Cambridge Edition June

Cambridge JUNE 2014

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CONTENTS

JUNE 2014

47

30 Welcome

49

5 • FIVE THINGS TO DO Our quick pick of the top things to do in Cambridge this month

57-60 • TOUR DE FRANCE All you need to know about the Cambridge leg of the Tour de France

7-10 • NIGHTLIFE From comedy to live music and club nights; our guide to after-hours fun this month

62 • COMPETITION In honour of the Tour de France, we’re giving away a top of the range road bike

15 • MUSIC BLOG Slate The Disco share their local gig recommendations for May 16-17 • STRAWBERRY FAIR Midsummer Common’s annual shindig turns 40 this month 19 • NIGHT WATCH FESTIVAL Cambridge Junction is hosting a 24-hour festival of theatre, art and food this month 22-28 • ARTS & CULTURE Cambridge’s cultural happenings, from theatre and opera to exhibitions and art 30-31 • CAMBRIDGE OPEN STUDIOS In July, artists across the county will open their doors – here’s what not to miss 32 • JAZZ & BRASS IN THE PARKS June heralds the arrival of a summer of live music in our city’s beautiful outdoor spaces 37-47 • FOOD NEWS & COLUMN All you need to know about the local food scene, including the top al fresco dining spots. Plus, our expert offers advice on mastering the art of risotto

64-65 • GROUP SPOTLIGHT We meet feisty all-female roller derby team, the Romsey Town Rollerbillies 67 • TWO COUNTIES MOTOR SHOW We take a look at the attractions in store for the Two Counties Motor Show

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have heard that a certain cycling race will be making its way through Cambridge next month; an event which is whipping our already bike-mad city into a frenzy of excitement. In honour of this momentous occasion, we’ve put together a Tour de France special for you, featuring everything you need to know about the event from where to pitch up for the best views to the map of the route and some of our favourite cultural events which will be taking place in celebration. Vive le tour! June also means the return of Strawberry Fair, a huge jamboree of colour and community and a rare chance to soak up the more alternative side to our city – find out what’s in store on page 16. With this month also marking the official arrival of summer, I urge you to check out our guide to al fresco dining around Cambridgeshire on page 42 – I guarantee you’ll discover at least one gem you never knew existed. I also have to flag up Night Watch – a 24-hour long experimental arts, music and theatre festival which takes place 14-15 June at Cambridge Junction and sounds as bonkers as it does brilliant (you’ll see what I mean on page 19). Enjoy the issue and see you next month!

NICOLA FOLEY, EDITOR

69 • INDEPENDENT OF THE MONTH We pay homage to a true great of the local indie scene: Ark

COVER ART The art on this month’s cover was designed by Andy Scullion of Wyatt9, a specialised bicycle art brand. To see more of their quirky bicycle-themed artwork and products, visit the website: www.notonthehighstreet. com/wyatt9

70-72 • LET’S GO TO… Famous for its racecourse but offering so much more besides, we visit Newmarket 75 • COMMUNITY News and charitable happenings from your neighbourhood 81-83 • FATHER’S DAY Great gifts and ideas for top days out to treat your pops 85-88 • BUSINESS Get connected in Cambridge and network your way to business success 93-96 • FASHION We select our top picks for him & for her

49 • REVIEW Editor Nicola pays a visit to newly opened Thai eaterie No.77 in Caxton

98-100 • BEAUTY Daisy rounds up her fave on-the-go beauty miniatures for holiday season

50-51 • LISTINGS Our quick guide to what’s going on in Cambridge this June

102-108 • INTERIORS Gorgeous inspiration for kitting out your little ones’ rooms and nurseries

53 • FAMILY Kiddie-friendly activities for you and your brood this month

111-113 • EDUCATION Local schools discuss unlocking creative potential and the importance of reading

EDITORIAL

CONTRIBUTORS

Editor Nicola Foley 01223 499459 nicolafoley@bright-publishing.com

Angelina Villa-Clarke, Alex Rushmer, Charlotte Phillips, Daisy Dickinson, Margaret White, Jordan Worland, Ruthie Collins, Heidi White, Christepher Hald

Features editor Jennifer Shelton 01223 499463 jennifershelton@bright-publishing.com Sub editors Lisa Clatworthy & Hannah Bealey

ADVERTISING Senior sales executive Claire McGrath 01223 499461 clairemcgrath@bright-publishing.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Designer Emily Stowe 01223 499450 emilystowe@bright-publishing.com Designer Katy Bowman 01223 499465 katybowman@bright-publishing.com

PUBLISHING DIRECTORS Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck 01223 499450

www.bright-publishing.com

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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5 THINGS TO DO

5

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MAY WEEK PUNTING

The rather misleadingly named May Week (actually nine days, in June) is one of the great Cambridge University traditions. For the students, it represents the end of the academic year, when there’s nothing left to do but have fun before dispersing for the summer. The colleges host a series of lavish balls and parties during this period – and (even if your student days are long gone), you can join in the fun by heading down to the river and enjoying the fireworks displays. A punt offers the best vantage point, and for the most impressive displays we recommend 16 June (the night of Clare, Jesus and Trinity balls), or the 17th – when the famous St John’s May Ball takes place.

Scudamores offer private tours at £160 per boat, or public tours for £16 per person. www.scudamores.com

MIDSUMMER FAIR

HOMESTUFF WITH HISTORY OPEN WEEKEND Burwash Manor’s homeware store Nest may have sadly closed its doors a while back, but you’ll be pleased to hear that they’re still going strong from their workshops in Shepreth, selling their gorgeous range of furniture, home accessories, curiosities and crafts online and operating under the new name of Homestuff with History. They are also hosting seasonal Open Weekends, giving you the chance to have a good oldfashioned rummage around their treasure trove of vintage goodies at the workshop, whilst enjoying a complimentary coffee and homemade cakes.

The next open weekend takes place 2122 June, at the Shepreth workshop. www.homestuffwithhistory.com

GET SET FOR INDEPENDENTS' MONTH! Cambridge is bursting with fantastic ‘indies’, and Independents’ Month, which runs throughout July, is the perfect time to celebrate and explore them. Cambridge Edition is once again partnering with Cambridge BID on this event, which is part of a national scheme designed to encourage people to shop local and highlight the important role that smaller, independent retailers play in the community. Pick up the next issue for the full schedule of exciting events, special offers and treats in store. www.cambridgebid.co.uk

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The annual Midsummer Fair, which this year runs 18-23 June, is one of the oldest travelling funfairs in the country, having been running for more than 800 years.

Traditionally opened with a parade by the mayor and other councillors (throwing newly minted pennies to children), the fair takes place on Midsummer Common, until 11pm each night (Sunday 9pm). There will be a host of rides including dodgems, ghost trains and roundabouts – as well as fairground faves like candyfloss, hot dogs and toffee apples to get stuck into. www.cambridgesummerinthecity.co.uk

NORFOLK STREET SUMMER EVENT We love a good street party here at Edition, so we’re delighted to hear that the lovely Norfolk Street will be hosting its annual shindig once again this month. Organised by the Petersfield Area Community Trust, the event takes place on Saturday 21 June (12-5pm), and features a colourful parade, lots of tasty food and drink, live music, dancing, art and crafts. There’ll also be hands-on science activities to get stuck into, face-painting, a tombola, games, Morris men, a charity auction and lots more. www.pactcambridge.org

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NIGHTLIFE

WARNING The drum and bass night which refuses to show any signs of waning, Warning is back on 7 June for another monster party at Cambridge Junction. Acting as a warm-up to In The Sun festival, which takes place later in the month in Barcelona, this night promises all the usual bass-tastic fun with a beachy vibe.

Headlining with a 90-minute set will be the founder of RAM Records, Andy C – one of the biggest names in the world of electronic music. He’ll be joined by DJ and producer Friction, Mampi Swift, Grooverider, Brockie and Kenny Ken. Over at the Beach Bar, you can catch Code, Cynthetic, D High, Oblivion and more. As always, the event runs 10pm-6am, tickets £17. www.junction.co.uk

GARY NUMAN A founding father of the synth pop genre, Gary Numan rose to fame in the late 1970s with his futuristic electronic sound. Best known for tracks like Cars and Are Friends Electric?, Numan was a prolific hitmaker of the era, churning out three successive number one albums and becoming a figurehead of the new wave movement. He became a cult music figure, famed for his theatrical icy persona and pioneering vision, inspiring a host of bands and often cited as an important influencer of the US hip hop scene. On 24 June, catch him at Cambridge Junction, showcasing work from his early days through to his later electronic rock albums such as Pure and Hybrid. Tickets £28.50 (7pm). www.junction.co.uk

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NIGHTLIFE

DODGY

SUNDAY SESSION King Street café Afternoon Tease will host another Sunday Session this month, offering the perfect opportunity to eke every last drop of fun out of your weekend before Monday morning rolls around again. Drop in between 5pm and 9pm on 1 June and enjoy some top quality live acoustic music, a few drinks and some delicious home-made comfort food – including the café’s sought-after cakes! This month’s musician is Antonio Lulic, whose uplifting, soulful performances have drawn comparisons to the likes of early Bruce Springsteen and Mumford & Sons. Having supported Ed Sheeran and performed around the world, don’t miss the chance to see this talented singer-songwriter delivering his irresistible brand of indie-folk in an intimate setting. Entry is free, food and drink as priced. www.afternoontease.co.uk

Fans of Britpop will be pleased to hear that Dodgy are in town this month for a gig at Cambridge Junction on 8 June.

Over 20 years since the release of their debut album, these pop rockers are still going strong and producing brand new material, having recently reformed with the original line-up of Nigel Clark, Andy Miller and Mathew Priest. Though they were only on the scene for seven years the first time around, they captured the imagination of a generation with their feel-good indie tunes, selling more than seven million records worldwide.

Get ready to be transported back to 1990s heaven with tracks like Good Enough, Staying out for the Summer and In A Room – which sound just as good today as they did back in the golden era of Britpop. Tickets are £16 in advance and the gig kicks off at 8pm. www.junction.co.uk

FOOTLIGHTS INTERNATIONAL TOUR The cream of the current Footlights crop will be showcasing their finest sketches, songs and stand-up this month in their 2014 International Tour Show, which plays in Cambridge from 10 to 21 June. Real Feelings, performed and written by five Cambridge students, will run at the ADC theatre before the show is taken to the Edinburgh Festival, London and America.

Well known as a breeding ground for comedic talent, previous Footlights alumni include Mitchell and Webb, Fry and Laurie and John Cleese, amongst many others, and the annual tour show is a prime opportunity to catch the best of the bunch.

Forget your average student comedy, these guys are consistently slick, hilarious and staggeringly accomplished – book in advance as tickets tend to sell out. Tickets are priced £9-£14. www.adctheatre.com

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NIGHTLIFE

now

booking

JUNGLE 28 October, Cambridge Junction, £13.50 Jungle, a mysterious electro-funk duo from West London, have created a huge online buzz recently but managed to keep their identities secret, creating super cool music videos that feature everything from roller skate crews to six-year-old break dancers. They’ll be bringing their hypnotic grooves to Cambridge Junction in October. www.junction.co.uk

ROBIN INCE 26 September, Cambridge Junction, £15 Cambridge Science Festival fave Robin Ince returns to the city, and once again he’s got a show for us that’ll get the old grey matter working overtime. After dabbling in Darwin and cleaning out Schrödinger’s Cat, this time around, he’s delving into the last 100 years of psychiatry, psychology and skewiff brain dabblings. www.junction.co.uk

EELS It’s been almost 20 years since the release of EELS’ seminal debut album, Beautiful Freak – the BRIT Award winning offering which catapulted the band into the public eye. Best known for tracks like Novocaine for the Soul and Your Lucky Day in Hell, the record showcased the melancholy alternative indie-pop rock sound which the band are now famous for.

Founded in California and comprising multi-instrumentalist Mark Oliver Everett (known as ‘E’) together with an ever-changing line-up of bandmates, EELS’ have gained a cult following over the years, their music used in a plethora of film soundtracks including three of the Shrek films, American Beauty, Knocked Up and Road Trip – the latter of which featured possibly their most famous track of all, the sunshiney classic Mr E’s Beautiful Blues.

They’ve now got an impressive 11 studio albums under their collective belt, the most recent of which, The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett, was released in April this year and described as ‘stripped back, raw and deeply personal’ by NME. Catch them doing their thing on 18 June at the Corn Exchange (7.30pm). Tickets are £27.50. www.cornex.co.uk

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AL MURRAY 27 November, Corn Exchange, £28 Everyone’s favourite pub landlord is back in Cambridge in November, promising a show brimming with Murray’s hilarious, slightly sloshed patriotic ramblings and a lot of audience participation. www.cornex.co.uk

OMID DJALILI 30 January 2015, Corn Exchange, £25.50 A bit of a wait for this one, but worth popping in your diary, brilliant Iranian comic Omid Djalili stops by in Cambridge in the new year.

Subversive, quick-witted and eyebrow-raisingly controversial in his material, his show promises to be well worth checking out. www.cornex.co.uk

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NIGHTLIFE

DOUG SEGAL: I CAN MAKE YOU A MENTALIST Described by TimeOut magazine as ‘the UK’s best-kept entertainment secret’, Doug Segal is one of the apparently evergrowing crop of contemporary British ‘mental illusionists’ – but he has the added USP of having a darn good sense of humour. Yep, if you fancy comedy and mind reading all in one evening, this is the show for you. In I Can Make You A Mentalist, Segal guides the audience through a series of psychic tests, before selecting one individual to mould into a fully fledged mind reader.

Interspersed with comedy sketches and gags, there’s lots of fun audience participation and Doug is frank about how he carries out his mental trickery, making for an enlightening show.

He stops by Cambridge Junction on 6 June, 8pm; tickets are £16. www.junction.co.uk

NEWMARKET NIGHTS The always-popular Newmarket Nights series of events kicks off this month with a 1980s extravaganza on Friday 20 June. Get your glad rags on and head over to the worldfamous racecourse for an evening of exhilarating action followed by a star-studded open air concert as dusk falls.

The line-up promises an evening of pure pop perfection, seeing 80s icons T’Pau, Bananarama and The Real Thing taking to the stage, as well as Curiosity Killed the Cat and Kid Creole and The Coconuts.

It’s the 28th outing for the Adnams Newmarket Night concerts, which will also play host to Tom Jones, James Blunt, The Beach Boys, Dizzee Rascal, UB40 and Wet Wet Wet over the course of the summer this year.

Tickets for 80s Here and Now are £12-£29, and music performances will start 15-20 minutes after the final race. www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk

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LOLA LO COCKTAIL PUNTING With summer and (hopefully) a bit of warmer weather on its way, now’s the time to take advantage of those long evenings and plan yourself a little al fresco fun. We love the look of the Lola Lo cocktail punting experience, in which you and a group of friends can cruise along the Cam sipping your way through a variety of tasty tiki tipples.

The tours, which start at 7pm and are available on Friday and Saturday nights, include VIP entry into the Lola Lo nightclub in the city centre – making them a great idea for a birthday or even a hen party (minimum 10 people).

With a friendly chauffeur punting you past our city’s most famous sites, one of Lola Lo’s barmen will shake you up two Polynesian-inspired cocktails each whilst you sit back and relax, before taking advantage of queue jump entry at the nightclub. Tours start at £50 per person. For more information, visit the Let’s Go Punting website. www.letsgopunting.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 ublin four-piece Girl Band are one of the most exciting new acts to emerge from 2014 and undoubtedly, their gig at The Portland Arms on 10 June is our top pick for the month. Girl Band does not contain any girls. They are a four-piece in their late teens/early 20s, wet behind the ears, and they play music that does not fit comfortably under one genre. Somewhere between Pissed Jeans, The Modern Lovers, Shellac and Liars, they somehow sound like all and none of those at all.

John Grant is embarking on a nationwide tour this summer, including a stop at Cambridge Junction on 25 June.

Grant, a Denver-born solo artist, is former lead vocalist with The Czars, a band whose music fluctuated between shoegaze, dream pop and alternative country. Grant released his debut solo album Queen of Denmark in April 2010, and the follow-up, Pale Green Ghosts, was released last year and is a brilliant listen, filled with sparse electronics, black humour and rich stories full of wisdom and personal misery.

PAWS will release their second album, Youth Culture Forever on 2 June on FatCat records. The new LP saw the band decamp to a studio in the woods just outside New York to hone and expand on the sound of their debut Cokefloat! – a record that was acclaimed by the likes of Pitchfork and BBC music, as well as being nominated for the Scottish Album of the Year Awards. PAWS kick-start the accompanying album tour in Cambridge, playing The Portland Arms on 2 June.

Multi-instrumentalist and singer/ songwriter Mark Oliver Everett brings his band EELS to the Corn Exchange on the 18th. The latest album from EELS, The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett is an extraordinarily vivid and intimate document of a personal struggle, with some real tear-jerker moments on the record. Whilst the stripped-down and lightly orchestrated album is a fresh release, we’d imagine the Corn Exchange show will

draw on moments from all of EELS’ 20-year back catalogue.

Considered one of the most creative, prolific singers in the UK, Bella Hardy brings her band The Midnight Watch to the Cambridge Junction on 21 June, as she celebrates her 30th birthday, visiting 30 of her favourite venues. Four-time nominee at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, and winner of Best Original Song in 2012 for The Herring Girl, Hardy’s songs range in subject matter from fairy tales to working class history, via childhood nostalgia, myth, murder and the human condition.

One is an acclaimed singer-songwriter, the other an accomplished drummer and percussionist: Catherine Feeny & Chris Johnedis are a collaboration that experiments in classic songwriting and exhilarating polyrhythms. The duo play The Portland Arms on 17 June with support from The Little Unsaid and Dave Gerard.

Gary Numan is preparing for his debut Sonisphere appearance with a run of live dates, which includes a performance at Cambridge Junction on 24 June. After rising to fame in 1978 as the first ever ‘synthesiser star’ with Tubeway Army,

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Numan topped the UK Charts with Are Friends Electric? and Cars, and achieved three amazing successive number one albums. Numan has continued to mine a rich artistic vein with heavy, electronic rock.

Dodgy were only together for seven years in their first time on the circuit, but they sold over a million records worldwide, released three albums and 12 Top 40 singles, including three Top 10s and the Top 5 hit Good Enough. Back together, Dodgy play an acoustic show on 8 June at the Cambridge Junction.

Cambridge singer-songwriter Tom Conway will play a stripped-back set at The Flying Pig on the 11th. With a baritone vocal that draws a comparison to Magnetic Fields, Conway has a host of non-clichéd folk blues tracks that will fill the intimate venue superbly.

The best complete line-up of the month takes place at the Corner House on 20 June with Alicia Catling, Horse Party and Bloody Knees all playing a multi-genre night with sounds spanning from yearning folk and garage punk to blues. Looking forward, New Zealand indie electronic ensemble The Naked and Famous return to the Cambridge Junction on 1 July. The five-piece make driving, melodic pop with an 80s post-punk influence.

Tell us about your gig at www.slatethedisco.com.

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STRAWBERRY FAIR

WORDS JENNIFER SHELTON

STRAWBERRY FAIR Food, drink, stalls and funky out of this world themes...

It can only be Strawberry Fair’s 40th birthday party tep through the looking glass into an alternative Cambridge on 7 June when Midsummer Common becomes a wonderland of fairies, poets, musicians and masks. Away from the tourist bustle and conventionality of the city centre, a party will take place throughout the day and into the evening celebrating Cambridge’s wackier side – and you’re invited.

Strawberry Fair has been taking place on Midsummer Common for 40 years: a family-orientated festival, it’s run solely by volunteers with the aim of bringing the community together and celebrating all that’s unique about Cambridge. This year, for its ruby anniversary, there’s a ruby masquerade theme, with traders, performers and visitors invited to dress up, don a mask and join in the fun.

“We found that theming it works quite well,” says Kam Sanghera, chair of the Strawberry Fair organising committee.

