Cambridge SEPTEMBER 2013
Cambridgeshire’s quality lifestyle magazine www.cambsedition.co.uk
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CONTENTS
September 2013 63 33 Ćƍđƍ ƍ ƍ ƍ Our pick of the best Cambridge has to offer this September
Ä…Ä‡ÄĄÄ…ÄˆĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ An overview of what’s on in Cambridge this September
ÄˆÄĄÄŠĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ Your complete guide to after-dark fun in the city
ąĊƍđƍ ƍ ƍ The Grafton Centre are putting on an eco event, and we’re proud partners
Ä Ä ĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ Slate The Disco share which gigs they’re going to in Cambridge this month
ĆĀƍđƍ ƍ ƍ ƍ Jennifer Shelton investigates making your own gin at The Cambridge Distillery
Ä Ä†ÄĄÄ Ä‰ĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ ĆŤ As the Cambridge theatres open for a new season, we've selected our top picks
Ä†ÄƒĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ ĆŤ It’s the newest Asian restaurant in town and there are many delights in store
Ä‚Ä ĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ ĆŤ Explore the hidden gems of Cambridge as the University throws open its doors
Ä†ÄˆÄĄÄ‡Ä€ĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ ĆŤ Get a few dinner dates in your diary and ďŹ nd out what’s on the scene
Ä‚Ä‚ÄĄÄ‚ÄƒĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ ĆŤ
The Cambridge Film Festival gets underway, promising blockbusters, openair screenings, documentaries and more
Ä‡ÄƒÄĄÄ‡Ä†ĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ ĆŤ ĆŤÄ’ĆŤĆŤ Forget wet lettuce and dried-out bread, Alex Rushmer shares the secret of a true gourmet sarnie
ĂĆƍđƍ ƍ Jennifer Shelton meets Mr Cake and marvels at his incredible iced creations
Ä‡Ä‰ÄĄÄˆÄ ĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ Make the transition from summer to autumn in style
Ä‚Ä‡ÄĄÄƒÄ‚ĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ ĆŤÄ’ĆŤ A round-up of what’s happening in the local arts scene
ÄˆÄ‚ÄĄÄˆÄ…ĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ Daisy and Charlotte pick out the perfect primers for achieving that airbrushed look
ÄƒÄƒĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ We grabbed a word with Zadie Smith – Cambridge University alumna and bestselling author of White Teeth
ÄˆÄ‰ÄĄÄ‰Ä…ĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ Ban the clutter and beautify your bedroom for a good night’s sleep
ÄƒÄˆĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ ĆŤ ĆŤ
The little market town becomes a hotbed of activity, with talks, classes, workshops and more over one action-packed week 38-39ĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ ĆŤ Food and wine – is there a better combination? We learn more about the Cambridge Food & Wine Society ąĀƍđƍ ĆŤ A glance at what’s going on in your local community this month Ä…ÄƒĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ Summer holidays might be over but there’s still lots to do with the family Ä…Ä…ĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ Hotel Felix give away a luxury stay
ĉĊĥĊĀƍđƍ ĆŤ Can a family car also be a sports car? We review the Skoda Octavia vRS ÄŠÄ‚ĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ Expert advice on the best ways to care for your pet ÄŠÄ†ÄĄÄ Ä Ä€ĆŤÄ‘ĆŤ In our September education special, we highlight adult learning offerings and offer a guide to choosing the right school
Welcome Don’t get bogged down in any end d of summer gloominess – there’s plenty happening in Cambridge this month to keep you so busy that you’ll barely notice the inevitable chill in the air. One of my favourite events of the year, the Cambridge Film Festival, d the h organisers i returns for its 33rd instalment, and have pulled out all the stops to create a veritable feast of cinematic delights (turn to page 22 for the low-down). Another reason to celebrate the change in seasons is newly released autumn theatre programmes – which we’ve scoured and selected our highlights from on pages 15-19. From Open Cambridge to our annual education special, there’s lots more to get stuck into too – enjoy!
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On the cover The image of Cambridge market on the cover of this month’s issue was taken by photographer Ian McCarney. You can see more of his fantastic work and purchase prints at his website. www.cambridge360.com FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/CambsEdition
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Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 3
5 THINGS TO DO
Things to do
this month Hop aboard a funny punt
Go to the flicks The Cambridge Film Festival returns from 19-29 September, bringing with it a smorgasbord of cinematic delights. There truly is something for everyone, from Frightfest (a collection of horror films) to a feast of contemporary German cinema, a huge range of documentaries, the premier of Woody Allen’s latest comedy Blue Jasmin, and a brand new documentary about Professor Stephen Hawking. For something extra special, we recommend taking in a film at one of the more adventurous locations that they’re hosting events at this year, like a screening of Finding Nemo at the Jesus Green Lido. Turn to page 22 to read our highlights for the festival. www.cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk
After a successful run during the Cambridge Comedy Festival, Funny Punts will continue to crack jokes on the river throughout September. The punt tours are hosted by Cambridge resident, comedian and columnist Hannah Dunleavy. They aim to give a factually accurate but nonetheless hilarious guide to the history of the city. “From my point of view it’s a tough gig to do, as in a comedy club you’re not often upstaged by baby ducks or a dog in a canoe,” says Hannah. “But the audience seem to enjoy themselves and we’ve been getting some great feedback.” Tours leave Granta Punts on Newnham Road at 6.30pm and 7.45pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Tickets cost £15 per person on the night – or £14 in advance. www.wegottickets.com/cambridgecomedytours
Get inspired Pick up some ide d as for o you o r special day at the Hot otel e du Vin Vi n We W ddin ng Fayr yre, tak a ing plac pl ace ac e on n 22 S Se eptembe ber. The beau be au utifull city ciity y cen ntr t e hote tel p ov pr ovidess a sup perb backkdrop to thi th his is lat a ee-su summ m er fayre, wh w ich willll be sh wi s ow wcca asing the work off flor o oris ists is tss ph ts, hottog graph p er e s,, spa p trea tr eatm ea tm tmen men e ts and d morre,, as we w lll as th as he e hotel ottel e ’s ’s own n exqui u site t suit su uit ites tes es. s. Th The W The We ed dd d g Fa ding ayre e ta ake es pl plac a e 111am-3 am- pm p . Admi Ad dmi miss isssion io on is is ffre r e an and in ncl clud clud udes es a g gla la ass ss of of bu bubbly to bub siip as sip as you brro owsse e.. www. ww w.h hote ho teld ld duv uvin n.c .co com
Enjoy some cake & wine Meet local hero Mr Cake, who’ll be hosting a fun, informal Cake and Wine evening on 18 September. Mr Cake – aka Chris Holmes – will be sharing his knowledge, and his cakes and puds, at Cambridge City Hotel, explaining which wines go nicely. Included on the menu is pecan and salted caramel shortbread with a delicious Madeira, and a dark chocolate chip brownie with an intense Black Muscat. Turn to page 25 to read an interview with the man himself. Places are £35 each. www.cambridgeshirewineschool.com
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Give a little This month, we’ve discovered a brilliant Cambridge-focused Facebook group called Life is a Gift. It’s a network of local people coming together to offer skills, find free stuff, get rid of things they no longer need and request services that they require. There are over 1500 members of the social media group at present, with a strong emphasis on promoting a sustainable, non moneycentric lifestyle. Their motto is ‘keep it free, keep it local, keep reusing and cut down on waste!’ – and the community is thriving, with everything from beds to books changing hands on a daily basis to carpools arranged and camping tents loaned. Search ‘Life is a Gift Cambridge’ on Facebook to find out more.
Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 5
VICIOUS PROJECTOR COMEDY NIGHT This month, the intimate setting of the loft at The Fountain will host a brand new alternative comedy night, set to feature everything from off-beat cabaret acts to character comedians, music and a few surprises. The launch event, which takes place on 4 September (8-10pm) will see performances from the ‘grotesque, deluded and utterly charming’ Wilfredo; a musical character comedy phenomenon who has preciously trodden the boards at Glastonbury and in two solo Edinburgh Fringe shows. He’ll be joined by British stand up comic Prince Abdi – who’ll be regaling the audience with tales told in his own unique fashion. Tickets £6adv. www.thefountain.co.uk
Jason Manford Possibly one of the most popular comedians around today, Jason Manford has been winning over audiences with his Northern charm since first taking to the stage as a teenager. Growing up in Manchester in the 80s and 90s, he became interested in standup after watching Peter Kay, Eddie Izzard and Johnny Vegas perform at his local comedy club. It was Peter Kay who advised him to take a diploma in media and performance, which he did, and the rest is history. Since taking up a post on 8 out of 10 Cats in 2007, Manford has presented his own show, Tonightly, hosted Comedy Rocks and Show Me The Funny, as well as making regular appearances on Live At The Apollo. He embarked on his first live tour in 2008, playing in just small venues, with only 60
people turning up to one of the early dates. Since then, he’s filled the Manchester Apollo and looks to be one of the hottest tickets in Cambridge this month. He’s with us for two days, on 9 and 10 September, 8pm at Cambridge Corn Exchange, with his new show, First World Problems. Tickets are £22.50. www.cornex.co.uk
Jason Manford is a big musical theatre fan, and not a bad singer. He revealed his hidden talent on The Matt Lucas Awards TV show by belting out some pretty decent Italian opera.
MILK2SUGARS Aiming to bring fresh, feel-good parties to the Cambridge nightlife scene, MILK2SUGARS, who last month hosted a boat party on the Cam and now have a regular night at The Fountain, return for their ninth event on 20 September. As ever, the focus is on quality music, and this month’s instalment, which takes place at CB2 Café on Norfolk Street, will have an emphasis on liquid
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drum ’n’ bass, as well as a bit of deep house, funk, hip hop, garage and disco. The event takes place from 9pm-3am. www.facebook.com/Milk2Sugars
Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 7
NIGHTLIFE
Folk music at The Geldart Cambridge Modern Jazz Stan Sultzmann and his NEON Quartet are due to perform at the Hidden Rooms on 26 September, bringing a little funk and flair to the underground venue. Led by Stan on saxophones, the quartet also comprises multi award-winning pianist Kit Downes, Jim Hart, today’s go-to vibes player, and Tim Giles – one of the best drummers on the scene. They’re known for their vitality, robust rhythms and persuasive melodies, and drew praise from The Guardian who found them “a delightful surprise… purposefully hip and vibrant”. Doors 7.15pm for 8pm, tickets £12/£15. www.cambridgejazz.org
Listen to some traditional fiddle-led tunes at The Geldart on 10 September, as they host an evening of live folk music. Starting at 8.30pm, this will be an unplugged set featuring local musicians – and while you’re there, why not tuck into one of their signature ‘hot rocks’ dishes, using speciality meat, such as bison and crocodile? The Geldart boasts a cask marque, so expect plenty of great ales, too. www.the-geldart.co.uk
Roy Orbison & Friends Barry Steele brings the music and character of The Big O back to the stage on 12 September in Roy Orbison and Friends, a multimedia tribute to one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. With those trademark dark glasses and soaring vocals, he’ll be recreating classic hits from the 60s right through to the 80s, backed by a live five-piece band. They’ll also add a few Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly numbers into the mix for a proper twist and shout down the rock ’n’ roll hall of fame. It starts at 7.30pm, tickets £22.50. www.cornex.co.uk
8 | Cambridge Edition | September 2013
Last Gang In Town The last ever Last Gang in Town gig at the Man on the Moon, Norfolk Street, takes place this month, following news that the venue is to close in October (boo!). The set list includes New Town Kings, who return with a new frontman, ready to get you moving to their infectious ska and reggae sound. Since 2006 this nine-piece band from Colchester have been rocking venues and festivals across the UK and Europe and sharing the stage with bands including The Slackers, Reel Big Fish, Random Hand and The Skints. They’re joined by Faintest Idea, a Norfolk band influenced by Rancid and Dropkick Murphys, then Last Gang DJs will be continuing the party into the early hours. It takes place on 28 September, 7.30pm. Tickets £7. www.manonthemoon.freeserve.co.uk
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NIGHTLIFE
Laura Marling The 23 year old elfin songstress returns to the Corn Exchange on 27 September as part of a short UK tour this autumn. She’ll be showcasing music from her newly released fourth album, Once I Was An Eagle, which became her highest-charting album so far, reaching number three in the charts. Marling has been awarded a Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist and been nominated for the Mercury Prize twice since the release of her haunting debut, Alas I Cannot Swim, in 2007. She’s on stage at 7.30pm, tickets £18.50. www.cornex.co.uk
Lucy Porter C Comedy favourite Lucy Porter brings her new stand-up sshow, Northern Soul, on tour this autumn, stopping by C Cambridge Junction on 13 September. In this show about home and belonging, the Fringe ffavourite will be pondering how geography shapes your d destiny. Born in Croydon to a Northern Irish dad and a Midlander mum (who met in Africa), Porter never ffelt comfortable as a South London suburbanite. In her teenage years she was seduced by the music of Morrissey, the art of David Hockney and the politics of Dennis Skinner. Then she was seduced by the kissing of a man from Bury, and she started to suspect that the North might be her spiritual home, but she still wasn’t sure. Maybe it’s just that insatiable longing that CS Lewis described as ‘The Northernness’? The show starts at 8pm, tickets are £14. www.junction.co.uk
Joy Division Reworked Technology transports us to the Royal Festival Hall on 26 September as Cambridge Corn Exchange present a live transmission of Joy Division Reworked. A sonic and visual spectacle, it turns the tables on the conventional concert experience. Rather than classical interpretations or cover versions, Live_Transmission is a fearless dismantling of Joy Division’s visual and musical motifs, creating a powerful, immersive event that pays homage to the signature spirit that defined the group as one of the world’s most progressive bands. The show pivots around the ferocity of drummer Adam Betts, guitarist Matt Calvert (both of band Three Trapped Tigers) and bassist John Calvert (Ghostpoet). This is kept in check by conductor Jules Buckley, using the incomparable strings, brass, voices and percussion of the Heritage Orchestra with the unique sounds of electronic producer, Scanner. They are sandwiched between the projected artwork of Matt Watkins, whose visuals complement the orchestra. It takes place at 7.30pm, tickets cost £20. www.cornex.co.uk
