and when this spirit occurs in a place that offers the right ingredients, at the right time, then hey presto: magic is made. It may feel as if this has come out of nowhere but these wines have been gradually improving over a decade or so. Many of these winemakers grew up after apartheid ended so their perspective is different to previous generations; they have travelled more and their industry has been less cut off from fellow winemakers abroad. This has led to a hunger for knowledge and development, leading to an enormous learning curve, coupled with a desire to show what they can achieve. These young guns are fiercely proud and want to bring in a new era of winemaking. By looking at the rest of the world and reflecting on the strength of their climate (akin to Mediterranean), geography and vineyards (many with old vines), they were able to not only adapt, but leap forward. In the UK, this spirit and its results proved infectious and in 2015 the first New Wave South Africa wine tasting was held in the back of a record shop in Soho – it was fun and cool and those of us in the trade tasted some exciting wines that we wanted to share. As Thirsty tweeted back in 2018, ‘the Saffas are coming to 46 Chesterton Road’ – come by and see for yourself what the hype is all about. Good-value, individual wines with style – and some pretty good-looking labels to boot. With an incredible diversity of styles, a mass of quality winemaking and just the right hint of eccentricity, South African wines are not just a wave: these are wines that are here to stay.
WINES TO TRY: BLANK BOT TLE KORTPAD KAAPTOE 2017
The name means ‘quickest route’ in Afrikaans due the route the winemaker took to discover this vineyard and grape when he decided to make this wine. Oh, and what a surprise it is: juicy peaches and honey, with hints of clementine and quartz stones. A A BADENHORST PAPEGAAI CINSAULT 2017
Papegaai (or parrot in Afrikaans) is not only distinctive with its pirate-like parrot adorning the label, but the super high-quality fruit produces a wine that is not forgotten easily. With what is known as Swartland swagger, this is dark and deep, featuring cherries and raspberry ripple with a crunch of green peppercorns and rosemary. Delightful, smooth and supple.
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WEDDINGS
PLAN YOUR DREAM CAMBRIDGE WEDDING FROM BEAUTIFUL VENUES TO BRIDAL TRENDS, SIOBHAN GODWOOD REVEALS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PLANNING THE PERFECT WEDDING DAY
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Location, Location, Location FROM CITY CENTRE SLEEK TO RUSTIC AND RURAL, THERE’S AN ABUNDANCE OF GORGEOUS WEDDING VENUES AROUND CAMBRIDGESHIRE
SOUTH FARM
This family owned venue nestled in stunning Cambridgeshire countryside has gorgeous gardens, lovely barns and a beautiful Grade II listed country farmhouse. Twinkling fairy-lit cherry trees line the pretty driveway and the historic barn buildings are all lovingly converted, offering a fantastic choice of ceremony and reception spaces. Couples enjoy exclusive use and can get married outside in the beautiful summerhouse surrounded by the glorious gardens, or choose from four lovely indoor ceremony spaces. South Farm has 20 acres in all and the stunning backdrop means you can take your pick for perfect wedding photos. Accommodation includes a stunning bridal suite and lovely bespoke guest bedrooms. Guests can also stay in the unique collection of charming Romany caravans, all beautifully handpainted. The more adventurous guests can even pitch a tent and camp in the paddocks! south-farm.co.uk
MURRAY EDWARDS COLLEGE Murray Edwards is one of the more contemporary Cambridge colleges. The buildings date from 1964 and were designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, who also designed the Barbican in London. As a wedding venue, it provides the space and flexibility to create the day you want, with scope to use both indoor and outdoor spaces and is particularly suitable for those who love the idea of a wedding at a Cambridge college, but perhaps want something a bit less traditional. The Dome can cater for up to 270 guests or, for more intimate gatherings, up to 70 can be seated in the Fellows’ Dining Room, which has its own private garden. The college offers on-site car parking and is just a five-minute walk from Shire Hall Registry Office. murrayedwardsevents.co.uk/fine-dining/cambridge-wedding-venue
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SECR E T G A R DEN AT BU RWA SH At the heart of Burwash Manor, Barton, lies the sixteenth-century moated manor house. Nestled in its peaceful and secluded walled garden is a spacious and pretty marquee – the ideal setting for a perfect country wedding. This 1600 sq ft pine-floored, permanently situated marquee combines all the charm of an English country garden-style wedding with all the ease and comfort of the necessary facilities. At the same time, the rural site which surrounds it provides a dreamy backdrop for those all-important big day photographs. In The Secret Garden marquee, couples have the freedom and flexibility to create their own dream wedding while receiving the full support and advice of the experienced team at Burwash Manor. If you’re looking for a relaxed venue that can be tailored to your requirements in a stunning countryside setting, this might be your dream spot. burwashweddings.com
M A DINGL E Y H A L L
Parts of Madingley Hall date back to 1543, and with such a long history and its beautiful setting in the picturesque Cambridgeshire village of Madingley, the building and its gardens make a stunning wedding location for parties of up to 110 guests. You can choose to have your wedding breakfast in the magnificent panelled dining hall or the stately saloon and the gardens offer the perfect backdrop for drinks and photographs. The team offers a range of wedding packages and the venue is fully licensed for civil ceremonies. madingleyhall.co.uk
