Cambridge Edition January 2017 by Bright Publishing

Cambridge JANUARY 2017

Your monthly fix of local life www.cambsedition.co.uk

MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE...

GIG GUIDE ❖

Arts & Culture ❖

CAMBRIDGE'S WELLBEING WONDERS ❖

Hero eats ❖

7 OF THE BEST BOOKS SET IN CAMBRIDGE ❖

Feel-good recipes

Cambridge

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CONTENTS

Welcome

After a month of festive loveliness in Cambridge, from the packed Mill Road Winter Fair to the booze-filled, 80s soundtracked shenanigans of Winter Thirstyfest and the community spirited joy of Mitcham’s & Merrier festival, it’s easy to feel a little deflated now January is here. But, in what could be a dull and depressing month, we hope to bring you an issue filled with inspiration to put a spring in your step. ’Tis now the season for fresh starts and good intentions – and what better way to do that than to start something new? Over on page 71, we’ve got a round-up of some fantastic courses and classes in the area, so if you dream about learning a new language, training to be a florist, picking up a new or long-neglected hobby – be it dressmaking or ballroom dancing, satisfying an intellectual itch or creative calling, or perhaps impressing dinner guests with your whizzy chef skills, this one’s for you. There’s a cornucopia of options for adult learning – so jump right in, the water’s lovely! We also shine the spotlight on Cambridge’s well-being wonders over on page 63; from fun-packed sports to energising eats and advice from a personal trainer – take a look if you’re in need of an extra bit of new year motivation. Or, perhaps you just want to curl up with a good book and hibernate the month away? Head to page 23 and read about some literary treasures set right here in Cambridge. However you spend it, have a wonderful month, all!

NICOLA FOLEY, EDITOR IN CHIEF

EDITORIAL 5 • REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL Here’s why you should be happy that January is here

39 • HERO EATS Three things you need to eat in Cambridge right now

7-9 • NIGHTLIFE Bust those January blues with a night out at one of these local events

41 • REVIEW In the spotlight this month, it’s hip, modern Regent Street hang-out Novi

10-11 • MUSIC BLOG Slate the Disco highlight their gig picks for the month

42-45 • RECIPES Edition pops along to Cambridge Cookery School to pick up some delicious new recipes

13-19 • ARTS & CULTURE Exhibitions, concerts and more 20-21 • ART INSIDER Ruthie Collins gives you the inside track on the Cambridge art scene 23-26 • CAMBRIDGE BOOKS Cambridge has proved a rich source of inspiration for authors – here’s some of the best books set in the city 28-29 • SYD BARRETT SPECIAL We take a look back over the life of Cambridge’s ‘Crazy Diamond’ 33-36 • FOOD NEWS This month’s new openings, foodie events and all the news you need on the local gastro scene

Cover Art

This month’s cover image is by local artist Vanessa Stone. A regular on the Cambridge Edition cover, you can see more of her beautiful work or commission your own piece on her website. www.vanessastoneartist.com

47-49 • FAMILY Great ideas for entertaining your little ones this month 50-51 • LISTINGS Our at-a-glance guide to the month’s top events 53 • FASHION Bright and cheery style picks from local boutiques 54-55 • INDIE OF THE MONTH We pay homage to a true Cambridgeshire great: the multi-award winning Gog 57 • CAMBRIDGE BID This month’s update from Cambridge BID 58-59 • BEAUTY Fake a great night’s sleep with Daisy Dickinson’s tips 63-69 •WELL-BEING We take a look at Cambridge’s well-being wonders, from spas to eateries and fitness spots 71-75 • EDUCATION Want to seize that new year motivation? Take a look at our round-up of classes and courses in the area 79-85 • CONFERENCING Cambridge is making a mark for itself as a worldfamous conference destination – we see what’s on offer

Editor in chief Nicola Foley 01223 499459 nicolafoley@bright-publishing.com Senior sub editor Lisa Clatworthy Sub editors Catherine Brodie & Siobhan Godwood

ADVERTISING

Account director Natasha Blatcher 01223 499457 natashablatcher@bright-publishing.com Senior sales executive James Player 01223 492240 jamesplayer@bright-publishing.com Senior sales executive Natalie Robinson 01223 499451 natalierobinson@bright-publishing.com Key accounts Tom Smith 01223 499463 tomsmith@bright-publishing.com Senior sales executive Mary Underwood 01223 499458 maryunderwood@bright-publishing.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Alex Rushmer, Angelina Villa-Clarke, Jordan Worland, Ruthie Collins, Cyrus Pundole, Siobhan Godwood, Daisy Dickinson, Charlotte Phillips, Sam Cooke

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Designer Flo Thomas 01223 492242 flothomas@bright-publishing.com Ad production Lucy Woolcomb 01223 499468 lucywoolcomb@bright-publishing.com

MANAGING DIRECTORS

Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck 01223 499450

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/CambsEdition FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @cambsedition FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @cambsedition

www.bright-publishing.com

87-103 • PROPERTY & HOME Great ideas for creating your dream kitchen, plus all the latest news and opinions from the buzzing Cambridge property market

CAMBRIDGE EDITION MAGAZINE • Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3HJ, 01223 499450, www.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

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NEWS

REASONS TO BE

January Sale

Everyone likes a bargain and Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair is the place to go for retro chic at excellent prices. Back in town at The Guildhall, entry is £2 for their January sale, on the 22nd from 11am to 4pm. A total of 45 vintage traders and design-makers from across the country will be present, and as well clothing and accessories there will be jewellery, collectables, retro prints and homeware. Once you’ve shopped till you’ve dropped, you can enjoy a wedge of home-made cake and a nice cup of tea in the vintage café area – perfection!

Eke out that festive feeling with a trip to the theatre to see Dick Whittington, this year’s Arts Theatre panto, which runs until 8 January. It stars Paul Nicholas as King Rat and is directed by West End veteran Carole Todd. Over at the Corn Exchange, Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet perform Swan Lake on 1 January, and for something a little, or rather, very different, try the Addenbrooke’s charity pantomime The Clinical Trials of Hercules, 24-28 January. Not suitable for children, it’s performed by students of Cambridge Clinical School of Medicine.

Ale and hearty The 21st Cambridge Winter Ale Festival is the perfect time to sample top beers from a wide range of breweries. The festival is run by the good people behind Cambridge Beer Festival at Cambridge & District CAMRA. It takes place at the University Social Club from 19 to 21 January and there are beers, ciders, meads and perries to try from all corners of the world – as well as plenty of locally made tipples.

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Your weekly Cambridge

Three festive cheers

Want to make the most out of your weekends and free time? Sign up for the Cambridge Edition weekly newsletter, the Cambridge EDIT, which is lovingly curated by the Cambridge Edition team each week to deliver you a bite-sized rundown of the very best local events happening over the next seven days. From new foodie openings to theatre shows, gigs and art exhibitions, it’s your one-stop shop for getting the most out of life in your city. Sign up at www. cambsedition.co.uk.

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NIGHTLIFE

JANUARY CHECK OUT LOCAL EVENTS ONLINE cambsedition.co.uk

COMEDY AT THE JUNCTION There’s a busy month of laughs planned at Cambridge Junction this month, kicking off with Miles Jupp, who brings his Songs of Freedom show to the venue on the 8th. Miles, who you might recognise from the television show Rev., will be attempting to make sense of identity, manners, hipsters, social media and the opposite sex in his own inimitable style. He’s followed on the 13th by Andrew Lawrence, who’s show is billed as “full of morally repugnant, borderline criminal material in the very poorest taste.” Not one for the easily offended then, we’d venture, but one thing’s for sure – you can expect some very close-to-the-bone comedy. Next up, on the 20th, catch Ahir Shah, who’s bringing his Machines tour to town – offering a politically-charged dose of stand-up which takes a frank and funny look at the more alarming elements of international politics. Finally, the award-winning Simon Munnery stops by on the 27th, serving up his brand-new show Standing Still. Described by The Guardian as a “must-see for any comedy connoisseur”, his new show features skits, poems and plenty of wry observations. www.junction.co.uk

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NIGHTLIFE

CLASSIC ROCK SHOW In what has got to be the ultimate January blues buster, the acclaimed Classic Rock Show hits the Corn Exchange on the 31st, celebrating the greatest moments in rock with a brand new show. No having to listen to an hour and a half of questionable new

material here: The A-Z of Rock powers from AC/DC, Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, Eagles, ELO, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meatloaf and Queen to The Who, Zeppelin, ZZ Top. But this isn’t your average tribute act. The band is composed of a selection of some of

the most accomplished virtuoso musicians on the planet, serving up a rare opportunity to relive classic tracks, played to perfection in all their glory. Tickets from £26.25, starts 7.30pm. www.cornex.co.uk

CUSTARD COMEDY

We all know that when the Christmas fun comes to an abrupt end, January can be a little bit depressing. Our advice is to haul yourself off the sofa and get along to Custard Comedy in Comberton for a night of spirit-lifting laughter. In the headline spot this month is Larry Dean, a Glaswegian comic who was crowned Scottish Comedian of the Year at the tender age of 23. His star has continued to rise since then, turning out a critically acclaimed Fringe show and making appearances on shows including Live from the BBC and supporting the likes of comedy giant Eddie Izzard. Described by The Guardian as a nextgeneration Billy Connolly, he’ll be treating audiences to his cheeky chappie shtick on the 13th. He’ll be supported on the night by Luke Graves and Josh Pugh, whose confident and clever writing takes audiences off on one glorious tangent after another. The show takes place at Comberton Sports and Arts at 7.45pm and tickets are £8. www.custardcomedy.co.uk

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NIGHTLIFE

FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS 17 Feb, Junction, £26.50 Get your tickets now for next month’s Fun Lovin’ Criminals gig at Cambridge Junction. Huey and the boys are on tour in celebration of the 20th anniversary of their first album. www.junction.co.uk

JIMMY CARR

KING CREOSOTE

For the next instalment of their cornex:discover series, the Corn Exchange presents the rich, electronica-tinged folk stylings of King Creosote on 18 January. Designed to showcase music beyond the mainstream, the cornex:discover events serve up more leftfield, lesser known but brilliant artists – of which King Creosote is a prime example. A singer-songwriter hailing from Fife, real name Kenny Anderson, King Creosote has racked up 40 albums already in his impressive career. He bridges the gap between modern electronica and traditional folk, making stirring songs which borrow from Celtic influences, but with a totally modern flavour. For his Corn Exchange gig he’ll be treating the crowd to a full performance of his critically acclaimed recent album Astronaut Meets Appleman, which blends acoustic instrumentation with digital soundscapes. Released in September last year, The Independent described it as “a brilliantly concise, pointedly potent collection” which boasts an “audacious musicality masked by an understated charm and wit.” The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £20.75. www.cornex.co.uk

24 March, Corn Exchange, £30.25 An extra date has been added for the Cambridge leg of Jimmy Carr’s new tour which distils all his best bits from over the years into one, laugha-minute show. www.cornex.co.uk

MALLORY KNOX

26 March, Corn Exchange, £18.75 Hailing from our fair city, local heroes Mallory Knox are on the road in support of their new album, Wired. www.cornex.co.uk

REGINALD D HUNTER

QUADROPHENIA NIGHT

Lovers of 60s style and music should make a beeline for the Portland Arms on 7 January for a night of nostalgic fun with The Absolute Kinks. The event is hosted by Quadrophenia, who regularly put on nights that celebrate the impossibly cool music and sartorial style of subcultures from the swinging 60s. Embrace your inner mod, rocker or rude boy and head down for faithful renditions of Kinks classics like Sunny Afternoon, You Really Got Me and Dedicated Follower of Fashion, followed by a DJ set filled with great tunes from the era, from two-tone to R & B and ska. Best get out your sharpest suit too, the dress code is handsome. The show starts at 8pm and tickets are £13.50 in advance. www.theportlandarms.co.uk

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28 May, Corn Exchange, £25.75 One of the top comedians on the scene today, Reginald D Hunter is back in Cambridge in May to deliver a hilarious serving of searingly honest new material. www.cornex.co.uk

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MUSIC

Jordan Worland from local music website Slate the Disco selects his must-see gigs in Cambridge this month

appy New Year! The nights might be dark and cold but Cambridge has plenty to offer this month to entice you out from the warmth of your cosy houses to the warmth of a gig room. One of our favourite local outfits Goldblume are kicking the year off with an EP launch at The Portland on the 6th. A three-piece from Cambridge, we fully recommend their off-kilter, fuzzy sound, which takes influence from the likes of Reuben, Pulled Apart by Horses and Pixies. Sticking at the same venue, SuperGlu bring their furious, exciting lo-fi pop-punk to The Portland on the 28th. Formed in 2014 by two Bens (Brown and Ward), Brown’s brother Alex and girlfriend Krista Lynch, SuperGlu are a garage pop fourpiece from Manningtree, Essex. They’ve been championed by Amazing Radio and BBC Introducing’s Huw Stephens, who broadcast their first demo on Radio 1 in October 2014, before the band had even played a gig. They released their debut single Diving Bell via Ipswich-based

paints immersive, moving and magical pictures antigen records in April 2015, generating an instant online buzz, sufficient to secure their first festival appearance, at Latitude 2015, only nine months after they formed. 15 years ago, Jolie Holland and Samantha Parton – two founders of the wildly popular group The Be Good Tanyas – first joined forces. Now they come together once again, with a worldwide touring schedule and new studio album coming in

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2017. Their new project, as always, is a page from the big book of North Americana and outsider folk. They’re at The Portland on the 16th. Finally Hope and Social take to The Portland stage on the 27th. Kenny Anderson, or King Creosote to you and I, paints the most immersive, moving and magical pictures through his music. Mixing delicate vocals and folk guitar influences, his is a sound that provides a beautifully crafted demonstration of what can be achieved with a song and a strum. His latest record Astronaut Meets Appleman explores the tension and harmony between tradition and technology – between analogue and digital philosophies – and also invokes

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MUSIC

Stylistically unrecognisable and far darker around the edges a feeling, King Creosote says, of “being caught between heaven and earth.” Anderson makes his welcome return to Cambridge on the 18th, playing his biggest show to date at the Corn Exchange. The Corn Exchange also plays host to one of the most hyped shows of the month with Two Door Cinema Club on the 25th. 2016 saw the County Down trio release their difficult third record, four years after its predecessor. Gameshow saw the band embrace the 80s in a re-energised move following their self-imposed hiatus. Opening for them are up-and-coming indie starlets Sundara Karma who release

their debut record this month. The Reading four-piece bring chorus-heavy, anthemic singles to the party with a unique brand of psychedelic pop. They’re a band creating something qualitatively different from their indie contemporaries. The recently reformed three-piece Busted fulfil our guilty pleasure quota this month. Though stylistically unrecognisable and far darker around the edges, recent album Night Driver is still the vivid hook riot you would expect from Busted, as vivacious in their early 30s as they were in their teens. Busted play the Corn Exchange on the 30th. Billed as the folk music event of the year, The Transports tour plays the

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Cambridge Junction on the 24th. Peter Bellamy’s masterpiece ballad-opera The Transports made its first appearance in 1977, released as a vinyl double LP via Free Reed Records. The cast of the original reads like a who’s who of the folk world at the time: Martin Carthy, Nic Jones, Mike & Norma Waterson, A L Lloyd, June Tabor, Cyril Tawney, Dave Swarbrick and many more. A new production of the balladopera sees the likes of BBC award-winners The Young’uns, Faustus, Nancy Kerr and members of Bellowhead together on stage taking on this classic in what promises to be a really special experience. Sticking at the Cambridge Junction, The Steve Rothery Band take to the stage on the 14th. In a rare UK appearance, Marillion guitarist and founder member Steve Rothery performs tracks from his highly successful solo album The Ghosts of Pripyat with his band, followed by a selection of older Marillion rarities with guest vocalist Martin Jakubski. We end this line-up with a reminder that on 1 February California rockers Rival Sons play at the Cambridge Junction. The band are in a purple patch, with recent records like Great Western Valkyrie going down as a modern classics in rock circles, and tour slots with the likes of Black Sabbath. Tell us about your gig at www.slatethedisco.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