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Creative Cabaret The historic Cambridge Union will be the setting for two colourful evenings of mixed performance arts this month. On 26 and 27 September, join comic performance poet Jude Simpson, philosopher Alistair Appleton, folk band Fred's House and local singer songwriter Dan Wilde, plus a host of other musicians and performers, kept in check by compère Julia Streets. A popular compère and comedian, Julia delves into experiences from her corporate life in London for her comedy act. There’ll also be short films on show from the East Anglian film archive, revealing glimpses of Cambridge in times gone by, plus a mind-blowing magician. Tickets are £15 and the events start at 7.45pm. creativecabaretcambridge.co.uk
Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 9
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MUSIC
Jordan Worland from local music website Slate the Disco selects his must-see gigs in Cambridge this month o here we are in September, time to bid farewell to our festival essentials for another year and prepare to return to live music back indoors – fortunately there’s plenty going on this month to ease us back into the habit. Our gig pick of the month comes courtesy of a band who fully swept the festival circuit this summer, playing Glastonbury, Latitude and Bestival amongst others. Swim Deep epitomise the idea that great things come from humble beginnings. Having met through chance via their part-time jobs stacking shelves, Austin Williams and Tom Higgins decided to stop chatting about music in the aisles of a supermarket and start making their own. Swim Deep was born. Debut LP Where The Heavens Are We? is a sun-drenched indie-pop record that has picked up significant acclaim. Swim Deep’s UK tour floats into the Cambridge Junction on 24 September. With a burgeoning reputation as one of London’s hottest acts, Wolf Alice will open for Swim Deep at their Cambridge Junction date. Fronted by Ellie Roswell, their grunge pop cum off-kilter indie rock is definitely worth getting down early to check out. Next up: who doesn’t love Laura Marling? Her new album, Once I Was An Eagle is her fourth LP – not bad going for a 23-year
PICKS old. This latest offering, her most assured and expansive work to date, sees Marling delivering songs like the master of her craft that she is, and her show at the Corn Exchange on 27 September is one not to be missed. Brighton three-piece Tall Ships bring their brand of math-rock meets indie funk to The Portland Arms on the first of the month. The school friends released their debut album last year and the resulting record was heavy and anthemic. Local band Forest have built a strong reputation around town over the past couple of years. Now the fast-rising nouveau slacker rockers are gaining notability amongst some of the most respected music think tanks going, with positive reviews from the likes of Pitchfork and Q magazine. With a new EP due this autumn, their show at The Portland on 9 September is not to be missed. Last year The Wave Pictures spent six weeks touring America, yet still managed to put together album number five which is out in October. It’s been two years since they’ve played the UK but to coincide with the new LP they’re planning a mammoth September
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tour, the first night of which is at The Portland Arms on 11 September. Nadine Shah, meanwhile, spins dark tales of lust, loss and vengeance in her songs, and is hailed as the female Nick Cave. She brings her ©Philippe Carly acclaimed semi-operatic modus operandi to The Portland Arms on 24 September. GBH, one of the biggest UK punk bands of the 80s, are still going strong. They play The Portland Arms on 7 September, with support coming from Beverley Kills and Freedom Faction. Also at The Portland Arms this month is former Squeeze man, Nick Harper. He plays his critically acclaimed folk rock on 16 September. A Mercury Prize nominee, and famed for her DIY debut LP, Kathryn Williams brings her unique perspective on British folk to Cambridge when she plays Cambridge Junction J2 on 18 September and finally, the Live_Transmission Joy Division Reworked show promises to be an extra special night. It’s an audiovisual collaboration between electronic producer Scanner and the Heritage Orchestra at the Corn Exchange on 26 September, exploring the dark and emotional punch of Joy Division’s music. Tell us about your gig at www.slatethedisco.com
Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 11
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THEATRE
WORDS JENNIFER SHELTON
THEATRE GUIDE
With the new-season programmes hot off the presses, Jennifer Shelton selects her local theatre highlights for the coming months
Image courtesy of Gary Claton
Cambridge Arts Theatre The Arts Theatre have their usual high-quality offering of classic plays, children’s theatre and crowd-pleasers on the bill, starting in dramatic fashion with a triple helping of Shakespeare. Coinciding with the current fascination with all things Tudor, Shakespeare’s Globe presents Henry VI parts one to three, showing 17-21 September: a chance to get stuck in to the story of the War of the Roses. Each play stands alone, so you don’t have to commit to all three, though there’s a discount if you do decide to see them all – or spend an entire day with the Bard on the final Sunday. After the sad news that Lynda Bellingham has been diagnosed with cancer, the scheduled run of A Passionate Woman has been replaced with Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels, 23-28 September. With their dreary husbands away playing golf, a mutual old flame announces his intention to pay Julia and Jane an impromptu visit. All in a fluster, the ladies hit the bottle, causing hidden jealousies to surface
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and tongues to loosen as all their demure behaviour goes out the window. Then from 30 September until 5 October, catch The Butterfly Lion, a tale of friendship by the writer of War Horse, Michael Morphugo. Hot on its heels come Opera della Luna, bringing Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado to life (8-12 October), and this year’s Greek Play, performed uniquely in original Greek (with surtitles) is Prometheus and the Frogs (16-19 October). The tradition of performing a play in full Greek every three years in Cambridge dates right back to 1882 – it’s one of those tremendous, very Cambridge traditions that draws audiences from far and wide. From ancient Greece we take a rollercoaster ride into the fantastical mind of Roald Dahl for James and the Giant Peach (29 October-2 November), then hurtle back into mythology for three dates with the English Touring Opera, presenting Jason (13 Nov), The Coronation of Poppea (14 Nov) and Agrippina (15 Nov). Comedian Ben Miller makes his first appearance at the Arts Theatre on 18-23 November with The Duck House, a brand new comedy set in a world of dodgy politicians and expenses scandals. Then Cambridge Operatic Society return, following the success of last year’s Oliver!, with a production of the awardwinning romance, South Pacific (26-30 Nov). www.cambridgeartstheatre.com
Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 15
THEATRE
Mumford Theatre Anglia Ruskin’s student theatre has a number of exciting shows coming up, including a new production – and world premier – of the Swedish play, Miss Julie (7 Oct). Set on Midsummer’s Eve in 1888, it explores the relationship between
16 | Cambridge Edition | September 2013
aristocratic Miss Julie and Jean, her father’s valet. What starts as a harmless flirtation soon descends into a ferocious power struggle and battle of the sexes. And don’t miss Macbeth (17 October), The General – a silent film with a live
improvised soundtrack (25 October) or The Pantaloons’ comic, interactive re-enactment of The Canterbury Tales (28-29 November). www.anglia.ac.uk
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THEATRE
Corn Exchange What’s the longest-running show in British theatre history? Nope, not Les Mis – it is in fact Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, which comes to Cambridge as part of its celebratory 60th anniversary tour. Running 16-21 September, it’s packed with all the essential elements of an excellent murder mystery: a country house, family secrets and a nerve-shredding revelation at the end. It’s a fantastic opportunity to see this star-studded masterpiece in a local theatre. Douglas Adams fans, pack your dressing gown and Babel fish and join Simon Jones (and a mystery VIP guest) in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Radio Show Live! Following a smash-hit tour in 2012, the show returns once again on 4 October – a must-see for all fans of the book and anyone who enjoys a good guffaw. If musicals are more your bag, put Three Phantoms in your diary for 10 October. Nine world-class performers, all of whom have an association with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s groundbreaking musical, unite to present an evening of music from the musicals‚ including songs from Les Mis, Chicago, My Fair Lady and many, many more. www.cornex.co.uk
Cambridge Junction Over at Cambridge Leisure, the usual mixing pot of ideas is cooking up some imaginative new writing and inviting some of the country’s most innovative acts to showcase their ideas. From 5 until 7 September, Gomito Productions and Greenwich Theatre present Roost. Described as a “messy, physical comedy”, it’s performed outdoors at sunset in a ramshackle, specially-built house. So bring warm clothes and get ready to enjoy something a little different at Cherry Hinton Hall Park.
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If you’re creative, you could apply to join a masterclass in performance with Chris Goode & Company – a great place for independent makers of theatre to come and share ideas and expand their work (16-19 September). New International Encounter return on 1 October with another quirky multimedia adventure after last year’s Hansel and Gretel, this time it’s for grown-ups. North North North follows the story of three adventurers who set out for the North Pole, in a balloon, in 1897 and were never seen again. A poetically told dream and nightmare of the great, white north. There aren’t many pop stars out there who make good role models for young girls, but off-the-wall performer Bryony Kimmings and her niece are out to change all that. Meet Catherine Bennett, a dinosaur-loving, tuna pasta-eating alternative pop star who’s challenging the status quo. Expect laughs, heavy weaponry, matching Laura Ashley outfits – certainly no tight, shiny hotpants – from the raucous new show, Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model (30 Oct). www.junction.co.uk
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THEATRE
ADC Theatre With the arrival of the new academic year comes a rich new programme at the ADC Theatre. It gets going with Measure for Measure, this year’s Cambridge American Stage Tour, running 4 September to 12 October. In Vienna, the sex trade has taken over and Angelo is left in charge, reigning through fear and oppression. But, after meeting the enchanting Isabella, he finds he can no longer adhere to his own rules. Local group Cambridge Stagehands then take up the baton with the Broadway smash, The Producers (12-14 September). A
witty, charming but wonderfully ironic look at the genre, it sees two hopeless wannabes attempt to stage the world’s worst musical, Springtime For Hitler. Line up for the Cambridge Footlights Tour Show, Canada, which returns for a home run having toured the UK and US (8-12 October), then stick around for the first Smoker of the year from 15 October to 27 November. The Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club present The History Boys, 15-19 October, telling Alan Bennett’s awardwinning, darkly comic story of Cutler’s
Grammar School. Interestingly, as it’s performed by students on the other side of the Oxbridge application game, it questions whether it was worth it after all. Things take an operatic turn from 29 October until 2 November with a fun, frivolous production of The Magic Flute. Sung in modern English, it’s a story of love, adventure, music and laughter, and one of Mozart’s most accessible works, featuring beautiful compositions such as the Queen of the Night’s Aria. www.adctheatre.com
Corpus Playroom Over at the Corpus Playroom, which provides a smaller, more intimate space to enjoy theatre, the season starts off with I’ll Be Seeing You, a poignant insight into life during the Second World War, set in Cambridge (17-21 September). Other highlights include The Two Gentlemen of Verona (15-19 October) and SPLEEN, a new sketch show from the Footlights crew (22-26 October). www.corpusplayroom.com
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NEWS
Open
CAMBRIDGE Ever fancied taking a peek behind the closed doors of the colleges? Now’s your chance, as many of our city’s historic buildings open their doors for weekend of tours and talks
5 1SE3PT-E1 MBER ambridge University throws open its doors for three days in September, offering a chance to peek inside the secret world of this historic, globally revered establishment. As well as tours and entry to the colleges themselves, there’s also a host of talks, dining events and art exhibitions. Here’s our pick of the best... Friday 13 September Celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of Cambridge’s newest colleges – Fitzwilliam – with a fascinating architectural tour (drop in from 10am-4pm on Friday or Saturday). Alternatively, you might like to see behind the scenes at one of our city’s favourite stores, John Lewis, to learn a little more about its history (meet by the Robert Sayle plaque, St Andrew’s Street entrance, 9.30am, 11.30am and 1.30pm on Friday or Saturday). If you want to see the first ever map of Cambridge, which dates back to 1574, this treasured antique, as well as newspapers as old as the USA (!), will be on show at a talk at the Cambridgeshire Collection (Central Library, Lion Yard, 10am). Take a look inside Sidney Sussex College, where the head of Oliver Cromwell is said to be buried, at 10am, 11am and 12 noon (also Saturday at 11am and 12 noon). Friday also provides a rare chance to visit Queens’ College
Old Library, the most notable of all Oxbridge libraries. It dates from 1448, contains some incredible rare manuscripts and looks largely as it did over 500 years ago. Tours run from 10am until 3.15pm. If the weather’s nice, why not go on a punting and walking tour of Cambridge? They start at Scudamores on Mill Lane and take in all the best sights (11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm). For your wet-weather contingency plan, there’s the Cold War bunker in Shire Hall, which has thankfully never been needed for its intended use. Tours at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. Then, end the day with a spot of stargazing at the neo-classical Cambridge Observatory on Madingley Road, 4-6pm. Saturday 14 September Learn the history of the founding of Cambridge University at a talk (from 10am) in The Pitt Building. When the first scholars arrived from Oxford in 1209, Cambridge was already a thriving trading centre. Tensions inevitably developed as the University increased its hold on the settlement, as Dr Rosemary Horrox describes.