“This seems to be happening at festivals more and more. In the past we’ve had

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aliens, fairies… and this year we’re going for a ruby masquerade ball: ruby for the 40th anniversary and red tying in nicely with strawberries. We’d like people to dress up in their best masquerade regalia – just wearing a mask is enough, or they can go the whole hog.

I like the idea of people dressing up and making an effort, it sets a nice tone for the event. It’s another way of people getting involved – not just being consumers but participants.”

The fair has grown enormously since its humble beginnings in 1974. “The first event was just one stage and a few hay bales,” smiles Kam. “It was started by a group of people linked with the university who wanted an organised event for the town rather than for the colleges. An alternative May Ball, if you like.”

This year, you’ll find different distinct areas to explore at the Fair, from a food

40

TH

ANNIVERSA RY

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STRAWBERRY FAIR

market to live music stages and craft zones – with mask making, of course.

“We have 12-13 different areas including a kids’ area and the Eastern Bloco area where we have arts and crafts, and several stages including the Portland Ballroom,” says Kam. “Then there’s the Village Green space, where we contact lots of the local community groups, like the Cambridge Lindy Hoppers, hula-hoopers etc, who show what they can do and get people to learn and join in.”

Visitors will also find a multitude of stalls to browse, selling all manner of interesting and unusual things, plus a food court.

“We’re heading towards more of a market feel this year,” says Kam. “The traders are very much part of the fair’s colour and eccentricity. You get some great stuff, whether it’s food or clothes or trinkets… we work very hard to get interesting stalls and to cater for everybody.”

The day’s events kick off with the traditional Strawberry Fair parade, a

The traders are very much part of the fair’s colour and eccentricity. You can get some great stuff, whether it’s food or clothes or trinkets… we work very hard to get interesting stalls colourful carnival which snakes its way through the town.

“The Strawberry Fair parade leaves Midsummer Common at about 10.30am, then goes around the town, through Market Square, and back to the common.

That kick-starts the fair effectively, and has been an integral part of the event for a number of years. Anybody and everybody can take part in the parade, and community groups are encouraged to come along,” comments Kam. The fair itself gets going from midday, with music and entertainment continuing throughout the day until 10.30pm. “There’ll be a big finale 10.30-11pm which should be a nice way to bring everybody together on

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the Village Green at the end of the day,” says Kam. There are also pre-events taking place on the Friday, including the Strawberry Shorts film festival, held in the incredible undiscovered gem that is the Festival Theatre on Newmarket Road.

Summing up the Strawberry Fair ethos, Kam says: “It’s a day of free alternative entertainment that’s suitable for absolutely everybody, from the youngest of the young to the oldest of the old. It’s run on a non-profit basis by volunteers; it’s noncommercial and very independent. You’re not going to get this much colour and variety anywhere else.” www.strawberry-fair.org.uk

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NIGHT WATCH

JUNE

or something completely different to the norm, head down to Cambridge Junction this month where they’re hosting a 24-hour live art, theatre, food and music extravaganza, the likes of which Cambridge has never seen before.

Kicking off at midday on Saturday 14 June, this nocturnal feast of a festival features a huge array of cutting-edge performances, installations, foodie delights and even a bit of football, continuing all day through until noon the following day.

Tempting your taste buds will be local street food faves Steak and Honour and Urban Street Kings, joined by arts-led dining company Lemonade and Laughing Gas, who’ll create a multicoloured 1980s-inspired breakfast. There’ll also be a special Night Watch beer on offer from Cambridge’s own Moonshine Brewery, and the bar is open all night.

The line-up features contemporary theatre courtesy of the Sleepwalk Collective; a motor-mouthed collage of spoken word from Christopher Brett Bailey; and a UK premiere from infamous New York performance artist Ann Liv Young, who’s known for her provocative performances. There’s also live art from Gemma Paintin & James Stenhouse,

aka Action Hero, who will bring their show Slap Talk to the festival – a sixhour long verbal sparring match. Also, supported by Cambridge Junction’s artist development scheme, Figs in Wigs, GETINTHEBACKOFTHEVAN, John Boursnell, Sheila Ghelani, Search Party and TheatreState will be bringing their diverse arty offerings to the festival.

Music, meanwhile, will be provided by the ever-inspirational SHINDIG, who will present acts including Gaze is Ghost.

At sunset and sunrise, you can join in a ramble with artist Sheila Ghelani, who’ll also be installing a series of videos she made last summer which were inspired by the Cambridge Botanic Garden.

Night Watch also coincides with England’s first game in the World Cup, which kicks off at 11pm – and the organisers have scheduled a screening of the match into the festival, in the way that only they know how. Performance artist Richard DeDomenici (half Italian, half British), will be offering up an unusual take on the footie-watching experience, providing a surreal commentary alongside Perrier Award winning comedienne turned live artist Kim Noble. Expect a distinct lack of football knowledge, half-time dancing and a whole lot of silliness.

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“At Cambridge Junction, we’ve been famous for our all-night club nights for a while now, but the arts programme has never quite run as late,” says the venue’s arts producer Daniel Pitt.

“Night Watch, as a 24-hour non-stop festival, is an all-night festival from an all-night arts centre! The festival is our home for the unusual end of the theatre, dance and performance spectrum – it’s all going to be fun, but some of it might, I hope, surprise you. The programme has some of the best cutting-edge performance makers from across the region, UK, and the world!”

A marathon event of this scale may demand a little nap, but there’s no need to slink off home and miss out on any fun, because Cambridge Junction’s J1 venue will be transformed into a comfortable crash space, complete with mattresses aplenty (though you’ll have to bring along your own sleeping bag).

The only question is: how long will you last?

Tickets £24 (24 hours) or £18 for the day shift (noon til midnight) or the night shift (midnight til noon, including breakfast). www.junction.co.uk

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We explore the arts and culture scene in Cambridge, showcasing some of the many exciting exhibitions and shows taking place around the city DIAL M FOR MURDER Made famous by the Alfred Hitchcock film starring Grace Kelly, Dial M For Murder returns to the stage for 2014, offering all the dark delights of a top-notch thriller.

Tony is convinced his wife is having an affair, so plots her murder in revenge – but things don’t go quite as smoothly as planned. What follows is a story of passion, suspense and betrayal.

Described as ‘Icily elegant – as stylish as it is unsettling’ by The Times, this exciting new production by Lucy Bailey stars All Creatures Great and Small favourite Christopher Timothy as Inspector Hubbard. You’ll find it showing at Cambridge Arts Theatre from 17 to 21 June, 7.45pm (and 2.30pm Thursday & Saturday). Tickets £15-£30. www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

FULBROOK HOUSE Twice a year, in June and November, Fulbrook House opens its doors to the public, offering a chance for us to absorb some of the work on show at this wonderful gallery and exhibition space. Fulbrook House is an impressive oak-framed converted barn situated just off the village high street in Great Eversden. With towering windows, crisp white walls, oak floors and spacious rooms full of light, it’s an ideal backdrop for contemporary art. Outside areas are utilised too: wander through the beautiful herb garden, orchard and surrounding flagstoned terraces where you’ll come across sculptures and other pieces amongst the greenery. This year, the 21-29 June Summer Exhibition shows work by Kate Green, Christy Keeney and Zoë Rubens.

Kate Green is a storyteller, poet, painter and stitcher and the resonance of narrative in her work enables us to share in her story. Zoë Rubens, by contrast, works with ferrous and non-ferrous metals, both cast, welded and etched, to produce intriguing sculptures.

Christy Keeney is exhibiting at Fulbrook House for the first time. He studied ceramics at the Royal College of Art in London and has been commissioned by the sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi and HRH Prince of Wales. His figurative ceramics are an investigation into the human condition and his forms are stretched to the point where sculpture and drawing overlap. His sculpted slab-built heads and figures demonstrate a wonderful sense of draughtsmanship as details are drawn into the wet clay surface.

Fulbrook House is only open to the public during exhibition times, so don’t miss this chance to have a look around. www.fulbrookhouse.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

TEN THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT SIR RANULPH FIENNES… A ‘sir’ from birth and described by The Guinness Book of Records as ‘the world’s greatest living explorer’, Ranulph Fiennes makes Ray Mears look like a boy scout and could no doubt teach Bear Grylls a thing or two about wigwams. Ahead of his visit to Cambridge Corn Exchange later this month, we took a look at his life and his rather epic list of achievements…

1. Fiennes was born in Berkshire 1944, only months after his father was killed in the war, inheriting his father’s baronetcy at birth.

2. He became the youngest Captain in the British Army, despite pulling the occasional prank, including slipping a piglet into a crowded ballroom.

3. He married his childhood sweetheart and fellow adventurer, Ginny, in 1970.

4. With Charles Burton, he became the first person to reach both Poles.

5. He was considered for the role of James Bond but turned down for having ‘hands and a face like a farmer’. Roger Moore was picked instead.

6. In 1992 he discovered the lost city of Ubar, in Oman, described by Lawrence of Arabia as ‘the Atlantis of the sands’.

7. After sustaining frostbite during a solo expedition to the North Pole in 2000, he amputated his own fingertips with a fretsaw.

8. Fiennes completed seven marathons on seven continents, in seven days, just four months after suffering a heart attack and undergoing a double bypass.

9. At the age of 65, as well as receiving his free bus pass, Fiennes became the oldest Briton to reach the summit of Mount Everest. It was his third attempt after earlier expeditions were aborted due to heart problems, exhaustion and severe vertigo. He still hates heights.

10. He is third cousin to actors Ralph and Joseph Fiennes and distantly related to the royal family.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is speaking at Cambridge Corn Exchange on 13 June, 8pm. Tickets £10-£18. www.cornex.co.uk

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR A series of artworks celebrating summer are on display at Byard Art, demonstrating the considerable talent Cambridgeshire has to offer. The enticing line-up includes Laurence Broderick, who has worked as a sculptor for over 50 years, using mostly bronze and stone. Serena Curmi’s figurative paintings meanwhile evoke a sense of stillness and quiet melancholy which she achieves through her use of composition and muted colours.

Jack Frame’s work explores romantic visions of landscape and figurative scenes, with his newest series focusing on enchanting depictions of trees on gold leaf backgrounds.

There’s lots more to discover too – head along before 15 June. www.byardart.co.uk

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ARTS & CULTURE

TASMIN LITTLE & PIERS LANE

SHAKESPEARE AT THE GEORGE ‘All that glisters is not gold…’

Shakespeare’s tale of money, mercy and marriage is being taken up by a band of local players this month, as Shakespeare at the George present The Merchant of Venice. Each year, the company perform one of the Bard’s plays, in traditional costume, at the Jacobean courtyard of the George Hotel in Huntingdon. It’s a magnificent backdrop and a chance to see Shakespeare performed as it would have been in the playwright’s own time.

After the sell-out success of last year’s Macbeth, be transported to the bustling streets and glittering palaces of Venice, where Bassanio approaches Jewish moneylender Shylock for a loan so that he can pay court to the bold and beautiful heiress, Portia. Portia, meanwhile, is unhappy about her late father’s arrangement that she must marry whoever passes his test of wits, and Shylock becomes distraught when his only daughter elopes. A dramatic trial, one of Shakespeare’s most memorable monologues and a spot of characteristic cross-dressing later, and we arrive at our happy ending – but at what expense?

The production will run from 24 June until 5 July (except 29 June).

Tickets from £11 (all seats £10 on opening night). Performances start at 7.30pm. Make a night of it with dinner at the restaurant – rooms at this stunning historic hotel are also available to book. www.satg.org.uk

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Following his performance with Patricia Routledge in March, Saffron Hall will welcome back Australian pianist Piers Lane on 28 June. He will be performing with long-term collaborator and one of England’s most-loved violinists, Tasmin Little OBE. Tasmin and Piers regularly perform and record together, often championing unjustly neglected works.

Ferguson’s Violin Sonata No.2 is one such work; a tautly composed pastoral piece which lends itself brilliantly to Tasmin's sensitive playing. Completing the programme is Ravel Pièce en forme de Habanera, Schubert Rondo Brillant and Strauss’s velvety Violin Sonata.

Starts 7.30pm, tickets £5-£20. www.saffronhall.com

SCISCREEN: MOON

PRIVATE PEACEFUL From the writer of War Horse comes the moving story of a young soldier awaiting the firing squad at dawn. Accused of cowardice, Private Tommo Peaceful reflects on his life, from his childhood growing up in rural Devon through to meeting his first love, Molly, and the injustices of war that brought him to the front line.

Private Peaceful, a novel aimed at older children, was described as ‘an unflinching examination of the horrors of war’ when it was first published in 2003. It was inspired by the author’s visit to Ypres, where he was shocked by the number of soldiers who were court-martialled and shot for cowardice during the First World War. Having transferred to the stage, Private Peaceful has continued to move audiences, earning five stars apiece from The Scotsman, Sunday Express and British Theatre Guide.

See it at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, 18-21 June, various times. Tickets £15 – suitable for ages eight and above. www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

Cambridge Arts Picturehouse continues its SciScreen sci-fi series this month with a screening of accomplished space thriller Moon (2009). Carried almost exclusively by the captivating performance of Sam Rockwell, the film is a stunning exploration of loneliness, self and truth. Rockwell stars as an astronaut on the brink of completing a three-year mission on the far side of the moon. He’s alone, but for a dangerously intelligent computer (voiced by Kevin Spacey) and unable to communicate with his wife and child except through taped messages – but soon it becomes clear that something’s up.

The screening, which starts at 6pm on 2 June, will be preceded by a talk

by Dr Catherine Breslin of Cambridge University’s Machine Intelligence Laboratory, who’ll discuss humancomputer dialogue. Tickets are £8. www.picturehouses.co.uk

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JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTRE ORCHESTRA

FUTURECAMP AT WYSING ARTS A host of discussions and debates will be held at Wysing Arts in Bourn this month as part of its residency Futurecamp. On 14 June, muse over the effect of modern technology on our psychology and behaviour. Human interaction has been changed radically by the digital revolution – how many of us chat more over Facebook than we do face to face? Should we be concerned? What does this signify for the future of communication? Get your teeth into this debate du jour 12-6pm.

The following discussion, on 28 June, will consider the relationship between the private and public spheres, exploring themes of activisim, economics, politics, surveillance and digital technology, with contributions from Anthony Davies, founder of MayDay Rooms, journalist Ray Filar and artists Patrick Goddard, Yuri Pattison and Josh Harris. Have your say at 12 noon. www.wysingartscentre.org

In this, the 75th year of iconic jazz label Blue Note Records, Cambridge Corn Exchange is hosting an exciting anniversary concert to celebrate the importance of Blue Note tunes in shaping the future of music, and to rekindle our love of the genre.

The gig will be performed by the Jazz Lincoln Centre Orchestra, and will embrace the history of jazz, and the lives and works of some of its most unforgettable musicians, including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Art Blakey and Bud Powell, to name just a few.

It starts at 7.30pm, 21 June, and tickets cost from £34.50. www.cornex.co.uk

CAMBRIDGE SUMMER MUSIC Classical music fans can get their teeth into two fabulous events this month.

Celebrity organist Anne Page and historian and TV presenter Paul Binski arrive in Cambridge on 1 June, as part of the Cambridge Summer Music series.

They’ll visit the largest organ in town, Jesus College Chapel’s ‘Sutton’ organ, now restored to its former glory, to showcase exactly what it can do. Anne will also put the new instrument at Sidney Sussex College Chapel through its paces in what should be a fascinating event for music and history lovers alike.

Starts 2pm, £6-£14. Tickets can be booked through Cambridge Corn Exchange. www.cornex.co.uk

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TRUE TALES TOLD LIVE Rekindle the tradition of oral storytelling on 25 June as Cambridge Storytellers host an evening of anecdotes, from the funny to the touching to the intriguingly bizarre. Glenys Newton will lead the event, and you’re welcome to bring along your own tale to tell (the event is free to all speakers). Otherwise its £3/£5 entry, taking place at CB2 Café on Norfolk Street from 8pm to 10pm.

There’s also an earlier event, Story Round, taking place on 11 June at 8pm. It’s free to attend. www.cambridgestorytellers.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL FITZWILLIAM DISCOVERY SERIES Earlier this year, the treasures of all eight of Cambridge’s University museums went on tour to London, combining for a stunning exhibition entitled Discoveries: Art, Science and Exploration. Now, after a successful spell at London’s Embankment, the collection is coming home, enabling local residents to see a potted version of this fantastic exhibition.

Come face to face with a dodo, learn about the ‘Muggletonians’, marvel at glittering scientific instruments and pore over beautiful drawings of the Southern Nights, made by a Cambridge-educated scientist in the early 1900s.

The University of Cambridge has long been at the forefront of learning, invention, exploration and discovery across the arts and the sciences. The exhibition displays objects connected with exploration and discovery that span a millennia, from artworks to scientific artefacts, historic instruments to rare zoological specimens. It’s about imagination and knowledge, the power of objects to generate wonder and how these shape new ways of understanding the world around us.

It’s open throughout June until 27 July at the Fitzwilliam Museum. Free entry. www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

Get back to nature at Cambridge Arts Theatre this month with a new stage production charting the adventures of Yorkshire’s favourite vet, James Herriot.

Based on his own real-life experiences living and working amongst the farming community in the Yorkshire Dales, the James Herriot books – and the classic BBC TV series it spawned – have delighted millions the world over thanks to their beautifully observed comic characters, warmth and promise of a simpler time.

This new dramatisation by Bill Kenwright pays a visit to Cambridge from 30 June to 5 July, 7.45pm (2.30 Thursday & Saturday). Tickets £15-£30. www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

RITE OF SPRING/ ROMEO & JULIET Take yourselves along to the Mumford Theatre on 28 June where Concert Theatre are presenting a musical interpretation of two tales of love and innocence: The Rite of Spring and Romeo and Juliet. The violent dissonance in Stravinsky’s depiction of a young virgin chosen for the dance of death mirrors the hatred between Shakespeare’s Montagues and Capulets, whose children are destined to die as a result of their families’ ancient blood feud.

Performed in four-hand piano and commedia half-mask, by pianists from the Royal Academy of Music and specialist performers, the stories weave together passion and despair to reach the ultimate climax of sacrifice.

Tickets are £8.50-£12.50 and the performance starts at 7.30pm. www.anglia.ac.uk

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THE ART INSIDER

his June, take a punt on Cambridge’s grass roots contemporary arts scene and get yourself down to the Eastern Bloco area of Strawberry Fair, on Saturday 7 June. Across the UK alone, there are nearly 50,000 grass roots arts groups doing extraordinary things in communities – strengthening cultural identities, uniting communities, engaging with social change.

I’ve been tweeting with Bad Timing about how the value of this type of art can sometimes get missed – it’s largely noncommercial, transcends the art world’s often name-heavy, institutionalised star system but still engages with professionals who’ve often become established in the arts through non-traditional routes.

Curious? Go to Eastern Bloco and hunt for an inappropriate lycra fashion show, a bike generator with pop-up stage, a world music green stage, affordable art tent, Thou Art Skint – plus Other Voices, poetry curated by SHINDIG’s Wesley FreemanSmith and Hammer & Tongue’s Fay Roberts. There is a massive range of art workshops on offer, too. Ooooh, fun.

Cambridge is also starting to go (even more than usual) bike stir-crazy this month, with the onset of the Tour de France! Watch out for the Recycle Le Velo sculpture trail appearing around Cambridge, with help from Cambridge International Arts (CIA). CIA are also hosting All Things Bicycle, a fabulous exhibition dedicated to bike-themed art opening on 28 June at Cambridge Contemporary Arts. I love my bicycle – it’s pink (enough said), but Cambridge as a city has long had a heavy crush on bike art – all those lush bike baskets plastered in brightly coloured flowers – so this show is perfect for the city.

Why not pick up a handmade bike seat cover from QHERE, made from plastic bags, too? Plus watch out for Rebel Arts’ pedal-powered stage appearing at the Romsey Art Festival this August – viva the cycle revolution!