We explore the arts and culture scene in Cambridge, showcasing some of the many exciting exhibitions and shows taking place around the city

Works on Paper Print Exhibition

Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parade gallery Byard Art welcomes a new exhibition this month, featuring a range of work by talented print artists. Running from 26 January until 19 February, the show will feature a fantastic array of pieces, both framed and unframed, from popular Byard artists including Laura Jordan, Maria Rivans, Patrizio Belcampo and Vanessa Stone, whose work has featured on the cover of Cambridge Edition many times over the years. All the prints in the gallery are limited editions, with some original work also available. www.byardart.co.uk

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ARTS & CULTURE

WARREN MILLER SKI FILM TOUR Escape the pull of the sofa this month and head off on an adrenaline-pumping alpine adventure at the Cambridge leg of the Warren Miller Ski Film Tour. Taking place on 18 January at Lady Mitchell Hall, the tour is the largest of its kind in the world, and offers snow sports and film fans a chance to enjoy breathtaking footage of the world’s most accomplished skiers and snowboarders as they seek out thrilling and beautiful slopes around the world. Warren Miller Entertainment, the organisers, have been pioneers in action sports cinematography since the 1940s, when founder Warren Miller began to capture the wonder and beauty of skiing. Since then, his film crews have travelled the globe in pursuit of virgin powder and unadulterated adventure, taking filmgoers along for the exhilarating ride. In this year’s film, Here, There & Everywhere, Warren travels to locations including Greenland, the Swiss Alps and Alaska with a host of world-renowned athletes as they push the boundaries of their talent on snow-capped peaks, vast glaciers and towering, big-air jumps. Starts at 7pm and tickets cost £13.44. www.warrenmiller.co.uk

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ARTS & CULTURE

The Winter’s Tale Described by The Guardian as bringing “fresh life to the classics using intense vivid performances like a laser of light to set the text ablaze”, Cheek By Jowl are no strangers to injecting venerated prose with a dose of their own, fervid energy. This month in Cambridge, you can enjoy their take on The Winter’s Tale, one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, running at the Cambridge Arts Theatre from 31 January to 4 February. Written during the same period of time as The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale follows none of the same rules, flitting across Europe, between court and country, from low comedy to high tragedy, weaving a narrative that spans 16 years in total. A story of a delusional and paranoid king who’s tearing his family apart, darkness eventually gives way to redemption and joy as the characters proceed towards the shattering conclusion. Shows take place at 7.45pm on Tuesday to Friday, and at 2.30pm and 8pm on Saturday. Tickets are priced at £18-£33. www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

JOHN SIMPSON AT ELY CATHEDRAL

On 17 January, in the rather magnificent Ely Cathedral, spend an evening in the company of John Simpson, whose distinguished career as a BBC war correspondent has spanned more than 50 years. In that time he’s reported on all the major conflicts of

our time, offering an unflinching gaze and deep understanding of the tensions, human stories and terrible consequences of modern warfare. He’ll be discussing his book, We Chose to Speak of War and Strife, which retells pivotal moments in history, from the

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fall of Baghdad to the Crimean War, and what it took to report them to the world. The talk starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £10 (redeemable against copies of We Chose to Speak of War and Strife). www.toppingbooks.co.uk

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ARTS & CULTURE

CAMBRIDGE YOUTH OPERA Cambridge Youth Opera have transported Offenbach’s funny and sophisticated Daphnis and Chloe from Ancient Greece to Grantchester Meadows for their latest production. Naïve Daphnis and beautiful, shy Chloe are in love but too innocent to know what to do about it, or even what their feelings for each other mean. Pan is a god, disguised as a statue, who wants to entice Chloe to love him. Will Chloe escape Pan’s clutches, and will true love triumph above jealousy and intrigue? You can find out during the performances at Fitzwilliam College auditorium on 27-29 January at 7pm. cambridgeyouthopera.com

The Full Monty You’ve seen the film, now see the heart-warming story of six out-of-work steel workers baring all for a better future live on stage, right here in Cambridge. Running at the Arts Theatre from 23-28 January, the show stays faithful to the plot of the well-loved 1997 film, following a group of unemployed men in Sheffield in desperate need of money. With nothing to lose, they decide to take a leaf out of the Chippendales’ book and form a male striptease troupe, with one thing setting them apart from the crowd: they’re going to go the full monty. Adapted for the stage by Oscar-winning writer Simon Beaufoy, this uproarious production stars Gary Lucy, Anthony Lewis, Andrew Dunn, Louis Emerick, Chris Fountain and Kai Owen. The film’s soundtrack, you’ll be pleased to hear, remains intact too, featuring classic tracks by the likes of Hot Chocolate, Tom Jones and Donna Summer. Suitable for ages 14 and over and tickets are £18-£38. www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

COULD YOU BE THE NEXT FENLAND POET LAUREATE?

ENTRIES DUE 27 JANUARY

If you’ve ever felt inspired by the dramatic skies or sweeping, silent landscape of the Fens, now’s your chance to put pen to paper for a chance to become the next Fenland Poet Laureate. The competition, organised by Arts Development in East Cambridgeshire (ADeC), Fen Speak and Atelier East, invites local wordsmiths to come together, share their poetry and help put Fenland on the creative map. The winner will receive the title of Fenland Poet Laureate, writing about local events throughout the year and presenting poems for special occasions, as well as working with others to develop ideas to bring poetry to Fenland. First, second and third places will be awarded to three of the poets in both the adult (18+) category and the young (ten to 17) category, and all shortlisted and commended poets will be invited to the Fenland Poet Laureate Awards evening in March. Entrants must live, work or study in the Fens and poems must be no longer than 40 lines. The deadline for entries is 27 January. www.fenlandpoetry.co.uk

The Clinical Trials of Hercules

Eke out that festive feeling for a little longer this month with a trip to see the Addenbrooke’s Charity Pantomime at the Mumford Theatre from 24 to 28 January. Not suitable for children, The Clinical Trials of Hercules follows the adventures of Hercules on a mission to save the Clinical School from the plans of the evil Hadean and his Malignant Dean Team. But what are Hadean’s dastardly schemes, and will the heroes be able to complete the Clinical Trials that stand between them and their futures as doctors? A student production by Cambridge Clinical School of Medicine, the show is packed to the rafters with medical gags and songs, as well as a whole lot of panto-obsessed consultants. The shows are at 7.30pm and tickets are £12 (£7.50 concessions). www.anglia.ac.uk

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ARTS & CULTURE

Fitzwilliam Museum to launch AR app The Fitzwilliam Museum, which celebrated its 200th birthday in 2016, is proving that while it’s home to ancient artefacts, it’s also keeping one foot firmly in the future with the release of a high-tech new mobile app in the spring. The result of a funding grant from Discover England, the new app will make use of augmented reality to bring the stories behind the museum’s world-class collections to life. Augmented reality allows for a layer of digital content to be overlaid on a real-world experience, live, via a mobile phone – a famous recent example being the worldwide sensation Pokémon Go. The ambition at the Fitzwilliam is that harnessing this new technology will not only enrich visitors’ experiences of the museum, adding a fun and interactive new element to their trip, but also appeal to a whole new generation.

“We want it to feel like you have been given a VIP pass to explore our remarkable building and collections – a personal invitation to embark on a journey of discovery through a world of art,” explains Kate Carreno, assistant director of Central Services at the Fitzwilliam Museum and board member of Visit Cambridge. Emma Thornton, CEO of Visit Cambridge and Beyond, says: “Although Cambridge has a worldwide reputation as a heritage visitor destination, we continually need to innovate in order to reach new audiences. This augmented reality app will help us to change the way that we present and promote an important aspect of the city’s heritage, so that we can broaden its appeal to even more people.” When finished, the app will be available through online travel agencies, trade partners, the app store, and to consumers. www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

BBC RADIO 3 BIG CHAMBER WEEKEND BBC Radio 3 is popping up at Saffron Hall over the weekend of 2122 January for a series of concerts which explore chamber music in all its small and perfectly-formed beauty. On 21 January at 7.30pm, join acclaimed Norwegian pianist Christian Ihle Hadland and a threepiece string section for an evening of beautiful music which features Beethoven, Sibelius and Szymanowski, with a spot of Brahms to round the evening off. On 22 January at 2pm, journey from Grieg to Grainger at a matinee concert, and then at 7pm the same evening be treated to Mozart, Shostakovich and Dvořák’s Piano Quartet no. 2 in E Flat Major. Offering the perfect acoustics for chamber music, Saffron Hall promises to be a sublime venue for this special string of concerts, with each being recorded live for future broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Tickets are £10-£15 per show, or £30 for all three. Under 18s go free. saffronhall.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

anuary arrives, bringing with it hope for 2017. Because let’s face it, without hope – what’s left? Rebecca Solnit’s classic, Hope in the Dark, over ten years old, still offers light to people worried about humanity’s future by looking at the history of political engagement and social change. If you haven’t come across it yet, snap up a copy – a timely reminder that hope isn’t sugar coated, it can be rocket fuel. “To be an artist is to believe in life,” sculptor Henry Moore once said; every single invention and work of art starts with a hope – even if tiny – to create something. This month, if you haven’t seen his Hill Arches (1973) sculpture outside the Fitzwilliam Museum already, go early, on a clear morning – it’s glorious, with a backdrop of dazzling winter sunshine and the Fitzwilliam’s neoclassical facade. Perfect for inspiring a sense of possibility. Political art took on a new gravitas in 2016, with climate change continuing as a key influencer in 2017. Pivotal, in Cambridge, is a loose collective of creatives and producers and its Festival of Change, set up by Michelle Golder, is one to watch this year. “Pivotal Festival of Change was intended to be a provocation; continuing the eccentricity and exuberance

Left Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit. Above Pivotal Festival of Change, Cambridge. Above right Poster for The Crazy World of Arthur Brown at UFO by Hapshash and the Coloured Coat, 1967. Above far right Supremebeing fashion.

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of summer festivals with bands and poetry and creativity of all stripes, combined with a talk from a senior climate academic and workshops on avoiding burnout for activists, in a yurt,” James Murray-White, who is part of the Pivotal collective, tells me. “David Attenborough said recently that when he can’t sleep at night, he thinks of all the dynamic young people he meets, with their understanding and thirst for knowledge, which gets fed back into conservation and creativity, and this gives him hope. So I have hope. The world is a spinning cacophony of chaos, with great creativity and energy at the heart of that – it’s ours to tap into and connect with, if we will.” Check out www.pivotal.org.uk to get involved. Sustainable fashion is a great way to reduce negative impact on the natural world, and many of us were overjoyed to see the recent relaunch of the legendary Supremebeing, an international fashion label based just outside Cambridge.

“We’ve been off the grid, on an expedition to rediscover the core ethos of Supremebeing,” says a spokesperson for the company. “We were enlightened, excited, inspired, and re-evaluated our purpose and the many things we create. And we’re back with a giant leap.” Their return sees them with a sharpened focus on creating the best they can for the planet, brilliant for those who don’t want to sacrifice style for values. Check their CREATURES collection – with 5% of each sale donated to charities supporting the diversity of wildlife on earth. Hopeinspiring, indeed. See supremebeing.com. Those itching to create your own or revamp your clothes, check Sewn

“The world is a cacophony of chaos, with great creativity and energy at the heart of that – it’s ours to tap into” SIGN UP TO THE EDIT NEWSLETTER AT CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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ARTS & CULTURE

Above Hill Arches, 1973, bronze. The Henry Moore Foundation: gift of the artist 1977. Reproduced by permission of the Henry Moore Foundation. Right You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966-1970 at the V&A, London.

Sustainably – a fantastic new venture in the city. Run by blogger and seamstress Clare Szabo, you can take invaluable Beginner Sewing Classes at Parkside Community College from £45 per course while also learning about ethical fabric producers. “My hope is to see Cambridge have its own stitching and crafting scene in which we encourage making, mending and repairing clothes to not only cut down on waste, but to help people in our community too,” says Clare, who is inspirational. Email her on hello@sewn-sustainably.com. If you’re new to green and ethical fashion, try Green is the New Black, by Tamsin Blanchard, with a foreword from Cambridge Universityeducated model and actress Lily Cole. Also inspiring hope to thousands of visitors, is blockbuster exhibition You Say You Want A Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966-1970 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Cambridge’s Pink

Floyd fans will love an immersive evocation of London’s short-lived UFO club, an experimental underground venue where some of their earliest, Syd Barrett-fronted performances were given. Yes, we may never go back to the high octane of that time, but it’s good to be reminded of the power that belief in art, creativity and social change can have. Go along to rediscover your revolutionary mojo – the V&A are promising the show will help you reflect on ‘an imaginative optimism to envisage a new and better world’ and it has had rave reviews. Back home in Cambridge, Mill Road’s café and record shop Relevant Record is perfect for rejuvenation and a spot of rebellion, with R*E*P*E*A*T presenting what looks like a fantastic gig on 7 January, showcasing the best from their young performers’ gigs. Vinyl is not dead, despite all predictions that assured us otherwise. There’s hope yet.

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“Vinyl is not dead, despite all predictions" So here’s to hope. Hope that if 2016 was the year we saw our heroes dead and enemies in power, then 2017 will be the year that we start to become our own heroes and take that power back. Happy New Year all!

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WORDS SIOBHAN GODWOOD

of the best B O O K S set in C A M B R I D G E

From student memoirs to murder mysteries, Cambridge has proved to be a rich source of inspiration for generations of writers

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BOOKS

THE LIAR BY STEPHEN FRY (Arrow) First published 1991 Stephen Fry is himself a Cambridge graduate, and you get the sense that The Liar may be more than a teensy bit autobiographical. A young Adrian Healey stumbles through life as an undergraduate, but because getting a degree from one of the world’s finest universities isn’t quite challenging enough, he decides to write a fake Charles Dickens novel and perpetrate a literary fraud on the world of academia. He and his former Cambridge tutor then get themselves embroiled in a complex and dangerous bit of international espionage – or is the whole thing just another elaborate hoax? Hugely enjoyable both for those who have been students at Cambridge and readers who love spotting familiar city locations.

THE VERSIONS OF US BY LAURA BARNETT (W&N) First published 2015 This book has been one of those huge word-of-mouth hits in the last couple of years, popular with book groups. It has a very unusual structure: the book alternates between three different versions of the story of the two main characters, each beginning with the moment that they do – or don’t – have a bike-meetspedestrian collision on the streets of Cambridge. And most Cambridge dwellers have had near misses of that sort, I’m sure! It’s a really beautiful story of love and loss, and one which looks at whether there really is that perfect person out there for each of us, and whether there really is such a thing as happily ever after.

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BOOKS

TIME AND TIME AGAIN BY BEN ELTON

(Black Swan) First published 2014 This one is a bit lighter on the love and bicycles front with not a single mention of punting. Trinity college and its master do play a central role, but it’s a much darker and more sinister version of Cambridge than we’re used to seeing in fiction. The year is 2024, and although the Cambridge streets and the college location seem familiar, it soon becomes clear that this version of the future is on the dystopian side, and that although the university has been at the centre of a discovery that could change history, it may not be one that changes it for the better. A fascinating look at the horrors of the 20th century and a book that challenges the way we think about the academic elite and how they use their powers.

CASE HISTORIES BY KATE ATKINSON (Black Swan) First published 2004 Cambridge residents have long been entitled to feel a bit aggrieved at the fame brought to rival university city Oxford through the Inspector Morse books and their subsequent televisation – now followed by Lewis and Endeavour, so it often feels as if not a single day passes without a glimpse of those dreaming spires on one channel or another. Kate Atkinson has done her bit to redress the balance with this fantastic detective novel set in Cambridge. It follows three apparently unconnected stories – the disappearance of a little girl from a Cambridge back garden, a woman who murders her husband with an axe and the murder of a solicitor’s daughter. Detective Jackson Brodie follows the cleverly interwoven plot to its unexpected conclusion. Sadly, Atkinson let the side down rather by setting the next three Jackson Brodie novels in completely different locations, scuppering our hopes of a Cambridge-based whodunnit series to rival Colin Dexter’s. We’ll just have to make do with the handsome crime-busting vicar in Grantchester instead…

MAY WEEK WAS IN JUNE BY CLIVE JAMES (Picador) First published 1990 Cambridge life, particularly student life, can often seem slightly bizarre to outsiders, and no one has brought this to life more effectively than Clive James, with his dry wit and southernhemisphere perspective. A wonderfully witty memoir of university life in the 60s, you can hear Clive’s voice on every page and it’s clear he feels enormous affection – combined with a bit of bafflement – for the characters he meets.