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Do people still employ butlers? The answer, surprisingly, is yes. In fact, demand for butlers has risen recently, thanks largely to their portrayal in film and on TV. Richard Hein, head butler at Peterhouse, takes us into the Butler’s Pantry to discuss the profession and share some trade secrets (The Pitt Building, 11.30am). Then, jump on your bike for a historic and architectural cycle tour at 10am on Saturday, leaving from outside the Guildhall on Market Square. Or, broaden your horizons and take a guided tour of Abu Bakr Mosque on Mawson Road from 10am until 5pm. You can also witness a medieval reenactment at the Stourbridge Fair in the grounds of the Leper Chapel – a rather special 12th century building, thought to be one of the oldest in Cambridge. The fair includes stalls, storytelling and talks, 12-4.30pm. Sunday The weekend culminates in a scenic group walk, in aid of local charities Arthur Rank Hospice and Press Relief. Bridge The Gap takes walkers on a gentle stroll through the city centre and the historic Colleges and grounds. A family friendly event, it’s just five miles in total and starts and ends at Jesus Green. Start times are 9.30am, 10am, 10.30am; get there earlier to register. Costs £20 on the day, £18 before 12 September.
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NEWS
WORDS NICOLA FOLEY
CAMBRIDGE
FILM FESTIVAL
19-29 SEPTEMBER
much-loved highlight of our local events calendar, the Cambridge Film Festival returns to our city from 19-29 September. Now entering its 33rd year, the programme for 2013 is as varied as ever, featuring a dazzling array of screenings, premiers, special guests, talks and events, which span the entire cinematic spectrum, from Hollywood blockbusters and treasured favourites right the way through to littleknown documentaries and quirky indie flicks that you would never normally encounter. As well as revisiting Grantchester Meadows and the Jesus Green Lido, the team have been pitching up in all sorts of unusual and atmospheric locations for screenings of classic and popular films this summer. The end of August saw the Jockey Club Rooms at Newmarket Racecourse play host to a trio of 2012’s best movies: Argo, Quartet and Skyfall, whilst this month the Gothic grandeur of Childerley Hall will offer a perfect backdrop
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for Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands on 14 September. You can also catch one of Woody Allen’s first and finest, Annie Hall, at the Red Lion pub in Whittlesford on 8 September, or grab the kids and a picnic and head along to the Lido for a suitably watery adventure with Finding Nemo (15 September). Opening night alone is offering an impressive line-up, with the UK premier of Blue Jasmine starring Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin, as well as a new documentary about Cambridge resident and world famous physicist Stephen Hawking, which will be attended by the man himself. As ever, there are various strands running through the festival, allowing the curators to delve more deeply into certain themes and topical subjects. ‘Thatcher’s Britain’ will reflect on the life and legacy of the Iron Lady with a season of films that showcase filmmakers’ responses to the tumultuous Thatcher years, including Local Hero, A Room With a View, Life is Sweet and No Surrender.
‘33/13’ meanwhile, celebrates the world of music, and some of the unforgettable characters and stories therein, with films including Rock and Roll’s Greatest Failure: Otway the Movie, The Great Hip Hop Hoax and Muscle Shoals – the story of the Alabama recording studio in which Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and many others laid down some of their most famous tracks. If being scared witless is more your scene, you’ll be well catered for with FrightFest over at Cineworld, which offers a crop of the finest horror films. Once again, there will be a special focus on Contemporary German Cinema, in a strand which includes Margarethe von Trotta’s Hannah Arendt: a documentary about the Jewish writer who reported on the criminal trial of Nazi functionary Adolf Eichman – an experience which went on to inform a lifetime of philosophical investigation into themes of judgement and personal responsibility.
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NEWS
Other documentaries on offer during the course of the festival include Ilian Metev’s heartbreaking Sofia’s Last Ambulance and Shakespeare: The Hidden Truth, which explores the idea that the Bard’s works were in fact written by a secret brotherhood. Also playing is Harry Freeland’s chilling exposé about the killing and trafficking of body parts belonging to albino citizens in Tanzania, In the Shadow of the Sun. There’s also a showcase of new works from Eastern Europe, a collection of short films from across the globe and closer to home with the Trident and Shortfusion strands respectively, and 'Young Americans', which brings to light some of the US indie scene’s emerging stars. “Every year we try to highlight films from countries or regions that have interesting things going on that might otherwise be overlooked in the UK,” explains Toby Venables from the festival team. “In the past few years we’ve had seasons from Catalonia
and Romania, for example – and we regularly feature new films from Germany. Verena Von Stackelberg, the festival’s programmer of German films, lives and works in Germany and has a direct line to all that’s going on, so we always have a particularly strong crop of films for that season.” Despite the calibre of the programme and sometimes challenging nature of the films on offer, the event prides itself on having an informal and accessible philosophy – with the Arts Picturehouse Bar providing a social hub throughout the event in which the filmmakers and directors can mingle with the cinema-going public. With one of the strongest line-ups yet, a host of new screening venues and some fascinating guest speakers, it’s a tough call selecting highlights for this year’s event, but what are the organisers themselves most looking forward to? “Opening night with Stephen Hawking, for sure,” says Toby. “Possibly our most
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famous resident, and one of the great minds – up there with Newton and Einstein. Plus he’s been in a Simpsons episode! I’m really looking forward to Kevin MacDonald’s new film How I Live Now, too. He directed The Last King of Scotland and Touching the Void and will be attending the premiere too. We also have Richard Jobson coming for his film Wayland’s Song, 80s synth boffin Thomas Dolby with his new film The Invisible Lighthouse, and Julien Temple with Oil City Confidential. I’m also looking forward to Sophie Fiennes’ The Pervert’s Guide To Ideology, her follow-up to The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema with maverick critic/ philosopher Slavoj Žižek. She’ll be attending, and we hope to entice him too!” Cambridge Film Festival runs from 19-29 September. The full film and events programme and brochure is available at www.camfilmfest.com. Stay up to date on Twitter by following @camfilmfest
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LOCAL LIVES
LOCAL LI VES
He quit his airport job by writing a resignation letter on a cake, becoming an Internet sensation. He now works from his quaint Victorian cottage, conjuring up incredible cakey creations. This month, we grab five minutes with Chris Holmes, aka Mr Cake What are you working on at the moment? I’m doing a proposal cake for an old colleague. It’s heart shaped, with a message on and a space for the ring. Let’s hope she says yes! Where would we usually find you? In my kitchen in Sawston, baking. What do you do when you’re not baking? Eat, probably. Most of our spare time and cash goes on eating out; we love that there are lots of new restaurants opening around Cambridge. You became Mr Cake in 2010. How did that come about? I fell into the catering career after my A levels and enjoyed it, so I did that for a few years and worked my way up. But it was really intense. Some people are built to be chefs, but I don’t think I am! Starting work at 7am and not finishing until midnight… You hardly see the light of day, and I couldn’t see how to do that and have a family life. So I ended up in a civil service job at Stansted Airport instead. What brought you back into the kitchen? I’d always wanted to work with food again, and we started discussing it on our honeymoon. I thought having my own business would be a good way of going back to working with food but on my own terms. So when we got back I started baking. I got a few orders, then in April this year it got into the press and now
I’ve had to slightly reduce the number of jobs I take on just to give myself some breathing space! What’s this about a resignation cake? Basically, when I left the airport, I handed in my notice written on a cake. It was very well received – I don’t think they were expecting it, though everyone at the airport called me Mr Cake by then anyway. It was about 24 hours before anyone cut into it, because they all wanted to have a look at it. What kind of cakes do you usually make? Wedding cakes, celebration cakes and things like that. I made my own wedding cake – that was quite stressful! It was just a simple, square chocolate cake, but I was still learning then. I had to set it up on the day too, but luckily it all went to plan. Do you have any claims to fame? I worked in Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant, Petrus – though only for a few months. It was an incredible immersion, you learn so fast. He wasn’t working there day to day, but I remember once, just before dinner service, he popped his head in to say hi. He’d been out on the town for the evening and was wearing this great 70s-style suit. Everyone just froze, the atmosphere was electric. He has that incredible effect on people. What event, or person, would you have most liked to have made a cake for? The ultimate one would definitely have been the royal wedding cake. That was an incredible cake.
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What’s the most difficult cake you’ve been asked to make? I made a volcano cake covered in Flake bars with a pool of bubbling ‘lava’ in the top. I’ve had to turn some down, though, because they were too bonkers. One person wanted a cake shaped like the British Isles with the Golden Gate Bridge stretching over it. I don’t know how you’d make that out of sugar. Which was the most enjoyable to make? I like the cartoony ones, especially when you put the eyes on a little animal character and they just come to life. What’s the best thing about being Mr Cake? Seeing people enjoy what you’ve made. Mr Cake is holding a Cake & Wine evening on 18 September at Cambridge City Hotel. Find out more and follow his blog at: www. mrcake.co.uk or on Twitter: @MrCakeUK
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ARTS & CULTURE
We explore the arts and culture scene in Cambridge, showcasing some of the many exciting exhibitions and projects taking place around the city, as well as highlighting the local artists and events to look out for
JUNCTION NEW SEASON LAUNCH Cambridge Junction and associate company Hunt and Darton are hosting a launch party for their new season on 4 September. It’s completely free to attend, and will include performances, music and film screenings, taking place all evening from 7.30pm (bar opens at 6.30pm). Don’t miss Figs in Wigs and Brown Council, who’ve come all the way from Australia to be with us. And Total Arts have some great screenings planned. There’ll be live music from I Strip For Couples, and a performance of Fridge Freezer by Hotbed Young Writer Mark Milligan. There’ll also be food from the brilliant Steak and Honour. Like a free drink with that? Just book your (free) ticket in advance and you’ll get one! www.junction.co.uk
CAMBRIDGE CONTEMPORARY CRAFTS If you love animals and local, handmade crafts, plan a visit to Cambridge Contemporary Crafts before their current exhibition closes. Called Please Don’t Feed The Animals!, it features a jungle of beautiful drawings, cards, jewellery, paintings and more, all with an animal theme. Katherine Morton’s ceramic bowls hide a special surprise with cats and penguins that peep over the edge, while Emily Hogarth’s screen-
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printed leaping hares and prowling dogs will make gracefully quirky companions on your walls. Alice Maplesden brings quotes to life with her hilariously wacky hand-drawn characters on thrown white stoneware and Lillian Bixler creates gorgeous soft sculpture animals from felt. The exhibition ends on 6 September, and entry is free. www.cambridgecrafts.co.uk
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ARTS & CULTURE
BYARD ART Lee Madgwick’s dramatic paintings are on show at Byard Art, King’s Parade, from 11 September. Depicting familiar images with a moody undercurrent and sometimes sinister narrative, Lee has created his own reality and interpretation of the British landscape – both urban and rural. As the observer, put your own imagination into the pictures and take what you will from their ominous atmospheres. Work by Beckie Reed also goes on show simultaneously this month. She has developed a technique of using high-gloss enamel paints and acrylics to create beautiful, evocative paintings. The textured landscapes are full of light and shadow, capturing woodland scenes that draw the onlooker right in. Seemingly random dots transform into delicate leaves and spattered paint suddenly makes sense as branches and tree trunks. Entry is free. The gallery is open 9.30am-5.30pm (11am-5pm Sundays). www.byardart.co.uk
NEW GALLERY AT BURWASH As if the lovely crafty shops, family events, café and friendly piglets weren’t reason enough to merit a trip to Burwash Manor, they’ve now made the prospect even more appealing by adding a new art gallery, opening on 1 September. The gallery will showcase a range of different artwork, providing a platform for local artists as well as lots for visitors to enjoy. Cheryl Warren, who exhibited her own paintings at a one-off show at Burwash in May, said: “The aim of the project is to get interesting, contemporary artists, both locally based and also from further afield, to
show in the lovely space here at Burwash. Visitors will be able to meet the artists who will aim to be here part of the time their show is running. In this way I hope people will be able to get more of an idea about what goes into the making of the work and also the life of an artist.” A preview event, complete with food and wine served by Burwash Food Hall and Cozzi & Boffa, will open each show. The first exhibition will be Recent Works by sculptor Christophe Gordon-Brown, who produces simple, tactile sculptures in stone. www.burwashart.com
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Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 27
ARTS & CULTURE
THE ARTS INSIDER
It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since you went to school, September will always evoke that feeling of starting over. It’s the crunch of those summer-baked leaves, deep blue skies and the smell of a fresh start in the air. I’m looking forward to helping women start writing this month – I’ve teamed up with Waterstones to run a beginner’s writing course (check www. thecreativesalon.co.uk for details), with mini retreats to help women get together and… write! It’s also hard to believe that two years ago, we opened the Art Salon to the public for the first time – with a packed fancy dress party. Since then we’ve launched the Cambridge Art Walks Map, organised the first ever Romsey Art Festival, helped nearly 200 artists show their work and grow a range of creative projects, and seen some of our resident artists cause a small flurry in the international press with their beautiful work (check out Shilo Engelbrecht, whose paintings have been turned into a textile collection – spotted by the likes of Vogue, Elle and the Telegraph). This month it’s also photographer Karl Dmitri Bishop’s first ever solo show, from 6 September, whose fans span the globe. Come along for surreal, dark beauty, layered with an other-wordly magic (just wonderful!). Building something new out of apparently nothing but inspiration is the gift of an artist – imagine if every experience (or limitation) you had, became the building block for something new. Doing just that, with mediums in contemporary art, is An Unnatural Theatre. Opening at Aid & Abet on 5 September, this four-person show explores maker as performer, film as sculpture and sculpture as event. It’s a bit of a zeitgeist thing at the moment, young artists taking apparently opposing mediums, sculpture and film for example, to build new meaning. Can film be pushed beyond its normal parameters? Event become sculpture? Go along and enjoy this slice of experimental art, to find out more. Also, check Dr Doodley’s Drink and Draw at Hot Numbers with artists Sean McMurchy and Emmanuel Martin on 17 September – a relaxed crowd of creatives making monsters together (over coffee!). You can also visit most of the contemporary art spaces in the area around Mill Road on the second ever CB1 Gallery Walk on 7 September – tickets are £10 from Visit Cambridge. It’s not too late to pop into the Origins of the Afro Comb show at the Fitzwilliam
Katy McDonald's bold prints are on display at Haddenha m Galleries, part of an Anglia Ruskin University group show
For a slice of experim ent al art, to Aid & Abet
hea d
Museum, which explores the comb’s relevance in politics and identity – with personal and community stories about African type hair and combs too. But if you fancy a day trip, pop over to Haddenham Galleries near Ely, whose gallery, tea shop, shop and sculpture garden is a hidden jewel. This month sees a fantastic group show from Anglia Ruskin’s MA degree students, including the vibrant artist Katy McDonald, who creates uplifting, bold and inspiring prints that take you to a very happy place indeed. While there, hunt for notebooks made by illustrator Lou Peajeux in the little shop on site, too – she’s also recently illustrated newly published children’s book, Little Red Hen by Kay Umansky. Finally, I’m a little bit in love with the soulful sounds of Cambridge boy Nick
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Vis it the Art Salon to see Ka rl Dm itri Bis hop's first solo show
Mulvey (whose beautiful sister I went to sixth form with!) who you can catch supporting Laura Marling at the Cambridge Corn Exchange on 27 September. It’s been a mega year for Nick, whose fans already include the likes of Lauren Lavern, and his first official UK tour launches in November, too – so check out Fever to the Form, for gorgeous, warm-spirited loveliness that will have you humming with a smile; it looks set to be one real sing-along anthem (www. nickmulvey.com). On the topic of soulful ballads, I can’t not mention my baby Otis’s (fleeting!) debut in a music video for Cambridge-based hit soul singer, Myles Sanko. Soul was one reason he was called Otis, after all – do enjoy feel-good single Come On Home (www. mylessanko.com) and here’s hoping for a soulful September for you all, too.
Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 29
ARTS & CULTURE
CAMBRIDGE VINTAGE NIGHT Calling all guys and dolls! Dance your way back in time at Cambridge Vintage Night, taking place at the Guildhall on 6 September. There’ll be live music, swing dancing and a vintageinspired buffet – and vintage costumes are positively encouraged. Music is being provided by Pinstripe Suit, a fun, lively ensemble who play high-energy hits ideally suited for Lindy Hop dancing and speakeasies. Plus there’ll be a bar, of course. Cambridge Vintage Night starts at 7pm and the last dance will be over by 11pm. Tickets cost £12 – that includes food and a dance class – and can be purchased from the Cambridge Corn Exchange. www.cornex.co.uk
STATE OF THE UNION
MUSIC IN THE PARK To celebrate the end of the summer music series in St Neots, a live finale concert takes place in the Riverside Park on 15 September (2-4pm). Local bands and musicians join forces to play an acoustic set in the open air – bring the family, pack up a picnic (pray for good weather) and enjoy! Entry is free. www.stneots-tc.gov.uk
English songwriter Boo Hewerdine returns to Cambridge Junction with Brooks Williams as State of the Union for a unique gig to showcase their unusual venture. Having first got together for a lastminute gig in Ely (Boo’s hometown) in 2010, and finding it went rather well, the next plan for the newly formed State of the Union was to record an album using only vintage mics and equipment in just five days. As it happened, they finished after a day and a half, and the result was even better than they’d hoped. It captures the sound of two very different musicians, from very different backgrounds (Williams hails from Georgia, USA), working in harmony. The album was released in April 2012 to excellent reviews from Q magazine amongst others. Hear the fruits of their labours on 6 September, 8pm. Tickets are £12. www.junction.co.uk
JANE JOSEPH: IMPRINTS Highly regarded for her drawings and prints on the subject of urban landscapes, Jane Joseph has exhibited in many prestigious spaces, including the Victoria & Albert Museum. From 6 September, Cambridge residents can see her work on display at Murray Edwards College. Drawn to real places, Joseph’s spare, mainly black & white images, record the world with a realist’s eye. Her botanical studies cherish the wild plants found around her West London studio, and her landscapes are tempered by industry and the human flow. This exhibition draws work from the last 30 years and includes folio works made in collaboration with contemporary writers and etchings commissioned by the Folio Society for their publication of Primo Levi’s If this is a Man/The Truce. It opens on 6 September, entry is free. www.art.newhall.cam.ac.uk
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ARTS & CULTURE
TONGUES OF FLAME Hidden in St Mary’s Mortlake, South London, is a remarkable grave in the shape of a Bedouin tent – a monument to Sir Richard Francis Burton, a Victorian explorer of geography (moral as well as physical). Awardwinning storyteller Giles Abbott tells the gripping, comical, awe-inspiring and action-packed story of one of the greatest Victorian adventurers in a style which could give the Arabian Nights a run for its money, at the Michaelhouse Centre on Trinity Street this month. The talk is on 25 September and starts at 8pm. Tickets are £8/£6 concessions, available on the door.
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA For the fourth year running, the Animal Health Trust and the London Festival Opera bring what promises to be a thrilling evening of opera to Tattersalls in Newmarket. Performed by worldclass artists from the Royal Opera, English National Opera and Glyndebourne, this ever-popular annual charity performance will benefit Suffolk’s Animal Health Trust. Last year’s event was a huge success, raising more than £5,000 for the charity. This one-off event, on 27 September, is a chance to enjoy superb opera, elegant costumes and a programme of passion, drama and humour for everyone. The first half of the programme is a highlight version of Mozart’s delightful The Magic Flute, followed by popular encores from the great operas of Rossini, Verdi, Bizet, Puccini and the lighter repertoire of Gilbert and Sullivan. Tickets are £20 or £85 for a premier ticket, which includes a drinks reception with canapés, reserved seating, drinks at the interval and dinner after the show in Tattersalls’s Green Room Restaurant. The Premier ticket offers a night of hospitality and opera that you won’t find anywhere else in Suffolk, all for a wonderful charity. www.aht.org.uk/opera
EAST ANGLIA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Take in some classical music this month at West Road Concert Hall, one of the city’s premier music venues, situated close to the centre, and known for its superb acoustics. On 21 September, the East Anglian Chamber Orchestra will be performing Kodaly’s Summer Evening, Eric Ewazen’s Concerto for Marimba and Strings and Beethoven’s Symphony No.6 Pastoral. They’ll be joined by percussion virtuoso Dame Evelyn Glennie, famed for her dynamic performances using a number of exciting instruments. Incredibly, Glennie suffers from profound deafness, and often performs barefoot in order to ‘feel’ the music better. The concert starts at 7.30pm, tickets are £25/£20 (£20/£15 concessions, £10 under 18s). www.westroad.org
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Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 31
ARTS & CULTURE
IRA BRAND: A CURE FOR AGEING
CB1 GALLERY WALK Cambridge’s galleries and art spaces can be easy to miss unless you know where to look. Discover more about our local art scene on a guided tour of the city’s contemporary art venues, centering on the Mill Road area – one of Cambridge’s most cosmopolitan areas. The tour starts at Cambridge Art Salon and stops off at
Williams Art, Aid & Abet and the Ruskin Gallery. At each venue, you’ll have time to look around and hear a talk by an exhibiting artist or a gallery director. The next tour takes place on 7 September, 2pm (finishing at 4pm). Tickets are £10. www.visitcambridge.org
Is it better to be young and foolish, or old and wise? This one-woman show tackles questions and taboos about ageing in a frank and engaging way, looking at different physical and mental experiences of growing old. It weaves personal accounts into an intricate piece about how much we are or are not defined by our age. Ira Brand is an artist and performance maker who has worked on a number of projects for Cambridge Junction, Camden People’s Theatre, Pulse and more. This latest piece was developed at Cambridge Junction and is supported by Arts Council England. It takes place on 11 September at 7.30pm, tickets cost £10 (£6 concessions). www.junction.co.uk
QUICK SKETCH TOURS These part-tours, part-art classes leave from outside the Cambridge Guildhall every Tuesday, and encourage you to look at the city’s historic landmarks with an artistic eye. Run by ‘true eccentrics’ (their words!), the guides also impart knowledge and drawing tips and help you get inspired and create fantastic drawings of the city. The aim is for you to come away with a sketchbook full of drawings to act as a unique memento of the fun of the day. The tours are open to artists of all abilities, including those who can’t draw at all but want to have a go. There are opportunities to sit and rest while sketching, before moving on to the next picturesque location. Prices are £18 per person (£13 concessions), including a sketch pad and pencil. Bring some other drawing tools from home if you wish. Meet at 2pm – each tour lasts between one and a half and two hours. www.cambridgeinternationalarts.wordpress.com/quick-sketchtours
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ARTS & CULTURE
The Arts
Culture Interview
Zadie Smith he talented Zadie Smith glided back into the literary limelight last month when she gave a talk in Cambridge about her acclaimed new novel, NW, at an event hosted by Cambridge Wordfest. In her latest work, the bestselling author revisits the north-western corner of London that inspired her debut novel White Teeth, this time chronicling the interconnected lives of four childhood friends. The talk was also a chance for Smith to revisit her academic roots, having studied at King’s in her younger years. Jennifer Shelton caught up with her to find out more about her early success, her latest work and getting lost on her first day at uni.
Q: You wrote White Teeth while you were still studying. How did you manage to juggle your time? A: I began it in college. I think I’m the kind of person who does more, the more they have to do. I was under a lot of pressure in my final year and working all the time and writing what I thought of as a long short story was light relief compared to the tripos. Q: How did you like it at King’s? Do you remember your first day? A: I was overwhelmed on my first day. I got there very late because my mum drove me up and we got lost. She borrowed a van from work – it was bright red and had Brent Social Services printed on the side. I was so naive I thought because I’d missed the first six hours I’d never be able to catch up again so we were shouting at each other, panicking. Finally we found the back gate. I was too impatient to wait for the unpacking of the van – I just ran in and up to the bridge and burst into tears. For me, it was the culmination of so many years of study and hope – I really couldn’t believe it was real until I was on that bridge. I realise how tragic that sounds but that’s the truth.
Q: Where were your student hang-outs? A: I basically lived in King’s bar and the library, with occasional detours to King’s cellars to hear very overpaid London DJs play jungle. I left the premises rarely. In summer, I loved the grass verge down by the bridge and the bench by the chapel. I was pathetically unadventurous. I think I went to Grantchester once.
Q: Were you aware of people there at the same time as you who looked like they were on course for really big things? A: I tried to avoid the sort of people who thought going to Cambridge meant they were going to rule the world.
Q: What did you think your career path would be when you were a student? A: Teacher or an academic, a journalist or editor. I hoped to be a novelist but anything in the world of words would have done. Q: Do you remember your initial inspiration for White Teeth? A: It was originally a short story about Magid. Then some time late in my third year my half sister visited me and told me something about our dad meeting my mum at a party when he’d come to pick up his daughter. The idea of the end of the world party came from there, and somehow the rest of the book followed. It was a comic, hyper-real retelling of a bit of family history.
Q: You’ve said you feel uncomfortable reading White Teeth again now. Do you think you’ve matured? Are you a harsh critic of yourself? A: It’s not for me to say if I’ve matured or not. But any sane person would find it difficult to re-read what they wrote when they were 22! Q: What is the writing process like for you – do you shut yourself away? How do you deal with distractions? A: I can’t shut myself away – I have two kids. But I don’t consider them or the rest of life a distraction. If I’m going to write seriously, I need four hours. Getting those four hours can be complicated, but once I have them, I try to do as much as I can. Q: Are you pleased to have been able to write what you want to write, rather than what somebody has told you to? Is it always that easy for first-time novelists? A: I can only speak of my own experience. It’s been a great delight to write freely. There are so many places and situations in the world where I wouldn’t be able to do that so I’m thankful.
Q: How do you describe your latest novel, NW? A: As a novel of voices. Q: How do you feel it compares with your earlier works? A: Each of the books is different, I find it hard to compare them. They each represent some different times in my life. Certainly this one is darker with less fat on its bones.
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Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 33
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NEWS
Pay a visit to Royston this month for a fantastic line-up of arts, theatre, music and more op over the Hertfordshire border to the Royston Arts Festival, taking place over eight days at the end of this month. The pretty market town has been hosting a regular festival of the arts for the past few years, inviting local music, art and performance organisations, plus guests from further afield, to help create a dynamic, varied programme. The 2013 event takes place from 21-29 September at venues throughout the town. This year’s special guest is TV’s talented Meera Syal – comedian, writer and star of The Kumars at No 42. Meera rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me, then by portraying Sanjeev Bhaskar’s straighttalking grandmother in The Kumars (though, in real life, she’s actually his wife!). She’ll be at Greneway School on 28 September (7.30pm, £14), talking about her diverse career in The Small World of Meera Syal. The evening will culminate in a Q&A session and book signing. Festival chairman Graham Palmer said: “Meera Syal grew up in a small town much like Royston. It’ll be a great opportunity to hear how she’s got to where she is today.” Greneway School will also hold dropin music, film and poetry events on 28 September; or join their Bollywood dance workshops to learn some new moves!
On 21 September, fans of Wallace and Gromit have the unique chance to meet one of their creators and make their e own figurines to take home. The y hour-long workshops are run by ’ll an Aardman model maker, who’ll show you how they bring their iconic characters to life (11am, 1.30pm and 3.15pm, Tannery Drift School, £10). Other highlights include a piano recital by acclaimed t, pianist Clare Hammond (27 Sept, n Routes 7.30pm, £10) and a workshop on into the Theatre by Colin Blumenau (28 Sept, free), who appeared in 150 episodes of The Bill and was artistic director at the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds. He currently works as a freelance director and writer. The Royston Town Band will be performing in the park on 29 September, while a separate Royston Live show will cater for the indie, pop and jazz fans. Meanwhile Royston-based group Corvus Amateur Drama Society have a production of Little Shop of Horrors at Meridian School (25-28 Sept, 7.30pm, £5/£10). Foodies will be well catered for as well, with a range of activities including drop-in sessions with local chefs, world cookery demonstrations and lessons in creating the perfect authentic Chinese stir fry or healthy Indian cuisine. This year’s event finale will be a spectacular, traditional Last Night of the Proms-style concert featuring performances from Royston schools, the Royston Youth Choir and the Hertfordshire Music Service’s Senior Windband @ Stevenage on Sunday 29 September at the Parish Church. Tickets – which can also be purchased at Stationery Cupboard, on Royston High Street – and a full programme are available online.