But if you find the city mayhem of Cambridge is getting a bit much, go to the Museum of Archaeology and

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Ca m bridg e colle ction is 's own Bu dd hist M u s e u m o exhibit ed at t h e a n d A nt h ro f A rch a e olog y polog y

Catch F laming June at various gigs around Cambridge in June

berry Fa ir – a Don't miss St ra we Ca m bridg e's ch a nce to explor ots a rts scen e gra ss ro

Anthropology for Buddha’s Word: The Life of Books in Tibet and Beyond. This is the first exhibition of Tibetan material in Cambridge and the first time the museum’s own fascinating Buddhist collections have been exhibited. I have the Tibetan word for peace, Shiwa, tattooed on my back, so am very excited to see this beautiful language being explored here in the city.

If you’re over in west Cambridge, then make a beeline for the Alison Richard Building – a stunning exhibition space, this month showing Hours of Healing, from Ruth Oinns, prints inspired by Benjamin Britten’s operas, plus Dirt, Fire & Sky, from Sue Shepherd: works made with found objects, ideas and neon, inspired by dreams and childhood. For more on her work with neon, check out Shepherd’s company, Neon Circus. Clients include

the Tate and Victoria Miro. There’s also currently a call for exhibition proposals at the building, but be quick – the deadline is the end of May. I’m also looking forward to seeing photographer Mark Woods-Nunn’s student collective appearing at the Cambridge Art Salon again on 26 June.

Mark is a fantastic photographer, whose subjects include the likes of Brad Pitt, but he’s also one of Cambridge’s most gifted teachers, with a real talent for nurturing the gifts of others.

Finally, if you want a summer-rich soundtrack for this month, then plug into Cambridge diva Flaming June. Powerful vocals, haunting melodies and a strong, loyal following mean she’s definitely one to watch.

Also, the Art Salon may be moving, so watch this space. Enjoy your month!

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OPEN STUDIOS

Cambridge Open Studios WORDS JENNIFER SHELTON

Seek out some of Cambridge’s finest art next month as creatives across the city open up their homes and studios to the public for Cambridge Open Studios

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Maria Xoubanova

ver 270 artists will be getting involved in Cambridge Open Studios (COS) – one of the longest-standing open studios events in the country, dating back to the 1960s. Over the weekends of 5/6, 12/13, 19/20 and 26/27 July, artists of all kinds throughout Cambridgeshire will open their doors to the public, for free, to share a few of their artistic secrets. Have a look on the website to get an idea of who’s involved.

Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase original works of art, prints, greetings cards or postcards (there will be no pressure to buy – browsers are more than welcome!). You’ll also have the unique opportunity to speak with artists about their work, or even see works in progress.

Artists taking part include painters, sculptors, jewellers, potters, glassworkers, blacksmiths, photographers, illustrators, textile artists and many more. Among them is Maria Xoubanova, a painter and portraitist from Cambridge. She says: “I’m fascinated by people’s faces and personalities. I try to convey the different psychological states and the outer and inner beauty of my models.”

Sasha Garrett is a jewellery maker working in Cambridge who creates cute, fun and quirky pieces. She says: “I took up silversmithing and jewellery making as a

Sasha Garrett Ian Farrell

Charlotte Cornish

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OPEN STUDIOS

together using collage techniques. My subjects include portraits, landscapes and pattern and usually explore personal experiences and relationships.”

Photographers may be interested to visit fellow snapper Ian Farrell, whose work will be on display at his studio off Cherry Hinton Road. A COS first-timer, he says: “As well as showing a selection of my portraits and fine art photography there will be a kind of ‘live exhibition’ where visitors can get involved and have their picture taken.

“Everyone will be photographed in the same way and this will form a body of work that grows as the Open Studios weekends progress. I hope it’ll be a fascinating way to shoot portraiture!”

COS aims to promote the making of original arts and crafts and to forge a lasting relationship between local people and local makers and artists. Over 400 artists are members of COS, covering the whole county; the Open Studios initiative also includes outlying towns and villages as well

Ian Farrell

hobby when I got fed up with not being able to find the pieces I wanted. It has grown from there, starting with friends and family requesting pieces to go with specific outfits for weddings and parties and now I’m turning it into my career.

“As a former chemist I find myself drawn to interesting stones – I can get a bit geeky about crystal formations.”

Also involved is painter Sarah Carter. As she explains, “The artist’s job is to observe, study and form an understanding of the world; then convey that understanding in an attractive way so as to engage others in similar observation.

“I have not yet honed my skills enough to focus my understanding on just one or two subjects as artists often do; so easily am I distracted by the endless wonder and beauty of the world, I get caught up trying to paint it all… What happy distraction!”

Meanwhile Mark Yeates, a mixed-media artist, says: “My artwork has drawn, painted and printed elements, often combined Sarah Carter

Alice Thomson

as the city itself, and offers a unique glimpse into the creative process.

Organisers have spoken of wanting to ‘demystify’ the world of art, making it more accessible, and to offer an unusual insight into the fascinating, often unseen world of artists today. COS is a friendly, welcoming and fun experience: artists only participate if they want to, so the public should always feel very welcome. With all that, it also makes for an unusual, illuminating and entertaining summer’s day out.

Participating studios will usually be open from 11am to 6pm, though visitors should

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check the website in advance. You might even want to create your own ‘studio tour’ in order to get round all the artists you like the sound of. Free yellow guide books are now being distributed throughout Cambridgeshire, and there will be yellow flags flying from each venue taking part.

Often members are exhibiting within range of a good pub lunch or tempting tea shop, so why not make a day of it?

Cambridge Open Studios runs each weekend in July. For the full programme, see www.camopenstudios.co.uk.

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JAZZ & BRASS

Jazz& Brass

IS A PROUD PARTNER OF JAZZ & BRASS IN THE PARKS

IN THE PARKS

Grab a picnic and settle down to enjoy a host of live music events in some of the city's most beautiful open spaces

W

hen it comes to making the most of a sunny day, we Brits are world champions. At the first break of cloud cover we’re out, shorts on, Pimm’s in hand, ready to kick back in the nearest park.

Fortunately Cambridge has more than its fair share of green spaces, and the joy of spending a few hours on Jesus Green, Christ’s Pieces or Cherry Hinton Hall park gets even better this month thanks to Summer in the City. On selected Sundays from June through to September, Summer in the City will be hosting Jazz and Brass in the Parks, offering the perfect opportunity to relax while listening to live music performed by local ensembles.

The events are absolutely free – just turn up, bring a picnic and enjoy!

On 8 June, mosey on down to Jesus Green where Caxton Swing will be performing a range of swingin’ jazz, old and new. Cherry Hinton dwellers can enjoy the City of Cambridge Brass Band on 22 June over at Cherry Hinton Hall, then head back to Jesus Green for Opus 17 Swing Band on 29 June to enjoy some popular 1940s, 50s and 60s arrangements.

Later, see the Lakenheath Silver Band at Cherry Hinton Hall (17 August), Jazz Beens at Jesus Green (24 August), Waterbeach Brass at Christ’s Pieces (31 August) and CSD Brass at Cherry Hinton Hall, the final offering in the series on 7 September.

Listening to a brass band in the park on a summer’s day with a picnic is a relaxing, seasonal tradition

Neil Jones, business and marketing manager for Cambridge City Council, says: “Over the years Jazz and Brass in the Parks has established itself as a well-loved feature of summer in Cambridge. It’s a perfect way for people to enjoy the beauty of the city’s historic open spaces, which this year also includes music on Christ’s Pieces. Listening to the sound of a brass band in the park on a summer’s day with a picnic is such a relaxing, seasonal tradition, and Cambridge City Council is delighted to be able to continue this lovely series of concerts.”

So, make the most of the sunshine and your city this summer. Bands will play 3-5pm at each event, and did we mention they’re all free? www.cambridgesummerinthecity.co.uk

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FOOD

FOOD NEWS Laura Edwards

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

SUMMER GATHERING

PASTA FESTIVAL & OPERA EVENING Italian eaterie Carluccio’s (located just outside the Grand Arcade), is hosting a nineweek long celebration of all things pasta which runs until 20 July. As well as visiting chefs, who will be imparting top tips for creating perfect pasta dishes, La Festa Della Pasta will see the launch of a brand new range of pastas to be stocked in Carluccio’s cafés. With colourful, multishaped, gluten-free, flavoured, wholemeal and more, there’ll be something tasty for even the most seasoned pasta lover to discover. See the website for more details on special events throughout the festival.

Carluccio’s Cambridge will also play host to an evening of opera and sophisticated Italian cuisine on 10 June. Arrive at 7pm for Prosecco and canapés, before sitting down to enjoy a three-course meal whilst a talented group of opera singers entertain you with well-loved arias and classic songs. £35 per person. www.carluccios.com

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Luxurious boutique B&B Duke House will host an evening of art and food on Wednesday 4 June (6-9pm) which will showcase a selection of artworks from the Cambridge Creative Network including paintings, original prints, glass and ceramics, all carefully selected to complement the elegant venue. Whilst you peruse the arty offerings, all of which will also be for sale, there will be Prosecco to sip and an extravagant grazing table from Stella Pereira to tuck into, laden with tasty nibbles.

“Stella doesn’t just lay a table, she curates it,” says co-organiser and local artist Mandy Knapp. “She thinks about every last detail for presentation, and makes everything she can from scratch. She is a very talented artist too, and conveys this artistry in her foodie creations.”

Tickets are priced at £12, with proceeds going to local young persons charity Centre 33. cambridgecreativenetwork.co.uk

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FOOD

BRAZILIAN CUISINE & WORLD CUP SCREENINGS Stylish boutique hotel The Varsity will be celebrating the arrival of the World Cup in style this month, offering screenings of the England matches on its spectacular rooftop terrace. If you’re after a more luxurious footiewatching experience than your local boozer can offer, get yourself booked in for Thursday 19th (England V Uruguay), or Tuesday 24 of June (England V Costa Rica), and you’ll catch all the action as well as being treated to a Brazilian feast from the hotel’s restaurant, The River Bar Steakhouse and Grill.

On the menu are dishes including juicy churrasco pork, Brazilian-style piri-piri chicken, grilled paprika chouriço sausage and avocado and chilli burgers, plus there’ll be plenty of refreshing rum and lime coolers on hand to whet your whistle. Tickets £15 entry (includes one drink), food and drink as priced. www.thevarsityhotel.co.uk

SUPPER CLUB

FOOD MELA SUPPER CLUB

MILL ROAD FEAST Missing Eat Cambridge already? Make a beeline for foodie extravaganza the Mill Road Feast, which takes place on 1 June at Great Eastern Street car park (10am-3pm) The organisers are looking to build on the success of the inaugural event back in March, once again bringing together some of Cambridge’s best-loved food and drink enterprises for a celebration of our city’s thriving gastro scene.

Inspired by the street feasts of London, the event will feature a diverse array of stalls stocking everything from confectionary to cheeses, cakes and other tasty morsels from all over the world. Tuck into traditional Spanish delicacies from Azahar Spanish Food, hot dogs and pulled pork from the Duke of Pork, top-quality meat products from Radwinter Wild Game and freshly made smoothies and fruit juices from Hilary’s Wholesale amongst lots more. Once you’ve lined your stomach, nip over the road to The Earl of Beaconsfield pub, where they’re putting on a beer festival on the same day. www.mill-road.com

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This month, local food blogger and keen cook Deepa Mistry will host her first supper club at a yet to be revealed city centre location. Taking place on 28 June, a three-course menu will be served, featuring traditional vegetarian cuisine from the Indian state of Gujarat.

Whilst the exact menu will be a secret until the night itself, Deepa told Cambridge Edition that she’s planning a starter inspired by Indian street food, a variety of vegetarian Indian curries with rice, roti, pickles and raita and a traditional Indian pudding for dessert, finishing with masala chai. Booking is essential and tickets are £25 each. See the website for more details. www.foodmela.co.uk

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FOOD

ASK THE FOODIE

HEIDI WHITE AKA THE MOVING FOODIE ANSWERS YOUR ' ' BURNING QUESTIONS ON THE CAMBRIDGE FOOD SCENE Q: WHERE IN CAMBRIDGE CAN

SOURDOUGH WORKSHOP Learn everything you need to know about sourdough at a fun, informative beginners workshop on 10 June, hosted by Peter Voshol from specialist organic bakery Loaf for Life. Taking place at Mill Road’s Urban Larder, the class costs £40 per person and will take you through making, keeping, adding flavour to and baking with a sourdough starter.

You’ll get to taste different starters and loaves, as well as making your own with comprehensive notes to help you recreate the magic at home. 6.30-9.30pm. www.urbanlarderonline.co.uk

I GET PROPER JUICES AND SMOOTHIES FRESHLY SQUEEZED , AND NOT FROM A BOTTLE? Now, I’m no expert on Cambridge’s super-juice scene, being more of a black coffee kind of gal, but there’s been a huge appetite for juice bars and smoothie hangouts in the US, Australia and New Zealand for years now and the trend’s starting to catch on over here too. But us Brits need easing in slowly.

I’m still scarred by memories of going straight in there with a wheatgrass shot at CamYoga’s organic café and juice bar, just off Hills Road, and it took me a while to drink anything green.

However, I heartily recommend giving the yoga studio’s carrot smoothie and vegan Thai curry a go; both incredibly delicious AND healthy. The café offers a wide range of soups, super salads, and superfood snacks to eat in and take away too.

In the city centre, there’s a café getting seriously into its juicing. Bridges Patisserie on Bridge Street recently launched a new menu of fresh juices and smoothies – I say menu, but the knowledgeable folk at the café seem to

be able to knock up a freshly squeezed drink suitable for just about any occasion, packed with a huge variety of 100% natural ingredients. The latest to catch my (not yet streaming) eye is their beetroot, carrot and cucumber juice which apparently helps to relieve hayfever symptoms.

Bill’s on Green Street is another popular spot, particularly if you’re on the hunt for a hangover-busting weekend brunch washed down by a fresh smoothie with detoxing qualities.

Bill’s super green smoothie has all the nutrients you need crammed into one attractive tall glass of goodness, and the tasty blueberry and ginger smoothie kick-starts the day whilst being kind on a delicate tum.

With bountiful fruit and veg available at this time of year from the Cambridge market and the city’s farm shops and delis, this month is also a good time to start experimenting at home. Green juice smoothies are all the rage right now, and all you need is some forward planning (and a blender) for a fresh, virtuous daily boost of healthy leafy greens. Try Simple Green Smoothies’ recipes like the eye-opening Morning Fuel featuring kale, almond milk and fruits, or the zingy Citrus Bang’s delicious kale, cucumber, coconut milk and citrus fruit combo. Let the detox begin!

For more top tips on eating and drinking in Cambridge, visit Heidi’s blog www.movingfoodie.com Got a question for the Moving Foodie? Tweet us at @cambsedition or @TheMovingFoodie and hashtag #askthefoodie

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FOOD

NEW

SPIRITED MARE

OPENING

NANNA MEXICO EXPANDS ITS EMPIRE Fans of the Big Ass Burrito need no longer drag their weary limbs down to Regent Street for their fill of great Mexican food: last month, to resounding cheers, Nanna Mexico opened a second branch on Petty Cury. Housed within the former T-Mobile shop, next to Boots, it’s a prime spot – and one normally saved strictly for the chain stores. But we’re much happier to see Nanna Mexico’s cheery blue shop front, with traditional hand-painted signage – and we’re sure you’d agree.

Inside, owner Luis has created a lively, modern feel throughout, with lots of quirky, Mexican-inspired touches. Instead of donkeys and sombreros, think exposed, painted brickwork, scrubbed wooden floors and cool, industrial-style lighting illuminating happy diners munching on freshly prepared burritos, enchiladas and other traditional street food favourites. There are arty nods to Luis’ homeland in the cartoony paintings on the wall, signifying people’s personal wishes, and even the loo is adorned with framed vintage soap boxes. There’s further seating upstairs, making it a great lunch stop for larger groups as well as hungry shoppers stopping off for a quick, healthy and hearty bite. www.nannamexico.com

In amongst all of the deliciousness at last month’s Eat Cambridge street food market, one particular newcomer to the local food and drink scene caught our eye. A revamped horse trailer, prettily decked out and twinkling with fairy lights, the Spirited Mare serves up delicious cocktails in a decidedly unique fashion.

The enterprise is the brainchild of local businesswomen Vicky Fenton and Kennedy Herring, who were inspired by the vendors at London’s vibrant street food markets, deciding that they simply had to bring the idea to Cambridge. Available for private hire, and sure to be popping up at events and festivals all over the place over the coming months, this uber cool bar also doubles up as a rather fabulous DJ booth. You’ll find a range of delicious tipples including a nieghgroni (geddit?), Tom Collins, lychee caipirinha and the rather rudely named porn star martini (a passion fruit, vodka, Prosecco concoction). www.spiritedmare.co.uk

AWARD-WINNING BURGER AT GOGS Gog Magog Hills Farm Shop was recently crowned Best Independent Butcher in England’s Best Burger Challenge, beating a record number of entrants from across the country. Gogs was one of only 23 companies to achieve a gold award and make it through to the final for their delicious Magog Marrow Burger, and they find out on 4 June if they have been selected as the overall winner of the Meat Management competition. The burger, which Gogs have been selling for around four months, was praised by judges for the exceptional quality of its meat and the perfect balance of flavours. “It’s fantastic news!” says butcher Oliver Anstee. “We pride ourselves on making quality burgers using great ingredients. We use Quality Standard Mark beef in our Magog Marrow Burger and we keep the ingredients simple to let the quality of the meat shine through. The whole team is really looking forward to finding out whether we have the best burger in England.” www.gogmagoghills.com

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FOOD

AL FRESCO DINING SPOTS WITH SUMMER ON ITS WAY WE ROUND UP THE TOP SPOTS AROUND CAMBRIDGESHIRE FOR AN OUTDOOR FEAST ,

DE LUCA CUCINA & BAR Word about this little gem is yet to reach the masses, but trust us, it’s worth a look.

Regent Street’s chic Italian eaterie De Luca already boasts a great, authentic menu and a super cool New York loft style cocktail bar, and it’s now added a rooftop dining area to its offering. Opened just a few weeks ago, the Regency Terrace is an intimate outdoor space which seats 20 people and boasts beautiful views of Parker’s Piece. With al fresco eating options in the city centre currently minimal, a spot as stylish and central as this one is likely to be a monster hit – check it out before the stampede.

Weather permitting, the terrace will be open from 12pm to 3pm daily, and again from 5pm to 10pm. www.delucacucina.co.uk

HOTEL FELIX Graffiti restaurant at Hotel Felix has established itself as one of Cambridge’s hottest fine dining spots, known for serving up cutting-edge modern British cuisine in a cool and contemporary setting. The restaurant looks out onto a large south-facing terrace which is ideal for pre-dinner drinks or al fresco dining on a sunny day. Soak up the views of the hotel’s glorious gardens while you sample Graffiti’s innovative fare for lunch or dinner, or opt for a quintessentially English afternoon tea which includes dainty finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones and filled macarons. www.hotelfelix.co.uk

D’ARRY’S COOKHOUSE & WINE SHOP A real Cambridge favourite, it’s easy to fall in love with the relaxed sophistication of d’Arry’s at any time of the year – but even more so when it’s warm enough to take advantage of the restaurant’s gorgeous courtyard, with its soft jazz and twinkling candlelight. Located right in the city centre on King Street (which itself is becoming hipper by the day), this little spot serves up some of the finest food in Cambridge, and boasts a brilliant wine list that’s bursting with top picks from the d’Arenberg vineyard in Australia. Expect a modern British menu packed with seasonal produce and delicious dishes such as Moroccan lemon, haddock and prawn pie with a Parmesan crust. There are always some intriguing specials to tempt you too – like the citrus cured rainbow trout with carpaccio of beetroot, pink grapefruit and tequila gel with smoked trout mousse. www.darrys.co.uk

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FOOD

THE VARSITY ROOF TERRACE Possibly one of the most spectacular locations in Cambridge to enjoy a bite to eat, the Varsity Hotel’s rooftop terrace offers panoramic views of the city and an irresistible food and drinks menu.