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BOOKS

HOW TO BE BOTH BY ALI SMITH (Penguin) First published 2014 Ali Smith is a Cambridge resident – on Desert Island discs in November 2016, she described her arrival in the city, as a student, from her home town of Inverness and her astonishment at discovering that September was still summer here. Her affection for the city shines through this highly original novel. It is a book in two parts – one featuring George, a young girl in modern Cambridge who has recently lost her mother, and one focusing on Francesco, a fresco artist in 15th century Italy. Half of the copies of the book printed have George’s story first, and half Francesco’s. Part of the fascination of the book is speculating about how different the reading experience might have been had you chanced to buy a copy with the other story first. It’s easy to see why this engaging and utterly original novel has been so popular with readers and award panels, being shortlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize and winning the 2015 Bailey’s Prize for Women’s Fiction.

Cambridge poetry It’s impossible to look at the writing of Cambridge without mentioning some of the wonderful poetry inspired by, and often written in, our beautiful city.

THE OLD VICARAGE, GRANTCHESTER BY RUPERT BROOKE

PORTERHOUSE BLUE BY TOM SHARPE (Arrow) First published 1974 This is the book that most people think of when they hear the words ‘Cambridge novel’. The college itself is fictional, although it is clearly inspired by Sharpe’s alma mater, Pembroke, and the name is inspired by the porters of the Cambridge colleges – and perhaps the famous steak! There have been many fictional Cambridge colleges throughout literary history, and there’s even a Wikipedia page devoted to the subject. In this irreverent novel, the hero, Sir Godber Evans, takes over as master and vows to shake things up. The book was followed up by a sequel, Grantchester Grind.

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Brooke was part of the Bloomsbury Set of writers and artists, who are remembered locally for the time they spent living and working together at The Orchard in Grantchester. Many of Brooke’s poems refer to Cambridge life, but none more stridently than The Old Vicarage, Grantchester. The poem was written by Brooke when he was in self-imposed exile in Germany in 1912, and features a roll call of Cambridgeshire villages and the characteristics of their residents, although it’s probably best known for its famous closing lines, ‘Stands the church clock at ten to three? And is there honey, still, for tea?’

CAMBRIDGE BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH Wordsworth was an undergraduate at St John’s College, Cambridge, between 1787 and 1791. His poem describes the great beauty of the city and the surrounding countryside and Wordsworth’s sense of awe at the literary giants who have preceded him in studying there.

LEAVING CAMBRIDGE BY XU ZHIMO Chinese poet Zhimo lived and worked in Cambridge in the early 20s, and wrote this poem in 1928 after revisiting the city. It is a poem read and memorised by almost all Chinese schoolchildren, and since 2008 there has been a carved stone featuring the first and last lines of the poem behind the bridge at King’s College, which is now a popular spot for Chinese tourists to visit when in the city.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Remembering

CAMBRIDGE’S

Crazy Diamond Edition arts columnist Ruthie Collins looks at the life of Cambridge’s most famous musical son, Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett

don’t think I’m easy to talk about,” Syd Barrett told Rolling Stone in 1971. “I’ve got a very irregular head. And I’m not anything that you think I am anyway.” Psychedelia’s legendary pop icon, Syd – named Roger Barrett by his family – died aged 60, in 2006. Long a fiercely guarded treasure in the city, a public art tribute to Barrett, named CODA, can now be seen inside the Cambridge Corn Exchange – helping to keep his magical and ingenious spirit alive. “We selected CODA as a concept because it was so full of glitter and sparkle, like Syd was,” says Rosemary Breen, Barrett’s sister, who was part of the selection committee for the tribute. At CODA’s centre is a bike wheel, reminiscent of one of the first-ever Pink Floyd tunes Bike (1967), written by Syd. “It is also referencing Cambridge itself, which is a city of bikes, plus surrealist artist Marcel Duchamp. Playfulness and surrealism were essential to Syd,” says Clare Palmier, one

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of the two artists commissioned to create the piece. “He saw his music in terms of pattern and colour.” Once every minute or so an ephemeral image of Syd appears within the wheel – you wait to spot him, his bright light burning the eye. “He appears and disappears. That’s what he’s about.

were there. There was a real sense of him being a Cambridge boy.” Which is exactly what he was. While it was London where Pink Floyd’s incipient star exploded into the world in 1967, it was home town Cambridge where Barrett retreated as a young man to spend the rest of his life in strict privacy soon after. Pink Floyd grew out of the 1960s, a time of “I don't think I'm easy to talk about. technicolour optimism. I've got a very irregular head. And “You could feel it in the air, we really felt we were I'm not who you think I am anyway” changing the world,” Rosemary says. Years You have someone who isn’t with us any later, it’s bizarre to think that Syd Barrett’s more, who is with us in the music.” school, Cambridgeshire High School for CODA itself was launched at a huge Boys, now Hills Road Sixth Form College, sold-out memorial concert in Syd’s (named the ‘crème de la crème’ of state memory at Cambridge Corn Exchange sixth forms by Tatler in 2014) was the back in October 2016. “It was very partial inspiration behind Pink Floyd’s moving,” Clare says. “So many people from Another Brick In The Wall (Part II). A Cambridge who had memories of him whimsical rule-breaker who described the

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ARTS & CULTURE

band’s music as ‘like an abstract painting’, it was art student Syd’s startling charisma as frontman that helped skyrocket Pink Floyd from underground cult heroes to fame – a transition that flooded rock with English sensibility and psychedelia. “The pressure was overwhelming,” Rosemary says of that time. Syd’s relationship, not so much with creativity, but with the pressures our society can labour on artists, is one that all artists will relate to. “You look at X Factor; Syd would have found that appalling,” Rosemary tells me. “Career, being a celebrity – that just wasn’t Syd.” Many remember him though, his beauty, talent, openness and passion, as a star who was not only an extraordinary artist but inspired two of the most listened to rock classics of all time – Pink Floyd’s Crazy Diamond (1975) and Wish You Were Here (1975). His work as a solo artist still inspires a fierce loyalty all over the world. But behind every star is a real person: behind Syd was Roger, who created art

for process, not product, whose privacy was largely respected by Cambridge while alive. “Painting was key to his well-being. His decorating for every wall at home was a different colour, not just rooms – the walls themselves. He was an artist first, a musician second. It’s a shame he became sidetracked by music, in a way,” Rosemary says. Cambridge was a place that he loved, many of his early Pink Floyd tunes featuring haunting beauty spots such as The Beechwoods and the Gog Magog Hills. Years later, willow-fringed Cambridge still has a timeless, naïve innocence, with a creative scene shaped by intellectuals, musicians, eccentrics and artists reaching for the stars, but many creating art because of something innate to their souls. Syd Barret is, to many, as Cambridge Live’s operations director Neil Jones says, “Cambridge’s most famous musical son”, leaving many fans wondering why it’s taken such a long time for Cambridge to recognise Syd so publicly. “I’m glad that it took so long. I wouldn’t have allowed it any other way. He wouldn’t have wanted it,” says Rosemary. “He just didn’t understand why people were so interested. He only did it all for fun.” “He loved painting nature, pastorals, the English countryside,” says Rosemary. “My favourite piece he did is of some flowers,” she smiles. “I think what he has left me is that life is not to be taken too seriously, have fun and live every day.” Perhaps his English whimsy lives on in all who are brave enough to do just that.

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Barrett’s influence can be seen across pop culture – from David Bowie to Blur, his stand-out style winning admiration from the likes of Mary Quant and Mick Jagger. Neil Jones comments: “We hope that visitors to the Corn Exchange enjoy the commemorative artwork and we’re pleased that it will provide a lasting tribute to a man whose idiosyncratic style in the world of music and art has been such an influence for so many generations of people.” You can see CODA at the Cambridge Corn Exchange.

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

MILLWORKS OPENS ambscuisine is delighted to present MillWorks, an eclectic, modern brasserie located on Newnham Road. It’s the seventh outpost from this successful local restaurant group, which is also responsible for acclaimed eateries in the area including SmokeWorks, the Chop Houses, The Tickell Arms, The Cock in Hemingford Grey and The Crown and Punchbowl in Horningsea, as well as event catering outfit the Cambridge Dining Company. Open for brunch, lunch and dinner, MillWorks offers a menu packed with vibrant, punchy flavours with elements of smoke from their custom-made charcoal grill, Mortimer. Start the day with dishes including smashed avocado on toast with poached egg and dukkah or a full English, which features meaty barbecue beans and a spicy artisan beef and pork sausage, plus Hot Numbers coffee. Come lunch and dinner, feast on juicy flat-iron steaks, marrow melt burgers with beef brisket or marinated lamb chops, or if you fancy a health boost, choose from colourful, goodness-packed superfood salads. For those with a sweet tooth, the desserts are a must-try – especially the Rupture Rapture, an indulgent blend of ice cream, whipped cream, doughnut, Maltesers, salted caramel sauce, brownie and marshmallow, served with sparklers for added wow factor. Restaurant manager Rob Hirst has also put together a fantastic cocktail menu created with maximum flavour and speed of service in mind (after all, waiting around for 20 minutes for a drink is no fun). Choose from expertly blended concoctions

including Sweeney Todd’s Bloody Mary, Rum Plum Old Fashioned and Rosemary & Mint Collins. Located on the edge of the Mill Pond, this exciting new addition to Cambridge’s dining scene is housed in the old watermill which used to be home to Bella Italia, and prior to that Sweeney Todd’s. The space has been completely re-energised in a way which pays homage to the building’s past

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while bringing it right up to date, with a refurbishment that has included restoring the old watermill wheel and glass apertures in the floor, allowing guests to see the water rushing past underfoot. MillWorks, The Watermill, Newnham Road, Cambridge CB3 9EY 01223 367507 www.themillworks.co.uk

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FOOD DRINK A N D

GET THE INSIDE TRACK ON CAMBRIDGE’S FOODIE SCENE WITH EDITION’S MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT

Recipes

Restaurant Review:Novi

Hero Eats

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FOOD

FOOD NEWS A MONTHLY ROUND-UP OF GASTRONOMIC GOINGS-ON IN CAMBRIDGE AND THE SURROUNDING AREA

WORDS WESLEY FREEMAN-SMITH

THE EDGE

Way out on the far reaches of Mill Road, something amazing is happening. The latest addition to Cambridge’s café culture The Edge was only born last month, and it’s doors couldn’t be more open, its welcome any warmer. In an increasingly gentrified town, The Edge Café is more than just another cool pop-up stop for a hot espresso. The vision was to create a community café with a recovery heart – a vibrant space open to the everyone, but also a hub which people in recovery from substance misuse can relaunch a life through. All the coppers for your coffee go back into making this happen, and it’s already working. Everything in the café, from the home-made cakes to the upcycled furniture is crafted by someone who’s turned their life around, and is supporting others to do the same. This kind of heart and soul is the café’s bread and butter. If you’re feeling especially flush, you can Pay It Forward – put a coffee in the pot so it’s on the house for a stranger. All the specials are made of donations from FareShare – a group that

redistributes fresh food otherwise destined for waste to communities that need it. Any veg from this the kitchen doesn’t use is free to a good home. For everything else, local independent companies are used where possible. These are the tiny revolutions we need; random acts of kindness making the world that bit lovelier. If you’re looking for something to do, there’s plenty of creative happenings to get on board with, from pilates groups and

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knitting groups to art groups. All events are free of charge and open to all. Acoustic music and film nights are also in the works, abundant venues for which are keenly missed in Cambridge. So next time you’re down Mill Road, keep walking and you might find something special. The Edge is just a few steps away. The Edge Café is located at Brookfields site, 351 Mill Road. Opening times are Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.

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FOOD

PROVENANCE KITCHEN AND THIRSTY

We’re loving Espresso Library’s new series of pop-ups, which marry the superlative food of Provenance Kitchen with the top booze available at drinks shop Thirsty for a Cambridge foodie mash-up made in heaven. Espresso Library, spacious and stylish, is an ideal setting – offering loads of space and seating and a good location if you plan on continuing your Friday night either in town or at Mill Road’s pubs afterwards. The menu changes all the time but you’ll consistently be treated to top quality, seasonal and nutritious food from mobile dining outfit Provenance Kitchen, who create well-thought-out dishes that sing with flavour. Complementing the food will be wines from Chesterton drinks shop Thirsty, so you’re sure to be treated to some really great tipples. The events run from 6.30pm to 9.30pm every Friday throughout January. Search Provenance Kitchen on Facebook for more information.

STEAK & HONOUR RESTAURANT OPENS After a long wait, the hotly anticipated new Steak & Honour restaurant finally opens its doors this January. Heroes of the local street scene, Steak & Honour have built up a cult following in the city over the last few years for their epic gourmet burgers, regularly popping up at foodPark, Cambridge Wine Merchants, Thirsty and Hot Numbers in their distinctive Citroën H Vans. But from now on, you’ll be able to feast on their irresistibly juicy patties, addictively salty fries and, we’re sure, plenty more treats in the comfort of their shiny new restaurant, which is located by the Corn Exchange. We’ll be bringing you more on this rather exciting new opening, including a look inside, in our next issue; so watch this space! www.steakandhonour.co.uk

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FOOD

40% OFF AT THAIKHUN

Promising to help make January extra tasty is Quayside favourite Thaikhun, who’ll be offering diners a whopping 40% off food throughout the month of January. Available Sunday to Thursday, you can chow down on discounted deliciousness from their Thai street food inspired menu which features curries, dumplings, stir fries and authentic Thai salads. With its colourful cocktails and fun, Bangkok-themed look, a trip to Thaikhun is sure to brighten even the bluest of January blues, and with awesome value like this we think it’s a no-brainer for a new year feast. www.thaikhun.co.uk

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FOOD

PIE SHOP POP UP If you’re a fan of a good oldfashioned pie and mash you’ll love this month’s plans over at city centre favourite the Cambridge Chop House. From 9 to 13 January, stop by for some serious comfort food at Skip’s Pop Up Pie Shop, which will be taking its inspiration from East London’s finest and serving up traditional pies and sides plus local real ales. “I grew up in Ely but lived in East London for three years. Once or twice a month on a day off I used to visit a pie ’n’ mash shop,” says head chef Andrew Skipper on his inspiration for the pop-up. “I like how simple the food is and especially the liquor made with parsley and eel stock.” The pop-up will be in action while the basement of the King’s Parade restaurant undergoes a refurbishment, and the menu features classics like steak and ale pie and chicken and mushroom pie. There will also be buttery mash, mushy peas and lip-smackingly good gravy or liquor to drench it all in. “When Skip mentioned the pie shop, I immediately thought it was a brilliant idea,” says the Chop House’s executive head chef Sanyi Kiliti. “The Cambridge food scene has come such a long way in the last ten years with a huge number of cuisines now on offer. But everyone loves comfort food, and you never know, if it goes well we might even consider opening a permanent pie shop!” www.cambscuisine.com

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THE PUNT YARD OPENS

Not a month goes by these days when we don’t have a new foodie hang-out to shout about and this is no exception. Opening at the tail end of 2016, the Punt Yard sits in the spot which used to be home to the much-loved Teri-Aki – with sushi and noodles making way for craft ales and pizza. Inside, as we’ve come to expect from City Pub group (who also run the Brew House and Old Bicycle Shop), it’s hipster heaven, with retro furniture, exposed brickwork, cassette tapes as decoration and even the odd Rubik’s cube. There’s a nice drinks selection, whether you fancy a quirky cocktail, a can of craft beer or a glass of fizz – which is literally on tap at the bar. Food-wise, there’s nibbly bits like sausage roll loaf with brown sauce and smashed avo on flatbread, plus posh kebabs and pimped up superfood salads. The sourdough pizzas are the main pull though, with a huge range of topping options – we like the look of the All about Albert, which features rocket and walnut pesto, goats cheese, Hartington stilton, pickled pear and truffle oil. Domino’s it ain’t. Open Monday to Sunday, midday to midnight. www.puntyard.com

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FOOD

WORDS NICOLA FOLEY

HERO EATS THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO EAT IN CAMBRIDGE RIGHT NOW

1. SMOKEWORKS PULLED PORK BUN There’s lots to get a local foodie fawning at SmokeWorks, from their bourbon-splashed milkshakes to their melt-in-the-mouth short ribs, dripping in lip-smackingly good marinade. For me though, the jewel in the crown is their pulled pork bun. Plenty of sticky, smoky, juicy meat – cooked low and slow for the perfect tender texture and marinaded in a fennel and garlic rub overnight, before being seasoned in its own smoking juices along with beef dripping butter and home-made barbecue sauce – is coupled with zingy pickled vegetables and crammed inside in a huge, doughy bun. It’s a joy to behold. Slather it in SmokeWorks’ own chipotle sauce and wash it down with a can of Pistonhead lager.