W Y BOSTON L A K ES Wyboston Lakes Resort, on the edge of the historic town of St Neots, offers a range of different venues to suit everything from large weddings to smaller, more intimate ceremonies. The wedding team is on hand to make your day run smoothly, and there’s an on-site spa and more than 400 en-suite bedrooms, so all your guests can stay overnight. It runs wedding fayres throughout the year so that you can find out more yourself. thewaterfronthotel.co.uk
T H E O L D H A L L , E LY This privately owned country house in the Cambridgeshire countryside overlooks three ornamental lakes, has a stunning view of the beautiful Ely Cathedral and offers both indoor and outdoor wedding options. For a summer wedding, the Garden Pavilion is the perfect outdoor location – as the sun sets, the garden and lakes are beautifully lit for the perfect ambience. Inside, the imposing Great Hall makes a stunning setting for an indoor wedding. You get exclusive use of the house and grounds for your big day, plus a honeymoon suite and nine bedrooms for your guests. theoldhallely.co.uk
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY THYME LANE PHOTOGRAPHY
WEDDINGS
Vintage VIBES THE VINTAGE WEDDING TREND HAS BEEN BIG FOR A FEW YEARS NOW AND IS SHOWING NO SIGNS OF STOPPING IN 2019. SIOBHAN MULHOLLAND-COX FROM CAMBRIDGE VINTAGE BRIDAL IN COTTENHAM TELLS US WHAT BRIDESTO-BE ARE GOING FOR THIS YEAR FABRICS
This year, brides are loving vintage lace and tulle dresses. COLOUR
I’m also seeing a willingness to explore colour – be it a full blue dress or a cream dress with pink ribbon detail, for example. This has been proliferated by the emergence of beautiful black wedding dresses in 2018, which has allowed people to imagine a more colourful or alternative way to get married! ECO AWARENESS
There is definitely an uplift in brides looking for vintage gowns at the moment and one reason for this is that they don’t cost the earth – literally! There is definitely a more eco-friendly mindset emerging when it comes to weddings in general and a move away from conspicuous consumption and waste. cambridgevintagebridal.co.uk
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‘Til death do us party PLANNING A HEN PARTY OR STAG DO? IF YOU’RE STUCK FOR INSPIRATION, CHECK OUT THESE AWESOME LOCAL EXPERIENCES
T I M E FOR COCK TA IL S La Raza isn’t just a brilliant place to drink cocktails on your hen night, you can learn to make them, too! Cocktailmaking sessions are available for groups of four or more, and you’ll get to learn all about the art of mixology, get tips for recreating the drinks at home and – of course – get to drink your creations! Give the team a call on 01223 464550 to find out more or make a booking. laraza.co.uk/workshops info@laraza.co.uk
MESSING ABOUT IN BOATS
If you’re having your hen party in Cambridge – whether you’re a local or you’ve chosen the city because it’s such a beautiful place to visit – then you’re going to want to include punting as part of your celebrations. Let’s Go Punting offers punts for six or 12 hens and there’s the option to add an afternoon tea picnic to your booking. The company also has a dedicated hen party website, Cambridge Hen Party, where they offer other activities to complement the punting experience, including cocktail making, life drawing and restaurant meals. One big plus for the hen party punt picnics is that you can bring your own drink, which makes it much more budget-friendly, and the company is conveniently located right next to the wine merchants on Quayside! letsgopunting.co.uk cambridge-hen-party.co.uk
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C A M BR IDGE GIN L A B
Whether you want an evening of drinking gin cocktails, a group gin tasting or a session learning how to blend your own gin, Cambridge Gin Lab on Green Street can tailor the perfect event for your hen or stag do. For groups of up to 16, you can have the upstairs Study all to yourselves. cambridgeginlab.co.uk
AC T ION S TAT IONS If sitting in a punt or a cocktail bar sounds a little sedentary to you, then fear not: a day at Hannam’s Wake Hub is an ideal stag or hen party idea for active sorts. They offer wakeboarding and wakeskating for any level from complete beginners, and can accommodate groups of up to 50 people. There’s also an inflatable obstacle course at the aqua park and the opportunity to do flyers off the dock. Barbecues can be arranged for your party, so you can either relax after your activities or refuel between them. Bespoke packages can also be arranged. hannamswakehub.com
COOK UP A STORM Cambridge Cookery School is frequently told it does the best hen parties ever. The all-female team is superskilled at ensuring everyone is left to have fun and enjoy cooking, while still being attentive enough to keep everyone on track. The team also keeps the prosecco flowing throughout – one of the keys to a great hen do! You can organise the day around a punting trip to picnic on the amazing food you’ve prepared, either in the punt or on Jesus Green. You don’t get much more ‘Cambridge’ than that! cambridgecookery.com/eat/ hen-birthday-parties
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WEDDINGS
Say yes to the dress KIM BURR FROM BURR BRIDAL ON KING STREET, CAMBRIDGE, GIVES US HER TOP TIPS FOR FINDING THE DRESS TO SAY ‘YES’ TO GIVE YOURSELF LOTS OF TIME
Our advice is to start looking a year in advance. It can sometimes take several months of searching to find something you like, and then you may need to have alterations made and spend time looking for the perfect accessories. THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT YOUR ENTOURAGE
BURR BRIDAL
TV shows like Don’t Tell the Bride and Say Yes to the Dress have spawned a culture of brides taking a huge gang of friends and family members with them to choose a dress. This can cause problems both for the bride, who is bombarded with too many differing opinions to be able to make a sensible choice, and for the shop, who is trying to find space for them all to sit down. We recommend a maximum of five in a group. And try to choose people whose style you admire and whose opinion you trust.
Burr Bridal stocks a stunning selection of wedding gowns from leading designers – pay them a visit at 46-48 King Street.