Recline in style as you sip on a cool glass of champagne, or enjoy cocktails such as a passion fruit and lychee Collins or a raspberry Bellini. The terrace serves up a barbeque menu that features dishes like tuna steak with nicoise relish, burgers, salt beef rolls and portobello and halloumi brioche (served on Fridays and Saturdays from 12pm until 8.30pm, and on Sundays until 5pm). The rooftop also plays host to various special events including astronomy masterclasses and film screenings – so keep an eye on the Varsity Hotel website to see what’s coming up. www.thevarsityhotel.co.uk

BLUE LION HARDWICK A fantastic spot for a little out-of-town al fresco feasting, the Blue Lion is located around five miles from Cambridge in Hardwick. Owners Luke Edwards and Stuart Tuck pride themselves on their modern, seasonal menus, which feature dishes packed with top quality local produce. They’ve just built a brand new outside dining area in the pub’s large garden too, all the better for relaxing in while you sample the summer menu. New dishes include marinated crayfish with a wild rice and mango salad, and chicken mousse with pressed ham hock and baby gem, served with caesar dressing and Parmesan crisps. If you’re gluten free, this place should be top of your must-visit list, as rather uniquely, the pub offers a whole menu of delicious dishes, minus gluten.

They also host a range of events throughout the year, including a beer festival which runs from 27-29 June. www.bluelionhardwick.co.uk

DOUBLETREE Pitch up on the stylish rattan furniture in the DoubleTree’s pretty garden and you’ll be treated to postcard-perfect views of the River Cam, fabulous food and a drinks selection to die for. Whilst the punts drift past you can relax and enjoy a bite from the tempting bar snacks menu or an indulgent afternoon tea – or you could really treat yourself and enjoy some fine dining fare courtesy of the hotel’s brand new Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill.

Having only opened its doors last month, the celebrity chef’s latest eaterie offers an extensive selection of top quality steak cuts, as well as hearty Brit classics like traditional rare breed pork sausage and mash and steak and ale pie with minty garden peas. www.doubletreecambridge.com

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FOOD

CAMBRIDGE COOKERY SCHOOL COURSES

ALL BAR ONE REFURBISHMENT All Bar One on St Andrew’s Street has reopened following a complete makeover that has given the venue’s interior a sleek new look with exposed brickwork, low lighting and plush leather seating. As well as the usual burgers, sandwiches and main courses, you can now enjoy a range of tapas style sharing plates including salmon ceviche with smoky chorizo, Szechuan-coated crispy calamari, beef meatballs in a Catalan sauce and chorizo, tomato and olive bruschetta.

Excitingly, All Bar One also now offers a mixology table, giving you the chance to get creative with friends, whipping up a range of cocktails under the guidance of the experts for £20 per person. Lessons in tasting and selecting wine are also available. www.allbarone.co.uk

GOOD NEWS FOR CAFFE SICILIA

NEW OPENING

Cambridge foodies, listen up! After opening on Regent Street in 2013, familyrun coffee shop Caffè Sicilia is opening another branch on Hills Road, offering the scrummy selection of cakes, pastries, gelato and top quality coffee it's become known for.

Owner Anthony says: “We have had a fantastic first year and really enjoyed the experience. We now have a loyal and regular client base in our Regent Street shop and we look forward to welcoming customers to the new shop and sharing with them the real taste of Sicily.

"We will be serving delicious authentic coffee alongside fresh and tasty panini, savouries and beautifully made cakes and pastries.” www.caffesicilia.co.uk

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As ever, there’s a packed schedule of tempting courses and classes on offer at Cambridge Cookery School this month, ranging from Breadmaking for Beginners to a Summer Fish special. We especially like the look of the meat masterclass however – especially in light of the fact that barbeque season is almost upon us. Promising to make blackened sausages and rubbery burgers a thing of the past, the class takes place on 4 June (7-10pm), and will be led by Jono Crumps; owner of Crumps in Ashwell. He’ll be demonstrating how to perfectly cook different cuts of meat (especially those best suited to barbequing), and each guest will prepare a whole organic chicken for spatchcocking and make some top-notch burgers to take home. You’ll also learn how to make salsa, mojo sauce and bread to accompany your meaty feast, and as ever, the class will culminate in a sit-down meal with wine (costs £125 per person).

At the very opposite end of the foodie spectrum, the Cookery School is also hosting a Green Gourmet session on 11 June; a brand new offering from the school for 2014 and one which will have you transforming your humble veggies, herbs, pulses and grains into gastro masterpieces.

Dishes to make include carpaccio of beet with balsamic vinegar, goat’s cheese cream and pine nuts, celeriac soup with sautéed wild mushrooms and spinach and Gruyère soufflé (10pm-2pm, £125 per person). www.cambridgecookeryschool.com

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Images courtesy of Waitrose

FOOD

WORDS ALEX RUSHMER

RICE TO RICHES THIS MONTH ALEX RUSHMER GIVES HIS EXPERT RISOTTO TIPS TO MAKE SURE , YOU GET THIS NOTORIOUSLY TRICKY DISH RIGHT EVERY TIME ice is the oft-forgotten staple grain of Italy. With much emphasis on pasta and pizza, it can be easy to regard rice as a feature of Asian paddy fields but Italy’s central northern Lombardy region is the largest rice-growing area in Europe and risotto is the magnificent end product. Simple in essence, infinite in variation and so very easy to get so very wrong, risotto is a culinary invention of true genius and one that graces my menu with great regularity either as a stand-alone dish or as a component of a more complex main course.

I was lucky enough to be taught the fundamentals of risotto cooking by one of the world’s greatest chefs, the youngest ever recipient of three Michelin stars Max Alajmo, head chef at Le Calandre

in Italy’s glorious Veneto region. With so few ingredients in the finished dish he emphasised the importance of the stock and the rice above all else. Arborio is perhaps the most common rice to use although carnaroli and vialone nano are considered superior. All have similar properties: high levels of starch and a great capacity for absorption which, in the right hands, creates a finished dish with a great creamy texture and well-flavoured rice which should retain the merest hint of bite.

Every risotto I cook begins with the same four ingredients to create a platform on which to build the rest of the dish.

Finely (and I mean finely) chopped shallots are cooked down slowly in olive oil before adding minced garlic and white wine.

Received wisdom dictates that the wine should be added after the rice has been

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folded through the oily shallot and garlic but this can leave a slightly acidic and boozy kick. Adding the wine to the flavour base prior to the rice allows the vast majority of the alcohol to be boiled off, which leaves you with the aromatic flavour of the wine only (for preference, I tend to use Chardonnay).

The other technique I was taught was to toast the rice first in a dry pan before adding any other ingredients. This has two functions: firstly, raising the temperature of the grains seems to increase the rate at which the liquid is absorbed thus lessening the cooking time – in some cases by about 25 per cent; secondly lightly toasting the rice adds a further flavour dimension, a slightly warm nuttiness.

Once the rice is toasted the wet ingredients can then be added beginning with the shallots, garlic and white wine mixture and then almost immediately two ladle fulls of hot (near boiling) stock.

Stirring is important although it is not necessary to stir near constantly as some recipes would suggest. As the rice absorbs the liquid add more and taste consistently throughout the cooking process for both doneness and seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. Trust your instinct – if the rice looks dry, add more stock. If it seems wet, stir and wait before adding more.

Ten minutes cooking should be sufficient to cook most risotto rice grains to an al dente doneness at which point the risotto is almost ready.

One common mistake is the failure to add enough stock, especially towards the end of the cooking process. A risotto should certainly not be able to stand up on the plate, rather it should ooze gently to its own level much like lava flowing from a lazy volcano. The final addition of stock should take place off the heat and be sufficient to complete the cooking of the grains stirring more vigorously to help release as much starch from the rice as possible which contributes to the creaminess of the finished dish.

Finally, cold cubed butter and grated Parmesan cheese should be enthusiastically stirred into the risotto (again, off the heat to ensure that the rich ingredients do not split and that are emulsified into the cooked rice). Other ingredients can also be added here – we are currently serving a spring vegetable risotto with smoked goat’s cheese, asparagus and a rich courgette butter – but do so quickly and be sure to plate and serve as soon as the risotto is cooked.

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EATING OUT

WORDS NICOLA FOLEY

RESTAURANT REVIEW

No.77

Gorgeous interiors, to-die-for Thai food and quirky cocktails – Nicola Foley falls head over heels for Caxton's stylish new eaterie

’d been itching to try out No.77, the hotly anticipated new Thai eatery from the team behind Bourn’s popular gastro pub the Willow Tree, since it first opened its doors in Caxton a few months ago. As a long-standing fan of their first venture for its faultless culinary offerings and gorgeous, quirky interior, I couldn’t wait to see what surprises owners Craig and Shaina Galvin-Scott had in store for their new outpost.

I wasn’t disappointed. Just like its sister restaurant, No.77 looks much like any other village pub from the outside, but step inside and you’re greeted with a sumptuous, vintage-chic feast for the eyes. With deep blue walls, distressed wooden flooring, plush velvet seats (rescued from a cinema in Doncaster), eye-catching upcycled chandeliers and a striking copper and stone bar at the centre, I’d fallen in love with this place before we’d even sat down.

The cocktail menu proved immediately irresistible too, offering a small but perfectly formed range of Thaiinspired tipples including Mekhong Sour (Thai whisky, lime and sugar) and San Song Daiquiri (ginger, lime and Thai dark rum). Looking to begin our weekend in style, we opted for a couple of flutes of Thai fizz, a fragrant blend of Prosecco, lemongrass, sake and lychee, which provided the ideal accompaniment to the deliciously crunchy prawn crackers which had arrived at our table.

I selected the Golden Bags to start, and I could see why these dinky, flavourpacked parcels had been recommended by owner Craig as soon as I started tucking in. A favourite Thai snack or appetiser, the dish consisted of spring roll pastry sacks, stuffed with minced beef, potato, carrot and onion together with a nutty massaman sauce, tied up with crispy ribbons of fried onions. They were utterly delicious and I demolished them in minutes before eyeing up my dining partner’s selection.

The delicate, subtly spiced soft shell crab starter he’d opted for came served with a beautiful, tangy sweet chilli dip and packaged in the most amazingly melt-in-the-mouth batter either of us had ever tasted.

Around this point I deemed it time for another cocktail – this time choosing the Teatini (think jasmine iced tea with a generous dose of gin and a hint of lemongrass), whilst my partner sampled a booze-free fruit punch – one of a good selection of tasty mocktails which will likely prove a hit with the evening’s designated driver.

Onto the mains and I plumped for a pad Thai with king prawns. Lesser pad Thais, whilst tasty, are often a tad monotonous, but this one had more than enough variety to hold your taste buds’ attention. The prawns were huge and succulent and the dish was resplendent with perfectly cooked veg: red and yellow peppers, carrots, mushrooms,

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broccoli and spring onions, accompanied by crushed roasted chilli and peanuts. It’s safe to say that No.77 offers a brilliantly executed take on this Thai classic.

Over on the other side of the table, my partner had chosen another Thai favourite, the red curry. Loaded with juicy strips of beef, and again packed with fresh, seasonal vegetables, this curry was aromatic and expertly spiced with a good kick of heat, tempered by the sweetness of the coconut milk and a serving of fragrant jasmine rice.

Already stuffed but keen not to miss out on the desserts, I went for the chocolate and chilli brownie, which arrived rich, dense and served with a dollop of velvety vanilla ice cream. My dining partner selected the mango and ginger cheesecake – a heavenly, creamy affair complemented by the sharpness of the accompanying mango sorbet.

We left No.77 in no doubt that this stylish little spot will be a total hit. I’ve visited various other English country pubs that serve up Asian cuisine of some description, but it’s always felt like a slightly odd mishmash. Here, they’ve carried it off with aplomb – offering a well thought out concept which feels coherent but unique. The bang on-trend décor, cheerful service and to-die-for Thai food should make this newcomer top of your must-visit list.

No.77 Ermine Street, Caxton, CB23 3PQ 01954 269577; www.77cambridge.com

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LISTINGS

WHAT S ON A ROUND-UP OF EVENTS IN AND AROUND CAMBRIDGESHIRE FOR JUNE

EVERY SATURDAY

CRAFT ALE TRAIL Time: 3pm Location: Cambridge Brew House Price: £20 Description: Meet at the Brew House where the head brewer will share his expertise on craft beer, then take off on a tour of some of Cambridge’s best watering holes.

Booking is required. thecambridgebrewhouse.com

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TOM POSTER Time: 8pm Location: Jesus College Chapel Price: £6-£16 Description: Catch the internationally recognised pianist, frequently heard on BBC Radio 3, as he performs Gluck, Grieg, Beethoven and more as part of Cambridge Summer Music. cambridgesummer music.com

JUNE

11-14 JUNE

2 June

1 June

1

JUNE

MILL ROAD FEAST Time: 10am-3pm Location: Great Eastern Street Car Park Price: Free entry Description: Some of Cambrk will be spilling out onto the street for a big community food fair.

Walk the length of Cambridge’s most eclectic street and find stall upon stall of tempting delights from some of our city’s favourite vendors. mill-road.com

1 June

THE CAMBRIDGESHIRE GARDEN SHOW Time: 9.30am-5pm Location: Wood Green, Godmanchester Price: £2-£6.50 Description: Pick up inspiration and tips for your garden at this colourful show, including the latest product launches, gardening essentials and beautiful plants. There will also be talks from the experts. woodgreen.org.uk

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UBU ROI Time: 7.45pm & Sat 2.30pm Location: Cambridge Arts Theatre Price: £15-£30 Description: On the back of a sell-out European tour, this vivid, humorous and anarchic French play (with English surtitles) comes to town, performed by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod. cambridgeartstheatre.com

TEA DANCE Time: 2-4.30pm Time Location: Burgess Hall, St Ives Price: £3.75 Description: Put on your dancing shoes and show off your ballroom moves in a fun event at this spacious dance hall. Bring a partner and friends too; a little experience is preferable. oneleisure.net

5 June

FIRST WORLD WAR HISTORY PROJECT Time: 4pm Location: Mill Road Cemetery Price: Free Description: Learn more about the soldiers from your own neighbourhood who fought and died in the First World War with a tour of the Mill Road cemetery, performance by Parkside Federation pupils then a reception, exhibition and lecture at the Salvation Army Centre at 6pm. mill-road.com

5 June

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP Time: 7pm Location: Stapleford Granary Price: from £75 Description: Develop your writing skills through exercises and discussions at this friendly, supportive weekly class. It covers point of view, plotting, setting, character, redrafting and more, with a chance to get feedback on your work. staplefordgranary.org.uk

7 June

FRANK BRUNO Time: 6.45pm for 7.30pm Location: One Leisure Price: £21.50 Description: Sporting legend Frank Bruno will be in St Ives this month relaying tales from his life and career. Find out what it was like to lock horns with the likes of Tim Witherspoon, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis, and take the title of WBC heavyweight champion. www.oneleisure.net

11, 18, 25

June MAKE AN ICE CREAM DRESS Time: 10am-1pm Location: Backstitch at Burwash Manor Price: £95 Description: Learn to make a girl’s dress with Terry Baker, who’ll take you through the process at this fun, relaxed, three-part workshop for sewing intermediates, at Backstitch. Look online for other classes and dates. backstitch.co.uk

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JUNE

REBECCA FERGUSON Time: 7.30pm Location: Thetford Forest Price: £36.30 Description: The silkyvoiced songstress opens the Forest Live concerts at Thetford with what’s sure to be an engrossing performance, featuring songs from her new album, Freedom. Doors open 6pm. forestry.gov.uk

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LISTINGS

IMAGES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Admire the beautiful blooms at Abbots Ripton Hall; discover our city’s craft ale hotspots with Cambridge Brewhouse; and take home some inspiration for a glorious garden at The Cambridgeshire Garden Show.

13

JUNE RANULPH FIENNES Time: 8pm Location: Corn Exchange Price: £10-£18 Description: Record-breaking explorer and knight of the realm Sir Ranulph Fiennes talks about his incredible life, from a hovercraft expedition up the River Nile and discovery of the Lost City of Ubar right to his 2013 transantarctic winter crossing attempt. cornex.co.uk

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June CINEMACYCLING Time: 7pm Location: Romsey Mill Price: TBA Description: Come along to a cycle-powered cinema screening of The Triplets of Belleville, a fantastic animation listed as one of the top ten films about cycling.

The audience will be invited to power the film by cycling for a few minutes each! Refreshments will be served. cambridgecarbonfootprint.org

15 June

MACMILLAN FATHER’S DAY 10K Time: 10am Location: Milton Country Park Price: £18 entry fee Description: The daddy of 10k events! Run in memory of loved ones or simply take part to help Macmillan make a difference to people affected by cancer. There’ll be refreshments, a scenic route and great camaraderie. macmillan.org.uk

MIDSUMMER FAIR Time: See website for details Location: Midsummer Common Price: Free entry Description: Get your fill of candyfloss and hot dogs, then take on the dodgems and ghost trains at one of the UK’s oldest travelling funfairs. cambridgesummerinthecity.co.uk

23-28 June

ANOTHER COUNTRY Time: 7.45pm (& 2.30pm Thurs & Sat) Location: Cambridge Arts Theatre Price: £15-£30 Description: Based on the life of ‘Cambridge spy’ Guy Burgess, this drama follows two public schoolboys, one coming to terms with his sexuality and another a committed Marxist. It comes to Cambridge from the West End. cambridgeartstheatre.com

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JUNE

PARKLIFE Time: 10am-6pm Location: Milton Country Park Price: Free (£4 parking) Description: A chance for adults and children to try out a range of fun outdoor sports, from paddleboarding and canoeing to archery and climbing, with stalls and crafts too. miltoncountrypark.org

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JUNE

17-21 JUNE

DIAL M FOR MURDER Time: 7.45pm (& 2.30pm Thurs & Sat) Location: Cambridge Arts Theatre Price: £15-£30 Description: Christopher Timothy stars in this darkly comic thriller, made famous by the film by Alfred Hitchcock. Described as ‘Icily elegant – as stylish as it is unsettling’ by The Times. cambridgeartstheatre.com

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18-23 June

GARY NUMAN Time: 7pm doors Location: Cambridge Junction Price: £28.50 Description: See the synth star in action as he takes to the stage at Cambridge Junction as part of an intimate club tour of the UK. junction.co.uk

25 June

THE NAKED SCIENTISTS Time: 7pm Location: Cambridge Science Centre Price: Free Description: See science stripped down and made fun as The Naked Scientists reveal the secret workings of the world. Part of a series of regular recordings of the BBC radio show. Entry closes at 6.45pm so don’t be late! cambridgesciencecentre.org

28-29

June ABBOTS RIPTON HALL GARDEN SHOW Time: 10am-5pm Location: Abbots Ription, near Huntingdon Price: £8 adults, children free Description: The Hall’s beautiful gardens open up to the public for a weekend of gardening talks, displays and stalls, plus great tea and cake. In aid of Dreamdrops Childrens Charity. www.abbotsriptonhall.co.uk Cambridge Edition | June 2014 | 51

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FAMILY

HETTY

THE ENERGY

Show

In a big scoop for Cambridge, the worldfamous Science Museum in London brings its incredible live show to the Corn Exchange this month. On 15 and 16 June, stand well back as hydrogen balloons explode, rockets are fired into the audience and methane bubbles are set alight to make huge fireballs! Note for parents: it’s all completely safe.