2. NANNA MEXICO HUEVOS RANCHEROS As our national brunch obsession grows, so too do the variety of brekkie dishes gracing our menus. The seasoned bruncher may have picked up that Mexican recipes in particular are having something of a moment – Mexicans ace the first meal of the day and ever since I visited Mexico last year I’ve had a serious hankering for Huevos Rancheros. For delicious authenticity in spades, head to Nanna Mexico – their take on this breakfast of champions is spot on, with a pair of perfectly fried eggs, fresh, flavour-packed salsa, creamy home-made guacamole, corn tortillas and a wedge of lime for squeezing – it’s an instant breakfast fiesta which leaves you raring to go.

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3. LIMONCELLO PESTO SICILIANO Ever since I moved to Cambridge I’ve been slightly obsessed with Limoncello’s pesto. So insanely tasty it can elevate a humble, hastily grabbed penne and sauce dinner into an authentic Italian feast, it created an evangelist out of me from the first taste. Imported from an artisan producer in Sicily, my favourite is the Siciliano, with its strong, salty pecorino romano, fragrant basil and satisfying kick of chilli – it’s a symphony of big, punchy flavours which makes a perfect foil for simple pasta dishes but works equally well spread on crackers or with bread for a scrumptious snack. Don’t take my word for it – pop in and try for yourself before you buy (I guarantee you won’t leave this charming little deli empty-handed).

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EATING OUT

NOVI WORDS NICOLA FOLEY IMAGES MICHAEL J. SIM

EDITOR NICOLA TRIES OUT THE NEW BAR MENU AT THIS STYLISH VENUE

Restaurant

ith The Fountain now a distant memory, Regent Street’s Novi has fully matured into its new incarnation as a hip, design-led café and cocktail bar – an evolution which has seen pumping tunes and late-night raves replaced with botanical cocktails, artisan coffees and Instagram-friendly brunches. You can’t deny they’ve done a beautiful job with the fit-out, in my opinion creating one of the best-looking venues in Cambridge. From the sumptuous upstairs cocktail bar, with its vibrant green upholstery, low-hanging pendant lights and deep wood panelling, to the pared back, Scandi minimalist feel downstairs, with its immaculate marble tables and flashes of burnished gold – the whole design sings with sophistication and understated cool. Nice as all that is, Novi has much more to offer than a pretty space – starting with their superlative, regularly updated cocktail selection. Fruit, herbs, spices and home-made syrups and tinctures are expertly blended to create blissful boozy concoctions for all tastes. Sate your sweet tooth with the Tickled Pink (Chase rhubarb vodka, rhubarb syrup, sorrel and lemon juice), or slurp down one of my personal favourites, the Hot Dram; a heady, fragrant blend of Havana Club three-year old rum, pineapple syrup, pimento dram, lime oil, cinnamon and fresh lime juice, garnished with dried pineapple. You might well have to wait a while for these glorious creations, but I promise that you won’t mind as soon as you taste them. And so to the food offering, which Novi has recently brought back in-house after a year or so of hosting a rotating line-up of local street food traders. And as much as I’ll miss

review

being able to pop in and feast on anything from Vietnamese bao to Caribbean curry, the new evening food menu had me salivating from the first look. The centrepiece for us was the vegetarian sharing platter: a smorgasbord of veggie treats including fluffy courgette muffins, quinoa falafel, hunks of still-warm sourdough bread, tangy sun-dried tomatoes and a selection of excellent cheeses which included a rich Manchego, creamy Brie and a pungent Gorgonzola. Chutneys, olives and dipping oils completed the platter, which also comes as a meaty edition featuring chorizo, salchichón, lomo and serrano ham. Either way, it’s ideal nibbling food which makes a perfect bedfellow for a cocktail or two. We also dipped into the large plates selection, sampling both the grilled chicken, which had the most lip-smackingly delicious honey and lime marinade and home-made slaw, and the sirloin steak, which was my highlight of the meal. Perfectly tender and juicy, the succulent slices of steak were a match made in heaven for the piquant chimichurri and avocado and spinach salad they came served with, making for a beautifully balanced dish. Added indulgence

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was provided by a side order of Parmesan truffle fries, smoky baked chickpeas and a dish of deep-fried gherkins – all scrumptious additions to our meal, even if we did end up ordering enough to put us both well and truly into a food coma (I’d recommend consulting the staff on whether you’re ordering roughly the right amount of food if you want to avoid a similar fate). All in all, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Novi – the new menu is imaginative, well thought out and delicious, and coupled with Novi’s super-stylish interior, central location and killer cocktails, it’s a total winner in my book. It’s open all day too, serving up health-conscious (but still satisfyingly indulgent) brunches, plus well-being boosting smoothies, speciality coffees and homemade cakes. There’s also an ever increasing line-up of events including the odd guest foodie pop-up, comedy nights and cocktail classes too – plus, rather excitingly, we hear they’ll be opening their roof terrace come springtime, adding yet another string to their already impressive bow. Novi, 12 Regent Street, Cambridge www.novicambridge.co.uk

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RECIPES

Recipes Cambridge Cookery School shares four wholesome and delicious recipes perfect for busting the January blues IMAGES NICOLA FOLEY

Sprouts, spinach & prosciutto salad This is a mouthwatering, substantial dish which looks and tastes amazing. A super salad full of protein, fibre and vitamins

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes • 1 tsp zaatar • A little sunflower oil • 750g finely shaved Brussels sprouts • 4 slices prosciutto • 2 large handfuls baby spinach leaves • 100g dried cranberries • 6 poached eggs • Salt and pepper For the dressing • 1 large orange, zested and juiced • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar • 2 tbsp runny honey

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• 40-50ml extra virgin olive oil • Maldon sea salt and pepper • Poppy seeds to sprinkle

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. 2. Wash but don’t peel the sweet potatoes and cut each into eight wedges. 3. Spread out in a single layer in a paperlined roasting tray and drizzle with a little sunflower oil and zaatar. 4. Roast until soft for about 15 minutes. 5. Arrange the prosciutto on top of the sweet potato and then roast for five minutes until crisp.

6. Remove from oven, break the prosciutto into smaller shards. 7. Using a sharp knife or mandolin, thinly slice the sprouts. 8. Arrange the spinach leaves on a large salad plate. 9. Spread the sprouts over the leaves. 10. Arrange the sweet potatoes on top. 11. Sprinkle with cranberries. 12. Mix the dressing and pour over the salad. 13. Poach the eggs in salted, acidulated water for three minutes. 14. Lift out, pat dry. 15. Season eggs with salt and pepper and arrange over the salad.

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RECIPES

Parsnip, Apple and fennel seed soup This soup ticks all our boxes. It’s seasonal, local, healthy and delicious

Ingredients

•6 -8 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-3cm chunks • 2 apples, washed but not peeled, quartered • 1 tbsp fennel seeds • Sunflower oil • Maldon sea salt and pepper • 1 tbsp butter • 1 onion, finely chopped • Vegetable stock to cover • Milk (if necessary)

Step-by-Step Guide

1. In an oven preheated to 190°C, roast

parsnips, apples, fennel seeds and salt in a little sunflower oil until brown – ten to 12 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan and soften the onions over a low heat. 3. When the onions are soft and translucent, add the roasted parsnip and apple to the pan. 4. Just about cover with good quality vegetable stock. 5. Simmer – don’t boil – for 15 minutes. 6. Blend until smooth, adding a little milk to loosen if necessary. 6. Check the seasoning.

Cambridge Cookery School The recipes this month were created by Cambridge Cookery School, which is located at Homerton Gardens, just off Hills Road. Founded in 2008, the school hosts a busy line-up of cookery classes throughout the year in its stunning contemporary kitchen. It now also boasts a Scandinavian style café and bakery, serving superb Union coffee, home-made croissants, cinnamon rolls and artisan breads, vibrant salads, cakes and breakfasts. www.cambridgecookeryschool.com

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RECIPES

Kale, beet & lentil salad A fresh and nourishing salad, featuring hunger-busting almonds and lentils

Ingredients

• 100g puy lentils, cooked in vegetable stock • 1 large bag of kale • Sunflower oil • Maldon sea salt & pepper • 4 cooked beetroot • Handful of almonds • Extra virgin olive oil • Pink peppercorns • 250ml Greek yoghurt • 1 tbsp harissa paste • 2 spring onions, finely sliced

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. 2. Rinse lentils, place in a saucepan and cover with double the volume in vegetable stock. 3. Simmer until soft but al dente – usually 16-17 minutes.

4. Arrange shredded kale in a roasting tin. 5. Drizzle with a little sunflower oil, season with sea salt and pepper. 6. Arrange almonds in a separate, small roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt and pink peppercorns. 7. Roast both trays in the oven until the kale is crisp and the almonds are a dark golden brown. 8. Drain lentils. 9. When cooled down, arrange on a large salad platter and top with crispy kale. 10. Cut the cooked beetroot into wedges. 11. Add to salad and scatter over the almonds. 12. Mix yoghurt and harissa paste and season with a little sea salt. 13. Drizzle over the salad. 14. Finish off with a smattering of thinly sliced bright green spring onions.

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RECIPES

Rye sandwich

Buy a dark, sweet rye or a sliced German full corn rye to create this delicious sandwich

Ingredients

• Cucumber • 1 sprig of dill • 1 dollop of crème fraiche • 1 hard-boiled egg • Lemon juice • 1 slice of rye bread • Butter

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• Smoked salmon • Salt

Step-by-Step Guide

1. S pread butter on bread. 2. Arrange smoked salmon on top.

3. Thinly slice cucumber and the boiled egg, place them on top of the salmon. 4. Mix the crème fraiche with a little lemon juice and salt and drizzle on top. 5. Top with a sprig of fresh dill.

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FAMILY

Cambridge Philharmonic “What does a conductor do anyway?” sounds like the latest reality/celebrity programme, but it’s actually the question behind this family concert, which is performed as two separate matinees by Cambridge Philharmonic on 21 January. Let the orchestra take you on a whistle-stop tour of conducting through history. You’ll find out how a conductor can change the sound without saying a word, or you might get the chance to conduct the orchestra yourself. Amazing music from Mendelssohn, Mahler, Bernstein and Berlioz will feature in concerts at 2pm and 4pm. Tickets are £12. www.westroad.org

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21 JAN

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FAMILY

Annie

A combination of unforgettable songs, dance routines and a Depressionera tale of rags to possible riches that pulls on the heartstrings of even a US president make Annie the popular family musical that’s been entertaining generations since the 70s. Cambridge Operatic Society follow up their award-winning production of Sister Act to return to Cambridge Arts Theatre from 18 to 21 January with the New York-based tale that begins in Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. There young Annie lives a life of drudgery and chores alongside the other girls in the orphanage, while dreaming of finding her parents. By luck she’s picked to spend Christmas with billionaire Oliver Warbucks at his grand residence. Slowly the business magnate, unused to children, is charmed by Annie and her search for her parents, but Miss Hannigan hatches a plan to spoil the pursuit, by arranging for fake parents to claim Annie – and a $50,000 reward! Warbucks ultimately isn’t fooled and he has friends in high places, including President Roosevelt, who’s so taken by Annie’s story that he decides to introduce new policies to end the Depression for good. Classic songs Tomorrow, Hard Knock Life and You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile are just some of the familiar, toe-tapping wonders that make Annie a hit. With its multiple Tony award-winning score, this new production is sure to be a success. Tickets are £18-£33, and there are matinee performances on the 19th and 21st. www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

18-21 JAN UNTIL

JAN

Dick Whittington

There’s still time to catch the laughs, look behind yous and plenty of pantomime fun at the Arts Theatre’s seasonal treat, Dick Whittington. Performances run until 8 January and feature a fab cast headed up by Paul Nicholas (EastEnders) as King Rat and Matt Crosby, returning as Sarah the Cook. Hearing that the streets are paved with gold, Dick sets off to London in search of fame, fortune and true love. But quickly the streets become overrun with rats and it’s up to Dick and his friends to save the day. Tickets are £16.50-£39 for performances up to 8 January (no performances on 1 and 3 January) for shows at 10.30am, 1pm, 2pm, 5pm and 7pm, depending on the day. www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

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FAMILY

New Year’s Day Walk

After the festivities, don’t relax in your comfy armchair, get everyone up and out to Coton Countryside Reserve for a New Year’s Day guided walk. Kick-start your resolution to get more exercise in 2017, with an optional lunch at the village pub after the walk. Since the late 90s, Cambridge Past, Present and Future has run a reserve on land it originally bought in the 30s to stop urban sprawl. In 2010 a farm tenant was appointed on the 300-acre site that includes woodlands, new hay meadows and an orchard. Managed to enhance the landscape and benefit wildlife, the reserve features a hilltop picnic area, panoramic views and routes for walkers, cyclists and pram pushers that link to other paths. The walk starts in the pub car park at 11am and finishes by 1.30pm. It’s free (donations welcome) but booking is essential... and book a table at The Plough on 01954 210489. www.cambridgeppf.org

Living with Dogs If you have a dog, you probably think you already know to behave around them; but for a few extra tips, with the focus very much on the dog’s perspective, Wood Green is running a Living With Dogs workshop on 29 January that’s suitable for five year olds and up. It’s perfect for those that live with dogs, visit family or friends who have dogs or anyone interested in rehoming a dog. A separate adult workshop covers dog mood management, reading dog body language, flashpoints for aggression, dog bite prevention and how to safely manage babies and children living happily with dogs. Children enjoy their own workshop and learn to speak dog body language, know when to leave their dog alone for some free time and discover how to make feeding time fun. The 10am to 12pm workshop at Wood Green, Godmanchester, is free but booking is essential. Call 0300 303 9333. www.woodgreen.org.uk

29 JAN

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LISTINGS CHECK OUT LOCAL EVENTS ONLINE

cambsedition.co.uk

A ROUND-UP OF EVENTS IN AND AROUND CAMBRIDGESHIRE THIS JANUARY 1 JANUARY SWAN LAKE Time: 2.30pm, 7.30pm Location: Corn Exchange Price: £17.75-£37.75 Description: St Petersburg Classic Ballet perform the famous tragic tale of love and betrayal, following up their premiere tour in 2016 to return to the venue for Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece. www.cornex.co.uk 2, 4-8 JANUARY DICK WHITTINGTON Time: 10.30am, 1pm, 2pm, 5pm, 7pm (times vary depending on the day) Location: Cambridge Arts Theatre Price: £16.50-£39 Description: Paul Nicholas stars in the continuing run of the classic pantomime, which

features the returning Matt Crosby as Sarah the Cook. www.cambridgeartstheatre.com 8 JANUARY MILES JUPP Time: 8pm Location: Cambridge Junction Price: £20, £18 concessions Description: The comedian who has featured in Mock the Week and co-starred in Rev. comes to Cambridge with observations on social media, astronauts, regrets, the sexes, hipsters, lost stuff and plenty more. www.junction.co.uk 10-14 JANUARY THE RIVER Time: 7.45pm Location: Corpus Playroom Price: £5-£8 Description: Big Squirrel presents