TALK TO THE DRESS SHOP
Call ahead to find out if the shop can order in the dress you have your eye on or to find out if they offer any special services. For example, on Sundays, we have a VIP option where you can book out the whole shop and bring as many friends as you like. We also offer an NHS discount of 10% and last chances to buy discontinued dresses at lower prices. DO YOUR RESEARCH
I love a bride who comes in with a Pinterest board – it gives us a good idea of whether you’re looking for lacy, strapless, plain, blingy... A bit of research can be good, and if you’ve been on our, or your chosen store’s, website to see the range and who the designers are, that’s even better. But it’s also important to be prepared to change your mind. CONSIDER YOUR UNDIES
When you go to try dresses on, wear nudecoloured underwear rather than anything black or brightly coloured that might show through. BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR BUDGET
There’s no point in setting your heart on a £6,000 dress if your budget is £500. Your dress shop can’t help if you don’t tell them honestly what you can and can’t afford.
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INDEPENDENT OF THE MONTH
Aerial Collective
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SIOBHAN GODWOOD FINDS OUT ABOUT A NEW VENTURE HELPING VINTAGE AIRCRAFT FANS TAKE TO THE SKIES AND MAKE THEIR DREAMS COME TRUE
erial Collective has only been around for a few months, but it’s already causing a stir in the skies above Cambridgeshire. “We launched in December 2018,” explains Hannah Juggins, who looks after marketing at Aerial Collective, “although we are supported by the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARC), which has been around since 1994.” ARC restores and maintains aircraft, and the new company has been set up to offer experiences using the aircraft that they look after, operating out of ARC’s hangars at the iconic WWII site in Duxford, home of the Imperial War Museum. ARC had been offering some flights
in their two Spitfires, however this was limited. “We set up Aerial Collective as a new brand with its own team and its own designated website,” explains Hannah, “to ensure that people who are passionate about vintage aircraft know where to come to find out about the experiences we offer and the merchandise that we sell, all in one place.” The two Spitfires that Aerial Collective use are owned by ARC, while the Mustangs are owned by clients, who kindly loan them to the company so that enthusiasts can experience what it’s like to be a passenger in one of these amazing aircraft. “We also have a Westland Lysander, called Lizzie, and a Bristol Blenheim, both of which have been personally restored by the owner of ARC, John Romain,” says Hannah. “The Blenheim is the only air-worthy plane of its kind in the world, while last year the Lysander flew for the first time since 1944, so they’re both incredibly special. They are all ready to go, and have been flying in air shows; we are just waiting for everything to be cleared with the Civil Aviation Authority, so passenger flights will be available in both aircraft very soon.” Aerial Collective has a fantastic pool of pilots that they draw on to run their passenger flights. “We have ex-RAF pilots who have retired but still love flying,” explains Hannah, “ as well as pilots who fly
“When our passengers come back down to earth, they have ‘the Spitfire grin’ on their faces” F E B R U A R Y 2 019
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INDEPENDENT OF THE MONTH for commercial airlines like British Airways or Virgin, but want to spend their free time flying a very different kind of plane. They all have a story to tell – I spent some time putting together all their bios for the website, and it’s fascinating to hear about each pilot and where their passion for flying comes from.” Of course, the pilots have special training. A new pilot begins in a Chipmunk, moves on to a Harvard and ultimately, once standards are achieved, may fly the Spitfire. Once they’re in the Spitfire, the pilots have two days of refresher training every year to ensure that they keep their skills up to date. As well as the aircraft experiences, Aerial Collective also offers a range of plane-related merchandise, perfect for the enthusiast in your life whose budget might not be able to stretch all the way to a flight in a Spitfire. “People were always asking to buy the T-shirts we had designed for the guys working on the aircraft,” says Hannah, “so now we have a range the customers can buy, as well as sew-on patches, jewellery and watches.” Aerial Collective flies all year round, but flying season officially starts in March, when there is more light and the weather is a bit more reliable. “We will take people up during the winter, but if you’re flying in cloud, or very dull and overcast conditions, you’re just not getting the best possible experience,” says Hannah. “We want you to be able to see the spectacular Cambridgeshire countryside, so flying during the spring and summer is recommended!” Although Aerial Collective has only been active since December last year, it has had huge amounts of interest so far, with lots of flights already booked for the flying season ahead. With that in mind, and the start of the flying season approaching, anyone who wants to experience a flight in one of these wonderful aircraft should move fast. “We’ve had lots of enquiries already about the Blenheim and the Lysander in particular,” says Hannah, “and these aircraft won’t be undertaking as many flights as we do in the Spitfires and the Mustangs, so it will be a very unique experience, and one that people should book as soon as possible, once available, if they really want to do it.” Aerial Collective’s website is packed with wonderful stories about all of the aircraft, including details of their history and how they were restored, as well as all the information about the flying experiences on offer. “When our passengers come back down to earth, they always have what we call ‘the Spitfire grin’ on their faces,” says Hannah. “For some people, flying in one of our aircraft is a dream come true, which is a really wonderful thing to be a part of.” l Aerial Collective | Building 425, Duxford Airfield, Duxford, Cambridge CB22 4QR 01223 653830 | aerialcollective.co.uk
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TEAL ANIMAL PRINT MIDI DRESS
£69.50, Oliver Bonas, Sidney Street
ALTO BOOT
£99, Office, Grand Arcade
L A T M I C N N I A ST IN
S TI T N I R IN D P E PR D R N A H O P 19. T RY A N D E L R 0 IE, ER 2 RBE RS, A D U ’ T M I, B THE H A N M C IT O O W /SU UC NY IT W T G G A S J U P R I N T H E G M G S U TS T N HA R S ON ON WIN RME T O A N D E F E S A M LO R E N C P I E C L K S FO L T I C G T A A Y E S T H N G E O N AT W E A D D - TA S R ’ D R L C IT VE E G H A O N E N T I S A E O PA N I I T AZ U R E E T F L L A OV P R C K WE M B N T L ST R G E O CARLLEA I A GH LU B AS A MULE W ES S E HI DE £75, Dune, V H T Y John Lewis
YELLOW LEOPARD PRINT DRESS
£25, F&F at Tesco
LEOPARD PRINT OVERSIZED BLOUSE
£19.99, Zara, St Andrew’s Street
JUNGLE CAT MESH TOP
£59, Whistles, Trinity Street
ANIMAL PRINT SKIRT, EDIT BY MARK HEYES LEOPARD PRINT DRESS
£35, M&S, Sidney Street
£45, Bonmarché
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FAS H I O N
HOW TO WEAR IT Leopard print is brilliantly versatile and can be worn any which way to add a hint of rebelliousness to your outfit. Style a floaty midi skirt with a light knit and trainers for an on-trend casual ensemble, jazz up your workwear with an oversized leopard print shirt, or keep it subtle with a leopard print accent like a pair of boots or a clutch bag.