The event is all about making science exciting and is presented by two futuristic science students, locked in a race against time to prove their knowledge of energy in all its different forms. You’ll also meet their virtual lab assistant, i-nstein, and there’ll be enough mind-boggling gadgets and gizmos to baffle even Doctor Who. Come along at 7pm on Sunday 15th, or 10am/1pm Monday 16th; tickets cost £17.50 (£15.50 under 16s). Suitable for ages seven and above. www.cornex.co.uk

Feather

Fans of Jacqueline Wilson’s Victorian heroine Hetty Feather are in for a treat this month as a stage adaptation of her bestselling book comes to Cambridge Arts Theatre. After escaping the Foundling Hospital she was left at as a baby, Hetty joins a travelling circus where she meets Madame Adeline…

Could they have more in common than their love of performing?

Wilson’s story has been put in the hands of award-winning script writer Emma Reeves (who adapted The Story of Tracy Beaker for TV), and promises live music, circus skills and more. Says Wilson: “Hetty is a spirited foundling girl who has been brought up in this institution with very strict rules.

Eventually all sorts of exciting things happen to her!” 3-8 June, times online. £20 adults, £15 children. www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

Bear Hunt

People of Cambridge: you’re invited on a bear hunt! The much-loved book by Michael Rosen springs into life from 4 to 8 June with a fantastic live show at Cambridge Arts Theatre, fresh from entertaining audiences at the West End. Join these intrepid adventurers on a quest to find a bear, taking them through squelchy mud, swishy-swashy grass and splashy-splashy rivers. There’ll be songs to sing and lots of shouting out to be done in this interactive, hands-on adventure.

Tickets are £12.50; times vary. Go online for details and to book. www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

Old MacDonald

HAD A FARM...

Classic cars

AT AUDLEY END

If dad’s a big fan of cars, take him along to Audley End House on 15 June where there’ll be vintage motors on display from 10am ’til 6pm. This family event combines a beautiful setting (the sweeping grounds of this glorious 17th century stately home) with a trip down memory lane. There’ll also be experts on hand to swap stories and offer maintenance tips. £15.40 adults, £9.20 child. www.english-heritage.org.uk

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WE’RE GOING ON A

…E-I-E-I-O! We all know the song about the farmer and his animals, but in this show at Cambridge Corn Exchange, the animals have scarpered and are nowhere to be found. Luckily, a friendly scientist has a time machine (handy) which might just enable the farmer to get his animals back. But he’ll need your help too.

This fun-filled farmyard show combines puppetry, live action and animation. It’s packed with games, giggles and singalong songs including Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain and of course Old MacDonald Had A Farm. You’ll find it at Cambridge Corn Exchange on 1 June, 2.30pm. Tickets are £11.50 adults, £9.50 children. www.cornex.co.uk

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TOUR DE FRANCE

WORDS JENNIFER SHELTON

The Tour de France comes to our cycling mad city next month and Cambridge is celebrating in style. Here's your need-to-know guide to what's happening f anyone was in any doubt that Cambridge is the UK’s number one cycling city, with two wheels etched on its very soul, a visit one day early next month should be enough to convince them. On Monday 7 July, the streets will be lined with flags and bunting as spectators welcome the third and final UK stage of the Tour de France, which passes through the city centre en route to London.

Starting from Parker’s Piece, the world’s top cyclists will take in Cambridge’s most famous landmarks, including King’s College Chapel and the Round Church, before racing their way through Trumpington, Great Shelford and Saffron Walden towards their final destination: The Mall at Buckingham Palace.

Councillor Tim Bick of Cambridge City Council says: “We can be sure that 7 July will be a day like no other in Cambridge.

It’s with real pride that the cycling capital of the UK will welcome the world’s elite sporting cyclists. The route will enable local people to see the peloton – including our British icons – in both intimate and grand settings as it snakes through the city. In return it will offer to the world the

backdrop of our beautiful city – its open spaces and its ancient colleges. This unique event can’t fail to inspire even more to take to their own bikes here, whether to join the one in three who already do so just to get around – or to graduate further to the sport of cycling.”

True to form, Cambridge has spent the last few months gearing up for this prestigious event to make it an experience to remember – and inspire us to make the most of our own bikes. Below is a rundown of some of the biggest fringe events, best spectator spots and details of the route.

On yer bike!

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WHERE TO WATCH Hotspots: Parker’s Piece, The Round Church, King’s Parade, the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Botanic Garden.

Says Neil Jones of Cambridge City Council: “We’re expecting the city centre to be very busy, so if people do want to secure a good spot at those iconic locations, they’ll need to get there early.” One of the best spots to soak up the atmosphere, he says, will be Parker’s Piece, where the Cambridge leg begins. “By being on Parker’s Piece you’ll be in the thick of all the activities: to one side there’ll be all the team buses and the Tour de France village, and the start line in front of Gonville Hotel. We’re also getting a screen erected where people can watch the race not just as it goes through Cambridge but as it continues on through Essex.”

The riders will set off from Parker’s Piece at approximately 12.15pm, following a carnival procession at 10.15am.

“The publicity caravans and sponsor vehicles will arrive just before the riders, giving out goodies to the crowds,” adds Neil.

“There’ll be vehicle after vehicle throwing free giveaways into the crowd and getting people excited. Then once that’s gone by you’ll see the cyclists start to come through.”

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TOUR DE FRANCE

A series of cultural and sporting events is taking place as part of Velo Festival to get everyone on two wheels and ready for the arrival of the Tour. Here’s what’s happening near you.

STREET VELODROME, ELY Try your skills at a specially built street velodrome, setting up in Ely on 1 June. It’s suitable for cyclists of all abilities and great fun to watch! www.elycycle.org.uk SUPER 8 CYCLING CHALLENGE See how the people of Cambridge have responded to Cambridge Arts Picturehouse’s competition to make a three-minute film, with soundtrack, using a Super 8 camera.

The theme, naturally, is le Tour, and participants will have their films shown at the cinema on 7 July. www.cambridge-super8.org ANGLO-FRENCH COCKTAILS La Raza on Rose Crescent will be serving up specially created French and Britishinspired cocktails throughout June and July, accompanied by a daily changing menu of French cuisine. www.laraza.co.uk GUIDED BIKE RIDE, ST NEOTS Join the local cycling group for a gentle cycle through some of the area’s best routes, taking in some lovely countryside. All ages and abilities welcome. Meet at Ambiance Café, 10.30am, 7 June.

01480 889171

“The department for transport released the latest stats for cycling and Cambridge was number one for cycle usage in the UK. We always say it is, but now it’s official!”

– Neil Jones CAMBRIDGE TRIATHLON Why just cycle when you can run and swim too? Challenge yourself or cheer the competitors who will be tackling a 1.5km lake swim, 40km cycle across the Fens and a 10km run. Starts at Mepal Outdoor Leisure Centre on 15 June, 8am-12pm. www.cambridgetriathlonclub.com FREE BIKE COURSES On Saturday 7 June British Cycling is running a free, assessed one-day course for local cyclists in Cambridge. In becoming a British Cycling Ride Leader you’ll be qualified to lead guided bike rides for groups of beginner and intermediate level adults and accompanied children on roads and cycle paths. www.visitcambridge.org FAMILY CYCLE PICNIC Discover Trumpington on two wheels, then enjoy a picnic on the grass at the Pavilion on Paget Road. 22 June, 2pm. Bring something edible to share. www.cambridgeshire.net RIDE TO CAMBRIDGE AND ON YOUR BIKE EXHIBITIONS Cambridge Contemporary Art will be showcasing artworks on the theme of cycling in their Ride to Cambridge exhibition, starting 28 June. Haddenham Galleries also launches its On Your Bike

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exhibition that day. www.cambridgegallery.co.uk www.haddenhamgallery.co.uk BORIS BIKE CHALLENGE Cycle the official Tour de France route from Cambridge to London on a Barclays (or ‘Boris’) Bike to raise money for the James Whale Fund, a kidney cancer charity based in Harston. Starts 8am on Parker’s Piece, 29 June.

01223 870008 GOG MAGOG GRAN FONDO Gather at the Gog Magog Hills farm shop on 29 June (8.30am) for a 40-mile ride (or even 80 if you’re up to it!) through beautiful countryside, followed by beer and a barbecue. £40 entry per person. www.gogmagoggf.co.uk CYCLE OF SONGS Over the past few months, singing groups in Cambridge have been preparing for a huge musical concert on the big day.

Performers will include Addenbrooke’s Hospital Choir, Dowsing Sound Collective, the Cambridge Georgian Choir, Sur Taal Indian Music and Dance, the Revelation Rock Gospel Choir and the choir at Great St Mary’s. It takes place 10.15am-12.30pm, 7 July, outside the Fitzwilliam Museum.

Says Neil Jones: “The event is about local choirs, including the Dowsing Sound

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TOUR DE FRANCE

P

P

P

Trinity College

Collective who are very popular and always fill out the Corn Exchange, celebrating the Tour and also the history of Cambridge.” www.cycleofsongs.com P

Mathematical al Bridge

THE ROUTE

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BUNTING JERSEYS The Sheep Shop Cambridge has been busy knitting jersey-shaped mini bunting, which will be displayed over Bridge Street and Sidney Street. If you’d like to join in, go online and download the pattern and knit at home, or come to one of the Sheep Shop’s Tour de France knitting groups.

You’ve got until 21 June! www.sheepshopcambridge.co.uk BICYCLE SCULPTURE TRAIL You may already have glimpsed some of the weird and wonderful bike-related sculptures that have sprung up around Cambridge. Local artists have been busy at work creating one-off sculptures to honour the Tour de France, made using old bicycle parts: how very green! Recycle le Velo is a project co-ordinated by Cambridge BID and Cambridge International Arts, and a prize is up for grabs for the best sculpture.

The artworks are dotted all across town, in shop windows and other public spaces.

A map containing a route which takes in all the sculptures is available, and the trail will be running for the first two weeks of July.

After that it is hoped that the sculptures will form an exhibition at a Changing Spaces gallery. www.cambridgeinternationalarts. wordpress.com

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TOUR DE FRANCE

LE TOUR: DATE: Monday 7 July TIMINGS: 10.15am: Carnival procession from Parker’s Piece.

12.15pm: Race begins from outside the Gonville Hotel, Parker’s Piece.

ROAD CLOSURES: Parkside, Gonville Place and Regent Terrace will be closed from 5.30pm, Sunday 6 July, with most of the city centre roads closing from early Monday morning, reopening by 6pm.

For more details see: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk HISTORY: The idea for a cycling tour across France was suggested by a junior journalist, Géo Lefèvre, as a means to boost sales for cycling magazine L’Auto. The first Tour de France took place in 1903.

WHO TO WATCH: Chris Froome British, defending champion Vincenzo Nibali Italian Alberto Contador Spanish Mark Cavendish British

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COMPETITION

Win! WORTH

£499!

WIN A BOARDMAN ROAD SPORT BIKE!

T

he Tour de France is coming to Cambridge and to celebrate, Cambridge Edition has teamed up with the UK’s leading cycle retailer Halfords to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a Boardman Road Sport Bike. Featuring a lightweight alloy frame

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and Shimano Claris 16-speed gearing, this bike’s performance-enhancing design characteristics, filtered down from top level cycles, make it the choice for riders wanting to discover the thrill of road riding.

With many exciting brands and ranges at Halfords, including the bestselling Boardman and Pendleton collections, there

has never been a better time to get back on your bike. To be in with a chance of winning, visit www.cambsedition.co.uk.

Halfords, Unit 6, Cambridge Retail Park, Cambridge CB5 8WR 01223 454280; www.halfords.com

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GROUP SPOTLIGHT GROUP SPOTLIGHT

Jennifer Shelton gets her skates on to meet the Rollerbillies – Cambridge’s fearless, all-female roller derby team id you hate netball at school? Do you have fond memories of roller discos and more than a passing interest in glitter, face paint and leopard print? Then you might be about to discover your dream sport.

One of the fastest-growing sports in the world, roller derby is a high-speed, full-contact game played by teams of five on quad skates travelling around an oval track. It originated in the States, where it was initially known as much for its camp drama and theatrics as its athleticism. Today, with proper rules in place, leagues are springing up around the globe – there’s even a call for it to be included in the 2020 Olympics.

So how does it work? The aim of

“It’s great to be part of an empowered team of women”

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the game is for the jammer (identified by a star on her helmet) to get through a pack of blockers, picking up a point for every blocker from the opposing team she passes on her way round the track.

It’s up to the blockers to stop the other team’s jammer getting by, through forming defensive walls and throwing hits (oh yes) with the hips and shoulders. It’s a sport for women in love with adrenaline. Or who just want to try something different and exciting.

If you suspect you’ve an inner rollergirl clamouring to get out, indulge her by going along to the next recruitment day – the ‘fresh meat ’n’ greet’, as it’s affectionately known by the team (check www.rollerbillies.com for dates).

Cambridge’s team, the Rollerbillies, train

Sarah Bennet

at Kelsey Kerridge every Sunday and are one of the most well-established leagues in the East of England. They have skate names like Floozie Q and Betty Banshee, and at first glance look just a tiny bit intimidating – but I’m quick to discover that’s not the case at all.

Along with the other newbies, I’m handed a pair of skates (hello, 1993!), a helmet plus knee, elbow and wrist pads, then it’s time to learn the basics. I’ve just about found my balance, the voice in my head screaming ‘DON’T FALL OVER!’, when I’m instructed to hit the decks. Safely, onto my knees, that is (“think rock star power slide!” enthuses my teacher): still it doesn’t sound inviting, especially now I’m several inches higher and my wheels occasionally demonstrate a will of their own. And the

Peter Worth

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GROUP SPOTLIGHT

Tom Garnett

Sarah Bennet

Peter Worth

Sarah Bennet

floor looks very hard. Nonetheless, I drop and find that, as well as not hurting (duh, kneepads), it’s also quite fun. Once we’re at one with falling over, we’re off; crouching low to the ground as we circle round the track like cats on the prowl.

After the taster session, sweaty but thankfully bruiseless, I stay to watch the A and B teams practise. Lucy Welch, lacing up her boots beside me, has been skating for just over a year and points out the jammers, blockers and referees (you need more than one pair of eyes to keep watch on this rowdy bunch). A librarian by day, she turns into a demon on the track, going by the derby name ‘Diana Sprints’ – a play on Wonder Woman’s alter ego, Diana Prince.

“For me it’s a bit of a stress relief. I have a really busy life (she’s doing a Master’s too) so it’s nice coming here and letting rip by going really fast and having an awesome time. I’m a really competitive person as well.

At school I liked sports, but girls weren’t encouraged to do the more aggressive sports: it was all netball when I wanted to do basketball. I went to this cricket open day once and I was literally the only girl there, so I never went back!”

It’s a very different story here. In roller derby, women don’t have to put up with playing second fiddle to the men’s team: it’s most definitely first and foremost a women’s sport.

“There is something called merby, which is the same sport but for men,” says Amy O’Leary, who’s been with the Rollerbillies for four years.

“Not every club has a boys’ team though, and it’s nice in a way that this is a sport

where the women are the principle team.

It’s empowering, and it’s great to be part of an empowered team of women.

“Some people think we all wear fishnets and face paint and land on top of each other like WWF. There’s a bit of that,” she admits, “but people are losing those preconceptions. It’s also really sociable, and I love that it’s a sport for all women, whether you’re big, small, short or tall.”

February Phillips joins us in a flourish of spinning wheels. One of the founding members of the Rollerbillies, she helped get the team together with a couple of friends in 2008 after watching the mighty London Rollergirls play. Starting out in a Cambridge warehouse (nicknamed The Spandex Palace), the league has been steadily growing – now totalling some eighty members.

Says Feb: “It looks aggressive but actually, generally, people out there are really calm. If you don’t control that aggression, you generally lose.”

Over my shoulder, above the low rumble of wheels on wood, I hear a coach’s voice shout, “You can’t just skate around without knocking someone over!”. I’m not convinced. Have any of them had any really nasty bangs?

“I’ve never broken anything, touch wood,” says Amy, “but I’ve twisted my ankle. I don’t think that’s any worse than any other sport. You have to lose your fear – you have to be able to throw yourself on the floor and trust in your knee pads and elbow pads. But that’s one of the biggest attractions: it’s very liberating! In what other sport do you get to do that?”

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ROLLER DERBY

WHERE DID IT ORIGINATE? In 1930s Chicago. Modern derby was born out of a revival in Texas in the early 2000s.

DO I HAVE TO BE A GOOD SKATER ALREADY? Not at all. New members enrol in a beginners’ course, which takes you through the absolute basics to the skills needed to become a fully fledged rollergirl.

HOW CAN I GET IN TOUCH? Email freshmeat@rollerbillies.com or visit www.rollerbillies.com.

WHEN CAN I SEE THEM IN ACTION? The Cambridge Rollerbillies’ next match is against Leicester’s Dolly Rockit Rollers at Kelsey Kerridge on 14 June. Come and cheer on the Cambridge girls in green.

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TWO COUNTIES

MOTOR etrolhead or not, anyone seeking a lively family day out should point their wheels in the direction of Newmarket’s Two County Motor Show on 29 June.

Returning to the Rowley Mile Racecourse for the 14th year, it will deliver a superb range of classic cars and bikes for us to admire, from vintage 1930s motors right through to the iconic sports cars of the 70s and 80s. Previous dealers have included Bentley, Aston Martin, Audi, Lexus and BMW Mini. Plus there’ll be trade stands with everything from fluffy dice and driving gloves to top of the range car stereos available at great prices.

Family entertainment is always key at the Motor Show, and familiar favourites like the F1 Silverstone Simulator, bouncy castle, go-karting and face painting will

all be around to get involved with, as well as a range of other yet-to-be unveiled weird, wonderful, dramatic and memorable entertainment! There will also be hot and cold food, drinks and sweet treats to keep you well fuelled throughout the day.

Over the past few years the Two Counties Motor Show has raised over £110,000 for local charities and this year organisers hope to significantly add to that tally. For 2014, the chosen charities include Street Sports, an organisation which raises funds to involve young people in sport and reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.

Last year over £3,000 was donated to Suffolk Carers, enabling several muchneeded trips and activities for some of the

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region’s young carers. The money raised goes a long way and the organisers hope to beat last year’s amazing total.

With over 500 of the automotive industry’s finest cars and bikes, new and old, on display, the region’s biggest offering of brand new cars for sale, a huge range of stands, refreshments and family entertainment, the Two Counties Motor Show offers a fantastic day out for all (9.30am-4.30pm).

If you are interested in exhibiting, dealership spaces are being booked up fast, so get in touch with the organisers online now. www.twocountiesmotorshow.co.uk

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INDIE OF THE MONTH

INDEPENDENT OF THE MONTH

Ark

A menagerie of wondrous sparkling creatures and retro curiosities are tucked within Cambridge’s eclectic gift emporium. Jennifer Shelton takes a peek inside

I

f you’ve ever needed an unusual gift for someone fun, chances are you’ve paid Ark in Cambridge a visit. Around the corner from King’s College Chapel, it goes by the slogan: ‘gifts for interesting people’.

It regularly has one of the most enticing window displays in town (remember the big reindeer at Christmas?) and was a Best Gift Retailer in East Anglia finalist in this year’s Greats Awards.

Ark was set up by Jane Richards, a fashion designer from Saffron Walden, in 2004. “We started out in Norfolk Street selling vintage furniture, which is still a real passion of ours,” she explains. “We’ve just had a big delivery: we’ve been trawling vintage furniture auctions and brought back some fantastic finds. Generally we display our stock on items also for sale.”

Ark is eclectic, often with a kitsch, retro vibe. “We sell things that we like!” laughs

Jane. “One of our most popular items is our retro record player which comes in green, red, orange and black. And we’ve got portable boom boxes with Bluetooth, so you can zap music over from your phone and take it out on a picnic. Jewellery and handbags are also big sellers, and we have a strong following for our leather goods which we design and make ourselves. We also sell bowler hats and have loads of fun things for children,” she adds. “We sell little children’s theatres, with moving parts; fun glove puppets and inflatable dinosaurs.

I don’t think there are many places in Cambridge that sell things like that.”