21-29
SEPTEMBER
www.roystonartsfestival.org
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Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 37
GROUP SPOTLIGHT PROFILE
GROUP SPOTLIGHT
Cambridge
FOOD & WINE SOCIETY We delve into the world of fine food and exquisite wines with the Cambridge Food & Wine Society. If anybody knows gastro appreciation, it’s this lot here are few greater delights than the perfect pairing of a fine wine with a delicious meal, shared with friends. That’s the philosophy behind this longstanding Cambridge group, which meets every month for a different class, talk or tour, offering a chance to learn more about wine – and enjoy drinking it, of course – as well as discovering the bounty of fantastic local producers and learning more about our city's thriving foodie scene. A not-for-profit organisation, Cambridge Food & Wine Society was formed in 1991, whilst its chair elect, Teresa Harrison, joined earlier in the year following a recommendation from a friend. But, if you’ve been put off by stuffy, snooty wine tastings in the past, fear not: these guys aim to keep things fun, with a big emphasis on an informal atmosphere and the social side. “We have some really interesting people come to talk for us and it’s always good fun,” says Teresa. “We sit around large tables to encourage people to get to know each other, and get a range of ages. Our youngest is 18, so we make sure there are events that suit everyone. We don’t just stick to wine either; we often focus on brandy, sherry and other drinks, with complementing local foods. We did a cocktail masterclass at Hot Numbers recently which went down really well, despite it being one of the hottest nights of the year!” The Cambridge Food & Wine Society’s usual base is St Paul’s Church Hall on Hills Road, where, unless they have an excursion planned, you’ll find them each month. It’s a members’ society, although non-members are welcome too, and a single membership costs just £15 for the year. “Our events are all about learning more
38 | Cambridge Edition | September 2013
about food and wine, as well as a chance for people to meet and chat,” Teresa continues. “We want everyone to learn something, even if it’s just something small.” Teresa joined in January, and her stamp of approval on the quality of the food and wine they sample is worth a good deal, as she explains: “I come from a food background – I’m actually a food inspector! So I’ve inspected lots of wineries, but quite simply, I just love wine.” As for her favourite wine, having lived and worked in South Africa before coming
to England, a good South African red can rarely be outdone in Teresa's books. “I love South African wines – my all-time favourite is one called ‘Chocolate Block’. But I like to try anything, really." Having enjoyed a barbecue at Gog Magog Hills Farm Shop recently and taken a trip to the Adnams distillery in Southwold earlier in the summer, September’s event is a Tour of Sicilian Food & Wine with new Cambridge cafe, Aromi. "We'll be tasting their home-made flatbreads, focaccias and, of course, their famous cannoli. They'll also be presenting their favourite Sicilian wines, with our wine expert, Elaine, providing an overview on wine making in Sicily.
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GROUP SPOTLIGHT PROFILE
TASTING TIPS Elaine Wood, wine tutor and advisor at Cambridge Food & Wine Society off ers her top tips on wine tasting like a pro Although sight and smell are impo rtant when assessing a wine, the ultimate test is the taste. High acidity will mak e your mouth water, while tannin (fou nd in some red wines) will have a dryin g effect on the gums. Take a mouthfu l of wine and roll it around your mouth for about 10-15 seconds. Inhale slowly to allow air into the mouth as this will allow the aromas to develop and increase flavour. Whilst the wine is in your mou th, evaluate the following: 1. 2. 3.
Is it sweet or dry? Does it make your mouth water? If so, it is high in acidity. What flavours can you taste? Are they fruity like blackcurrants or tropical like passion fruit or pineapple, or vegetal such as asparagus or nuts?
Finally, drink (or spit out) the wine . How long does the flavour last in your mouth? If it fades quickly it has a ‘sho rt’ length. If it lasts longer than ten seco nds it has a ‘long’ length and will usually indicate it is a good quality wine.
“I’d encourage anyone to come along and try us,” she adds. “Everyone who comes for the first time signs up because it’s so friendly and we have such a hoot. It’s a nice thing for couples to do too – my husband is also on the committee, and we have lots of couples in the group. Says Teresa: “It’s a lovely hobby to have and partake in and Cambridge is a great place to have that hobby.”
What makes a good/bad wine? Unle ss a wine has an obvious fault, then deci ding if a wine is good or bad is very muc h subjective and down to individual taste. In order to get the best from your wine, make sure you serve it at the right temperature; a chilled bottle of Shiraz is never going to be good. A good wine does not necessarily mea n expensive either, it is often the wine you remember, and one that evokes happ y memories.
Cambridge Food & Wine Society’s next meeting is on 21 September, 7.30pm, at St Paul’s Church Hall. For more information on the group and future events, visit cambridgefoodandwinesociety.co.uk
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Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 39
NEWS
NEWS
The latest from your local hub
Independent Age Loneliness is one of the most common problems for older people, with many feeling isolated as family move away and social circles start to grow smaller, or mobility problems prevent them getting out. One in ten older people say they are lonely and nearly half consider the TV to be their best friend. Independent Age are looking for volunteers with a few hours a month to spare to give a little time to help the older people in their area. The charity, which has around 1,500 volunteers working across the UK, aims to provide ‘advice, befriending and campaigning’. It’s a great opportunity to gain new skills, meet people and really make a difference to someone’s life. All volunteers receive a full induction and Independent Age will pay for all expenses. To find out more,, contact Nicola Franklin on 01162 780769 or nicola.franklin@ independentage.org.
S o ut h Fa r m ope n d a y
Couples looking fo r a great venue ne wedding ed look n o further South Fa than rm: a bea utiful wed venue in din Shingay c um Wend g On 22 Se y. ptember, to their o come alo pen day (1 ng 1.30am-4 chat to a pm). Wit nd refresh h staff on me go over a hand to ny details nts served, it offe rs a chan of the da extensive ce to y. Couple grounds, s can exp the barn As well a lore its venue an s four en d accomm -suite be five fanta drooms, odation. stic Rom South Fa any carav Brides w rm also h ans and sh anting to as owman’s add a bit being dri wagons. of fun ev ven to th e n have th e do the florist e option s, caterers or in a tuk-tuk or of bu and ente www.sou rtainers w ggy! Some of th-farm.c ill also be o.uk on hand.
CNC Cha C h rity i Ball B Dra gonboat Festival Now entering its ninth year, the Cambridge Dragonboat Festival returns on 7 September for river-based fun and frolics aplenty. Honouring the ancient Chinese tradition, the event consists of a series of races on a 200m stretch of the River Cam in Fen Ditton, where boats crewed by up to ten people battle it out to complete the course first. There’s lots more bankside entertainment to enjoy too, with funfair rides, kids’ activities, inflatables, and a Chinese dancing lion, plus food stalls and a bar. For more info, see the website. www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk
40 | Cambridge Edition | September 2013
Care Network Cambridgeshire (CNC) is inviting the local business community to support its fundraising ball. The CNC Michaelmas Ball is being held on 21 September at Queens’ College to raise awareness and money to help the work it undertakes. CNC aims to encourage people to set up and run community groups in support of the elderly and vulnerable in Cambridgeshire. The ball will feature a casino, live music and a dinner, plus a charity auction with the chance to win a stay in a luxury Spanish villa (tickets £65 each). www.care-network.org.uk
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FAMILY
DUXFORD AIR SHOW A perfect family day out, 7-8 September sees the return of the annual Duxford Air Show, which features a spectacular array of aerial displays as well as other entertainment, activities and stalls. On the agenda this year will be show-stopping performances from the Red Arrows, the RAF Typhoon, spitfires and Patrouille de France. The displays will take place from 2pm-5.30pm and the site will be open 8am-6pm. Children’s tickets are £13.75/adults £27.50. www.iwm.org.uk
STUDIO SUNDAYS If your family love getting creative, head along to Kettles Yard on 1 September for Studio Sundays, a drop-in practical art workshop suitable for all ages. You and your brood can have fun exploring, playing, and creating masterpieces inspired by the exhibitions and collections housed at Kettles Yard, with all materials and refreshments included. Best of all – it’s completely free! It takes place from 1-4pm and children under eight years old must be accompanied by an adult. Booking is essential. www.kettlesyard.co.uk
BIG RED BATH This month, Full House Theatre company present a fun-packed family friendly show at Cambridge Junction on 22 September. Big Red Bath is a quirky adaptation of Julia Jarman’s popular children’s picture book, featuring adorable characters and lots of music, songs and unusual instruments, all of which will help to show just how much fun there is to be had splashing about at bath time. Shows take place at 11.30am and 2.30pm in J2. £9/£5 con/£23 family ticket (max 2 adults). www.junction.co.uk
BRINGING AUDLEY END to Life Head back in time at Audley End House and Gardens this month, when the grand old country pile will be brought back to life for a series of special events. You’ll be able to experience the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of years gone by as the service wing and stables are filled with costumed characters including Mrs Crocombe, who’ll be baking in the kitchens. The event takes place on the first three weekends in September, 11am-4pm (adults £13.40/ child £8/family £34.80). Fast forward to the last weekend of the month, and you can enjoy the annual Apple Weekend, joining in with a host of apple-related activities, stalls and refreshments (28-29 September, 11am-4pm, adult £13.40/child £8/£34.80). www.english-heritage.org.uk
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PIZZA AND
Pasta Art
There are loads of great events taking place this month as part of the Royston Arts Festival, but we particularly like the look of the Pizza and Pasta Art session. Head down to Palazzo on Kneesworth Street on 28 or 29 September when your little ones will have lots of fun creating their own pasta bracelets and tasty pizzas (12-4pm, £1.50 minimum donation to Royston Arts Festival). www.roystonartsfestival.org
Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 43
COMPETITION
WIN A LUXURY MINI-BREAK
at Hotel Felix worth over £330!
WIN! ocated on the outskirts of the city, the luxurious Hotel Felix boasts tranquil gardens, individually designed bedrooms and an award-winning restaurant. Fancy enjoying an indulgent mini-break at this glorious boutique retreat? You’re in luck, because we’re giving away a night’s stay for two at Hotel Felix, including breakfast and a gourmet three-course dinner. Our lucky winner and their guest will be treated to a cocktail on arrival before sitting down to enjoy a mouth-watering meal in the stylish Graffiti restaurant. Regarded as one of the city’s best fine dining establishments, the restaurant specialises in modern British cuisine, served in a vibrant, contemporary setting. Menus are inventive and feature dishes such as tarte fine aux tomates with whipped goat’s curd, micro basil, black olive dressing; or pan-fried rump
44 | Cambridge Edition | September 2013
of lamb tagine, braised shoulder pastilla, aubergine chutney and Moroccan spiced couscous. The rooms at Hotel Felix, with their simple but elegant décor and luxurious touches (think huge Hypnos beds, Egyptian cotton bed linen, walk-in showers and gorgeous White Company toiletries), will provide the perfect place to relax after your feast. The next morning, you can enjoy a hearty cooked breakfast before heading off on your way, relaxed and rejuvenated. Sound good? To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize and for more information, head to www.cambsedition.co.uk.