AHIR SHAH

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the Cambridge premiere of the new drama by the writer of Jerusalem, Jez Butterworth. A man takes his lover to a remote fishing cabin, but there’s more to the river than meets the eye. www.adctheatre.com

to chocolate. Covering couverture, ganache, decorating skills and more, the class ends with bubbly and treats to take home. www.cambridgecookeryschool. com

10-14 JANUARY WAITING FOR LEFTY Time: 8pm Location: Junction, J3 Price: £12.50 Description: This heartfelt play, set in the USA during the Great Depression, follows the journey of five taxi drivers torn between struggling on or striking and risking everything they have. Presented by Bawds. www.junction.co.uk

18 JANUARY NEW YEAR NEW WINES Time: 7.15pm Location: Cambridge Wine Merchants, 163 Cherry Hinton Road Price: £22.50 Description: What’ll be top of the wine pops in 2017? Find out the new trends, tastes and styles and which grape variety works for you at this wine tasting with Steve from Cambridge Wine Academy. www.cambridgewine.com

15 JANUARY CHOCOLATE: A HANDS-ON INTRODUCTION TO THE FOOD OF GODS Time: 10am-1pm Location: Cambridge Cookery School Price: £98.82 Description: Join master chocolatier Gloria Dominguez Martinez, aka Mama Bombon, for a hands-on cookery class dedicated

18 JANUARY KING CREOSOTE Time: 7.30pm Location: Corn Exchange Price: £20.75 Description: Falling somewhere between folk and electronica, the 2011 Mercury prize nominee Kenny Anderson, aka King Creosote, performs music from new album Astronaut meets Appleman. www.cornex.co.uk

KING CREOSOTE

CRANFORD AT CHRISTMAS

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LISTINGS

SWAN LAKE

18-21 JANUARY ANNIE Time: 7.30pm, 2.30pm Thursday & Saturday Location: Cambridge Arts Theatre Price: £18-£33 Description: Set in Depressionera New York, orphan Annie sets about finding her real parents while slowly charming the wealthy Oliver Warbucks in this timeless musical. www.cambridgeartstheatre.com 20 JANUARY ST PETERSBURG PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Time: 7.30pm Location: Saffron Hall Price: £18–£48 Description: Russia’s best pay a visit to Saffron Hall for an evening of magnificent music featuring the legendary conductor Yuri Temirkanov. www.saffronhall.com 20 JANUARY AHIR SHAH Time: 8pm Location: Cambridge Junction Price: £13.50 Description: Following a critically acclaimed sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Ahir Shah brings his stand-up show Machines to Cambridge. It’s a philosophical comedy about what is, was and might be. www.junction.co.uk

21 JANUARY CAMBRIDGE PHILHARMONIC Time: 2pm, 4pm Location: West Road Concert Hall Price: £12 Description: A whistle-stop tour of conducting through history, featuring amazing music by Mendelssohn, Mahler, Bernstein and more, that’s suitable for the whole family. www.westroad.org 21 & 22 JANUARY BBC RADIO 3 BIG CHAMBER WEEKEND Time: 7.30pm Saturday, 2pm, 7pm Sunday Location: Saffron Hall Price: £10/£15. £30 for all three shows. Under 18s free Description: BBC’s Radio 3 comes to Saffron Walden with three shows. Beethoven to Sibelius on the 21st, Grieg to Grainger for the 2pm matinee and finishing with Mozart to Dvořák. All shows feature pianist Christian Ihle Hadland. Saffronhall.com 23-28 JANUARY THE FULL MONTY Time: 7.45pm, 2.30pm Thursday & Saturday Location: Cambridge Arts Theatre Price: £18-£38 Description: Sheffield steelworkers with nothing to lose

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ST PETERSBURG PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

go all the way in this adaptation by Oscar-winning writer Simon Beaufoy, featuring songs from the film by Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate and Tom Jones. www.cambridgeartstheatre.com 24-28 JANUARY THE CLINICAL TRIALS OF HERCULES Time: 7.30pm Location: Mumford Theatre Price: £12 Description: Addenbrooke’s Charity Pantomime presents this year’s show, in which Hercules and his friends must save the clinical school from the evil Hadean and his Malignant Dean Team. Not suitable for children. www.anglia.ac.uk 29 JANUARY LIVING WITH DOGS

Time: 10am-12pm Location: Wood Green, Godmanchester Price: Free Description: A workshop dedicated to showing you how to stay safe, understand and have fun with your pet dog. Suitable for both adults and kids (with different activities for each). www.woodgreen.org.uk 31 JANUARY CLASSIC ROCK SHOW Time: 7.30pm Location: Corn Exchange Price: £26.75/£36.50 Description: The Classic Rock Show return to Cambridge after their 2015 and 2016 tour of 20 Greatest Guitar Riffs to play the A-Z of Rock. You provide the arms in the air. www.cornex.co.uk Cambridge Edition | January 2017 | 51

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INDIE PICKS

RIXO MARY KATE BLOUSE NAVY DAISY £185 ANNA CLOTHING, HIGH STREET, SAFFRON WALDEN

OTTOD’AME DOGTOOTH DRESS £144.95 CUCKOO CLOTHING, ST MARY’S PASSAGE & BURWASH

THE CABLE SCARF £149 SIGI STYLE WWW.SIGISTYLE.COM

Indies

THE 11 INCH MELISSA X CSC SATCHEL £100 CAMBRIDGE SATCHEL COMPANY, ST MARY’S PASSAGE

PICKS FROM THE

ABSTRACT SAMOSA PURSE £10 ARK, PEAS HILL

Brighten up your wardrobe this January with these colourful and quirky pieces from local, independent fashion boutiques

HERSCHEL DAWSON BACKPACK IN TWILIGHT AND TORTOISE SHELL £70 PODAROK, BENE’T STREET

FLYING INSECT NECKLACE £42 ARK, PEAS HILL

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VIVIANA JUMPER BY DARLING £59 LILAC ROSE, BRIDGE STREET

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INDIE OF THE MONTH

The Gog WORDS SIOBHAN GODWOOD

n 1919, after the end of the First World War, Charles and Marcus Bradford’s great grandfather bought a small farm on the outskirts of Cambridge. Two generations later his grandson, surprised to discover a large quantity of mushrooms growing in a field where he’d planted potatoes, set up an honesty box selling the surprise produce to locals. Over time this evolved into a proper farm shop, known locally as Bradford’s, selling a range of fruit and vegetables and, eventually, with its own meat counter. By the early noughties, though, times were becoming hard for farmers, and Charles’ parents were faced with daily anxiety over how to make ends meet. Charles left his job in London in 2004, and he and his brother Marcus, who had just graduated from university, sat down together to come up with a plan to turn things around so their parents could retire. “We’ve always reared turkeys here,” he explains, “really good quality KellyBronzes, which were starting to become better known thanks to the likes of Delia Smith and Jamie Oliver singing their praises. So that was the cornerstone of the business, and we felt that if people were prepared to buy good quality turkeys they would buy other good meat too.” Charles and Marcus spent months travelling around local farmers’ markets

It’s hard to imagine Cambridge without The Gog, and amazing to realise it’s been around for such a short time. Co-owner Charles Bradford tells us how it all began…

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INDIE OF THE MONTH

talking to customers and finding out what people wanted. They were helped by the fact that food, and in particular quality, locally sourced food, was becoming more fashionable, with customers prepared to travel to source produce. Early on, Charles looked at the name of the shop. “Bradford’s didn’t really mean much to anyone but us,” he explains. “But we’re right opposite the famous Gog Magog Hills and whenever you tell people their name they’re completely fascinated. So we became the Gog Magog Hills Farm Shop and Delicatessen – now thankfully shortened to The Gog!” In 2009, Charles opened a café and deli in one of the farm’s barns. “The idea was that you could come in and buy some cheese and have a coffee at the same time. Needless to say it didn’t work brilliantly, it was far too small; so in 2011 we opened the café as it is now in what used to be an old chicken shed. It’s fantastic, but to be honest, it’s so busy, we could still do with more space. But that’s a nice problem to have!” Charles’s belief that the people of Cambridge would embrace a business that sold great quality, carefully sourced food turned out to be spot on. “I can understand why people sometimes go for the convenience and ease of pre-packed supermarket cheese and meat,” he says. “But there’s so much amazing food out there, and a lot of people want it, they just need a bit of guidance and advice. That’s what we want to offer our customers.” “When I lived in London,” he continues, “there were loads of amazing food shops right round the corner – a butcher, an artisan baker, a deli… But I never went into

any of them because I was worried that I didn’t know enough about food, and I felt intimidated. I want The Gog to be the opposite of that. “You can come in and try a bit of cheese, have a chat about what you want and what the best options are. You can talk to our butchers about what kind of meat you’re looking for, what you’re planning on cooking, and no one is going to make you feel that you’re not enough of an expert or talk you into something that you don’t really want.” The proof of Charles’ approach is most definitely in the pudding: The Gog has won a raft of food awards this year alone. “We started off with a Cambridge Business Excellence award for Best Independent Retailer,” explains Charles, “following that up with the crown for Rural Food and Drink Champion at the CA Awards, and then we won six Great Taste Awards, taking our total to 16. They’re like the Oscars of the food world, and we won them for the food that we produce ourselves on site.” The Gog has also been named the Best Farm Shop at the Butchers’ Shop of the Year Awards, which is the icing on the cake for Charles and the team. “That’s huge for us, because meat has always been such an important part of our business. It really reflects the hard work that everyone puts in behind the scenes.” The summer Sundowner events hosted by The Gog have also become a firm fixture in the local Cambridgeshire social calendar. “It’s such a lovely night,” says Charles, “it’s just the ultimate pub garden experience. We work alongside some great local chefs and have the firepits burning – really the only

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problem is trying to get rid of people at the end of the night!” The fact that Charles’ parents struggled for many years makes their current success all the more rewarding. “My parents still talk about those days, about how they would lay awake at night dreading the meetings with bank managers,” he says. “Which makes the fact that we’re doing so well now even sweeter. They’re still involved, you’ll see them around the place whenever you pop in – life at The Gog is far too much fun for them to want to retire now!” The Gog, Heath Farm, Shelford Bottom, Cambridge CB22 3AD 01223 248352 www.thegog.com

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NEWS

What is the Cambridge BID? Launched in April 2013, Cambridge Business Improvement District (BID) is funded by businesses and organisations in the city to deliver a range of projects and events that enhance and promote Cambridge, encouraging people to visit and enjoy our fabulous city. Find out more at www.cambridgebid.co.uk Follow us on Twitter at @cambridgebid

Sparkle & Shine Ball raises £5500

Cambridge History Festival Cambridge BID is a proud partner of this year’s Cambridge History Festival, which runs from 9 to 25 February. Organised by the Museum of Cambridge, in association with the Museum of Technology and Heffers, the festival will feature walking tours, family activities, talks, workshops and even a Victorian feast at Corpus Christi College. Stay tuned to the next issue of Cambridge Edition for all the info. Tickets can be booked via Eventbrite. www.eventbrite.co.uk

Christmas Window Competition

In the lead-up to Christmas, guests enjoyed champagne, canapés and a three-course dinner followed by dancing at the annual Cambridge BID Sparkle & Shine Ball. The event, at the Guildhall, was attended by 130 representatives from city centre businesses and also featured an auction for Jimmy’s Night Shelter. Altogether the event raised £5500 for this fantastic local charity, which is the only emergency accommodation provider for the homeless in Cambridge. “We are delighted to be supporting Jimmy’s Night Shelter as our charity for 2016-17 and to help homeless people

gain new skills and control of their lives,” says Cambridge BID chairman Ian Sandison. “There is a shortage of housing in Cambridge and sadly, homelessness has increased in the past five years or so. The ball kick-started a year of Cambridge BID fundraising activities on behalf of the charity. For example our sponsorship of the North Pole Ice Rink on Parker’s Piece will result in a percentage of ticket sales from the launch event being donated to Jimmy’s. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the businesses who generously donated gifts for the auction and other prizes.”

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A record 45 businesses took part in Cambridge BID’s annual Christmas Window Competition this year, with local shops, cafés and more showcasing their creativity for a chance to win this year’s crown. Judged on originality, festivity and impact, this year’s entries included Bread & Meat, Ark, Jacks on Trinity, Millers Music, The Tailor’s Cat and The Flower House. The winner though, was Cambridge Contemporary Crafts on Bene’t Street, who charmed voters with their beautiful display of snow-topped mountains and fir trees, flying snowmen and crafty hanging decorations.

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BEAUTY

Beauty sleep Everybody knows that drinking plenty of water and getting at least eight hours of sleep a night will do wonders for your energy, mood and well-being, but getting regular sleep will also contribute hugely to the health of your skin. Daisy Dickinson is putting skin detox and beauty sleep to the top of her New Year’s resolutions, and sharing some tips and tricks on the way… WORDS DAISY DICKINSON

Time to detox 2

With all the parties and celebrations, winter is always a fabulous time for dancing the night away and raising a glass or two – but all those late nights and bottles of red will certainly take their toll. January is a good time to think about detox, and as well as reducing the booze, I highly recommend taking a look at your skincare routine. Developed by the skin saviour that is Goldfaden MD, the latest release this month is perfectly timed for winter detoxing troublesome skin. Designed as an overall mask and spot treatment in one, the new Facial Detox 1 (£58, Space NK) promises to reduce blackheads, pore size, redness and inflammation to reveal a beautiful and glowing complexion. Serums are a fantastic way to feed the skin without clogging pores. BRYT Calm Serum 2 (£16.50 brytskincare.co.uk) has been developed using natural ingredients including watercress, horseradish and essential oils for a nourishing experience all aimed at helping to renew and regenerate skin cells. Or try Goldfaden Brightening 3 Elixir (£70, Space NK) with vitamins C, B and E which should improve skin clarity, radiance and luminosity.

Get drenched 8

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The recommendation for staying hydrated in the UK climate is to drink 1.2 litres per day, which is about six to eight glasses. If, like me, you struggle to knock back that much H20, there are a few tips to help you up your water game. Staying hydrated can actually help plump up the skin and encourages elasticity, so try adding a sugar-free squash if you’re not so keen on the taste of water, or keeping a large bottle on your desk at work so there’s no excuses. If you’re on the

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go carry a Bobble Infuse Water Bottle 4 (£15, John Lewis). Pop in a carbon filter for removing the taste and odour of chlorine from tap water or add fruit into the chamber for an infused taste instead. While you’re topping up from the inside, make sure to quench your skin’s thirst from the outside too. Murad Hydro-Dynamic Quenching Essence 5 (£59.50, murad. co.uk) really is as good as it sounds. This silky formula can be applied under your serum or moisturiser, and includes watermelon and apple to give an extra layer of hydration. Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture 6 (£55, murad.co.uk) acts like a heavenly moisturising cocoon for skin, providing 24-hour hydration with immediate and long-term benefits – it’s also incredibly gentle so ideal for sensitive skin.

BEAUTY

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Wind down

It can be easier said than done to get the recommended eight hours of sleep a night, particularly in our modern, busy world where we can rely on coffee and energy drinks to get us through the day. Add to this our exposure to electronic devices and our sleep/wake cycles are interfered with. Getting into a good routine is key for sending you to the land of nod. Try to cut out caffeine, or at least reduce your intake, and add a little exercise into your routine – even if that’s just a brisk walk around the block. Running a bath and letting yourself unwind just before bed has been proven to relax the mind and body. I love the Twilight Bath Bomb 7 (£3.75, Lush) which emits a calming lavender fragrance to help aid a restful night. An absolute must-have, and a great gift for any fellow insomniacs, the Neal’s Yard Beauty Sleep Organic Collection 8 (£45, Neal’s Yard) offers the whole package for stressed-out souls including Beauty Sleep Concentrate, a deliciously calming serum for 24-hour skin hydration that works overnight, a Body Butter and Bath Milk. Another great aid from Neal’s Yard is the new Goodnight Pillow Mist 9 (£15, Neal’s Yard) which harnesses a therapeutic blend of organic essential oils to promote a sense of calm. The Spa Magik Organiks 7 Days to Relaxation Sleep Easy Duo 10 (£22, Holland And Barrett) is a two-step process helps prepare your body and mind for a restful night’s sleep using the Deep Sleep Lavender Bath Salts, followed by 6-Oil Super Serum for face, body, hair, nails, pulse points and even lips.