It’s this promise of the unexpected that makes stepping into Ark so exciting.

“You never know what you’ll find when you come through the door,” says Jane.

“Shopping should be surprising and exciting: that’s what many shops miss.”

Working here can be an adventure too. Being right in the heart of one of the world’s most famous cities puts the team in the thick of all sorts of action. In April they watched as ITV filmed scenes from the upcoming drama series Grantchester round the corner, and in 2012 they had a ringside seat for Kate and Will’s royal visit.

“We’ll have a great view of the Tour de France when it comes down King’s Parade,” adds Jane.

Apparently Ark gets some regular celebrity customers, though Jane is

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loyally keeping mum about who they are. “We’re always happy to do evening shopping for special customers, shall we say!” she says, mysteriously.

Famous or not, all customers get top service, with free same-day delivery for Cambridge residents (elsewhere it’s the next day).

“We use bike couriers, so if you need a gift for someone quickly, you can buy online and the same day they’ll bring it to you, wrapped, for free.”

It’s the uniqueness of Ark which Jane believes is responsible for its success: “You’ve got to sell something different these days to survive. We get a lot of people tell us how much they like the shop which is always wonderful. It’s evolved a lot over the last ten years. 25 per cent of our customers now are male, when we used to be much more female-orientated.

“It’s always an adventure. I get to go shopping for a living, and who doesn’t want that?”

Ark, 2 St Mary’s Passage, Cambridge, 01223 363372; www.arkcambridge.co.uk

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LET'S GO TO...

A bit of history

Let's go to..

Though strictly in Suffolk, we’d like to claim Newmarket as our own.

Famously the home of British horse racing, this modest market town has plenty to discover. A number of smart establishments have recently sprung up, and there’s a lively foodie scene – the town even has its own sausage!

Adventure beckons a little further out, with Thetford Forest’s Go Ape and Segway experiences just on the doorstep. On your marks, get set, go!

The town recorded as ‘Novum Forum’ in 1200 (new market in Latin) is something of a dark horse. This seemingly unassuming Suffolk town, described as a ‘poor little village’ by James I when he visited in 1605, has since blossomed into a seat of international renown and played its part in many key moments in British history thanks to its links with royalty. This began with James I’s construction of Newmarket Palace, which established the town as a royal resort. Later, Charles I met with parliamentary forces here and, in refusing to surrender, triggered events which would lead to the Civil War. Today it has a population of just over 20,000 – plus some 3,000 racehorses.

DRINK, DINE & STAY Impress your friends with a visit to The Jockey Club Rooms, housed within a lavishly furnished, historic house with beautiful grounds. It may be a private members club, but they do open their doors to the public for selected events, including (and we like the sound of this) The Pudding Night on 13 June and Father’s Day Sunday Lunch on 15 June.

They do weddings too…

Newly reopened in Six Mile Bottom is Paddocks House, a chic hotel offering free-standing copper baths, splendid countryside views and a sophisticated restaurant. It’s situated in a grand 18th century house, the former country home of Lord Byron’s sister.

Equally lovely, The Packhorse Inn, Moulton, is a beautiful upmarket country pub and restaurant with rooms. The menu features a delicious, imaginative range of dishes, often with a twist, and the owners have just bought The Rupert Brooke in Grantchester too, which is due to open at the end of summer, so keep your eyes peeled.

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Paddocks House The Packhorse Inn

Jockey Club Rooms

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LET'S GO TO...

KEEPING IT LOCAL… As well as horse racing, Newmarket is getting a name for its sausages, and no visit should be complete without seeing out a packet of Musks or Powters.

Unchanged since the days of Queen Victoria, the recipes for both are closely guarded family secrets, handed down through the generations. Musks sausages are stocked at Eric Tennant the butchers and you’ll find Powters in Wellington Street, off the high street.

For a well-stocked deli together with a superb independent restaurant, try The Pantry Fine Food Shop and Eatery.

Championing local produce, it stocks award-winning Suffolk cheeses, local meats and their own popular triple chocolate brownies. They have a good gluten free menu too.

Mentioned in The Telegraph’s 50 Best Farm Shops, La Hogue in Chippenham is well worth a visit if only for its delectable home-made scones. The shop stocks seasonal fruit, veg and meat from local producers and there’s a lovely café with views down to the Newmarket Gallops.

NEWMARKET RACES Newmarket is known first and foremost as the home of British horse racing, and the 2014 season is currently in full swing. Racing has been taking place at Newmarket since as far back as 1174, and it’s home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country.

Today, it comprises two courses: the Rowley Mile (used in spring and autumn) and the July Course (which is used in summer). Pay the National Horseracing Museum a visit which houses trophies, paintings and other historical horsey memorabilia (open seven days a week).

The racecourse also hosts outdoor summer concerts, so guests can enjoy a flutter on the horses then party as the sun goes down. On 27 June it gets a visit from James Blunt, then catch The Beach Boys on 18 July, Tom Jones on 1 August and Wet Wet Wet on 15 August. www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk

ANGLESEY ABBEY A magnificent example of the English country house, Anglesey Abbey is just a 15-minute drive away in the village of Lode, boasting beautiful grounds (currently resplendent with fragrant roses) and working watermill. The house itself is cosy and characterful – the work of former owner and Anglophile Lord Fairhaven, who brought the house back to life after purchasing it in 1926, filling it with art and beautiful objects which can still be seen today.

It’s a wonderful place for a picnic, afternoon tea (the scones are made using flour from the mill) or a sensory trip back in time. Special events run throughout the year too – pay a visit on 28 June and you can enjoy the 1960s Vintage Village Fete (11am-3pm) . www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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WILD TRACKS BEDFORD LODGE HOTEL & SPA Just a stone’s throw from the town centre, this elegant country house hotel and spa is the perfect retreat for a spot of indulgence. It opened last year as the town’s first luxury spa and offers a gorgeous pool (plus a rather fabulous rooftop hot tub) and brand new treatment rooms decorated in soft dove grays and chocolate browns.

Signature treatments include the lavender poultice massage and Balinese hot stone massage, and they’re currently offering a Racing Day Spa Menu – see online for details. www.bedfordlodgehotelspa.co.uk

Win!

Tickets to see Katherine Jenkins, 12 July, and Deacon Blue, 13 July To enter visit: www.cambsedition. co.uk

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If you’re craving adventure, get down to Wild Tracks Off Road Activity Park in Kennet. Here you can test your mettle with archery, clay shooting or go-karting, take a quad safari and try a number of other highoctane outdoor activities. There are events for children too, and it’s a fantastic option for birthday parties, team building and stag and hen dos. www.wildtracksltd.co.uk

THETFORD FOREST A short drive north-east from Newmarket will take you into the thick of Thetford Forest, a patchwork of pine trees, heathland and broadleafs and home to the ever-popular Go Ape. Strap on a harness and explore the canopy, negotiating rope ladders, zip wires and balancing beams.

Go Ape is £30/£32 for adults and £24 for children aged 10-17, or £17 for the junior trail. Alternatively, set off through the winding forest tracks on a twowheeled Segway adventure. The forest is a great place for mountain biking too – you can bring your own or hire bikes when you get there.

Thetford Forest also hosts Forest Live outdoor music concerts in their woodland clearing. The line-up this year includes X Factor’s Rebecca Ferguson, The Pogues, Boyzone, Deacon Blue and Katherine Jenkins (pictured left). www.forestry.gov.uk

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NEWS

Communit y NEWS CHAPTER ONE, CAMBRIDGE

Calling all writers! A competition, calling for a 300-word introduction to a story featuring Cambridge or Brighton, has been launched by writing support group WriteStars. If you’ve got what it takes to enthrall the judges, send yours to info@ writestars.co.uk by 16 July. All submissions must be original and unpublished, and there’s an entry fee of £3.50, with £1 going to the charity Children in Crisis. First prize is £100 and the judges are looking for colour, originality and a new voice. Go! www.writestars.co.uk

POP-UP CHOIR All members of Cambridge group Cycle of Songs (in honour of the Tour de France’s arrival in Cambridge), plus friends and family, are invited to an open-air concert taking place outside The Guildhall on 21 June. The Market Square will come alive when singing groups from across Cambridge come together to perform the Cycle of Songs’ anthem, which will be filmed and recorded as part of a short film about Cambridge and le Tour.

Takes place 11am-1pm (performance starts midday). www.cycleofsongs.com

SUMMER SKILLSHARE WITH CAMBRIDGE CARBON FOOTPRINT Green community group Cambridge Carbon Footprint have a skillshare and workshop extravaganza taking place on 21 June, at the Newnham Scout and Guide Centre. Under the theme of ‘A Perfect Summer’s Day’, it’s a chance for local people to get involved with a range of activities including knitting, making your own body lotions and sunscreens, jewellery repair and bike maintenance. It starts at 12 noon, running until 4.30pm. Entry is free.

They’re also holding another popular swishing (clothes swap) event on 21 June at The Pavilion, Trumpington. 10am for 11am start. www.cambridgecarbonfootprint.org

COMMUNITY WEBSITE FOR NEWMARKET

CANCER RESEARCH RELAY Celebrate life and loved ones at Cancer Research UK’s Relay For Life, taking place at Wilberforce Road athletics track in Cambridge. Teams of eight to ten people – of all fitness levels – are encouraged to join in this team building, fundraising event, taking place over the weekend of 13 and 14 September. When you’re not running or walking you’ll be able to browse stalls, grab a bite to eat and soak up the atmosphere. As dusk falls, candles will be lit all around the track for the Candle of Hope ceremony. The race continues through the night, so you’ll be running and sleeping in shifts. Enter online. www.cruk.org/relay-cambridge

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Newmarket readers will now be able to keep abreast of the latest events taking place in town thanks to the launch of a new community website.

It was launched at the end of May by the chair of Friends of St Louis, to provide a one-stop shop for locals wanting to find out what’s going on in the area. It will detail everything that’s happening in the surrounding villages, as well as providing a useful vehicle for local groups wanting to promote their events to the community. www.newmarketcommunity.co.uk

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NEWS

CAMBRIDGE BID MONTHLY UPDATE

Welcome Welcome to the June update from the Cambridge BID. This month, we look ahead to July’s Independents’ Month, an initiative aimed at encouraging people to shop locally and celebrate our city’s fantastic indies. Also, read about a special project we’re running in honour of the Tour de France, and discover what’s on offer on St Andrew’s Street.

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 and encourage people to visit and enjoy our fabulous city.

Find out more at www.cambridgebid.co.uk Follow us on Twitter at @cambridgebid

Independents’ Month July will see the return of Independents’ Month, a four-week long celebration of Cambridge’s diverse community of independent businesses. We’re pleased to be partnering once again with Cambridge Edition on this project, which is part of a global ‘shop local’ initiative aimed at encouraging people to explore their local indies and discover some hidden gems on their doorstep.

There will be a host of events, special offers and competitions throughout the month, so be sure to pick up the next issue of Cambridge Edition for all the details.

Keep an eye out for the Independents’ Month brochure too, which will be available around the city centre in July.

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NEWS

Spotlight on…

St Andrew’s Street Anyone who’s ever taken the bus into Cambridge, or walked or cycled up from the station, will know St Andrew’s Street pretty well indeed. One of the main thoroughfares in the centre of town, it takes the baton from Regent Street all the way up to Sidney Street as well as leading on to the main bus station in Drummer Street, over by Christ’s Pieces.

As a shopping destination it’s known for its selection of high-end retailers including department store John Lewis, jewellers Links of London, perfumers Penhaligon’s, Clarins Skin Spa and make-up emporium MAC. St Andrew’s Street is also home to one of Cambridge’s best-loved independent shops, Chocolat Chocolat, which is famous for its handmade luxury chocolates and confectionery.

In summer, it’s not uncommon to see queues in the street for Chocolat

Chocolat’s delicious Italian ice cream, whilst their thick and creamy hot chocolate has a fan base all of its own in the winter months.

St Andrew’s Street also delivers on the style front, with big brands Zara, H&M and Bank Fashion all next door to one another, as well as Jones Bootmaker right across the road.

Clamp Optometrists, a modern, independent practice, also calls St Andrew’s Street home, stocking carefully selected spectacle frames from wellknown brands, designer boutiques and bespoke ranges, and providing eye care.

The street also serves as Cambridge’s mini banking district, with several major banks and the city’s central Post Office.

The main entrance to the Grand Arcade Shopping Centre takes centre stage on St Andrew’s Street, and it’s home to two colleges: Christ’s, which Milton and Darwin attended, and Emmanuel, where Birdsong

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author Sebastian Faulks read English. It also used to be the location of the old Cambridge police station.

Back in 1631, you may have got your feet wet while traversing St Andrew’s Street thanks to the open waterway, Hobson’s Conduit, which was extended to flow along St Andrew’s to Drummer Street, bringing fresh water into the city centre. It was covered over in 1996, but an example of the original open conduit can still be seen in Trumpington Street.

Later, in 2010, workmen excavating what they believed to be a collapsed sewer discovered a mystery cavern beneath the busy main road. The subterranean chamber was 30ft deep by 20ft wide, and was declared to be man-made and recent, though for what purpose no one was entirely clear.

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NEWS

Recycle le Velo

Summer Loving magazine Cambridge BID has launched its Summer Loving magazine, which is currently available to pick up from shopping centres, Park & Ride sites and various hotels in and around the city centre. Inside you’ll find information, ideas and inspiration for what to do in the city during the summer months.

Cambridge offers an unrivalled shopping experience, with all the famous names you would expect, balanced with an abundance of delightful independent shops, restaurants and trendy cafés, ensuring there really is something for everyone. With plenty of special events to look forward to over the coming months, including the Big Weekend, Midsummer Fair and of course, the Tour de France coming through Cambridge in July, it’s set to be a summer of fun!

If you would like a copy posted to you, please contact a member of the BID team on 01223 903300 or visit our website at www.cambridgebid.co.uk.

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Old bicycles are being recycled and reused to create a trail of art around the city to mark the arrival of the Tour de France in July. Cambridge BID has teamed up with Cambridge International Arts (CIA), a local arts community who work on their own arts initiatives as well as with different local and national charities.

CIA invited local artists to submit applications to be included on the sculpture trail, using parts donated from local bicycle shops and the Parkside Police Cycle Store. Cambridge BID then appealed to businesses to host a sculpture for a period of two weeks: businesses will be matched with an artist and their sculpture depending on the space available in the premises. The sculptures will be judged once installed in the premises and artists will receive a prize for their time and effort, whilst the host business will be titled the Vitrine de Cambridge.

This unique sculpture trail, which invites the public to explore Cambridge afresh, contributes to the programme of events and activities of the Vélo Festival taking place in Cambridge from May to September. It is just one of several artistic and cultural activities celebrating the international sporting event. Maps showing the route and businesses involved will be available from participating stores, City Ambassadors and the Tourist Information Centre from mid June. The trail will run from late June to mid July; dates are yet to be announced.

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FATHER’S DAY

15 ideas

FATHER’S DAY

JUNE

HAVE AN ADVENTURE!

MILITARY VEHICLE SHOW

Why not use the day as a chance to get out and about and do something a bit different together? If your dad’s the adventurous type, he might enjoy a treetop adventure at Thetford Forest or a gentler, scenic zip along the forest paths on their Segways. Or, let off some steam at Kartsport, near Caxton. Jesus Green Lido reopened for the summer last month, perfect for a refreshing dip on a summer’s day. One of the longest outdoor pools in the country, it’s open 11am-7.30pm.

Marvel at tanks, army jeeps, motorcycles and more at IWM Duxford this Father’s Day at the Military Vehicle Show. See these mighty feats of engineering up close, then watch them spring into life for the parade. A number of living history groups will also be making an appearance to conjure a real 1940s feel – you can even try on the military regalia.

Tickets are £18.50 (adults), £14.80 (concessions) – and children go free. www.iwm.org.uk

AUDLEY END MINIATURE RAILWAY If your dad is anything like our features editor’s old man, he won’t be able to walk past anything train related without insisting on taking a look. So we were delighted to hear that the 50th anniversary celebrations of Audley End’s miniature railway coincide with Father’s Day. Hurrah!

The miniature railway offers a scenic 1.5 mile woodland ride on Lord Braybrooke’s own private gauge railway.

On 14 and 15 the trains will be joined by live music and entertainers, stalls and a tea tent, plus plenty of activities for children. Open 10am-6pm. Admission is £15 (adults), £12 (children). www.audley-end-railway.co.uk

FATHER’S DAY DINING Need somewhere to take your pa for a good old catch up over a bite and a pint? You’ve got plenty of options in Cambridge. If he’s an ale man, take him to try the latest local tipples on tap at The Maypole, Cambridge Brew House or the Kingston Arms. For a nice country pub, take a drive to The Red Cow, Chrishall, or The Green Man in Grantchester – both of which do great grub.

For something slightly fancier, pay a visit to the lovely d’Arry’s on King Street, or check out the brand new Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill at the Doubletree by Hilton.

And for a top curry, we highly recommend Zara in Great Shelford and Rang Mohol or Kaz’s in Sawston. We’re feeling hungry now…

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GET ARTY Have a look round Byard Art’s latest exhibition, which features a plethora of creations by local artists, including bronze carvings, paintings and more, covering many styles and subjects. 15 June is the last day you can catch it.

And when did you last have a nosey round the Fitzwilliam Museum? Recent acquisitions include a Poussin and a dramatic Bassetti, and don’t miss their exhibition on the First World War, as well as the usual mummies and more. www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk www.byardart.co.uk

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FATHER’S DAY

WATERPROOF MOBILE PHONE CASE £4 TIGER

FOR MY DAD COLLECTION £39 HOTEL CHOCOLAT

SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 £570 CARPHONE WAREHOUSE

PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER £30 TIGER

TORCH WITH STRAP £3 TIGER

CHASSIS SUNGLASSES £44.99 SUPERDRY

FATHER’S DAY

Gift Guide

SAMSUNG GEAR 2 NEO £169 CARPHONE WAREHOUSE

Treat your dad with these perfect pressies from Lion Yard

HAMMOCK WITH MOUNTING GEAR £15 TIGER

FOSSIL GRANT MEN’S WATCH £95 ERNEST JONES

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CORE APPLIQUE HOODIE £59.99 SUPERDRY

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BUSINESS

WORDS CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS

GET CONNECTED Collaboration can be to key to success in business, but how do you make sure you rub shoulders with the right people? We get the lowdown on networking in Cambridge

A

s the seemingly unstoppable rise of the ‘Cambridge Phenomenon’ demonstrates, people in our area are bursting with talent. More than that, they’re extremely good at ensuring that they make the most not only of their own shining lights (no hiding under bushels here) but those of the similarly gifted individuals around them.

“I wouldn’t say collaboration and networking were particularly a Cambridge phenomenon, but the city does seem to have a healthier appetite for it than most,” says Steve O’Connor, a mobile app designer with Airsource Ltd, who is also involved with CamCreative, which

brings people from a range of businesses together to explore different facets of their creativity.

While our area’s new businesses may be completely new, the collaboration and networking behind them definitely aren’t.

“Dons used to walk along King’s Parade for example on a regular basis to meet people from other colleges and departments and share ideas – and presumably pints in the Eagle afterwards,” points out Mark Littlewood, who runs Business Leaders Network (BLN), which brings top businesspeople together for discussions, breakfast and evening events.

It helps, of course, that we inhabit such a compact space. Under 50 square miles

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in area, Cambridge’s size and layout make it ideal for collaboration.

“Everything is next door which makes life easier,” says David Gill, managing director of St John’s Innovation Centre. And with such a clued-up community, people here know how to make the most of networking opportunities. “I think it’s something people in Cambridge are good at because they do it in a structured way. It’s not just a case of pitch up and chat to people.”