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Checked Faux Double-Breasted Blazer, £45; Brown Animal Print Jacquard D-Ring Pinafore Dress, £28; Cream Funnel Neck Pointelle Knitted Jumper, £30; all Miss Selfridge, Lion Yard
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B E AU T Y
the
BEAUTY T
he classic catwalk trends recycle every season: red lips, smokey eyes. They’re all looks we’ve seen – and probably tried out – before, so rather than focusing on the trends for spring/summer 2019, I’ve been taking stock of some of the best products out there to up your game when it comes to recreating some of these favourite looks. Make-up artist Diane Kendal’s golden smokey eye for Tom Ford is very 70s glam, but rather than simply going heavyhanded with the black shadow, save time and get deeper colour with kohl and eyeshadow pencils. Using a creamy black kohl pencil under eyeshadow works as a primer for deep shades, so your powder will stay put longer and boast richer depth. I love Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon (£20, Harvey Nichols) for a lacquered look. Dust over with Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette, The Dolce Vita (£39, John Lewis) for a pop of shimmer or, for speed, grab a Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Pencil like Bronzed Garnet (£19, John Lewis) and swipe over lids. Coloured mascara: it’s not for everyone. But, worn over the base of a black formula, can add a fun flutter to your look and was seen on models at the SS19 Ulla Johnson show. NYX has lots of pretty shades for £6, including Perfect Pear and Mint Julep – sure to make brown eyes sparkle (nyxcosmetics.co.uk).
bible
Foils have been so popular for eyes that it’s hardly surprising to see this technique used on lips too. The Jeremy Scott SS19 show went all out with metallic pouts, but for a more wearable style, try a gloss like Lottie London Lip Foil in Sinner (£5.95, Superdrug) or Lime Crime Lip Toppers (£18, cultbeauty.co.uk), stunning iridescent shades that transform when worn over liquid lipstick. The full foil effect can be achieved by using Lip Rock Lip Foil, which can be found on Amazon for around £6.99. Or, for a DIY method, see which shimmer eyeshadows you have and try pressing them over a sheer gloss or balm. Natural, barely there make-up (as seen at Michael Kors) can actually be really tricky to achieve. Glowy skin is the goal and IT Cosmetics makes this easier with the Bye Bye Under Eye concealer (£23.50, Boots), which is a total dream for covering up those late nights. The CC+ cream (£30) is also an amazing product for offering a poreless finish and full coverage, without looking too cakey. It also includes SPF50+, which makes it a real winner in my books. l
“Using a black kohl pencil under eyeshadow works as a primer, so your powder will stay put longer and boast richer depth” CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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WORDS BY DAISY DICKINSON
THE ONE THAT I WANT
For the ultimate in soft, pampered skin, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream has been a cabinet fave for years. Even better is that the best-selling formula has recently had a rework and is now totally paraben-free! Apparently, Kiehl’s is working to remove parabens from all its products by the end of this year. The Ultra Facial Cream costs £24.50 and I’m told it took five years and more than 114 versions to perfect the product you’ll now find in pots. Dash to Space NK on Trinity Street, which is also dog friendly, to grab a pot for yourself.