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LISTINGS
WHAT’S ON
A round-up of events in and around Cambridgeshire for September 1 September
BRINGING AUDLEY END TO LIFE
STUDIO SUNDAY SESSIONS Time: 1-4pm Location: Kettle’s Yard Price: Free Description: Drop in and make your own artwork, inspired by the museum’s exhibitions and collections. A chance to explore, chat, sketch, make and play – suitable for all the family. kettlesyard.co.uk
Time: 11am-4pm 31 AUG Location: Audley End House - SEPT Price: Normal admission charges Description: See the servants’ wing brought to life by costumed characters, who’ll be cooking, cleaning and chatting about their life below the stairs. english-heritage.org.uk
1
6
SEPT MICHAEL BUBLE TRIBUTE Time: 7.30pm doors Location: Cambridge Belfry, Cambourne Price: £35 Description: A night of smooth moves and swing tunes from Joe Gibson, one of the best Michael Bublé tributes around. Includes a three-course meal and after-show DJ. visitcambridge.org
ALL
MONTH
7-8 September DUXFORD AIR SHOW Time: 8am-6pm Location: IWM Duxford Price: Adult £27.50/Child £13.75 Description: Historic warbirds and modern-day jets alike will be taking to the air, performing some heart-stopping stunts. Displays start at 2pm but the site is open from 8am –leaving plenty of time to explore the museum and special attractions lined up for the day. . iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford
7 September CAMBRIDGE DRAGONBOAT FESTIVAL Time: All day Location: Fen Ditton Price: Free Description: Watch from the banks of the Cam (or join in!) as the colourful crews of this year’s festival glide by. dragonboatfestivals.co.uk
7 September
7-15 September
EMILY MAGUIRE Time: 8pm Location: Cambridge Junction Price: £10 Description: Known for her strong, thought-provoking lyrics and ‘supremely expressive vocals’ (Rock’n’Reel magazine), rising classical star Emily has been featured on Radio 2 and won fans across the globe with her unique style. Catch her at Cambridge Junction for what's sure to be a capivating gig. junction.co.uk
DAHLIA FESTIVAL Time: 11am-12.30pm and 2.304pm Location: Anglesey Abbey Price: Normal admission charges apply Description: Admire the striking dahlia display in the house and garden, designed especially to reflect the interests of Lord Fairhaven, who called Anglesey Abbey home way back in the 1920s. nationaltrust.org.uk/angleseyabbey
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SUMMER AT THE MUSEUMS: BUILD IT! Time: 10am-5pm Location: Cambridge Science Centre Price: Normal admission charges Description: Unleash your family’s creative skills and design, make and test out some fantastic machines and inventions. cambridgesciencecentre.org
10 September TANGO BAR Time: 7.30pm class, 8.30pm milonga Location: The Centre at St Paul’s Price: £5-£10 Description: Dance teacher and tango expert Siobhan Richards hosts an intermediate level drop-in tango class followed by a ‘milonga’ social dance. camtango.com
13-14 September OPEN CAMBRIDGE Time: All day Location: Various locations Price: Various Description: A range of talks, walks, exhibitions and more as Cambridge University opens its doors to the public. Highlights include a special dinner at Corpus Christi College on 13 Sept and a tour of Queen’s College Old Library, with original bookcases and several important rare books. cam.ac.uk/open-cambridge
12-14 September THE PRODUCERS Time: 7.45pm & 2.30pm Sat Location: ADC Theatre Price: £8-£12 Description: The outrageous, dazzling and wonderfully ridiculous story of two wannabe producers comes to the ADC stage, ready to delight us with hits like Springtime for Hitler and Keep it Gay. The original show won a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards and this adaptation is performed by Cambridge Stagehands. adctheatre.com
JASON MANFORD Time: 8pm Location: Corn Exchange Price: £22.50 Description: One of today’s most popular and successful comics, Jason Manford makes a visit to Cambridge on his First World Problems Tour. cornex.co.uk
9-10 SEPT
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LISTINGS
IMAGES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
Emily Maquire plays Cambridge Junction on 7 September, Audley End House welcomes visitors to step back in time from 31 August - 1 September, and the Duxford Air Show returns on 7 September
13 September MINDFULNESS MONTH Time: 10am-1.30pm Location: Camyoga Price: Free Description: Camyoga are running a ‘Mindfulness month’ in September, with a free event taking place today. Come along for an introductory workshop, followed by a light lunch and networking session in the café. camyoga.co.uk
CAMBRIDGE FILM FESTIVAL Time: Various Location: Cambridge Arts Picturehouse, Grantchester, Newmarket & more Price: Various Description: Professor Stephen Hawking opens the 33rd Cambridge Film Festival with a screening of the new documentary, Hawking. Other highlights include outdoor screenings and 'Frightfest' – a collection of horror films. cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk
19-29
14-15 September CAMBRIDGE FOOD, GARDEN AND PRODUCE FESTIVAL Time: 10am-5pm Location: Parker’s Piece Price: Free entry Description: Parker’s Piece will be transformed into an open-air market as stalls, marquees and children’s activity areas set up for the weekend. Also includes cookery demonstrations, rides and animals to meet. oakleighfairs.co.uk/ foodandgarden
SEPT
22 September 21-22 September Image courtesy of Gary Claton
16-21 September THE MOUSETRAP Time: 7.30pm & 2.30pm Wed & Sat Location: Corn Exchange Price: £25-£31 Description: The country’s longest-running play ever comes to Cambridge for a week-long stint this month, celebrating an incredible 60 years on stage. Expect all the elements of an Agatha Christie mystery: a country house, suspicious characters, nerveshredding tension and a wily sleuth… cornex.co.uk
17-21 SEPT
HENRY VI: THREE PLAYS Time: Varied – see website Location: Cambridge Arts Theatre Price: Varied – see website Description: A rare opportunity to see all three parts of Shakespeare’s Henry VIs, performed by Shakespeare’s Globe on tour. Prices vary, with an option to buy tickets for all three at a discounted price. cambridgeartstheatre.com
WIMPOLE AT WAR Time: 10.30am-5pm Location: Wimpole Hall Price: £5.20/£9.60 Description: A 1940s weekend of vintage clothes stalls, demonstrations and reenactments, vintage cars and more, taking part across the estate. nationaltrust.org.uk/wimpoleestate
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28 September SOHAM PUMPKIN FAIR Time: 1.30-5pm Location: The Recreation Ground Price: £2 adults, £1 concessions Description: In tribute to the 50th anniversary of Please Please Me, this year’s event has a Beatles theme, as well as the usual appearance from Mr Pumpkin of course! sohampumpkinfair.co.uk
28-29 September
NINA CONTI Time: 8pm Location: Cambridge Junction Price: £15 Description: Probably the most glamorous ventriloqist you’re likely to meet, Nina Conti has starred on Live at the Apollo, QI and made waves at the Edinburgh Festival with her zany, off-the-cuff comedy act. junction.co.uk
WEDDING OPEN DAY Time: 11.30am-4pm Location: South Farm Price: Free entry Description: Looking for a wedding venue? South Farm, with its countryside setting and romantic Tudor farmhouse, offers something traditionally beautiful. See what they can offer you at their Wedding Open Day. south-farm.co.uk
27
SEPT
CHEESE TASTING Time: All day Location: Gog Magog Farm Shop Price: Free entry Description: The farm shop will be showcasing a range of their favourite cheeses, with a chance to try the first Vacherin Mont D’or of the season! www.gogmagoghills.com
Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 47
NEWS
IS A PROUD PARTNER OF THE GRAFTON CENTRE ECO EVENT
EVENT 2013 e at Cambridge Edition are always keen to learn more tips that teach us how we can live a little bit greener, so we’re delighted to announce that we are partnering with The Grafton Centre for this year’s Eco Event – which will be taking place on 27 and 28 September. Now entering its third year, the event invites you to take a break from your weekend retail therapy and have fun with interactive displays and activities that are geared towards helping you become more environmentally conscious. Experts will also be on hand to advise on reducing your carbon footprint – and your household bills. Run in conjunction with Cambridge City Council and sponsored by M&G Real Estate, the event will feature a range of local companies and organisations equipped with the know-how and ideas to assist you in boosting your eco-credentials. Among their number will be Cambridge Hub, a group that supports Cambridge University students taking positive action on social and environmental issues within the local community. As part of their goal
to make Cambridge a better place to study, live and work, they recently produced an ‘Ethical Guide to Cambridge’, which they’ll be handing out at the event and which offers lots of practical tips on living sustainably within the city. They will be joined by The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire who’ll be chatting to shoppers about nature reserves in our area, the children’s watch club and wildlife gardening, and letting people know about the huge variety of wildlife events that are available to them locally. Cambridge Water will be there too, with their trusty mascot, Bubbles the Hippo, giving away free water-saving devices, along with Recycling Champions – a volunteer-run group that helps communities to recycle more. Another fantastic local organisation which will be pitching up in the Great Court over the weekend is Cambridge Carbon Footprint: an award-winning environmental charity that works to raise awareness of climate change issues and promotes practical solutions to help people live more sustainably and affordably in Cambridge.
The Mayor of Cambridge will also be paying a visit, as well as an intriguingsounding windmill stilt walker and Rimski and his famous bicycle piano, who will be entertaining the crowds with cabaret-style songs and a hearty dose of surreal humour. You can even try your hand at creating a masterpiece in a sculpture-making session, as well as saying hello to the Edition team, who will be there on the Saturday, armed with plenty of magazines and treats. “This is a great event to promote local eco organisations and highlight what they are doing for the community,” says Lance Stanbury, centre manager at The Grafton. “It is important that the public recognises the small changes that can be made to reduce energy, water and waste usage. It’s more than your average leaflets and pop-ups, we have exciting interactive displays including a stilt walker and a peddling piano!” For more information, see www.graftoncentre.co.uk
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Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 49
INDIE OF THE MONTH
WORDS JENNIFER SHELTON
Independent of the Month
THE CAMBRIDGE DISTILLERY Jennifer Shelton meets the couple behind Cambridge’s bespoke gin distillery, which has Selfridges and Harrods knocking on its door… rom its origins as a medicinal tipple for soldiers, to the gin palaces of the Victorian era, through to the rise of the cocktail in the 20s, the history of gin is long and convoluted. After going out of favour thanks to a certain 00-agent (more on which later), gin is becoming a favourite in hipster bars and swish hotels once more, with a deluge of new brands appearing in the marketplace. But gin fans need look no further than Cambridge for a discerning bottle, with The Cambridge Distillery leading the market from its home in Histon. This exciting independent business is run by Will Lowe – an industry expert who’s made drinks for the Queen – and his wife, Lucy. They’re passionate about making quality, bespoke gins using local ingredients to create flavours you won’t find anywhere else. When I call for a chat, Will’s bottling up a ‘Cambridge Gin’ for Selfridges. “It’s made in Cambridge, using things that we’ve grown or foraged in Cambridge,” he says. “And, by a wonderful stroke of fate, we bottled our first one the day Prince George was born. We’re only doing two a year of this kind: a spring/summer and autumn/winter. The spring/summer gin is full of elderflower, and also includes Earl Grey – which doesn’t come from Cambridge, but Earl Grey did study at Trinity, so we think that counts!” The Cambridge Distillery was launched on the day of the Boat Race, 2012. Their aim was to use modern processes to create limited quantities of unusual gins, as well as holding taste tests for customers to come and design their own gin. “We believe we’re the only people in the world who make gin this way,” says Will. “Though our main business is the gin tailoring, we’ve had a lot of interest from people like
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Harrods and Selfridges who want us to make something to sell on their shelves. “We’re a three-strong team: my wife, myself and our Labrador, Darcy,” he continues. “Darcy’s played an important role, as it’s through walking her that we’ve gotten more attuned to the seasons. So she’s on the label of every bottle.” The story began when Will, who rose from humble bartender to coming second in the World Bartending Championships, created a gin for his father’s birthday. “I’ve worked in the drinks industry for 14 years and started distilling gin myself, just on a small scale, for family and friends,” Will says. “As my dad could never find one dry enough, I created one for him. I called it ‘Professor Lowe’s Raspingly Dry Gin’ – and to say it went down well would be an understatement! That became my first bespoke gin.” There’s a fine science to the distillation process: in a nutshell, Will uses a vacuum to achieve lower atmospheric pressure, thus enabling him to create purer, more aromatic flavours. As well as the science behind it, Will’s also able to fill me in on the history: “It dates from 1689 when William of Orange brought it over from Holland,” he says. “He insisted that the gentry stop drinking cognac and drink something more ‘patriotic’. This was a spirit which mixed alcohol with juniper berries and was given to soldiers, coining the phrase ‘Dutch courage’. It was very popular again through the 40s and 50s, until vodka took over – which has been largely blamed on James Bond,” he laughs. “It’s only really in the last ten years that gin’s become popular again, and there are probably more gin brands now than ever.” Will has created some unique gins in his time, but the most eccentric request came from Noma, a double-
Michelin star restaurant in Copenhagen. “Most gins have three key elements: juniper – which is what makes gin gin; a drying element and a citrus note,” explains Will. “For Noma, instead of using citrus for that zesty character, we used wood ants. They’re bigger than your average ant and their bite contains formic acid which, in small doses, can be used in food.” A year into his gin venture, Will is clearly delighted to be doing something he loves. “About ten years ago someone asked me what I’d do if I won the EuroMillions and I said I’d build a distillery. Then, as the EuroMillions wasn’t an odds-on bet, we just made it happen. We’re now dealing with some of the world’s top restaurants and we’re genuinely proud of everything we make.” Gin Tailoring at Cambridge Distillery, including a personal consultation after which you’ll receive your own personalised bottle, costs from £160. www.cambridgedistillery.co.uk
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Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 51
EATING OUT
WORDS & IMAGES CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
THE ORCHID We visit Newmarket Road’s brand new Asian fusion restaurant, discovering there’s more to this stylish y fine fi diningg establishment than meets the eye
I
n the week prior to my visit to The Orchid, I’d had no less than three separate conversations with friends about whether I’d seen ‘that new restaurant on Newmarket Road’. Its blue neon frontage shining out into the darkness has been attracting lots of attention, so I was excited to slip behind the doors and find out if the restaurant’s Asian fusion menu lived up to its promises. Arriving on a Friday night, we were led to a table just in front of the open kitchen: my dining companion was able to watch the busy chefs at work while I surveyed the beautifully designed restaurant. Mr Li, the man behind The Orchid, has evidently invested heavily in the restaurant’s beautifully lit interior, which wouldn’t look out of place in a larger metropolis. We started with salt and pepper squid, a dish which I am powerless to resist when it appears on a menu, along with pork belly rolls with garlic chilli sauce. Both arrived promptly and left us impressed: the rolls in particular were stylishly presented atop slivers of cooling cucumber, so the pork belly (normally resulting in the need to loosen one’s belt) actually left us both refreshed and ready for the main courses. For mains, we decided to test the kitchen’s mettle by ordering a ‘classic’ as well as one of their more modern dishes – Kung Po chicken with cashew nuts and the intriguing stir-fried rabbit meat with green tea leaves. The friendly waiter suggested that we share a rice accompaniment because after all, “you can always order more if you want” – my kind of restaurant. Mains arrived and the rabbit had our full attention: a delicate pile of fried tea leaves turned out to be the texture of the more traditional crispy seaweed dish but with a herbal note that worked well with the juicy rabbit morsels scattered across the plate. Slices of spiky red chillies lurked throughout, adding heat and flavour – it was great to see a more adventurous dish on the menu for those diners who want something different from the norm.