Stuffed with talent, our city’s world-class reputation means it also acts as a magnet, attracting other stars on their way to and from other

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BUSINESS

Nothing beats face-to-face contact, say those who attend get-togethers. Whether formal or informal, structured or fuzzy round the edges, they remain the best way of cementing profitable relationships

IMAGES Women 4 Technology and Snowcode are just two events that allow like-minded big thinkers to meet and greet.

places – something that’s particularly useful if your own company isn’t (yet) sufficiently giant sized to reel them in on its own.

“The thing that makes Cambridge really great as a hacker or unfunded entrepreneur is our access to Stansted Airport and close proximity to London. We try to catch some of the smart people before they get sucked up by the big companies,” comments Alan Hemmings, a software contractor whose Cambridge-based company, Goblin Factory, provides fixed-price software development and project management.

Look online – www.meetup.com, www.eventbrite.co.uk, or www.joinin. com are all good starting points – and you’ll find an ever-growing list of groups and forums. Some represent the deepest, techiest nooks and crannies of cyberspace, so niche that they’re all

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but impenetrable to outsiders. Others cover more familiar territory, such as life sciences or social enterprise.

Whatever your speciality, however, it’s more than likely that there’s a group just waiting for you to get in touch.

Why bother to network? For a start, the people you encounter can reach the areas of your working life that even your employer may not manage. Take the Cambridge Product Manager Network, whose monthly meetings, part social occasion, part business-focused event, fill a pressing need for contact with others doing the same job, explains Colin Millerchip, one of its three founders and head of product management for Red Gate Software.

Product managers perform a vital role, asking tough questions about exactly why a company is moving in a particular direction and what it will add to the bottom line. However, relatively few currently work in software development, making get-togethers all the more worthwhile. “They’ll come hoping to meet other like-minded people. The main benefit, often, is that they’ll be one

product manager in an organisation and it can be quite lonely.”

And for many people, it’s that fundamental need for encounters of a 3D kind that networks offer so successfully, and the reason that relatively few local groups opt for a virtual existence rather than physical incarnation.

Nothing beats face-to-face contact, say those who attend get-togethers.

Whether formal or informal, structured or deliberately fuzzy round the edges, they remain the best way of cementing mutually profitable relationships.

Women 4 Technology, launched in 2008, was designed to bring together women in senior posts working in hightech industries. Set up by Ann Fisher, founding partner of Bailey Fisher Executive Search, together with head of marketing Helen Poole, the network’s invitationonly events will culminate in a summer reception at the House of Lords on 23 June, where guest speaker Martina King, CEO of Featurespace and former European managing director at Yahoo will address a no-doubt rapt audience of around 90 women.

Part inspiration, part meeting of minds, Women 4 Technology is particularly

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BUSINESS

effective because of its precision planning which brings like-minded people together, gets them talking and seasons everything with a dose of inspiration. “It provides opportunities for women to swap ideas and talk to others who are going through similar situations or who have already gone through them,” says Ann Fisher.

While its venue and format may be different, Snowcode, billed as: ‘Developers + Snow + Party = Snowcode’‚ shares very

similar aims.

Invitation only, like Women 4 Technology, Snowcode, an annual event held in a ski chalet, is billed as a way for developers to “get together once a year to have fun on the ski slopes and occasionally talk coding.”

The brainchild of Alan Hemmings, a keen skier and snowboarder, Snowcode sprang out of the ‘unconference’ movement, following the realisation that

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at many conferences, it is often not the formal presentations that create the spark but the informal discussions afterwards. By doing away with the formality, those water cooler moments become the event’s raison d’être, with an evolving agenda, minimum rules and, in this case, a lot of skiing.

For anyone still sceptical about how much these, or other get-togethers, can actually add to the bottom line,

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BUSINESS

One inviolable rule is stressed by business experts.

Be confident, be charming, be outgoing – but at all costs avoid overselling yourself or your business the results speak for themselves.

Ann Fisher, for example, records two negotiations where start-up funding worth millions of pounds was completed between the start and finish of a Women 4 Technology event.

It sounds so easy. Bring people together, online or in the flesh, watch those creative minds ignite and send off sparks and that fully-funded flotation is in the bag. Well, sometimes. More often, though, that initial contact is the starting point in a journey that can take years to yield tangible results.

Not that that’s any bad thing as the process itself can be one that’s richly rewarding in ideas, even if not invariably hard cash. “It’s partly the intellectual reward and curiosity and partly the practical rewards of getting to know people with whom you have mutual interests,” points out David Gill.

Getting networking right requires preparation. It pays to do your research in advance – but also to stay openminded and talk to as many people as possible – you may get far more out of that than you think.

And however enticing the opportunity, good behind the scenes organisation remains essential.

While the naturally extrovert may have no problem canvassing a room politician style and introducing themselves to strangers, others may need more of a helping hand. “It can often be very daunting walking in to a busy room where there is a sea of new faces, so we like to introduce individuals and facilitate conversations,” says Ann Fisher.

But no matter how, or where, you meet people, one inviolable rule is stressed by business experts. Be confident, be charming, be outgoing – but at all costs avoid overselling yourself or your business.

“Nobody likes the person in the room who interrupts a conversation by

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handing out all their cards and talking loudly about being the premier distributor of wireless solutions in the east of England region,” says Christian May, who is head of media relations at the Institute of Directors.

“Instead, approach networking as you approach any other social situation,” he says.

And for anyone who is operating at full throttle who feels that the last thing they might fancy is trollying off to make with the business charm in a busy room full of movers and shakers, he has gentle words of encouragement.

“The bottom line is that face-toface contact still counts more in the business world than all the social media profiles and online endorsements you can muster. The worst that can happen is that you end up extricating yourself from a tedious salesman, but the best case scenario could result in new deals, a new network or even a new job.”

That’s something Steve O’Connor can testify to.

Originally a doubter, he’s completely changed his mind as networking has brought not just new friends and increased knowledge but his current job at Airsource, too.

“A few years ago I would have told you there wasn't much point to networking – what an idiot I was,” he says .

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FASHION NEWS

FASHION News

FRESH SPECIAL JELLY SHOE BY MEL £28 MODISH, GREEN STREET, CAMBRIDGE

PICKS FROM THE INDIES

HOSS VESTIDO DRESS £189 BOUDOIR FEMME, KING STREET, CAMBRIDGE

ORIGAMI TRICERATOPS NECKLACE £165 PODAROK, BENE’T STREET, CAMBRIDGE

LEATHER DAY BAG £115 ARK, ST MARY’S PASSAGE, CAMBRIDGE

LOLA COTTON SUNDRESS

BY SPILT MILK £48 WWW.CURIOUS-ORANGE.COM

HAYES UNLINED SHOES £52.50 DOGFISH, TRINITY STREET, CAMBRIDGE

THOMAS SABO LAUNCH LOYALTY CARD Radiantly popular jewellers Thomas Sabo are giving something back to their customers this summer by introducing a loyalty card, redeemable at their Lion Yard store in Cambridge. For every £1 you spend you’ll clock up five points (one point = 1p), so once you reach 2500 points you’ll find yourself with a nice £25 to spend in store! This includes the gorgeous new collection of Karma Beads, in stone, pearl, silver and gold, plus the rock chick inspired Karma Beads for Rebels from the Rebel at Heart collection. Or why not treat yourself to a new watch? The store boasts a great collection of dazzling timepieces for men and women, plus a huge array of rings, necklaces, bracelets and other jewellery. www.thomassabo.com

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FASHION

World PARTY

WORDS NICOLA FOLEY

PAINT ANIMAL JERSEY TAPERED TROUSERS £28 TOPSHOP

Exotic prints and designs are a key look for this season, but this one definitely isn’t a trend for shrinking violets. Get creative with ikat pieces, tribal patterns, Aztec, Caribbean colours and, of course, a whole lot of animal print. If you fancy really ramping it up a gear, try clashing a few different patterns, which can work surprisingly well, especially if you’re lucky enough to be in sunnier climes.

ASOS CROPPED CAMI IN BRIGHT ANIMAL £15 ASOS

RIO AZTEC BRALET £5 PRIMARK SEABREEZE TASSEL BEACH BAG £29 ACCESSORIZE

LUREX IKAT MINI SKIRT £22 MISS SELFRIDGE

SPORTS

Luxe

GREEN TROPICAL JOGGERS £30 RIVER ISLAND

MONO PRINT IKAT SCARF £11 MISS SELFRIDGE

Fresh, contemporary and undeniably wearable, luxe sportswear continues its streak into summer. This isn’t about sloppy joggers and slogan tees though, rather, the trend focuses on sports pieces reimagined with a luxury twist. Think embellished bomber jackets and sweatshirts, silk joggers, sheer panelling and drawstring skirts. Avoid looking like you’re actually heading to the gym by teaming your outfit with a pair of killer heels.

SHADOW BOMBER

BY THE RAGGED PRIEST £60 TOPSHOP VERO MODA SPORTS LUX SWEAT DRESS £28 ASOS

WHISTLES LOLA JERSEY LOUNGE TROUSERS IN GREY £65 JOHN LEWIS

WISHBONE SKY SKIRT IN NAVY £70 JOHN LEWIS

COLOUR BLOCK TOP NOW £15 MISS SELFRIDGE

ASOS GLAM JOGGERS WITH FEARLESS SIDE STRIPE NOW £15 ASOS

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FASHION

Orange IS THE NEW

BLACK

From fiery trouser suits and eye-poppingly bright dresses at Costello Tagliapietra to flowing neon slips at DKNY, if the catwalks were anything to go by, orange is set to be the colour of summer 2014. We’re big fans of River Island’s bold boyfriend jacket, which will elevate a simple jeans and white tee combo to cutting-edge chic. The trend has even made its way into the make-up bags of those in the know, with bright orange power pouts popping up at shows including Galliano, Zac Posen and rag & bone – team your statement lippy with flawless dewy skin and pared-down eyes.

TIFFANY PREMIUM BLAZER IN NEON ORANGE £26.99 MISSGUIDED

DKNY SS14

BOYFRIEND COAT £60 RIVER ISLAND ORANGE STONE ROW NECKLACE £8.50 TOPSHOP

AUTOGRAPH BAG £129 M&S

ON TOP SHOE £65 OFFICE

TEXTURE CROP TOP £32 AND MIDI SKIRT £45 TOPSHOP ASOS PLEATED EMBELLISHED WAIST MIDI DRESS £55 ASOS SIGN UP TO THE EDIT NEWSLETTER AT CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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FASHION

FLORAL T-SHIRT £10 AND CHINOS £16 F&F AT TESCO

FLORAL PRINT SHIRT £29.99 ZARA HYPE FLORAL BASEBALL T-SHIRT £25 TOPMAN

AUTOGRAPH FLORAL SHIRT £35 M&S FLORAL PRINT SHIRT £29.99 ZARA

TOWN Florals have been a huge trend this season for women, and now the boys are getting in on the action with flowery motifs all over the high street. The key to working this trend (and avoiding resembling a pair of curtains) is to combine one floral piece with clean, block colours. Instant summer cool.

VITO FLORAL BLAZER £160 TOPMAN BELLFIELD GOYA BASEBALL SWEATSHIRT £35 TOPMAN

GREY VARSITY BOMBER NOW £15 TOPMAN

VARSITY BOY

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BRAVE SOUL VARSITY JACKET NOW £18 ASOS

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BEAUTY

WORDS DAISY DICKINSON

BEAUTY TO GO Size doesn’t matter – it’s what you do with it that counts. Daisy Dickinson picks out her favourite pocket-sized versions of beauty treats suitable for all budgets and tastes

Image courtesy of Accessorize

Sometimes good things really do come in small packages. Whether you’re looking for miniature versions of your everyday cosmetics for use on the go or packing portable products for a big summer getaway or festival, we’ve got a selection of beauty goodies that are guaranteed to fit in your handbag without weighing you down.

Baby-sized balms One trick for space-restricted beauty fiends is to find multitasking products: step forward, the balms. I make no secret of my obsession with these delicious products and revel in using them to add highlights to cheeks, a slick of gloss to lips, calm flyaway hair or align stray eyebrows. Australia is the home of some of the best balms on the circuit, and we’re delighted to say that one of Down Under’s bestselling pawpaw ointments has finally reached our shores under the name, PapayaGold PAWPAW. For soothing skin, relieving dryness and helping with dry, chapped lips, keep a tube of this in your pocket (£5.99, Superdrug).

The Body Shop might have moved location from Cambridge’s Lion Yard to Petty Cury, but they’re still very much open for business – and the company’s perpetually popular body butters are perfect for popping in your handbag. We love their Shea Lip Butter (£4, The Body Shop). If you’re more of a cocoa butter fan though, try Palmer’s Original Cocoa Butter Formula lip balm to

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keep your lips ultra moisturised throughout the day. This everyday essential is infused with both Vitamin E and SPF 15, making it ideal for protecting lips from the elements which can leave them cracked and chapped (£1.89, Boots).

And with the sun starting to get its hat on, we’ve discovered HURRAW! SPF 15 sun balm, a thick and creamy pocketable balm packed with premium organic, vegan and raw ingredients like juicy tangerine, camomile and vanilla (£4.49, www.mypure.co.uk).

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BEAUTY

Travelling tools For tweezing emergencies, pop a pair of Tweezerman minis in your make-up bag and never be stranded again. These come in a range of colours (we love the paw print ones) and are guaranteed to brighten up your bag. At £14.50 they’re not the cheapest tweezers on the block, but they’re legendary for a reason. Available at Boots.

Japonesque is one of our new favourite brands and these mini heated eyelash curlers from the industry darlings have totally stolen our hearts. £13, with free delivery from the Beauty Bay (www.beautybay.com).

The budget fashionista’s friend Real Techniques have brought out these three miniature make-up brushes to keep your skin flawless on the go. Packed in a convenient pouch they should keep your visage in order, whatever challenges you’re facing – and the trio is priced at just £9.99 from Boots.

Miniature make-up Bourjois is the queen of miniature products, famously launching teeny tiny eyeliners, mascaras and lip glosses to dangle from mobile phones back in the noughties. Some of these are still available: we found their tiny mascara for a bargain £1.99 and lip gloss for £1.50 at Direct Cosmetics (www.directcosmetics.com).

Keep your eyes on the Bourjois counter for similar specialities popping up throughout the year – and while you’re there be sure to check out the aptly named Bourjois Little Round Pot Blusher Powder, a beautifully velvety pop of colour for your cheeks (£7.99, Boots).

Petite polishes While delving into your handbag for your new miniature marvels, you need to make sure your hands are perfectly polished. I adore Mavala’s range of tiny polishes (from £4.30), and there are new releases all the time. They also offer a ready-to-go kit: the Nail Rescue Tin is all you need for healthy nails (£20, John Lewis).

And to keep those mitts moisturised – try this Tropical Bergamot Hand & Nail Cream from Organic Surge (£4.25). Quickly absorbed and enriched with essential oils, it smells amazing!

The good news: you can grab both at John Lewis.

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Perfectly pocketable Need to wash and go? H&M’s beauty range is ever growing and these handy grapefruit wipes are a particular favourite, especially at just 99p. The sizzling pink packet is easily locatable and looks the business in your bag too.

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BEAUTY NEWS

BeautyNEWS SPA DAY FOR HIM

NEW AT SALON NO.5 If you’re after a gorgeous, natural-looking tan to accompany your summer outfits, make a beeline for The Salon at No.5 on Milton Road, where they’ve just started offering luxurious Kissed by Mii spray tans. The salon will also now stock the range of Kissed by Mii at-home tanning products from respected make-up brand Mii, making it the only place in Cambridge where you can pick up these products.

Enriched with marine mineral extracts, this range is a favourite of industry professionals and offers everything you need for flawless bronzed skin including products to nourish and prepare your skin, a conditioning spray tan and aftercare products to help maintain it for as long as possible. To celebrate the launch of the range in-store, The Salon at No.5 are currently offering two-for-one on professional Kissed by Mii spray tans. www.thesalonatno5.co.uk

Listen up guys: the achingly hip Varsity Hotel is offering a relaxing and rejuvenating retreat day especially for men which features a range of treatments in their luxurious spa. The Total Timeout for Men is a customised face and body treatment that provides the ultimate skin therapy through combining a full body massage and a Skin IQ Facial (perfect for giving your skin a new lease of life). As with all spa days at the Varsity, you’ll also have full use of the sauna, steam room, fullyequipped Glassworks gym, studio classes and (our favourite touch) the hotel’s Jacuzzi which overlooks the River Cam. Monday-Thursday it’s £125; Friday-Sunday £135. www.thevarsityhotel.co.uk

MINDFULNESS ABC AT CAMYOGA Take a little time out for you this month and pop along to Camyoga, where Louise Palmer-Masterton is hosting a special day retreat dedicated to mindfulness on 28 June. Taking place from 10am until 2pm, this session will consider what it means to be mindful and look at effective practices from across the Western world, as well as offering practical tools for achieving mindfulness in your daily life. The idea is that you will come away equipped with the techniques to sustain a calm and uncluttered mind, allowing you to better deal with everyday pressures and make a positive change in your life. Places at this mini retreat cost £85, with lunch included. www.camyoga.co.uk

CHAMPNEYS PAMPER DAY You’ll have to go a long way to find a better spa deal than the one currently on offer at Champneys, Henlow. Until the end of July, those in need of a little indulgence can take advantage of a full day of pampering for just £99.

Champneys in Henlow, Bedfordshire, is situated within a magnificent manor house, surrounded by stunning grounds which are open for guests to explore.

Arrive at 9am for a tour and welcome juice drink, then slip into a fluffy robe and slippers and get ready to relax! The Pamper Day package includes two treatments worth up to £60 (massage, facial, wrap or scalp massage), plus use of the spa’s superb facilities including a beautiful swimming pool, sauna, steam room, whirlpool and gym.

Try one of their exercise classes too, then enjoy a nutritious three-course buffet lunch.

The day draws to a close at 6pm, when you should leave feeling relaxed and renewed in both body and mind. www.champneys.com

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INTERIORS

DREAM a little dream WORDS ANGELINA VILLA-CLARKE

Big or small, boy’s or girl’s – a children’s room is more than just a place for the little ones to sleep. Let your imagination go wild and inspire your children by giving them a stylish room that meets all of their needs and more

L

ike no other room in the house, a child’s room has a multitude of functions. It’s a playroom, a den, a place to do homework, a retreat to daydream and somewhere to sleep (only if they must, of course). It is also one of the only rooms that will need to continuously adapt to differing needs over time, as your children grow.

With some clever design tips and a few investment buys, however, you can design a room that will evolve with their changing needs, with just a few simple adjustments.

While practicality is key, it’s also essential to remember the fun factor. Get your children involved in the planning stages and show them a variety of options before agreeing on a theme or a colour. It should result in them having an emotional investment in the room they helped design, and so they will be less likely to want to change it after a year or so. What’s more, building a creative space for them will also encourage creative minds to develop.

BEDTIME GETS INTERESTING Caravan Bed, £1,295 (01270 812717; www.idyllhome.co.uk)

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SLEEP While for most adults, the bedroom’s primary purpose is to get a good night’s sleep, it’s not necessarily the case for children (much to our exasperation at times). But that’s not to say that it’s not essential. Children need a lot more shut-eye than adults, which is why it is a wise idea to spend a healthy chunk of your budget on a quality bed.

After the cot stage, when a child is around the age of two, many parents plump for a junior-size bed as a child’s first proper bed. This can make sense if there’s more than one child in the house – who will also be able to use it further down the line. For homes that only have one child, it may be more practical to purchase a single bed, and additional guardrails or removable sides for when they are toddlers, which will see them through to the teenage years.

From elaborate bunk beds to specially designed novelty beds, these days the choice of beds designed with a child in mind is immense. Idyll Home (01270 812717; www.idyllhome.co.uk), a stylish home emporium, has a choice of imaginative beds for children, such as its Belgium-made Caravan Bed and Tent Bed. Offering a room-within-a-room, these charming pieces are ideal for children who fight their bedtime routine, as the bed is almost secondary, hidden away within the structure, giving more of a ‘playtime’ impression.