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HEALTH WELLNESS
&
IN NEED OF A LITTLE TLC THIS MONTH? FROM OPTING FOR AN ETHICALLY MINDED SALON TO BRAVING THE OUTDOORS IN A HOT TUB, HEREʼS OUR ROUND-UP OF ALL THE LATEST WELL-BEING OFFERINGS IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE
R EF R ESH AT N E W S A LON Recently opened on Mill Road, new salon Re:fresh offers a full complement of hair and beauty treatments with an ethical, organic approach. Wherever possible, everything used at the salon is biodegradable, recycled and ethically sourced – from styling products right the way down to the Fairtrade teas and coffees they serve. This ethical approach extends to the business practices and treatment of staff, too, which was crucial for founders Hollie and Vanessa from the outset. “Everyone within the salon is self-employed and everyone pays sustainable and fair weekly rent, but can work the hours they need throughout it to help accommodate a life outside work,” explains Hollie, who learned her craft as a hairdresser at Errol Douglas in Knightsbridge before going on to work as a hairdresser for musicians, fashion shows and magazines shoots. “It’s just as important to us
to create an ethical working environment for the workers, as well as the products and practices. The object is to create a salon that has as low carbon and chemical impact as possible, but also has a high end, contemporary and bespoke environment for its clientele,” says Hollie. She now specialises in vegan, organic, low-chemical hair colour, while Vanessa is a beauty and aesthetics specialist with years of experience working in Cambridge. Treatments on offer include bio sculpture nails which use vegan, non-toxic gel, plus haircare by ethical brand Organic Colour Systems, and waxing, threading, massage and bespoke facials. The duo are always open to ideas for new services they could offer as well – and to make it extra convenient, the salon is open until 9.30pm three nights a week, which is perfect for squeezing in that cut, colour or treatment after work in the week. refreshcambridge.com
NEW OPENING
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NEW AT Y SPA A spa day is the perfect boost for body and mind – something we all might like in the midst of winter. The multi award-winning Y Spa, located at The Waterfront Hotel, Wyboston Lakes, is a fantastic local option, offering good value spa days and treatments together with impressive facilities. With its Thermal Spa suite (comprising a soft sauna, Rasul, salt cabin, steam room and more), experience showers, ‘frost wall’ and stunning outdoor hydrotherapy pool – not to mention chill-out rooms with bubble beds – a spa day here is a one-way ticket to blissful relaxation. Both the new Murad Wellness Day and Elemis Refresh Day are designed to make you feel amazing, and include a two-course lunch, a treatment, time to relax in the Thermal Spa and a free branded gift. They’re priced at £74 per person. yspa.co.uk
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H E A LT H & W E L L N E SS
WOR K SHOP S AT PAUS .
In need of a little R&R? Slip away to PAUS., the gorgeous, Scandinavian-inspired hot tub retreat nestled in the Cambridgeshire countryside. Year round, you can enjoy wood-fired hot tubs and authentic barrel saunas, plus enjoy delicious food and drinks at the Hilltop Terrasse. As well as relaxing your body at PAUS., you can expand your mind at one of its workshops. Stop by on 9 February for a variety of plant-based sessions, covering how to look after your house plants, making a mini Kokedama and creating a closed terrarium using polka dot plants and fittonia (times vary, £35 each). Or on the 24th, join in with the Wellbeing Warehouse Retreat Day, where you’ll enjoy a two-hour yoga class, a bathe in a hot tub, a hot drink and a bite to eat (£50). pauscambridge.com CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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Education O P E N DAYS S P E C I A L • S P OT L I G H T O N OA KS I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C H O O L
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E D U CAT I O N
Decision
TIME
WHEN IT COMES TO SCHOOL OPEN DAYS, ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL. CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS LOOKS AT THE DIFFERENT APPROACHES LOCAL SCHOOLS ARE TAKING
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E D U CAT I O N
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hen it comes to open days, some schools say it with an art display, others with science experiments – the weirder and more wonderful, the better. Others use music as the medium, employing orchestras or jazz bands to say it in perfect harmony, or opt for displays of gymnastics, dancing, acting or sport. Some schools have gone a different route, toning down the all-singing, all-dancing approach in favour of offering prospective parents an authentic slice of school life, with visits that take place on ordinary school days. Whether conveyed through synchronised swimming or an everyday maths lesson, the message is the same: the school is demonstrating it knows what it’s doing. You can rest assured that if your child goes there, they’ll be in safe hands. Helen Hynd, director of pastoral care at The Leys, says it’s always worth asking who is going to be interested in your child, particularly if they’re somewhere in the middle of the ability range. “As a parent, I don’t want to know if they’ve got a library session, I want to know if somebody’s going to say, ‘What have you read this week?’ or ‘Have you signed up for clubs this week?’. It’s that person who’s going to be taking a personal interest and touching base on a weekly basis.” However multidimensional our lives today, our children’s education has remained – perhaps surprisingly – remarkably unchanged over the years. Then, as now, we want to be sure that exams will be passed and sports, arts and activities are well catered for. At any school event these days, it’s a rare head teacher who won’t acknowledge the impact of technology. Changes are whistling through many industries at an almost unimaginable speed and educators are charged with preparing pupils for a life they can only guess at. “I like the phrase ‘preparing children for an interesting future’, because that’s what it’s going to be,” says Peter Woodroffe, deputy chief executive officer at the Independent Schools Association. He says that schools have a vital role to play in preparing pupils to become, among other things, “resilient, adaptable, resourceful and able to communicate and collaborate”. This is necessary, given that human operators – even highly trained ones – may be traded for AI that is capable of doing just one job supremely well, such as achieving a high level of accuracy in, say, detecting cell anomalies in scans or trawling thousands of legal cases to support an appeal. If mere flesh and blood can’t hope to match AI, parents may even start to wonder how much point there is in suggesting careers in (previously) rock solid professions, such as medicine or law.
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It’s hard to answer, says James Piper, head of The Perse Prep. “One of the questions that’s been asked for a while is: how do you prepare children for jobs in 40 years’ time, when we don’t know what they are going to be?” However, while computers will increasingly outperform humans in many fields, there are plenty of skills where carbon-based (as opposed to artificial) intelligence continues to win hands down. “There are areas where humans will continue to have the edge. It all comes back to things like work ethic, attitude, character and judgement,” explains James. One of his tips for visiting parents is to ask about some of the less visible aspects of school life, including assemblies and PSHE lessons. They are wonderful ways of helping children develop softer skills, such as good eye contact and a confident handshake. Useful, for example, when they’re being presented with an award. “So much in life is about relationships,” he points out. Knowing how to react and behave in a range of situations remains a highly desirable quality among employers – particularly as computers, at least for now, just can’t compete.