The sweet, flavourful and rich Kung Po chicken disappeared in seconds. A great rendition of a classic, by all accounts. The rice dish was my secret favourite though, consisting of a mix of plain and brown rice with pak choi stirred through – it reminded me of the truth behind the quote about rice being great if you’re hungry and want to eat two thousand of something. We ploughed on into desserts, opting for banana fritters and a key lime pie: this arrived as a neat tower and proved irresistible to my sugar-loving companion, while I made short work of the banana slices, a perfect combination of crispy battered shell and moist, fluffy insides. Full and happy, we were ready to leave when the assistant manager, Udana, arrived at our table and invited us to take a tour upstairs. Thinking that I’d already seen the plush bathrooms, I wondered what more there could be, but as we rounded the corner at the top of the stairs, my mouth fell open. Another beautifully decorated room with six large tables that – as I got closer – proved my hopes correct.
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“These tables are induction hobs – for cooking,” Udana explained with a grin. Seriously impressive. Although this floor of the restaurant wasn’t open when we visited, it was soon to be host to diners able to cook their own meats and vegetables using this innovative and hi-tech cooking process. Next, he opened a door to reveal the first of what turned out to be a series of super-stylish karaoke rooms with state of the art systems, huge leather sofas and spectacular neon lighting. A dazzling first for Cambridge, unless I’m mistaken. The Orchid has joined the ranks of Cambridge’s fine-dining establishments with a bang, and will no doubt prove popular with those looking for a unique dining experience, a turn behind a microphone upstairs, or a combination of the two. If you’re looking for a stylish place to enjoy fine Asian fusion cuisine, pop this one on the top of your must-visit list. 70 Newmarket Road, CB5 8DZ, 01223 321050, www.orchid-cambridge.co.uk
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If you like Asian food, you’ll love us! We cater the finest authentic Asian fusion cuisine. We aim to make your dining experience memorable by providing a stylish and elegant atmosphere where you can enjoy our great quality freshly prepared food that is complemented by the excellent service. Our chef creates enchanting meals with a twist of fusion; bringing together quality ingredients and spices to offer new dinning experiences that reflect the Asian world.
01223 321050 Opening hours: Lunch - 12:00 to 14:30 Dinner - 17:00 to 23:00 KTV – 12.00 – 3.30am in the morning Email: info@orchid-cambridge.co.uk Address: 70 Newmarket Road, Cambridge Website: www.orchid-cambridge.co.uk
ORCHID
FOOD
F OOD NEWS
A monthly round-up of gastronomic goings-on in Cambridge and the surrounding area
FINE ART OF DINING
Cambridge Wine Merchants There’s a busy schedule of events at the city’s various Cambridge Wine Merchants branches this month, kicking off with a wine tasting with celebrity speaker Tim Atkin on 13 September. A British Master of Wine and celebrated oenophile, Atkin writes for publications including The Economist’s Intelligent Life and also appears regularly on TV shows including Saturday Kitchen. He will be at the Bridge Street tasting room at 7.30pm, leading a session on wines from Southern France (£10 including wine and nibbles).
Next up, on 19 September, is a food and wine pairing course with Guardian wine critic and author Fiona Beckett (Tickets £10), who will take guests on a grand tour of Rioja wines and what to eat with them. Finally, Australian wine legend Chris Hancock – the man responsible for introducing Australian Chardonnay to the world – will present the Oakley Wines collection at the Cherry Hinton Road branch on 30 September (7.30pm, £5 for wine samples). www.cambridgewine.com
A must for foodies and chefs, FooDefinition returns for another event on 1 September. Organised by Fine Art of Dining, in order to bring fellow chefs and food fans together, it’s a hands-on day of cooking, held at the state of the art Cooks Barn in Bottisham. Guests will cook together in a fully kittedout kitchen, discuss new ideas and create outstanding dishes, using ingredients provided by the team (feel free to bring your own if you want, too). A fantastic chance to hone your skills and pick up ideas from some of the best in the business. Starts 9am through to 6pm. 10am – fish classes, 12 noon – vegetarian classes, 2.30pm meat classes and 4pm – desserts. Tickets are £25 each. www.foodefinition.eventbrite.co.uk
Butchery classes The Gog Magog Farm Shop holds regular events throughout the year, and this month they’re inviting you to attend a butchery class. On 18 and 25 September, learn how to make the most of meat in a hands-on tutorial. The class begins with a talk about the animal you will be studying – its breed, age, farmer and welfare before discussing why different joints cook in different ways and how you can make the most of each piece. The class will finish with a pork supper with local beer and wine, with a chance to chat about butchery, farming and British food in more depth. Each course runs 7-10pm (drinks at 6.45pm). It’s £100 per person with an introductory offer of a second person coming half price. Each person will also get to take home the shoulder of pork they have prepared. Call 01223 248352 or visit the website to book. www.gogmagoghills.com
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Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 57
FOOD
Cambridge Food, Garden & Produce Festival Parker’s Piece will be a hive of activity on 14 and 15 September as the annual Food, Garden & Produce Fair rolls into town. Brought to us by Oakleigh Fairs, the team behind the Town & Country Show in June, it coincides with the start of British Food Fortnight and sees stalls take up residence on the Piece and in the food marquee. This year they’ve secured Sophie Grigson to come along and cook up a storm in the Cookery Demo marquee on Saturday. Sophie is a keen champion of
domestic cookery and healthy eating. She has dedicated her career to cooking simple, easy dishes using new and exciting ingredients. Having published no fewer than 24 cookery books, Sophie is a pro when it comes to understanding great food, and has a natural talent for teaching cookery in an informal and fun way. Hands-on cookery workshops will also be offered by teaching guru Colin Ord, as well as cookery demos from champion of healthy eating, Wendi Jarrett, together
with demos from the award-winning teams from the Black Bull at Balsham and the Red Lion at Hinxton. The Co-op is once again supporting the The Produce Marquee which will have a wide range of produce and flowers, then indulge your creative side at the arts & crafts marquees. There’ll also be real ales and ciders from around the country, jams and chutneys, cakes and much more. Entry is free and it runs all day Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 5pm. www.oakleighfairs.co.uk/foodandgarden
DINE AT CORPUS This month, dine in one of the most exclusive locations in town, as Corpus Christi College opens up its lavish dining hall to members of the public for one night only. One of the most beautiful dining halls in Cambridge, and probably the country, The Hall is very much the heart of the college. It’s situated between the Old and New Courts and serves meals to all the Fellows, students and staff each day. You’ll also see a rare William Morris print on the upper walls, the same one that can be found in the House of Commons. Dine at Corpus takes place on 13 September as part of Open Cambridge. Tickets cost £37 including pre-dinner drinks (at 7pm) and a three-course dinner cooked by the college’s top chef. www.cam.ac.uk/open-cambridge
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Conversation starters: Decorated in a gothic style, its walls lined with portraits of former Masters, there’s a definite air of Hogwarts about Corpus, which was founded in 1352 and is the second smallest of the university. It’s also one of the wealthiest, and its assets and buildings were valued at just under £190m in 2011. Its alumni include Christopher Marlowe, Kevin McCloud and Hugh ‘Lord Grantham’ Bonneville. Women were allowed to dine in the Hall, and join the college choir, from the 1960s. The college is reported to have several ghosts, including Henry Butts, who hanged himself in the Master’s Lodge, and young lovers Elizabeth Spencer and James Betts, who died after being locked in a wardrobe. They’re said to walk out on Christmas Eve. The dazzling Corpus Christi clock was erected in 2008, unveiled by Professor Stephen Hawking.
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FOOD
ITALIAN DINNER PARTY Pretend you’re on holiday in Tuscany, or strolling the sunny streets of Rome with this authentic Italian Dinner Party, taking place on 28 September at Cambridge City Hotel. Italian chef Antonio Focaccio has created a beautiful three-course menu, which will be coupled, of course, with some gorgeous Italian wines. It should be a great cultural event for the city, as well as an ideal opportunity to enjoy some delicious Italian cuisine including salmon carpaccio, slow-braised osso buco and dark chocolate and coffee semifreddo with amaretto crumble. It starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost £70 including an aperitif and two wines with each course. Cambridgeshire Wine School’s head tutor Mark Anstead will be on hand to explain each pairing. Cambridge City Hotel also have a Cake and Wine evening with local hero Mr Cake, coming up before that, on 18 September. For further details of both events, visit the website. www.cambridgeshirewineschool.com
Alimentum Sunday Supper Club Cl b The Michelin-starred Cambridge restaurant hosts a Sunday Supper Club each month, offering a chance to try some brand new dishes before they reach the menus. As part of the exclusive club (the rest of the restaurant stays closed, creating a more intimate, dinner party atmosphere), you’ll be served a fivecourse meal, cooked up by Mark Poynton and his talented team. Mark is known for creating innovative flavour combinations and really pushing the boundaries and challenging our
preconceptions about food, so expect lots of unusual, delicious dishes you've never sampled before. After a short talk from Mark, you’ll also be asked for your feedback, with a chance to score the dishes and influence which end up on the regular menu. This month’s supper club takes place on 12 September. Tickets cost £45 per person, with an extra £15 to include specially selected wines. Otherwise, feel free to bring your own. www.restaurantalimentum.co.uk
TIM HAYWARD AT HEFFERS Food writer, chef and saviour of Fitzbillies bakery, Tim Hayward gives a talk at Heffers this month, introducing his new book, Food DIY. With ‘grow your own’ very much the spirit of the day, this beautifully designed cookbook is the perfect companion for anyone interested in learning more about creating good food, from scratch. It’s fun,
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thrifty and a little bit adventurous – and ensures you know exactly where the food you’re giving your family is coming from. Find out how to smoke your own salmon, make sloe gin and pickle your own shallots, and pick up tips on outdoor cooking, baking and more. Get a taste of the good life on 19 September, 6.30pm. Tickets are £6 from Heffers, or by calling 01223 463220. www.bookshop.blackwell.co.uk
Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 59
FOOD
THE MAYPOLE New Opening: The Pint Shop After a lengthy search for the perfect premises, Cambridge duo Richard Holmes and Benny Peverelli have announced they’re set to open the hotly-anticipated Pint Shop at 10 Peas Hill (near the Market Square) in Cambridge in early November. A three storey building, opposite Jamie’s Italian and next to Zizzi and CAU, the Pint Shop will serve up a range of cask ales, in addition to around 40 carefully selected gins, 20 whiskies and a small selection of European wines. The new pub looks set to become yet another new foodie destination on the local map as well, with the pair promising hearty, home-made grub such as hot pies, spitroasted meat and ‘real bread’. The goal? To reinvent the traditional ‘beer houses’ of old. Stay tuned to Cambridge Edition for updates and stay in the loop on Twitter by following @PintShop.
ang in the centre of town, yet tucked away from the main roads, The Maypole is a popular Cambridge watering hole, with its friendly atmosphere and reputation for good ales and food. It’s run by father and son team Vincent and Mario Castiglione, whose passion and personalities are part of what gives the pub its character. “My family’s been in Cambridge for 32 years; my dad’s Sicilian, my mum’s English and I’m Cambridge born and bred,” says Vincent. “I love running the pub, b it’s a lovely place and our customers are fantastic. It’s a safe, friendly pub; it’s got that ‘local’ feel, despite being right in the centre. “We get a mixture of students, graduates and locals who want to have a good quality night out. Because we’re off the beaten track, people mostly come here because they’ve been before and want to come back. We’ve built up a trade through word of mouth.” The pub was taken over by Vincent’s father in 1982 and has a long history as a drinking establishment before that. Today it pulls in punters for a variety of reasons, as Vincent explains: “We have 16 real ales, lots of which come from local and micro breweries. People like that, especially if they’re visiting: they’ll ask what’s local, and that’s a growing trend. We have specialty bottled Belgian beers too. On top of that we do cocktails, which was something my dad started in the 80s! We’ve also just redecorated our outside area, which is a big pull in the summer.” The Maypole also has a reputation for good quality, locally sourced food. “It’s good, home-made pub food,” says Vincent: “We do lots of Italian and English dishes, including making our own pizzas, and we’ve got a highly qualified chef who used to work wor at Midsummer House.” The pub also has a few claims to fame, being just around the corner from the ADC Theatre. “David Mitchell used to drink her and we got a mention in his autobiography,” Vincent reveals. “When here, p he played a gig at the Corn Exchange not long ago, he popped back for a drin here afterwards. “Lots of other actors and comedians were regulars drink here her during their student days. Richard Ayoade, Rachel Weisz… And though The Eagle is the famous pub for the DNA discovery, Professor Crick actually lived live next door to us, and used to come in when we first opened.” ww www.maypolefreehouse.co.uk
Great for: Cocktails, ales and home-made food Vibe: Super friendly city centre watering hole Claim to fame: Plenty, a prime location next to the ADC Theatre means that lots of famous thesps have called The Maypole their local over the years, from Rachel Weisz to David Mitchell.