See the light

Natural sunlight feels good – and it works wonders for skin and well-being. Unfortunately at this time of year we don’t get as much of it as we’d perhaps like, and so whether you suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or not, it’s been proven that topping up with extra bright light in the winter months can put you in a better mood and make you feel more energised. The Lumie Desklamp 11 (£144, or £120 for disgnosed SAD sufferers through VAT relief, lumie.com) is a stylish alternative to the classic light box, and can be used at work or as you get ready. I’ve been using one first thing in the morning and it doubles as the perfect light for getting your makeup right! But aside from vanity, the lamp delivers 10,000 lux – which is the industry standard for making a difference. When it’s a little trickier to lug a lamp around the Portable LED SAD Light Pad 12 (£39.99, valuelight.co.uk) simulates natural daylight and comes in comes in a foldaway case like a tablet.

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WELL-BEING

CAMBRIDGE’S

well-being wonders Zip up your zen, get the glow and eat yourself energised at these wellness-boosting city spots

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FEEL GOOD EATS

CamYoga’s vegan café Stem + Glory offers a menu filled with plant-based dishes and feel-good eats

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For clean eating which doesn’t slouch on deliciousness, we adore Co at number 15 in Cherry Hinton. The whole place is wonderfully calming and serene and the menu is loaded with nutritious dishes created with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Eschew greasy breakfasts and opt for a protein-packed quinoa bowl or their goodness-filled house fry-up, with handmade vegan sausage, tomatoes and mushroom, scrambled tofu, black beans in sauce, organic quinoa bread, free-range eggs and wilted spinach. Lovers of plant-based foods should make a beeline for the recently opened Stem + Glory, a vegan café at Mitcham’s Corner. Located within CamYoga’s CB4 studio, this place was made possible as a result of a wildly successful crowdfunding campaign which racked up almost £100,000 in pledges. The money has been used to create a vegan haven; the first of its kind in Cambridge, with a sleek and modern setting and a menu filled with feel-

good eats. Tuck into colourful, wholesome dishes like tofu curries, kale carbonara and stir-fried seasonal veggies or feast on an Instagram friendly Buddha Bowl, loaded with veggies, greens, pickles, dressings and seeds. For a guilt-free feast, head to Regent Street’s Novi. By night this place may be a buzzing cocktail bar but by day, they serve up heavenly treats including quinoa porridge, chia pancakes and superfoodtopped smoothies. There’s home-made gluten-free quinoa bread as well as scrummy turmeric lattes with fresh root turmeric, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon.

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WELL-BEING

Regent Street’s Novi serves up plenty of wholesome, healthy and heavenly treats

WORK IT!

Many start the new year with dreams of making this the year they get in shape, creating lofty fitness goals filled with glowingly good intentions. But if you’re not a natural gym bunny, getting going can be little daunting, to say the least. “Ease yourself in gently,” advises Matt Jenkins, a fitness consultant at Chesterton Sports Centre. “Getting into shape is a marathon not a sprint; it takes time to achieve your goals and you must be patient. Listen to your body and stick to an intensity that it’s comfortable with. “Whether you’re performing cardiovascular, resistance or body weight exercises, you want to get your body used to moving in that way again, not pushing yourself flat out from the start expecting to see results quickly,” he continues. “The last thing you want to do is injure yourself in the first week or be too sore to move the day after a workout, this will only delay your progress.” From team sports to dancing to gym sessions and everything in between –

there’s an awful lot of ways that you could get fit: so how do you decide which is right for you? “At Chesterton we use something called ‘aspiration mapping’, which takes you through a three-stage multiple choice questionnaire to find out what makes you move,” says Matt. “The results show what sort of exercise is most important to you, but also what you enjoy the most, we then use these results to recommend a range of different activities to you. This can be a specific sport at the centre, like swimming or badminton, or particular machines within the gym to suit your workout goals. We also have a colour-coded fitness class timetable so you know which classes match up to your top aspirations. We believe it’s important to take part in lots of different activities. Rather than sticking to just one activity in particular, you can avoid the risk of getting bored and you’ll be more open to trying any of the new classes or activities we put on.” If you want to see what’s on offer in the area, make a beeline for the inaugural Let’s Go Girls festival at the Guildhall, which takes place on 21 January. As the name suggests, this one’s squarely targeted at the ladies: more specifically, at inspiring more women and girls to get moving and lead healthier and more active lifestyles through showcasing some

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Stay on track Matt Jenkins, a fitness consultant at Chesterton Sports Centre (CSC), gives his top tips to help you stick to your new fitness regime

Keep workouts varied and keep your body guessing each time you exercise – never let it get used to the same routine. Stay in touch with your instructor/trainer to progress your programme every 15 sessions or so.

Take measurements on the first day, but only review them after three months, not only will you see bigger changes, but it also acts as a target to keep going. CSC uses a state-of-the-art InBody 230 to keep track of over 20 different readings during a mywellness check appointment.

Track your activity and water intake daily. This could be manually writing it down or automatically with an app/wearable tech such as Fitbit, Garmin etc.

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WELL-BEING

of the great activities on offer around Cambridgeshire. “We want to banish the nightmares of ghastly gym knickers, cross-country and school swimming lessons and show women that being active can be sociable, challenging, stressbusting and most importantly enjoyable, particularly in January when the weight of too many mince pies and Quality Street sweets are resting slightly too heavily on our consciences,” says Danielle Guy, active lifestyle officer at Cambridge City Council, which is organising the event in partnership with Living Sport. “The Let’s Go Girls festival will be a great opportunity to explore what lies beyond the mindnumbing drone of the gym treadmill.” The festival will welcome a range of exhibitors from around the county including our local roller derby team the Cambridge Rollerbillies, Peterborough Royals American Football Team, Let’s Run Girls, Forever Active and many more, and there will also be free taster sessions in Zumba, FitSteps, Acrobalance, mobility and strength conditioning and yoga, plus guilt-free sweet treats from Raw and Delicious. Tickets are available now from the Cambridge Live website at £3.50. Cambridge Rollerbillies, who are exhibiting at the Let’s Go Girls festival, will also be hosting an intake of new skaters in on 22 January – offering a chance to learn more about roller derby as a sport, meet the team and watch a practice. Wondering what roller derby is all about? Let us enlighten you! Played on quad roller skates, it’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the

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Above Rutland Cycling offers a line-up of led rides to get you on your bike, as well as a range of e-bikes to make your ride that bit easier Below Fancy learning about roller derby? Cambridge Rollerbillies will be at the Let’s Go Girls festival on 21 January

world – a fast, fun and full-contact game – and a fantastic spectator sport if you would rather just watch from a safe distance. For a typically Cambridge activity, which offers plenty in the way of fresh air and endorphins, it has to be cycling. It sounds like the residents of our city need little in the way of convincing on this one – Cycling UK stats suggest that more people regularly cycle in Cambridge than anywhere else in the whole country. If you’re one of the non-converts though, and need a bit of a confidence boost or simply some company to go out on a fitnessboosting ride, check out Rutland Cycling’s

regular line-up of led rides, which are free to attend and offer discounts on hire if you’ve not got your own two-wheeler to take along. In addition to Rutland’s existing branches in the city, they’ve just launched a dedicated e-bike centre at their Barnwell Road store, with over 40 electric bikes available to test ride and buy. The benefit with electric bikes – which are a common sight in many European cities – is that they reduce the strain on the body, giving you an electronic boost. This can be especially helpful if you’re struggling to ride long distances or coming back from injury, but is also great for simply riding faster, keeping up with friends or getting to work – making that commute to work by bicycle seem far more appealing. Rutland’s e-bike range includes the more casual e-hybrid bikes from Raleigh, Haibike, Giant, Scott, Trek, Electra, Cube and Ebco, which are perfect if your ride or commute is just that little bit too long or hilly, or if you’ve got to carry a lot when you ride to and from where you need to be. If you’ve already got a bike but it needs a bit of TLC, Rutland Cycling are also hosting a maintenance class on 18 January at their Histon branch. Pop along at 6pm and learn how to keep your trusty steed in tip-top condition and fix simple mechanicals while out and about. These classes, which cost £5 to attend, are led by Rutland’s expert workshop team and cover skills including fixing a puncture and broken chain, replacing tubes, cleaning and safety checks.

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WELL-BEING

Get a relaxing massage at InnaSpa

AND… RELAX

With all its merry-making and running about, Christmas can leave you feeling pretty wiped – so January is a great time for a little pampering and self care. Lie back and float to complete relaxation at the Art of Float, located on Hawthorne Way in Chesterton. Part art gallery, part state-of-the-art flotation studio, it’s the perfect spot to escape the stresses and strains of the world. No idea what flotation is about? The experience involves you entering a sensory deprivation pod, filled with a combination of water and Epsom salts. With zero gravity, zero stress and zero distractions, you’re primed for not only blissful relaxation, but also efficient physical and mental recovery and general well-being. As you slip into a meditative-like state, the chatter and noise of day-to-day life ebbs away, leaving you zenned out beyond belief. Just down the road, the newly opened Satyam Yoga Wellbeing Centre offers a wide variety of yoga styles and well-being activities, from dynamic, strong, flowing styles of yoga to more mindful traditional approaches such as Iyengar and general Hatha. The centre hosts classes for adults, teens, children, toddlers, babies and families in its beautiful first-floor studios and community studio, as well as offering a treatment room in which you can

Part art gallery, part flotation studio the Art of Float

enjoy massages and other relaxing treats. There are also sessions dedicated to mindfulness, meditation, Pilates and deep relaxation, and if you need convincing – the benefits can be life-changing. “When you practise yoga, you learn to integrate the different parts of yourself – body, mind, breath, emotions, energy,” explains Joanna Darking, co-founder of Satyam Yoga. “By focusing on your breath as you move through different stretches and postures, your attention is brought into the present. This has a very powerful effect as the mind gets a break from the usual worry. Individuals also experience an increase in their levels of physical fitness, their strength, balance, coordination and flexibility, as well as improved functioning of some of the bodily systems – respiratory, circulatory, digestive, cardiovascular, immunity and the nervous system.” Meditation and mindfulness practices, though rooted in ancient philosophies,

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have been enjoying a huge surge in popularity in recent years, and it’s no wonder. “These practices have been proven to have a positive impact on the brain, improving symptoms of depression, anxiety and pain, lowering stress levels,” says Joanna. “They can preserve the ageing of the brain along with a whole host of other benefits.” And finally, if you want luxurious pampering and relaxation, head to InnaSpa on the first floor of David Lloyd Leisure. A recent addition to Cambridge’s spa scene, this serene sanctuary offers a huge range of luxury treatments and therapies to keep you feeling and looking your best. With a bright, energising space, the spa is open to all and offers Dermalogica Facials, a range of massages and a host of beauty treatments including manicures, pedicures, tanning and lash extensions.

One of Satyam Yoga Wellbeing Centre’s studios

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EDUCATION

WORDS NICOLA FOLEY

The start of a new year is the perfect time to learn something new. With the huge variety of adult education options from ballroom dancing and baking to learning another language on offer, Cambridge has something for everyone t’s a bit of a cliché, but with its seductive ‘new beginnings’ sentiment, January really is the perfect time to try something new. If you’re determined to seize that freshstart feeling and finally pursue a hobby that you’ve long fantasised about, enrol on that course or boost your skill set to equip you for a career change, you’ll be pleased to hear that there’s a veritable feast of options here in Cambridge. Our city is a world-famous seat of learning with a rich tradition of education – but that extends far beyond the rarefied world of ancient university colleges. In fact, there is a cornucopia of adult educational opportunities available, ranging from the

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hands-on and practical to the delightfully esoteric. From languages to law, astronomy to art, Indian massage to international relations and ballroom dancing to bicycle maintenance, there’s a course or class to serve virtually any learning yen, no matter how niche. The benefits can be life-changing too, reaching far beyond simply relieving boredom or passing the time. Studies have shown adult learning can boost confidence, well-being and feelings of fulfilment and happiness, providing students with a new zest for life – that’s before we even get to the potential social, physical and professional benefits. So jump right in, the water’s lovely, and make 2017 the year you get on course.

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EDUCATION

ADULT LEARN & TRAIN AT PARKSIDE FEDERATION “Adult Learn and Train offer a wide range of courses, training programmes and leisure activities within Parkside Federation Academies and in the community,” says Zoe Sweet, Adult Learn and Train officer at Parkside Federation. “We are here to help you find the right learning for you; whether it is for work purposes, mental stimulation, physical well-being or all three!” Taking place at venues across the city, Parkside offers a huge breadth of subjects, from the academic (including writing courses, maths, languages and

criminology) to a strong range of artistic and creative courses, such as crochet, découpage, flower arranging, lino printing and oil and watercolour painting. Looking for a more active pursuit? There’s ballroom dancing, Pilates, t’ai chi and yoga, or if you dream of cooking up a storm and need a little guidance, pop on your apron and check out 2017’s cookery classes, which feature bread making, curry club, Let’s Do BBQ and pizza making. adult-education.parksidefederation.org.uk

Cambridge Cookery School

It’s never too late to equip yourself to become a whizz in the kitchen, and if you invest in your culinary skills you’ll be reaping the delicious rewards for years to come. Cambridge Cookery School, based just off Hills Road, boasts sleek, spacious Scandinavian-style kitchens and serves up a busy schedule of classes catering for all levels, for adults, teens and kids. For the nervous novice there’s a back-to-basics Introduction to Cooking, which puts in place key skills and an understanding of how essential home cooking works. For the more ambitious, try croissants and classic French pastry, sourdough or chocolate making, or if you yearn to learn the secrets of a particular nationality’s cuisine take your pick: there’s Japanese cooking, seasonal Italian, curries of the world, South East Asian cuisine and many more to whet your appetite. www.cambridgecookeryschool.com

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EDUCATION

Cambridge Flower School

Whether you’ve always dreamed of learning flower arranging or you’d like to become a professional florist, the lovely Cambridge Flower School, based in Newton, is on hand to make that dream a reality. The Floristry Career Courses are offered as evening classes throughout the year, as well as intensive one-week courses. Based on practical sessions and theory, and including homework, these are geared towards those with a serious dream of their own shop. If you’re simply looking to indulge your love of beautiful blooms meanwhile, there’s a huge range of workshops available all year round which cover everything from creating wedding flowers, Christmas wreaths, gifts and more, while you can also book in for a unique hen party or social get-together. New for 2017 are courses including the Business of Floristry and Creating a Website. www.thecambridgeflowerschool.co.uk

ADULT EDUCATION AT HILLS ROAD

Hills Road offers recreational, academic and vocational subjects from its college in central Cambridge, with daytime and evening classes and some on Saturdays. Most courses last for the duration of one term (ten weeks), but there are academic and vocational courses which last the whole year. Play genealogical sleuth with a Tracing your Family Roots course, learn how to make money from those bits and bobs which clutter the house with a Selling on eBay class or embrace your inner oenophile with the Wine Appreciation sessions. Feel inspired by Strictly Come Dancing? You’ll love the Ballroom and Latin Dancing classes, whilst if you’re more of a Great British Sewing Bee devotee, check out the Dressmaking course. Meanwhile, if you fancy learning a new language you’ll be well catered for, with Hills Road offering a strong programme of courses for all levels. And the benefits could be unexpected! A recent student at the college signed up for Russian beginners level 1 after her daughter had fallen in love with a Russian man whom she intended to marry. Her mother thought that she’d sign up and pick up some Russian so that she could converse with him and his relatives, but got a lot more than she bargained for when she herself fell in love with a fellow student, making for a rather sweet double love story. The next enrolment evening is on 4 January from 5pm to 7.30pm, but you can enrol at any time. Early enrolment is advised to secure a place. www.hillsroad.ac.uk/adult