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“How do you prepare children for jobs in 40 years’ time?” Woven into school life these days, there’s also a growing emphasis on wellbeing. Unlike exam results, you won’t see league tables that measure children’s resilience and ability to bounce back from a setback, yet it’s something that schools see as increasingly important. At The Leys, for example, enormous effort has gone into initiatives linked to well-being. A mental health project, now in its second year, was the brainchild of senior pupils who wanted to give this subject a higher profile within the school. “Last year, it was about the pupils and supplying resources. This year, it’s about educating the staff,” says Helen Hynd. The school is currently training academic and support staff as mental
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first-aid trainers and has recently appointed well-being and community prefects – something that’s crucial to giving children the strength, as well as the skills, to cope in a rapidly changing world. “We’re looking at mental and emotional health – everything that allows a person to flourish,” explains Helen. The school is rigorous in evaluating its success, too. Pupils, parents and staff are all surveyed to measure year-on-year progress and shape future programmes. Other initiatives include reducing reliance on mobile phones. The Leys was one of the first schools in the country to ban pupils between years seven to ten from having phones in school. In addition to tackling the issue of cyberbullying, it’s u F E B R U A R Y 2 019
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E D U CAT I O N
“We’re looking at mental and emotional health”
© THE PERSE SCHOOL
allowed conversational skills to flourish among students. “You can see pupils sitting round talking to each other again. They have been very positive about supporting it,” says Helen. The Perse Prep, too, is very clear on the benefits – and limitations – of technology. While it can be incredibly useful, the most crucial element in the classroom is the teacher, says James. “It’s the values at a very impressionable age that are going to be key,” he says. “I say to prospective parents that you won’t remember a single lesson from when you were at school, but I guarantee you’ll remember your teachers, because they are role models.” He describes the importance, not just of exam qualifications, which ‘get your brain thinking’, but of being part of a warm and happy school community where heart and head are both fully engaged. Traditional though this may sound, it remains crucial to preparing children for the future. No school can educate a child to out-calculate highly advanced robots and AI. However, what they can do is provide a holistic approach. One that gives pupils not just the exam results they need, but also the ability to take on and enjoy the challenge of building a full and fulfilling life in a rapidly changing world with confidence and success. l
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E D U CAT I O N E D U C AT I O N S P OT L I G H T
International
MINDEDNESS MARTIN SKELTON, DIRECTOR OF LEARNING AND EDUCATION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP, A GROUP WHICH INCLUDES THE NEWLYNAMED OAKS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, ON THIS WORTHWHILE BUT TRICKY SUBJECT
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irst things first, what is international mindedness? By definition, it’s a good thing. It would be a brave soul in 2019 who said that they don’t think we should be internationally minded or that children and students shouldn’t experience its development in school and in their lives. Not even Donald Trump or the biggest Brexiteer would go that far. International mindedness often seems to be a huge dumping ground for everyone’s pet themes, such as peace studies, the environment, globalisation, the economy and more. I have been helped hugely by one sentence from the psychologist Howard Gardner, who said that the whole purpose of human development is ‘a decline in egocentrism’. In other words, less about ‘me’ and more about ‘us’. I find it helpful because it describes the journey we make as humans from the two year old screaming in the supermarket because they can’t get their own way, to Nelson Mandela coming out of prison to negotiate immediately and respectfully with those he had previously fought and who had been his captors. It means we develop an increasing sense of others alongside an increasing sense of self. What does this mean for different ages? Discussions and definitions of international mindedness (and so many other things) in education are too often driven from the perspective of 16- to 18-year-old school leavers. But international mindedness begins when children are very young and continues to develop through their schooling. We need to put as much work into defining what a ‘declining sense of egocentricism’ might look like when children are five, seven, nine or 11 as when they are 18; its roots are laid down during youth. What does brain research tell us about developing international mindedness? First, the brain hardwires continually revisited experiences (it doesn’t just hard-wire good experiences, the brain isn’t moral in that way). This is why the primary age is so crucial CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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in the development of international mindedness. The different repetitive experiences – good or bad, helpful or unhelpful – that the young child’s brain lays down are hardwired responses that are very difficult to unlearn. If we want children to be respectful of others we have to start practising as soon as possible. Second, the part of the brain that handles most complex thinking – the prefrontal cortex – hits its development between the ages of 18 and 24. The research tells us that international mindedness, because it is so complex, starts young and finishes somewhere in adulthood, if it finishes at all. What does ‘developing international mindedness’ mean as we help children and students grow and learn? In order to help children develop international mindedness we have to create practices that take into account where their brains are developmentally. A ‘declining sense of egocentrism’ at the age of five might be no more than coming to the realisation that when someone borrows your eraser they are not stealing it, and that letting someone borrow your eraser can help make your table a more pleasant place to be. At the age of 16 it might involve
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students on projects that embed them inside cultures significantly different to their own. Other languages are important precisely because they are a way of finding our way respectfully into other cultures and having the opportunity to diminish our egocentrism in a context that would otherwise be very difficult. But learning languages isn’t a guarantee of anything. Depending on our hardwiring, even the act of learning them can increase our separation from others. It means that our behaviour in class and around children and students, and with colleagues, parents and others, has to model a declining sense of egocentrism, too. The idea that teachers are some of the most powerful people in children’s lives is not necessarily a good thing. The good news is that as we continue to refine and agree what we mean by international mindedness and as we develop our curricula, our practices in classrooms and at home and our mindsets as school leaders and parents, we can help children become the kind of people who can live successfully and happily in this very interdependent world of ours. l F E B R U A R Y 2 019
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Home Edition © DEBENHAMS
S P R I N G GA R D E N S • E D I T I O N LO V E S • CO SY I N T E R I O R S
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GA R D E N S
How does your
GARDEN GROW?