Noa & Nani (01303 872957; noaandnani.co.uk), meanwhile, is a specialist in cabin beds that will fire up a child’s imagination. Models have a range of built-in tents, slides, ladders and desks in a variety of

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INTERIORS

DREAM CATCHERS Let imaginations run wild with this pirate-themed cabin bed, from ÂŁ199 (01303 872957; www.noaandnani.co.uk)

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INTERIORS

designs, offering practical storage and space-saving solutions, as well as appealing to a child’s sensibility.

For smaller rooms, a storage bed is a wise choice. Caitlin Price, Beds and Bedroom Furniture Buyer at John Lewis (0844 693 1709; www.johnlewis.com) advises: “Think about investing in a storage bed with drawers or a built-in desk area.

Ranges such as the Stompa Bedroom Furniture collection work really well. If funds prevent this then consider drawers, which are sold separately, that you can slide under an existing bed – just make sure you check the height from floor to side rail.”

David Norman, director at specialist The Storage Bed Company (0845 2000 128; www.thestoragebed.co.uk), agrees.

“Children’s bedrooms can soon become overwhelmed with toys, clothes and other clutter so it is important to think about helpful storage solutions when furnishing their room. Their bedrooms are often the smallest of the house so maximise available space by choosing furniture that has multiuses. A practical storage bed provides a surprising amount of extra space; perfect for tidying away toys, sports equipment and general bit and bobs after playtime.

“Our storage beds do not compromise on quality: single bed designs are built to adult-sized proportions so they will last them until they move out! A great longterm solution.”

Mid and high sleepers are also good options if you are short on space. They feature an elevated bed with a play area, desk, storage or even a second bed (in the form of a futon) underneath. Remember to check your ceiling height and ensure that there is enough room for a child to sit up in their bed, especially as they grow older.

Christopher Lusty, Managing Director of Aspace (0845 872 2400; www.aspace. co.uk), which offers a huge range of children’s furniture, says: “While storage is important, so too is creating a space for children to play and relax. Look for an all-in-one space-saving solution, such as a high-sleeper bunk bed with a built-in futon and desk, or a cabin bed with built in furniture and space to play beneath, giving you double the function without taking up any more space!”

Many parents spend money on novelty beds only to find a child quickly outgrows them. Consider instead more of a sophisticated design ethos, such as the contemporary range available at modern kids boutique Nubie (01825 724160; www. nubie.co.uk).

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Canford Storage Bed, £595 (0845 872 2400; www.aspace.co.uk). The Charlotte Bed, £575, is a sophisticated take on a traditional French style (01223 366282; www.featherandblack.com).

The Simplicity Storage Bed offers easy-to-access storage (0845 2000 128; www.thestoragebed.co.uk).

Oeuf NYC Perch Bunk Bed, £1,085 (01825 724160; www.nubie.co.uk).

Feather and Black, based in Cambridge (01223 366282; www.featherandblack. com) also have a selection of practical bed choices, many of which come in neutral colours yet with a stylish twist, making them suitable for all ages.

“Feather and Black understands sleep and children,” says Dan Wade, Managing Director of Feather and Black. “Our extensive kids range offers great flexibility while not compromising on the needs of the children. Our classic and contemporary designs combined with excellent quality ensure whatever you choose is built and designed to last beyond childhood. “ Lastly, don’t forget how important it is for children to have quality time with friends, cousins and siblings – especially if they don’t share a room. A bed with a

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secondary trundle bed underneath means simply pulling it out when they get to an age of wanting friends to stay over, making sleepovers hassle-free for parents.

Amanda Short, founder of Nubie, comments: “At Nubie we are seeing an increase in parents wanting their kids’ furniture to be multi-functional. A child’s bedroom is not just a place to rest your head, but also somewhere to accommodate sleepovers, storage and homework, too.

“Beds that house a trundle are a great option for those occasional overnight guests, but also have storage boxes or drawers built in as well. Once you have a bed which multitasks like this then you will find you have much more space in the bedroom too!”

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STORAGE One of the biggest challenges in thinking about a child’s room is fitting in the amount of storage that is often required. Their space often doubles up as a playroom, a creative area and a room for study, not to mention housing their clothes. While it should be practical, it should also be lively, bold and joyful.

Nubie’s Amanda Short agrees: “At Nubie, we think that keeping a room tidy should be a fun experience. Our advice would be to provide plenty of stylish storage options and keep it varied with soft colourful bins and baskets for ‘cuddlies’ and then stackable boxes for cars and dolls. Also bear in mind your colour palette. Storage is a great way of introducing a pop of colour into a neutral room, meaning you won’t have to be constantly redecorating.

“Use bright door handles or paint inside a wardrobe for an interesting feature – this can look stunning against a neutral background. Introduce bright flashes of bunting or jewel-coloured accessories to bring life to a room – these are also very easy to update if you feel like a change.”

If money is no object, buy a few pieces of magical, painted children’s furniture to hide away the clutter – it may not last them a lifetime but it will be something they will always remember, and good quality pieces can even be kept as heirlooms. O’Nessy’s (01527 916447; www.onessystoys.com) stocks colourful ranges of hand-painted mini tables, chairs, chests and dressing tables in pirate, dinosaurs, princess and magic garden themes.

Furniture store Oliver Hayden (0844 3350 710; www.oliverhayden.com), meanwhile, also stocks unique furniture for children, such as its Captain Lifestyle range, which feature wardrobes and desks with a nautical theme and a hand-carved range of boldly coloured quirky bookshelves, drawers and cupboards.

For something extra special, check out the traditional Italian furniture from Florentine company Grifoni, available at LuxDeco (0203 586 1536; www.luxdeco. com). Inspired by the artwork and opulent architecture of Florence, the brand specialises in decorative creations – many of which are bespoke – crafted of wood, enhanced with gold and silver leafing.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Captain Lifestyle range of furniture and bedding, from £250 (0844 3350 710; www.oliverhayden.com). A personalised toybox, £35.95, may help turn little boys into neat princes (www. plantabox.com). Grifoni’s Florentine hand-painted Pinocchio bedside table, £1,620, can be kept as an heirloom (0203 586 1536; www.luxdeco.com). O’Nessy’s safari-themed bookcase, £108, will appeal to younger children (01527 916447; www.onessystoys.com).

The hand-painted Cirque du Bebe and Pinocchio pieces may be beyond most of our budgets, but are wonderfully characterful pieces to cherish.

To hide the ever-growing piles of playthings, maximise space with clever storage solutions, such as stacking toy boxes and cubby holes in shelving. Check out the lovely personalised toy boxes and coat racks, made from apple crates, from £16.95, available at Plantabox (www. plantabox.co.uk) and the tree bookshelf, £560, from White Rabbit England (01625 419622; www.whiterabbitengland.com).

Christopher Lusty, managing director of Aspace, gives his advice: “A child’s everexpanding collection of toys, gadgets, clothes and books means that space is

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HELP THEM GROW Tree bookcase, £560 (01625 419622; www. whiterabbitengland. com)

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Oversized Keyboard Beanbag, £350 (0844 3350 710; www.oliverhayden.com). Calamine colour palette (01223 367771; www. farrow-ball.com). Giant World Map Mural, from £292.50 (01993 880 939; www.mapsinternational.co.uk). Spots range (0208 7207236; www.lovablyme. co.uk). Practical wall stickers (01234 766094; www.peanutandpip.com).

Hibou Home Enchanted Woodland range (01825 724 160; www.nubie.co.uk).

increasingly precious. Optimising storage space is often the biggest challenge. When there is limited floor space, plump for wallhung storage and shelving. Shelves are the ideal solution for books and toys; leaving the floor clutter-free and opening up the room to its full potential. Additionally, in bedrooms with limited square footage, avoid storage units that take up precious floor space. Instead, choose storage units that have the option to be placed vertically; minimising the footprint, whilst maximising storage space.”

STYLE Decorating a child’s bedroom should be a fun experience and something you should encourage your child to get involved with. Whether you go for a striking colour scheme, a specific theme for the room or a neutral backdrop to highlight colourful accessories, remember to consult with your child – their imagination may run wild, but

can always be tailored and harnessed to keep everyone happy. Bernice Say, director of luxury homeware store Oliver Hayden, gives her tips on styling a child’s bedroom: “Start off by listing the colours and the things your child loves. Does he/she like numbers, shapes, cars or dolls? You can then incorporate these elements. Choose a neutral or subtle colour for the walls with your child, and get it painted.

“Don’t worry too much if your child is veering towards bright colours. Direct your child back to the subtle, after all, your child must be able to sleep in the room at night!

Then, choose a wall to showcase a piece of artwork. Get a large stretched canvas and some paint and give it to your child to get creative. This will be their masterpiece – something they will be proud of. Be sure to incorporate accessible shelving for books and toys. Lastly, I always like to create a ‘cushion area’ for either the bed or floor, as a little zone for them to relax.”

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An expert in colour is Farrow & Ball (01223 367771; www.farrow-ball.com), which has a branch in Cambridge. Sarah Cole, director of the heritage brand, agrees with choosing an adaptable colour as a foundation for the room.

“We’ve found that the key to decorating young people’s rooms, from nurseries to teenage bedrooms, is to use colours and patterns that will grow with them. For example, if you have a little girl who is determined that only pink will do, but you know she may well grow out of the ‘pink phase’ as soon as you’ve put down the paintbrush, why not compromise by using a neutral colour like Great White on the walls and ceilings and painting the door, woodwork and accessories in Cinder Rose?

That way, when she’s moved on to other colours, it will be easier for you to update her room.

“Wallpaper is also an interesting addition to consider; a feature wall of wallpaper is

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Choose contemporary fabrics that will last. Cushion and blanket, from £45 from Lucky Boy Sunday (0845 548 5440; www.thekidwho.eu). White Rabbit Lamp, £75 (01625 419622; www. whiterabbitengland.com). British-themed cushions, from £41 (01270 821 194; www.janconstantine.com).

Landmark Roman Blinds from Hillary’s kids’ range, from £126 (0800 916 6524; www.hillarys.co.uk).

TOP Duette Energy Saving Blinds (08000 663 662; www.duette.co.uk) BOTTOM Pirate fabrics (01625 837 404; www.handmadetomeasure.com)

often a popular choice among parents as it’s easy to update as children grow.

“To create a calming atmosphere, the subtle tones and pattern of Vermicelli is great for nurseries; stimulating young babies and helping to lull them off to the land of nod. Wallpaper also works well across all ages. Bumble Bee is a great way to create an animal friendly room for younger children, whereas Ocelot is a great choice for teenagers making a statement.

“Children’s playrooms and dens are a great place to be bold and have fun with colour. Bright colours like Rectory Red, Charlotte’s Locks, Yellowcake, St Giles Blue and Arsenic are brilliant colours to add vibrancy to a room and create pops of colour. You don’t have to use them on the walls, apply these colours on stools, chairs and tables to create a happy environment for your child to play in.”

From quirky wallpapers, such as the Spots range from Lovably Me (0208

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7207236; www.lovablyme.co.uk) and the Hibou Home Enchanted Woodland range at Nubie (01825 724160; www.nubie. co.uk), to practical wall stickers, available at Peanut and Pip (01234 766094; www. peanutandpip.com), these days décor is increasingly sophisticated for the young.

Perfect for a feature wall, and educational, are the map murals available at Maps International (01993 880 939; www. mapsinternational.co.uk).

You can also dress a child’s room with pretty bed linens and cushions made from textiles that don’t meet the usual ‘pink for girls’ and ‘blue for boys’. Search out the elegant range available at The White Company, (0844 736 4222; www. thewhitecompany.com), the British-themed cushions at Jan Constantine (01270 821 194; www.janconstantine.com) and the drawings found on fabrics at The Kid Who (0845 548 5440; www.thekidwho.eu), which appeal as much to parents as they do to kiddies.

Lastly, let’s not forget the all-important aspect of sleeping. Vital for any child – and parent – is ensuring the little ones have an uninterrupted night’s sleep. Invest in a night light, to ward off night-time terrors (there are lovely animal versions at White Rabbit England) and make sure you fit the room with blackout blinds or curtains. Hand Made to Measure (01625 837 404; www. handmadetomeasure.com) are experts in the field and have a wide choice of fabrics on offer. While the Energy Saving Blinds at Duette (08000 663 662; www.duette. co.uk) have been designed with children in mind. They help to keep the heat in during winter, have blackout properties for long summer nights and are child safe.

Sarah Quilliam, head of product design at blind experts Hillarys (0800 916 6524; www.hillarys.co.uk) adds: “Blinds with a blackout function are a great choice for kids’ rooms. They make it much easier to settle small children on light evenings and should help stop them waking up at dawn in the summer months. Blackout roller blinds also allow you to let in as much natural light as possible at other times.

Ensure that safety devices are fitted to keep control chains taut and out of harm’s reach or choose a window dressing that doesn't have any cords such as shutters, a tabbed pleated blind or have roller or Venetian blinds fitted in a perfect fit frame.”

No matter what design you choose – and the scope is endless – a child’s room is their first ‘room of their own’, and one they will recall forever. No pressure, now!

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EDUCATION

READING MATTERS WORDS MARGARET WHITE

Margaret White, Director of Studies at St Faith’s, considers the importance of literature in developing critical thinking and fostering empathy and creativity espite extensive cultural, technological and educational changes, the value of reading remains unchallenged and unchallengeable. Reading accurately, fluently and expressively, is an essential starting point for learning. The process of reading, however, is much greater than transference of symbol to sound, and its purpose far richer than the ability to retrieve information or make deductions, essential though these skills are.

For Emily Dickinson’s ‘dead’ words to come alive requires a personal response from each listener or reader. To read well is to go beyond the sound and meaning of the words and to respond to texts intelligently – both intellectually and emotionally – and as a result grow in maturity.

If the purpose of reading literature is to develop both mind and soul, texts read in school must be chosen with utmost care and purpose. English teachers at St Faith’s consider closely whether the quality and sophistication of a text are likely to promote the fullest intellectual and emotional responses, and maximise opportunity to develop each individual pupil’s own use of language. Literature with an appropriate level of challenge is chosen, because maximum learning takes place when there is just the right amount of intellectual stretch for the individual pupil or class.

Reading material which is just within grasp if pupils are at full stretch is intellectually exhilarating: when texts are pitched with an appropriate level of ambition, pupils can become utterly engrossed in a novel, or passionate in their exploration of a newfound poem.

Variety is essential: St Faith’s pupils read great literature that spans the centuries and the continents, written in English or read in translation, written by men and written by women. They read humour and nonsense, satire and speeches, miniatures and masterpieces, poetry, prose and plays.

Reading well develops intelligence by fostering critical thinking skills. In reading Macbeth, year 7 pupils at St Faith’s grapple with ideas of ambition, greed, power, truth and justice. They question, debate and reason together, drawing on fictional episodes to

“A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day” – Emily Dickinson support their assertions. They also learn the value of a ‘play’ – that these great themes can be ‘played out’ and explored in the sphere of the imagination.

In the same year, pupils read Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, developing insight into responsibility, the consequences of actions and our relationships with fellow humans and the natural world. Literature is a place of experiment, where great and small actions and events, and resultant profound consequences and soaring emotions, can be experienced vicariously, safely, but nonetheless vividly.

As a result, reading also fosters empathy.

Denise Levertov’s Settling or Fleur Adcock’s Immigrant encourage pupils to think about rootedness and alienation; Heaney’s poetry similarly fosters consideration and empathy for those who feel torn between their heritage and their future.

Reading such poetry, pupils develop a sense of awe at the impact of language, and the devastating – or exhilarating – power of the word. At St Faith’s, responses to such rich literature seem almost effortlessly to foster a rich creativity. Pupils’ writing is often lifted to a new level: the heart-rending

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diary of a chimney sweep after reading Blake; glittering description in imagined pages of Watson’s notebook while reading The Hound of the Baskervilles; or riotously witty character studies based on The Importance of Being Earnest.

Reading good literature undoubtedly feeds the imagination and fosters in the next generation a creative ability to use language confidently, with clarity, precision and impact. As a gateway to broader intellectual maturity, reading needs to be taught purposefully and passionately. We learn to read in order to make better sense of ourselves, our neighbours and our world.

We learn to read in order to imagine, create and express more freely and more fully.

What children read at school therefore matters enormously as we seek to ensure that children ‘move strongly, confidently and happily forward, intellectually curious, morally and spiritually aware, thoughtfully tolerant, and aesthetically sensitive’ (St Faith’s Curriculum Policy).

Thus we trust that our pupils will be of great benefit to society in due time, wherever in the global community they find themselves.

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EDUCATION

WORDS CHRISTEPHER HALD

INSPIRING GIRLS TO REACH THEIR

CREATIVE POTENTIAL

St Mary’s Junior School believes creativity should never be quashed, and their Creative Fusion Curriculum embraces this thinking reativity should be central to the curriculum and to the process of how the curriculum is delivered rather than an extra, and we believe that all children are entitled to this broad and balanced curriculum. St Mary’s Junior School has implemented a core Creative Fusion Curriculum, which merges the traditional elements of independent learning with creativity, challenge and discovery.

A landmark 2007 report from the National College for School Leadership, called Lifting the lid on the creative curriculum, focused on four primary schools, each of which emphasised the importance of a creative curriculum in a different way, and this report has inspired schools like ours to adopt this approach.

Our broad curriculum allows our girls to explore and develop their personal talents and interests so they can reach their full academic and creative potential. We have made a conscious decision to opt out of the early years foundation stage, which enables us to develop an Early Years curriculum that, right from the start, works in harmony with the curriculum approach across the whole school.

Our Fusion Curriculum seeks to deliver a 21st century education that will equip the girls with valuable skills while fostering a lifelong love of learning. The practical and cross-curricular approach of the Creative Fusion Curriculum at St Mary’s encourages children to explore ways in which to learn and to apply their knowledge with originality and purpose. The curriculum encourages creativity, critical and reflective thinking, and produces excited, enthusiastic, enquiry-driven learners. It strives to be challenging to all children by stretching their intellectual capabilities, mainly through open-ended challenges and investigations.

The Fusion Curriculum, developed by the Junior School leadership team, strives to nurture and develop the following characteristics and skills:

• Imagination – to be creative and resourceful • Flexibility – to work on several ideas or address problems in different ways • Curiosity – to have enquiring minds • Independence (alongside effective collaboration) – to take risks and make informed choices • Tolerance – good communication to help girls handle conflict • Trust – to value others’ opinions and have confidence in their own choices • Application – to investigate topics using literacy, numeracy, science and ICT and transfer and apply knowledge in different contexts towards new and valuable goals.

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As a school we feel that a balance has to be achieved between what we are learning, the curriculum content, and how we have learned this – the processes. Spanning this is the question of ‘how might we use this in our daily lives?’ – the practical application.

Our teaching approach, along with our small class sizes, allows us to provide our pupils with the individual attention that they deserve and need, as they undertake their learning journey. We place the utmost importance on emotional support and providing a caring environment in which our pupils can truly learn, develop and grow. All of our teachers play a valuable role in this endeavour.

One example of our Fusion Curriculum is the work which evolved from the topic of the Titanic, in Year 6. In geography, the girls studied glacier formation, in particular those in Greenland, and from a historical point of view, they investigated the class and social structure of Edwardian England and focused on the transoceanic migration that took place during this time, its reasons and the plight of people.

Science lessons were linked to materials and the properties of floating and sinking, and our STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) coordinator worked with the girls to build boats to practically investigate the best hull shapes for maximum buoyancy.

In music they composed a piece that reflected the calm of night, the tragedy and the return to calm after the event. Creative writing, comprehension and reading were also key parts of the Titanic topic. Central to the Fusion Curriculum is the need to also teach aspects of the curriculum that do not necessarily fit the topic, which are taught discretely. Therefore the girls continued their maths, French, Mandarin and RE topic work during this time.

On visiting the school you will see firsthand the creative, imaginative work that the girls have produced to support their topics from our Creative Fusion Curriculum covered throughout the school year.

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