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EDUCATION

Courses at the Botanic Garden

For 2017, Cambridge University Botanic Gardens is offering its most diverse range of courses to date, covering topics including plant science, botany, horticulture, garden history, art, photography and crafts. “We hope our guide to courses at the Garden will inspire people to learn something new about plants in 2017. As well as offering new subject areas, our courses showcase East of England talent, with many of our tutors being local artists. This year, we are also running more Saturday sessions so more people can attend our courses without having to take time off work.” In 2017, get stuck into a three-part course on the evolutionary biology of the plant kingdom, or if you’re a would-be botanist, join Ros Bennett for a look at the top 20 British wild flowers and learn about identifying plants. There’s also a five-parter in Garden History, as well as the always popular Botanical Art course, which this year features an introduction to painting on vellum, an illustration session using insects from the Museum of Zoology and learning how to draw plants with natural history artist Lizzie Harper. Various creative workshops are also on offer, focusing on printing, paper cutting, photography, basketry, writing and more, in addition to gardening courses for all levels. www.botanic.cam.ac.uk

CAMBRIDGE REGIONAL COLLEGE Offering apprenticeships, higher education certificates, courses for professional qualifications and leisure classes, Cambridge Regional College (CRC) is one of the largest adult learning providers in the area. Whether you’re looking to enhance your career prospects, get back into employment, update your technical qualifications or simply take up a new hobby, with such a vast range of topics, qualifications and courses available you’re sure to feel inspired. For maths and English, there is a range of friendly and free-of-charge courses available, taught by experienced tutors, designed to help students get up to speed in these vital subjects at their own pace, whilst CRC also offers training for the unemployed, geared towards developing skills which employers are looking for (financial help may be available). The college works with top awarding bodies such as AAT, CACHE, City & Guilds and CIPD to deliver a range of professional business and management qualifications, all taught by industry experts and in fields including accountancy and gas safety. Leisure courses, meanwhile, are wide ranging and include the creative, such as photography and pottery, as well as the practical, including DIY and basic car maintenance. The next open day at CRC is on 4 March (9.30am-12.30pm), but you can enrol on courses now. www.camre.ac.uk/adult-learners

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Madingley Hall, Institute of Continuing Education

Madingley Hall’s Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) makes a Cambridge University education available to all, offering a dynamic programme of courses for mature students in an inspirational setting. Whether you opt for a short-term course or longer-term qualification, you’re taught by leading academics in your chosen field, and given a high level of support throughout your studies. The range of subjects on offer is varied, with courses in everything from writing a memoir to reading the Pre-Raphaelites and understanding climate variability. There are options for part-time undergraduate, master’s and post-graduate qualifications. The next open day is on 1 April, with the course programme being announced early this year. www.ice.cam.ac.uk

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Clopton Courtyard

THE IDEAL PLACE TO UNWIND AFTER A BUSY DAY et in the midst of the beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside, Clopton Courtyard boasts five self-catering barns and a studio, sleeping two to 22 people. These elegant self-contained barns are ideal for businesses looking for a home away from home for their staff, whilst providing them with the standard of accommodation of a top-notch Cambridge hotel (but at a margin of the price!). Owners Cathy and Duncan moved away from their hectic London lives four years ago and began their epic, Grand Designsesque adventure with the intention of

building an eco-minded retreat in the heart of the country, lathered with style and comfort (think baths in bedrooms and four-poster beds). “We wanted to create a blissful, countryside retreat with an eco conscience. By reusing original materials, building with timber frames and fuelling the barns with a biomass boiler, we have been able to create a place to stay, which has a low impact on the environment,” say Cathy and Duncan. Each barn was designed with its own unique character, with two bedrooms, a bathroom and an open-plan living area and kitchen. From Shoreditch industrial cool to grand country cottage, there is a barn to suit everyone’s taste.

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Launched just over a year ago, Clopton Courtyard has had an incredible first year of business, with five-star reviews all round. A reviewer on TripAdvisor said, “Wonderful, peaceful setting and the barns are beautifully renovated. Highly recommended!” Located just 12 miles from Cambridge, and seven miles from Royston, Clopton Courtyard is in a great location for people working in and around Cambridge, and is within easy reach of London. After a busy day working hard, it offers the ideal spot to switch off and relax in, with nothing to disturb your sleep and just the gentle hum of the countryside to keep you company. Clopton Courtyard offers Monday-toFriday bookings, weekends and longer stays. Please get in touch with Cathy and Duncan for their special offers (our favourite is the wake up breakfast hamper for bookings in January and February!). www.cloptoncourtyard.com Email: cloptoncourtyard@gmail.com Phone: 07814 561776

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BUSINESS

WORDS CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS

Special PART 1

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BUSINESS

K conferences and events are big business. While putting a figure on the number held each year is tricky, there are certainly an awful lot of them. And while every major city puts substantial resources into telling the world just why it’s the ideal location for every meeting and every industry, our area is definitely holding its own amid all the competition. Cambridge was recently ranked in the top 100 by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) for

the number of international association meetings it hosts. Given that ICCA’s 1000 members span different aspects of international event organisation in 90 countries across the globe and know their onions, it’s quite an accolade. What makes our area in general such an outstanding place for conferences is the stunning combination of convenience, looks and – of course – people. With the university itself consistently ranked as one of the top seats of learning in the world, plus the hundreds of thriving industries including biomedical and high-tech start-up companies, as well as established, more traditional companies, the brain power per square metre in Cambridgeshire is simply phenomenal.

“It’s a real technology hotspot because of its proximity to the science and engineering talent that comes out of the university,” says Sally Bain, marketing and communications manager at Allia Future Business Centre. A charitable organisation with impeccable green credentials, from solar power to water recycling, and with a centre in Peterborough as well as here, their ambitious mission is to change the world, in this instance through support for start-ups. In addition to being home to around 70 business tenants including Pavegen, pioneer of sustainable technology that turns footsteps into energy, Allia also makes its meeting spaces available to outside companies, as well as running a host of buzzy, free events that bring like-minded entrepreneurs together. Allia is a prime example of a changing approach to conference organisation. Companies continue to place a huge value on face-to-face meetings. But as aspects of the way they do business have changed,

Allia Future Business Centre From its vibrant, colourful design to its support for new start-ups, the Allia Future Business Centre in Cambridge is a meetings venue with a difference. Holding up to 70 delegates, with meeting rooms that can be booked for as little as an hour, an on-site café and car parking, the Centre also hosts popular, free business-related events covering everything from accounting to PR. Run by a charity that helps people and organisations that want to start or grow an enterprise that has a positive impact on people, plants or places, holding an event here could be the start of a beautiful, socially responsible relationship. futurebusinesscentre.co.uk

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BUSINESS

Wellcome Genome Campus Conference Centre Offering an extensive choice of meeting rooms, accommodation and catering in a wonderful setting within a 100-acre landscaped parkland, the Wellcome Genome Campus Conference Centre offers a rural escape for discussion and collaboration. Facilities are on a grand scale, from the 300-seat auditorium and 1600m² of exhibition and break-out spaces, to 136 comfortable, ensuite bedrooms. From its attractive website to the newlyestablished comprehensive events management service, this is a premium venue. www.wellcomegenomecampus.org/conferencecentre

it’s had a knock-on effect in other areas. New, young and buzzy firms enjoy being with other similar ventures that share a similar mindset. And while in the old days events were often as big on jollification as they were on business content – standalone showcases that made everyone feel special for an evening – they are now being worked a lot harder. Companies arrive knowing down to the last detail what they want to get out of their events, confirms Tim Hill, marketing manager at The Møller Centre, a dedicated residential leadership development and conference centre at Churchill College. In particular, they want a return on investment. “They want to see that it has

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an impact back in the workplace. While they have a good time, they’re focusing on the learning so that when they go back, they feel the benefit – and it translates into their business.” Even the way the catering is organised has changed. It might sound like a detail but it reflects the need for companies – and delegates – to get the maximum from their events. While The Maltings in Ely may suggest a way of doing business that harks back to more leisurely times, what with its exposed beams and stunning riverside location, venue manager Rebecca Harper reports that even meal breaks are key times for cementing relationships with existing contacts and building new networks. “The conference itself can be formal but then we have break-out areas where people can relax a bit more and mingle with plates of food,” she says.

These days, the most popular reason for organising an event is education and training, followed by networking and community building, according to Eventbrite, which publishes an annual report on the industry. The Granta Centre, a brand-new conference and events space, is bang on message when it talks about being ‘perfect for learning, networking and creating new ideas’. “I don’t think I am the first to realise that the key to everything is the people who are involved. At the day’s end the Granta Centre is but a collection of walls with a roof – it’s not until the people are here that an atmosphere is created and the place comes alive,” says Granta Centre manager Andrew Bell. “Our primary desire is to be good hosts, to welcome our guests and to help them achieve what they need, in the simplest way and all for good value.” And – despite the fact we increasingly live our lives online and have all sorts

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of communications technology at our disposal – nothing really beats a face-toface meeting for getting the job done. “I attended a training course once that informed me that just 7% of our communication is the actual words: 38% is down to tone of voice and the remaining 55% our body language,” says Andrew. “I think that says it all: you just can’t beat being with someone in person to really listen to their message and respond, so they can do the same for you. Email and text is functional, but it’s a skeletal form of communication compared to actually getting together (even if emoticons try to capture a little more tone!). “Life is about influencing and selling ideas to your boss, your colleagues, your partner, your kids, your dog, your clients, your supply chain,” he continues. “It doesn’t matter who; if you’re only using 7% of your available communication it’s going

REGUS A one-stop shop on a grand scale, Regus offers meeting spaces in 3000 locations around the world and has three venues in Cambridgeshire alone. Hire one of their serviced office spaces, choose the location and time and Regus staff will do the rest, welcoming visitors, organising refreshments and generally ensuring that every meeting is a glitch-free experience. City dwellers can head for centrally located East Road, with meeting rooms for between two and 12 people, while Vision Park and Cambourne are on the outskirts of the city and close to excellent transport links. The Cambourne Centre, an impressive, modern and light-filled space just nine miles out of the city centre, offers both a meeting venue (for 10-50 people), and office space which is available to hire both long and short term. www.regus.co.uk

The Granta Centre Modern, spacious and illuminated by lots of natural daylight, the Granta Centre has a lot going for it, not least its spectacular location to the south of our city, overlooking the cricket pitch of Granta Park, easily reached from London and the east and with plenty of free parking. A brand new, purpose-built conference and events centre, it offers flexible meeting rooms and break-out areas, plus catering that ranges from breakfast to fine dining. Best of all, there’s the reassurance of a dedicated events manager who is on hand to ensure that every event organised here is a hassle-free experience. “The real magic of the Granta Centre takes place behind the scenes,” says centre manager Andrew Bell. “The mantra ‘keep it simple’ was at the forefront of our designers’ minds when the AV and catering facilities were installed, and it remains in ours now, shaping the way we go about our business. Everything just works: the AV doesn’t take centre stage in your conference – your presentation does. You don’t notice the projector, the screen and the controls – it’s all just there, integrated into the room. Likewise the anytime breakout room means you’re never tied to times. People tend to ask us questions based on their previous experiences at other venues, and we love saying in response: “Don’t worry, it's included!” www.grantacentre.co.uk

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to take a little longer. Far better to meet up and use all 100%.” Perhaps one of the biggest changes in the industry has been the rise of venues dedicated solely to business, where meeting and mingling is part of the very reason for their existence. While brilliant for large-scale events, they are also popular with small businesses and the self-employed. In these days of personalised service, some experts and consultants will travel to their customers, book a room for a day or two in one area and then move on to another location. Regus, which has a fairly amazing 3000 workspaces round the world and 400 in the UK – including three in our area – offers complete flexibility. It’s one of the ‘new style’ ways of organising events that stems from a different way of working. If firms have headquarters, they may not be the vast flagship models they used to be, while in many lean, mean organisations, growing numbers of staff can be home based. Because staff still need to meet regularly, a temporary, fully equipped and serviced meeting space can be the answer. Spaces can be booked by the hour or day, allowing business ventures to move between locations – not so much a home from home but an office from office. “People just need to turn up – we have everything you need, from Wi-Fi to coffee and break-out areas,” says Regus CEO Richard Morris. Visitors are welcomed and shown in by the Regus team. “It means you don’t have to concentrate on anything except your own business.” With so much choice, how do you decide which venue is right for you? Looks

will undoubtedly play a factor but in our area beauty comes in many forms. For some, it’s all about tradition. For others, the knockout looks of cutting-edge modernity are what it’s all about. It’s hard to trump the Wellcome Genome Campus Conference Centre’s stunning architecture which contrasts with its setting – deep in the countryside about 12 miles from the city centre. Its flexible meeting rooms and accommodation (now even easier to explore online with a brand-new website) are aimed primarily – but not exclusively – at the scientific community, biomedical firms in particular. While it’s big on technology – its auditorium has everything you could want in the way of audiovisual capabilities, no detail has been overlooked. Even the decor in the 136 en-suite bedrooms has been designed with rest firmly in mind – an essential, presumably, after delegates have attended a mind-expanding conference. “The wallpaper features plants – and colours – associated with peaceful sleeping qualities,” says Emily Boldy, marketing and communications officer. Old or new, conferences in our area are booming, say organisers. And one thing’s for sure. Whether what you’re after is a knock-’em-dead major conference or a smaller-scale (but equally inspirational) meeting, our area is positively bursting with choice. From impressive to intimate, historic to high tech, conventional to cutting edge, there’s guaranteed to be a venue that’s right for you.

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THE MALTINGS Within easy reach of London, Peterborough and the Midlands, The Maltings in Ely combines brilliant connections with an historic riverside setting that appeals to a range of companies, including major national organisations. A former brewery, it has a distinctive appeal all of its own, with five flexible meeting spaces that range from intimate to grand. The single biggest area, the Elysian Hall is notable for its stunning vaulted ceilings and capable of accommodating around 240 delegates. While every mod con is provided, from technological gizmos to versatile catering, there are break-out areas where guests can mingle, adding to a friendly – as well as highly professional – feel that makes The Maltings ‘a nice place to be,’ says the venue. www.themaltingsely.org.uk

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Eat, live, INTERIORS

cook

Statement dining Antique dining table with taper legs, £1750, Hampton chairs £445 plus fabric, both from I & JL Brown

WORDS ANGELINA VILLA-CLARKE

As the hub of the home, many of us want a kitchen that can meet all of our needs. From cooking up a storm to dining with friends, we talk to the experts about the latest trends for 2017

The kitchen is all about cooking and eating. If you have a big family, invest in a large enough table so everyone can fit around it comfortably. This way you will be more likely to sit down together and make the most of family meal times. A practical choice is an extending table, like the Battersea version available at Furniture Village. This won’t take up as much room on a day-to-day basis but will be able to accommodate larger gatherings.

Elma Malik, Furniture Village’s dining and cabinet buyer, comments: “In modern life, a kitchen is a hive of activity. As well as being a space to prepare food, it can double up as an office, dining room and family room. Open-plan design is often preferred, so opt for minimalist lines, geometric styling and origami-inspired accessories to create an on-trend space for dining.” When it comes to dining chairs, you can add plenty of personality by opting for a

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Eat

mix-and-match effect with your table. I & JL Brown’s Gothic Interlace Windsor Side Chair comes in various pastel shades of painted wood and is a great all-rounder. For something extra special opt for the brand’s Hampton Lowback Armchair in Liberty and Ian Sanderson velvet fabric. It’s a sumptuous and decadent choice for lingering over long lunches. Revamping your crockery and glassware is a quick and easy way to breathe new life

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into dining, and you needn’t break the bank. Many high-street stores, such as Sainsbury’s and M&S, have affordable and stylish dinnerware. Our money is on Sainsbury’s new Restoration collection for the home. “Encapsulating modern living, Restoration is inspired by industrial London, from Brick Lane to Borough Market,” says Andrew Tanner, design manager for the brand’s Home and Seasonal collections. “Pops of pillar-box red complement the monochrome tones and graphic prints. Utility and cookshop essentials are also available for the kitchen using enamel, aluminium and oak.” The correct style of lighting brings it all together and creates the perfect ambience. The most practical choice for everyday living is a modern pendant, like Flos’s Skygarden by Marcel Wanders which features a pretty, textured interior. “In my previous house, I had a fabulous antique-decorated plaster ceiling,” reveals Marcel Wanders. “I called it my Skygarden. I loved it so much that when the time came to move house, I couldn’t leave it. It became my inspiration for this light – and its design is now secretly hidden in the minimalist, architectural sphere of the pendant.” Fritz Fryer’s delicate, glass shades will add a French flourish to any kitchen’s dining area. The lighting expert argues that when planning a kitchen makeover, lighting should be the first thing to consider. Karen Wallis-Smith, director, advises: “It is essential to have multiple layers of light in a kitchen; achieve task lighting using simple stylish pendants over an island and LED strips under eye-level cupboards. Depending on the size of the kitchen it is also nice to supplement this with carefully positioned recessed down lights. Ideally these would be in front of floor-to-ceiling and eye-level cupboards to create scallops of reflected light. Dimmable fittings and controls will help to achieve the right mood.”