ANNA TAYLOR, OWNER OF ANNA’S FLOWER FARM IN AUDLEY END, SHARES WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE GARDEN THIS MONTH
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e are just a few weeks away from blinking into the spring sunshine and by the end of the month, the days will have lengthened by a full two hours, looking towards enjoying milder days and signs of the end of winter. We gardeners hold back from doing too much in the garden while the soil is soggy and can be compacted from too much treading, insects are hibernating and growth is slow to appear. It can be frustrating when March brings an explosion of jobs, but I suggest you sit back, enjoy this month of rest and plan for the year ahead. To bring the outside in, especially while it’s still so cold, we store pruned fruit branches in buckets of water in the dark and bring them inside over the next few weeks to force the blossom open. Then we can enjoy the display together with the first bulbs of Narcissus (daffodils) and snowdrops. I love to use hazel, beech and willow to make bare branch wreaths and wire on pouches of wet moss to hydrate bundles of hellebores and diminutive winter flowers for the front door. It brings so much optimism to enjoy these flowers at head height when they can be often missed in the garden. I have noticed that many February flowers hang their heads coyly, making it hard to appreciate the blooms, so I also like to float clematis cirrhosa and hellebores in shallow bowls of water for the table. We can’t ignore the big date of the month, Valentine’s Day; I love the connotations of sending messages to your loved ones, but abhor the commercialism of sending expensive imported and chemical-ridden flowers. This year, please try to buy British flowers or at least fair-traded flowers. Anna’s Flower Farm is a member of ‘Flowers from the Farm’, a not-for-profit network of British flower growers and florists that promotes wonderful seasonal British-grown flowers. You won’t find roses in Britain in February, but you will get wonderful scented bulbs, branches and foliage. CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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Instead of flowers, you could give packets of seeds, potted plants or even a rose bush for your loved one to grow and enjoy for much longer this summer. Everyone has a memory of a sentimental flower or plant and this makes a thoughtful gift. And what about Galantine’s Day? This is celebrated on 13 February and is an opportunity to recognise your female friendships. I hold a special lunch or dinner, showing appreciation for the love and support of the women in my life. I dress the table with single bud vases of precious February stems and make little posies for guests. This year, I received a copy of the The Illustrated Language of Flowers and plan on writing out the meanings as notes to make the gifts more personal. For instance, in February, snowdrops are for hope and white hyacinth symbolises ‘unobtrusive loveliness’. Now wouldn’t that have far more meaning than a bunch of imported roses? l
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THIS MONTH
Anna hosts regular garden open days, events, talks and classes in the studio at her flower farm in Audley End, just outside Saffron Walden. Head to the website for 2019 event listings. annasflowerfarm.com
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INTERIORS
Cosy Corners
IN THE DEPTHS OF WINTER, THERE’S NOTHING BETTER THAN RETREATING TO YOUR OWN COSY CORNER. ANGELINA VILLA-CLARKE REVEALS HOW TO CREATE THE MOST INVITING INTERIORS, SO YOU’LL NEVER WANT TO STEP FOOT OUTSIDE AGAIN CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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our bedroom should be the ultimate personal retreat – a place you look forward to heading to last thing at night. To make it as cosy as possible, invest in a luxurious bed and pile it with layers of beautiful textiles, like the sophisticated range from Secret Linen Store. Next, surround yourself with muted tones and go for ambient lighting. It’s all about creating an impression of sumptuousness and peacefulness. “For 2019, the maximalist interior trend won’t be stopping,” says Adam Black, co-founder of Button & Sprung, which is renowned for its handmade beds. “It is best played out in the bedroom. Create a luxurious opulence by opting for layered linens and bed throws, statement side tables or lamps.” Offering a range of bed styles – from wooden sleigh beds to four-posters – And So To Bed is a good port of call for classic and modern designs. “Your bed is your place of comfort and serenity, which is why we are experts in luxury handmade
beds – each one handcrafted for supreme comfort,” says a spokesperson for the brand. “We recognise each person has different sleeping needs, which is why we offer customisable options on each bed for true individuality.” Whether you opt for a lush velvet surround in a bold colourway or a classic metal bedstead, the comfort factor comes from how you dress the bed. Perfect for days spent under the duvet, Clarissa Hulse’s new Blowing Grasses collection of cotton bed linen features beautiful designs in shades of indigo. It feels fresh and modern and is inspired by the English and Greek countryside. Similarly, Undercover’s new Ponto range is bang on-trend with its terrazzo design. u
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BED INTERIORS
COSY UP YOUR BEDROOM KARL LINDHE, BRAND DIRECTOR AT URBAN COLLECTIVE, GIVES HIS TOP TIPS HONEST MATERIALS
Always go for good quality – it will last you a long time and age with dignity. HARMONISED COLOURS
You can mix and match all of the Urban Collective bed linen, with classic grey and bamboo working well with contemporary lilac, petrol blue and lichen green. SIMPLE AND FUNCTIONAL
Let everything have a purpose and a function. Don’t clutter your bedroom with unnecessary things.