Bright spark The Upton clear glass pendant light, £120, Fritz Fryer, looks stunning hung as a cluster as shown in this kitchen

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Shine a light Fritz Fryer’s Wye Valley Railroad pendant, £140, has a classic elegant shape

Table Talk

Luis Hernandez, founder of interior design firm Lewis & Co, gives his expert tips on dining furniture • Choose your dining table to fit around your lifestyle. For family meals, round tables in oak or walnut are sociable and functional. Those who enjoy more formal dinners should opt for an elegant rectangular table in wenge or oak. For a real showstopper, choose a glass-topped piece with a sculptured metal base in chrome or brass. • Place the table on a complementary rug for maximum effect. Use contrasting materials on dining chairs (for example, leather chairs with a wood table or silk upholstery with glass works well). • Choosing the right lighting is allimportant for setting the mood. For casual dining, pendants are stylish. For more formal dining, chandeliers are ideal.

Luis Hernandez, interior designer

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Live

While cabinetry is important, make sure you take time to consider the secondary layers to your kitchen. Flooring, window coverings and wall coverings can make or break a design and have the potential to bring even the most basic kitchen style to life. When it comes to underfoot materials, opt for something durable and hardwearing. The Stone & Ceramic Warehouse offers a range of unique finishes that don’t skimp on style. Its Vintage Leather range recreates the look of leather in a ceramic floor tile, while its Driftwood Tiles give a realistic wood effect in a porcelain tile. Director Stuart Wisbey says, “Compared to natural stone floor tiles, porcelain is very easy to maintain as it is lightweight and doesn’t stain, making it perfect for kitchens.” If you like the look of wood flooring but want something more practical then look at Amtico’s Signature range of luxury vinyl flooring, which offers realistic wood styles. For windows, an innovative choice is a window film, like those available at The Window Film Company. Do away with the fussiness of bulkier coverings and maintain your privacy while adding a design flourish. For the ultimate in stylishness window shutters add charm and character. Shutterly Fabulous’s café shutters let in the light and are available in a rainbow of colours.

Characterful Vintage glass ceramic wall tiles, £66 per m2, from The Stone & Ceramic Warehouse

Light It Up

Chris Jordan, managing director of luxury light specialist Christopher Wray, reveals the top three lighting trends • Look towards LED technology and the advancements in integrated lighting systems, such as dial control, which the vast majority of light fittings are compatible with nowadays. • Design-wise it’s all about the metal. Think: polished nickel, chrome, bronze and copper finishes. • Ultra-modern styles tend to use different materials such as polymers, which can form unique shapes. Our bestsellers are modern versions of classic styles. Our Jaunt collection, for instance, is essentially art deco, but it has a modern metal finish option so it is still relevant today.

Cook

When designing your kitchen seek advice from the experts. Experienced kitchen companies will know of new developments and space-saving ways to make the most of your room. Tomas Kitchen Living, based in Cambridge, for instance, is renowned for its modern, sleek take on kitchen cabinetry. Having a new facility in Mercers Row has allowed owner and designer Tom Hinton to develop his new ideas into reality. “New products from Tomas, one of our core collections, includes the CASE range,” says Tom. “This consists of a wonderful collection of solid oak pieces that can be integrated into a fully fitted Tomas Kitchen or can work as free-standing pieces. Very popular is the TeaCASE, which can hang happily next to the window or sink area. Beyond the kitchen, our CASE CREATIONS can migrate into living and dining areas to serve as side pieces. The look is what I call classic modern – that is to say modern yet not overly modern.” For a classic look, see Langtry Fitted Furniture. “Our Florence range of kitchens is an updated version of the traditional Shaker

style,” says Tony Jones, director. “It has clean lines and echoes the Shaker style but is slightly more pared back. It looks stunning in white or light grey matched with grey marble tops – a timeless choice.” Talking of surfaces, Granite Transformations is a one-stop shop for innovative ideas. Its slimline, lightweight, yet extremely hard-wearing, agglomerate worktops come in a choice of granite, quartz, recycled glass or porcelain. Also worth considering are its chic, Italianheritage glass mosaic tiles, which are perfect for splashbacks and feature panels. “Granite is perfect for kitchen duties,” comments Peter Morrison from the Cambridge store. “This material is becoming extremely expensive, which is why Granite Transformations’ composite product, made

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Style savvy Design Republic’s Cambridge copper kitchen, POA

Top Floriss suspension light in lime green, from £645 Below Asteroid light, £625, both Christopher Wray

Updated classic A take on the Shaker style, the Florence kitchen, POA, from Langtry Fitted Furniture

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Curve factor Sleek and modern designs from Tomas Kitchen Living, POA

AMTICO 0121 745 0800 www.amtico.com CHRISTOPHER WRAY 020 7013 0180 www.christopherwray.com DESIGN REPUBLIC 01284 812590 www.design-republic.net FLOS 07771 871969 www.flos.com

Top heavy Add the wow factor with new surfaces from Granite Transformations, prices vary

from recovered granite chips and a measure of polymer resin is more affordable and offers superior technical performance.” Finally, a major consideration is making sure you have enough storage in your kitchen – meaning that your room will look bright and airy at all times. John Stephens, director at Rencraft, a bespoke kitchen maker, gives his advice: “Storage components are a crucial aspect of any kitchen. This is because it’s one of the hardest rooms to keep organised – there are so many individual items and appliances to consider. Our experienced designers are able to advise customers on how to make the most of, for example, vertical and corner spaces, which may otherwise go to waste. The larder is growing hugely in popularity. With open-plan living spaces being a firm favourite in our modern homes, there is often space for a large pantry cupboard and many are now wondering how they ever lived without them.”

FURNITURE VILLAGE 0800 804 8879 www.furniturevillage.co.uk FRITZ FRYER 01989 567416 www.fritzfryer.co.uk Larder lust Rencraft reports a rise in built-in food cupboards, POA

I & JL BROWN 020 7736 4141 www.ijlbrown.com LANGTRY FITTED FURNITURE 01353 725380 www.langtryfurniture.co.uk LEWIS & CO 020 7487 5961 www.lewisandcompany.co.uk MARKS AND SPENCER 0333 014 855 www.marksandspencer.com Window watch Full height kitchen shutters from Shutterly Fabulous, prices vary

Zone it off

Max Spenser-Morris, director at Design Republic, talks about modern kitchen design “Our modern pace of life is leading the trend for open-plan living and kitchen-diners. These

multifunctional spaces enable families to spend time together. As the space can be used for food preparation and dining through to homework and socialising, it is worth creating zones to differentiate these

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GRANITE TRANSFORMATIONS 01223 843333 www.granitetransformations.co.uk

RENCRAFT 01892 520730 www.rencraft.co.uk SAINSBURY’S 0800 636262 www.sainsburys.co.uk

activities. An island unit works well to define these areas. Incorporating the hob and sink into the island brings the chef centre stage, while a couple of high bar stools create an informal space for eating breakfast together.”

SHUTTERLY FABULOUS 0800 9 700 800 www.shutterlyfabulous.com THE STONE & CERAMIC WAREHOUSE 020 8993 5545 www.sacw.co.uk THE WINDOW FILM COMPANY 01494 854 252 www.windowfilm.co.uk TOMAS KITCHEN LIVING 0800 023 6471 www.tomas-kitchen-living.co.uk

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INTERIORS A GLASS ACT Gabin industrial pendant light, £109.99 www.my-furniture.com SIMPLE SHADING French drum lampshade in Midnight Blue with gold lining, £120 www.lovefrankie.com

70S STYLE 70s glass vases, from £23.50 www.printerandtailor.com

SOPHISTICATED SERVING Scallop metal tray, £35 www.marksandspencer.com

DRAWN THAT WAY Makers for Selfridges china tea pot by Charlene Mullen, £70 www.selfridges.com

GILTY PLEASURES Gold hexagon wine rack, £35 www.oliverbonas.com

A STAR IS BORN Red Star crockery, from £10 www.lexingtoncompany.com

SHABBY CHIC Etienne painted dining chair, £137 www.shabbystore.co.uk

BUTTERFLY EFFECT Butterfly House dinner plate, £4 www.sainsburys.co.uk

ROUGH CUT Marble cheeseboard and knife set, £36.95 www.miafleur.com

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SPOTLIGHT

STORE OF THE MONTH

Cambridge Kitchens & Bathrooms f you are looking to revamp your kitchen or bathroom then intelligent design advice and value for money is probably at the top of your list. Cambridge Kitchens & Bathrooms is a family business founded in 1978 by Thomas Gledhill, and now run by his son and daughter-in-law – Dylan and Sarah Wade-Gledhill. With showrooms in Cambridge, Newmarket and Bishop’s Stortford, it is one of the area’s longest established independent kitchen businesses and prides itself on a hands-on approach to kitchen design. “As a family company, running the business to our own ethics and values is very important,” says Sarah Wade-Gledhill. “We offer our clients a bespoke service and can tailor what we provide to their budget and needs. We don’t have a one-size-fitsall ethos. We can also offer a full project management service – from plumbing to tiling, electrical works to decorating – we can take on the lot. Many people like that they only have to deal with one company.” This is backed up by the company being a member of the Kitchen, Bathroom and Bedroom Specialists Association (KBSA) – the only professional body of independent kitchen specialists in the UK. “It means our clients have peace of mind,” agrees Sarah. She continues: “One of the best things about being independent is choosing the best products that suit our clientele. We offer a complete range of kitchens, from contemporary high-gloss to painted natural woods and we spend a lot of time with

clients at the start of a project to ensure we get the right design.” With a staff of 20, including an in-house design team, the company’s serviceorientated ethos extends to even the most unique customer requests: “From making special units to fit awkward spaces to creating a bespoke dog bed, our skilled installers are all trained carpenters with years of experience behind them,” says Dylan Wade-Gledhill. “We’re all passionate about design and so we can come up with solutions for most problems.” The three showrooms are updated to reflect emerging trends so customers can visualise new ideas for their homes. “We’re looking ahead to what’s going to be popular in 2017 and beyond,” says Sarah. “Black matt kitchens with copper and bronze hardware, and light-coloured stone worktops are in vogue. Importantly, our surveying team ensures everything is thoroughly checked. The specification has to be practical, not just pretty.” A recent venture is the collaboration with self-build company Potton Homes. “As Potton’s kitchen and bathroom specialist, we can help self-builders with

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their designs,” says Dylan. “Not only did we install the kitchens and bathrooms in Potton’s self-build show centre, but we also run regular events for their clients. The centre has five full-size show homes and is well worth a visit, especially if you are interested in seeing our kitchens and bathrooms in a real home environment. “ So what’s next? “The advent of 4D design is something we are looking forward to,” reveals Sarah. “It will mean clients will be able to visualise their new kitchen or bathroom before any work has been done. We have also found that running events like those with Potton, mean we can educate clients so they can make informed decisions.” This January, Cambridge Kitchens & Bathrooms has 25% off kitchen furniture, plus you can receive a free Neff Dishwasher. There is also 10% off bathrooms. See in store for details.

Cambridge Kitchens & Bathrooms, 297 Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 3DF 01223 213266 www.cambridgekitchens.co.uk Potton Self Build Show Centre, Mill Lane, Little Paxton PE19 6EF www.potton.co.uk

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WHITE SOCK, EXPENSIVE SUIT OR BEIGE CHINO? Sam Cooke, partner at Cooke Curtis & Co, on every estate agent you’ll ever meet The male estate agent fits into three basic categories. Luckily they make themselves easily identifiable to the outside world by a strictly adhered to uniform code: 1. The White Sock 2. The Expensive Suit 3. The Beige Chino The White Sock estate agent is young, brash, slick and has a penchant for pointy shoes and expensive hair products. What they lack in experience they make up for in enthusiasm and sweet selling skills. They’ve sometimes been to as many as two training courses at a hotel in Milton Keynes and their Audi hatchback corners faster than any other car on the road. They look up to the Expensive Suit, but down on the Beige Chino. Like some sort of rubbish Pokémon, the Expensive Suit is an evolution, rising out of the White Sock. After five or ten years of knocking on doors and delivering leaflets they’ve progressed within the trade and become quite successful. They’re now in charge of an office, sometimes as an employee and sometimes running their own company. They now have an Audi saloon with big alloy wheels and Bluetooth. The Expensive Suit occupies arguably a pleasing middle ground in

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the hierarchy. They still have some of the enthusiasm of the White Sock, but without the brashness, and have much of the experience of the Beige Chino, but without the golf. They look back at the White Sock with a certain fondness and have mixed feelings about the Beige Chino, in some ways thinking it might be nice to eventually get there, in others, worried that doing so would surely signal the end of their youth. The Beige Chino can be an evolution of the Expensive Suit, but can also come from a completely different place to the other two. If it’s an evolution, it’s one that the agent slowly slips into some time after their 45th birthday, around the day they pick up a golf club. As the waist expands the sharp suit makes way for the more comfortable pleat-fronted trouser. The work rate drops and the time off rises. And why not? By this time the estate agent has earned this chance to enjoy life a little more. Their experience is long, their wisdom great and their clients can learn more from them in a three-day week than the other two could provide in six. The Audi saloon wells into an estate or even one of those whopping 4x4s that don’t quite fit in the Waitrose car park spaces. The second form of Beige Chino has not risen through the ranks, but has landed

in the comfortable trouser by breeding or by marriage. This is a slightly different class of estate agent. The lunches are as long, but the Audi is out and the Land Rover is in. For the most accomplished the beige trouser can be dropped in favour of a deep red. Or even salmon. But a chino it remains. This agent often has actual professional qualifications and an air of confidence that the evolved chino wearer can’t quite match. Respect is commanded. Both Beige Chinos are thoroughly comfortable in who they are, they need not look down on, up to or sideways at the White Sock or Expensive Suit as they’re above all that. They’re plotting a gentle course over still seas to the warm waters of retirement and are enjoying themselves. Of course I’m not like any of those estate agents, I transcend the three categories above, combining the best elements of all three and avoiding the worst. I only wear white socks when the sport demands, I don’t go in for expensive suits and as far as I can recall have never owned a single pair of chinos. I am a unique and beautiful snowflake. I don’t even have an Audi, although the way the indicators on the new ones whizz from side to side a bit like the light on the front of KITT is quite cool. I’m different. And definitely not deluded.

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Dream Home

Frankly it’s a little depressing trying to find homes which are approaching an affordable price for these pages so we thought we’d go to the other end of the scale this month. Got a spare £1.3 million? This sweet pad on Hertford Street could be yours. A classic, pristine white Victorian frontage belies the ultra-modern interior, which boasts four floors of stylish accommodation. We’re particularly taken with the huge, glassroofed kitchen and dining area, which is flooded with natural light and fully decked

out with sleek, top-of-the-range fittings. The lower ground floor also boasts the first of four bedrooms, this one with an en-suite wet room (the perfect place for your guests). The upper ground floor, a little more classic in feel, has a sitting room with floor-toceiling bookshelves, polished wood flooring and an original fireplace, whilst on the first floor you’ll find three further bedrooms plus a bathroom. On the second floor is the rather beautiful master bedroom, every inch the boutique hotel, in which you can

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recline in a free-standing bathtub. Outside, meanwhile, there’s a small but perfectly formed landscaped garden which is perfect for a bit of al fresco entertaining. The location is hard to beat too, just half a mile from the city centre and a short (300yd) hop to the River Cam and Jesus Green. Best get digging behind those sofa cushions for some extra pennies then… This property is on the market with Bidwells with a guide price of £1.3 million. www.bidwells.co.uk

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