Previous page Cotswold Prussian range of fabrics, from £25 per metre, ILIV Opposite Blowing Grasses Double Duvet, £55, Clarissa Hulse Main Brompton Caned Bed, from £2,515, And So To Bed This page, from bottom left Camelia King Size Bed in Slate Wool, £1,075, Button and Sprung; Lilac Recycled Wool Throw, £109, Urban Collective
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Clockwise, from bottom left Pink Velvet Buttoned Chair, £999, The Pink House X Sofas & Stuff; Minimalist Wood Burning Stove, £2,400, Morsø; Harper Sofa in Deep Turquoise Velvet, £1,275, Sofa.com
TEXTILES WITH A CONSCIENCE KATE ANDERSON OF ECOSOPHY ON CREATING A MINDFUL HOME Cosiness is all about warmth, tactility and materials that stimulate the senses. Soft colours, textural fabrics and scented candles all help create a peaceful environment. My top tip is to invest in some jersey bedding. It’s knitted rather than woven, which means it wraps closely around the body, keeping out any chills.
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“Darker tones are perfect for creating a calm atmosphere” Creating an indulgent feel with its rich and moody tones, ILIV’s new range of bed linens is perfect for creating a statement look. Design manager, Debbie Leigh, says: “Inky blues are slowly becoming the new grey and these darker tones are perfect for creating a calm and soothing atmosphere, especially in a bedroom.” When it comes to your living space, there is nothing that creates that cosy feeling quite like having a roaring fire. Arada Stoves’ compact designs work well in smaller spaces, while Morsø’s ultra-modern burners add a point of interest to the room. “There’s nothing quite like the contentment and comfort that a real fire
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brings to a home,” says Declan KingsleyWalsh, managing director at Morsø UK. “A wood-burning stove will ensure that your room is heated up quickly, as well as creating a truly calming ambience.” To continue this warm feel, opt for carpet underfoot, which offers the ultimate inviting scheme. “When we think of cosy living spaces, we think of soft textures and warm, homely colours,” says Natalie Littlehales, consumer marketing manager at Brintons. “The texture of wool underfoot is the perfect base upon which to shape a comfortable and inviting interior scheme.” When it comes to furniture, you can’t beat a rich jewel tone for a touch of u
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glamorous relaxation. Andrew Cussins, founder of Sofas and Stuff, agrees: “From rich peacock blues and emerald greens to earthy mustards and ruby reds, jewel tones are an easy way to add a real style statement to your home and will see you through all seasons.” Meanwhile, Vanessa Hurley-Perera, chief product officer at Sofa.com, suggests that shades of blue will be the most appealing colourway for 2019. “We’re predicting blue will be the focus for pattern and colour. Interesting floral arrangements, which play with mixtures of blue hues with bright pops of colour, will add something special to any room.” A statement chair is the perfect way to add an element of drama to a room – as well as offering the ultimate go-to on a winter’s day. Artisanna London’s 1920s-style velvet chairs give a chic feel, while My Furniture’s classic armchair and footstool combinations are a modern update on an age-old design and are available in a contemporary choice of colours. Add in soft herringbone throws from Weaver Green for quiet evenings in. Finally, Lorna McAleer, interiors expert at window blinds brand, Style Studio, reveals that the latest lifestyle concept to permeate the world of interior design is all about ‘slow living’. It is a trend that will see homemakers curating spaces where they can relax and enjoy living in the moment. “Comfort is a key factor within this trend – allowing homeowners to enjoy being lazy without feeling guilty about it,” she says. “Clutter-free rooms, reading nooks and cosy, tech-free spaces offer an escape for people to find sanctuary within their homes. Calming colourways, including warm neutrals, blues that inspire serenity and concentration and easy-to-live-with pastels feature heavily. It’s all about creating an escape within your home.” l F E B R U A R Y 2 019
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I N TXEXRXIXOX RX SX X S TO C K I S T S And So To Bed 0808 144 4343 andsotobed.co.uk Arada Stoves 01297 632050, aradastoves.com Artisanna London 07802 535 789 artisannalondon.com Brintons 01562 635665, brintons.net Button & Sprung 03333 201 801 buttonandsprung.com Clarissa Hulse 020 7226 7055 clarissahulse.com Ecosophy ecosophy.co.uk ILIV i-liv.co.uk 01772 651199 Morso morsoe.com/en My Furniture 0800 092 1636 my-furniture.com Secret Linen Store 01243 822 599 secretlinenstore.com Sofa.com 0345 400 2222, sofa.com Sofas & Stuff 0808 178 3211 sofasandstuff.com Style Studio 0141 814 3500 stylestudio.co.uk Undercover 020 7099 8281 undercoverliving.com Urban Collective urbancollective.com Weaver Green 0844 414 2155 weavergreen.co.uk
Opposite Mentosa Teal Armchair, ÂŁ294.99, My Furniture Main Nixon Midnight and Nova Sky blind fabrics, prices vary, Style Studio Above Under Ponto King Size Duvet Set, ÂŁ130, Undercover Living
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XXXXXXXX HERRINGBONE THROW
£16, sainsburyshome.co.uk
VINTAGE AMBER PEAR EDISON BULB
£15, industville.co.uk
CALM APOTHECARY CANDLE
£7.50, marksandspencer.com INDIGO SHIBORI CUSHION COVER
QUATTRO SHEEPSKIN RUG
£75, ecosophy.co.uk
£240, oliverbonas.com
EDI T ION
LOVES
MUSTARD QUILTED BED SPREAD
£50, sainsburyshome.co.uk
NAPPA TABLE LAMP
£115, oliverbonas.com
LRNCE VISAGE CUSHION
£88, anewtribe.co.uk
DAKOTA VINTAGE PERSIAN QASHQAI KILIM
£750, lillarugs.com
FLORENCE CHAIR
from £1,450, artisannalondon.com
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