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FOOD
WORDS ALEX RUSHMER
LUNCH Resist the lure of the supermarket sandwich, says Alex Rushmer, a little planning and attention can revolutionise lacklustre lunchtimes dventurous eating played a short but important part in my culinary development. Inspired by the likes of Anthony Bourdain’s A Cook’s Tour and Tom ParkerBowles’ Year of Eating Dangerously I began approaching meals with the notion that no food is inherently unpleasant, it is our cultural benchmarks that instill feelings of revulsion or disgust. I became the ultimate unfussy eater, chowing down everything from bugs to brains and although many recipes were tested and consumed only once, the overriding philosophy that inspired the phase remains firmly lodged in my brain. As a child things were very different. For reasons I am still unable to fathom, on occasion I was a fussy little blighter – foods and meals that I had previously enjoyed would stick in my mouth, resolutely unswallowable. I would pick at plates for hours, taking tiny morsels and agonising over why there was still so much left in front of me. My suspicion is that it began with school lunches which consisted of foods so alien to a four year old raised on home cooking that they appeared, initially at least,
utterly inedible. The first school lunch I ever ate consisted of a breaded ham and ersatz cheese affair alongside an oddly spherical mound of instant mashed potato. The whole plate was lubricated by a slew of watery baked beans and the rule, enforced by none other than the headmaster himself, was that everyone had to eat half of their meal. It was my first day and my inability to consume even two mouthfuls was perhaps an early precursor sor to the career path I would eventually take. It also marked the start of a school career marred by hungry lunchtimes and afternoons. Even an early transition to packed lunches,, lovingly prepared ed by my mother on a daily basis,, wasn’t enough to help me get over er my lunch phobiaa ches and the sandwiches and salads remained ained uneaten, slowly growing a layer of mould in the bottom of my school bag. Thankfully this is no longer the case and lunch has become, on occasion, at least my second favourite meal of the day. The importance of a solid, sustaining lunch is sometimes underappreciated and the ease with which one can grab a duo of triangular sandwiches from the supermarket shelf means it is an often-overlooked opportunity to enjoy a meal rather than merely refuel. In the days when I plied my trade in a 9-5 office environment, the thought of lunch was what got me through the morning
an and the meal itself set me up fo for a solid afternoon of work a clock watching (the and e exception was Chippy Friday which, whilst enjoyable, left the entire workforce in a carbohydrate-induced food coma for the majority of the afternoon). I got into the habit of shopping for the following day’s lunch rather than the current one which allowed me time to create an array of sandwiches, salads and soups that eventually became the envy of those who slurped on a noodle-based cup snack or glumly munched through a dried-out hoisin duck wrap. The cost savings too turned out to be staggering – I could feed myself for a week on what my colleagues might spend in a single day, despite the fact I was buying good ingredients and eating well. It might have taken a few years but I discovered that the key to an enjoyable and edible lunch was simply to make it myself.
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Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 63
EATING IN
WORDS ALEX RUSHMER IMAGES CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
Sandwich
Don’t be duped by the sandwich shop, gourmet lunches are an easy alternative. All you need is a little bit of thought, planning and preparation for the ultimate lunch on the go. Houmous is incredibly easy to make and can be flavoured with anything from sun-dried tomatoes to olives. Make a batch at the start of the week and pair with pitta breads and raw vegetables. A bowl of frozen edamame beans can be microwaved in seconds – drizzle a little oil, salt and chilli flakes over the top and a minute later you have a great partner for a warming cup of miso soup. If you’re feeling hungry a slab of noodles should give you a solid carb fix. The Spanish omelette was designed as the ultimate packed lunch, takes only minutes to cook and costs pennies. What’s not to like?
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EATING IN
Ing red ien ts For the bread
400g 00 pa sta flour yeast) 14g fre sh yeast (or 7g dried 10g sa lt
Recipe
300ml water 25 ml olive oil
You could make this with a ready made ciabatta but there is something deeply satisfying about baking your own. There are no limitations here – fill the sandwich with whatever you want – just remember to make sure it is well stuffed.
Step-by-step guide 1. To make the bread, combine all the dry ingredients then pour in the water and oil. Knead for a few minutes then leave the dough in a warm place to rise for three hours. 2. Tip out onto a floured surface and shape into two equally sized loaves. 3. Either rise for another hour in a warm place or pop in the fridge overnight. 4. Preheat the oven to 220°C and bake for
ten minutes, then turn the oven down to 180°C and bake for a further ten minutes. 5. Remove the loaf to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely. Slice in half and assemble your ingredients layer by layer ensuring that the moist ingredients aren’t in contact with the bread (salami makes a great waterproof barrier) so as to stop it going soggy. Wrap it in foil and forget about it until lunchtime.
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For the filling
d cuts: sa lami, A selection of Ita lia n col all ideal are o utt sci lomo an d pro a co mbination 75-100g ch ee se – I used latte Do of mozzare lla an d lce 3- 4 su n-dried tom atoes ch argrilled pe ppers in oil grilled artichok es in oil A ta ble spoon of pe sto na ch 50g rocket or ba by leaf spi
Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 65
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FASHION
Transitional entials September S pt b ushers h in i a new season off style, t l but b t bbefore you dive headlong into the autumn/ winter trends, take a moment to absorb our lessons on transitional dressing. These failsafe pieces transcend trends, and the weather…
ess
TRIANGLE JUMPER £12 PRIMARK Bang on trend in this season’s coral, this adorable cropped jumper is a steal at just £12.
BRIGHT DIP-DYE SCARF £18 TOPSHOP Blast away the autumnal chill with a burst of colour. We love this dip-dyed Topshop number which will nicely brighten up more wintry colours.
PINK CREW NECK JUMPER £380 MCQ CORAL MINI SKIRT £89 ALMOST FAMOUS, ALL HOUSE OF FRASER Mix up fabrics and flash some flesh whilst the temperatures are still mild enough to. Brightly coloured leather is set to be a big hitter for AW13 so get ahead of the game with this gorgeous Almost Famous coral skirt.
ANIMAL PRINT COAT £65 NEXT n sh leopard-print ard pri coat will tide you over during This mannish the weather phase when a little jacket is t e awkward aw w just not enough and a full-on puffa too much.
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CUT OUT TRIANGLE CHUNKY CHAIN COLLAR £20 TOPSHOP Store all your boho friendship bracelets for now and opt for something with more structure, like this geometric necklace, instead.
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FASHION
FELT CAP NOW £12.50 ASOS Keep the sportswear look through autumn with this felt cap – the ultimate stopgap accessory before beanie weather hits.
VICTORIANA SHIRT £89 MONSOON Your transitional wardrobe wouldn’t be complete without a blouse. Monsoon’s antique-feel piece, with its embroidered embellishment, ticks all the right boxes. CHECK BOXY KNIT £79 MINT VELVET The perfect balance between classic and on trend, this check jumper will live in your wardrobe for years to come.
EMBELLISHED JUMPER £35 DOROTHY PERKINS There’s no need for any added accessories with this cosy jumper. It’s the ideal evening cover-up.
SHARD BIKER BOOTS £170 KURT GEIGER These suede biker boots with gold hardware were made for kicking through amber leaves on crisp afternoons. SKINNY STRETCH LEATHER TROUSER £499 MINT VELVET Pricey though they are, leather trousers are a modern classic akin to the white shirt or patent court. Add a pair to your wardrobe asap. ANIMAL JAQUARD TROUSERS £45 AWEAR A pair of structured jaquard pants fit the bill for occasions which demand polish and poise.
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LUSTROUS SILVER BROGUES £79 DUNE These beauties are selling like hot cakes, get your hands on a pair now to give instant glam to your autumnal ensembles.
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FASHION
Transitional Essentials DUSK GREEN PAISLEY 5 PANEL SNAPBACK CAP* £30 TOPMAN Hats are key when it comes to transitional dressing, and we love this quirky floral number.
LONG-SLEEVED POLO £22 ASOS Time to resort to longer sleeves. Swap t-shirts for one of these hardy polos from ASOS.
WORN BY ‘PEACOCK’ T-SHIRT* £28 TOPMAN A muted palette might be the order of the day as far as autumnal clothes are concerned, but that doesn’t mean you can’t jazz up your outfit with the odd splash of colour.
SWEATER £35 RIVER ISLAND With it being too cold for t-shirts and too warm for jumpers, sweaters are your best friend this month.
CRIMINAL DAMAGE, M-HOMIES SWEATSHIRT £45 TOPMAN PLAID SHIRT £30 RED HERRING As the cool kicks in layer this plaid shirt over your favourite t-shirts for some welcome insulation.
Tongue-in-cheek takes on designer names are all the rage right now. Get in on the act with this white easy wear sweatshirt.
‘SUSPENSION’ BOOT £85 DUNE Pack away your Vans and Converse for another season; as soon as autumn hits, practicality needs to be your number one footwear priority. JONES BOOTS £89.99 SUPERDRY These leather lace-up boots will keep your feet dry and snug come autumn showers or winter snow.
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Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 71
BEAUTY
WORDS DAISY DICKINSON & CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
Prime TIME For a photo-finish face, primer is the ultimate secret weapon in your arsenal. Daisy and Charlotte explain how to perfect your skin and get longer lasting make-up LUSCIOUS LASHES We’re big fans of a decent eyelash primer – it’s a great way to make your mascara work harder and last longer. Plus, if you’re running out of time in the morning, you can do away with the eyelash curlers in favour of a quick slick of priming formula for an equally wide-awake look. We love Clinique’s Eyelash Primer (£12, Boots), which conditions and protects lashes too. For those who don’t get on with white-based primer types, try RevitaLash Volumizing Primer (£18, www. johnandginger.co.uk), which provides a silky base for mascara in a blue hue that enhances your eye colour as well. Follow with a hard-working waterproof mascara such as No7’s Waterproof Extreme Length mascara (£12.50, Boots) for fluttery, fixed lashes. True mascara junkies (like us!) will love Max Factor’s Lashfinity 3 Day Mascara – described as ‘life-proof’, this product promises to stay strong through sleeping, showering and rubbing (£18.99, Boots).
PRIMED PEEPERS
All model shots courtesy of Miss Selfridge
The classic sign of a long day is eyeshadow that’s rumpled in your eye creases and slipped down your face. For a firm powdery smoulder we’ve got a number of solutions: Urban Decay have a beautiful bottle of eyeshadow primer potion promising crease-free colour for 24 hours (£15, Debenhams). Smashbox offer a fab range of primers too, including their Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer (£21, Boots) which offers an ideal base for cake-free concealer.
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FIX IT
PUCKER UP
Instead of priming with a base, you can also fix your make-up after it’s applied with a nifty product like Urban Decay’s brilliant All Nighter Long Lasting Make-Up Spray (£19.50, Debenhams). But as well as making sure your make-up stays, it brightens and refreshes, giving a matte finish – ideal for oilier skin.
Revlon’s Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain is a pampering balm fused with a lightweight lipstain in a cute chubby crayon. With a minty fragrance and sweet taste this nondrying formula lasts a full day at work with minimal touchups, even after a big lunch. Our favourite is the shade ‘Lovesick’ (£7.99 Boots).
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BEAUTY
Top 5
IN THE FRAME
PRIMERS
For the ultimate airbrushed look, primers are your foundation’s new best friend. They smooth out any imperfections, lumps and bumps, making a smooth surface to apply your make-up to
It’s no secret that we’re both big fans of Mac, and we recently tested their eyebrow pencil in 32°C sun. This little pencil provides natural-looking coverage that sticks and stays until you want it off (£13, Mac/John Lewis). Aanother hard-working product for your eyes, Italian range Lord & Berry offer smudgeproof eyeliners that give a 30-second ‘smudgetime’, just long enough to create a sultry look, before they set for 24 hours without budging or transferring. We love it in #721 Oliva. (£7.50, lookfantastic. com)
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4 1 Benefit 'Stay Flawless' £24.50, Boots – Great for longevity A newcomer to the Benefit range, Stay Flawless acts like a magnet to lock on your foundation for 15 fresh, flawless hours. Our top tip is to smooth directly onto the skin, adding a couple of blobs of your usual foundation over the top, and blend together. 2 Clinique 'Superprimer Face Primers' £20, John Lewis – For a range of skin types It’s been a long time coming, but Clinique have finally introduced primers to their range. Available in one universal formula and five tinted formulas designed for a variety of specific skincare needs, the new Superprimers visibly smooth and improve skin texture with lightweight silicone polymers that perfect the look of pores, fine lines and wrinkles. 3 Smashbox 'Photo Finish Foundation'
Primer £25, Boots – Perfect for an airbrushed look Create a perfect canvas for foundation application with this silky, lightweight blend of vitamins A and E, grape seed extract and green tea. We love Smashbox for hardworking make-up and this primer’s no exception. Easy to wear alone or under foundation to increase longevity, it helps
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reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores for flawless skin with a velvety smooth finish – and it’s oil free! 4 Murad 'Dewy Finish Primer' £29, www.murad.co.uk – For a glowing summer appearance Murad offer a range of primers to suit various skin types and looks. Their products are multi-functioning and multi-purpose creams that not only give your make-up longevity, minimise pores, even skin tone and firm the skin but also help to treat skin concerns. They all come in a natural tint and feature adaptive shade technology, meaning they’re suitable for virtually any skin tone. We liked the ‘dewy finish’ for a fresh summer look to the skin. 5 Arbonne 'Make-up Primer' £26,
www.arbonneinternational.co.uk – Fab for fine lines Filled with skin-conditioning agents, antioxidants and premium skin-preserving ingredients, Arbonne’s Make-up Primer features something clever called Optilight Technology to blur blemishes and ensure skin has a healthy glow. We found it to be light, with a mousse-like texture that smoothed on easily, providing a soft finish, ready for make-up application. And to finish… After all that primping and priming, you'll need an equally fab foundation. We adore Lancôme Teint Miracle. The product is lightweight and silky, glides on beautifully over primer for a dewy, summery look that lasts long after sunset (£27, Boots).
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BEAUTY NEWS
Beauty NEWS
Golden girls Over at Y Spa, which opened recently at Wyboston Lakes, they’re offering one of the most decadent body treatments we’ve ever had the pleasure of encountering. The ‘Glamorous Gold Envelopment’, which costs £60 for 50 minutes, uses powerful antiageing ingredients: caviar, champagne and gold, with the ‘sensual warmth’ of amber to rejuvenate your skin and stall the signs of ageing. You’ll feel soothed and indulged after this rather regal massage – they don’t call them the ‘golden years’ for nothing, you know. Also this month, Wyboston Lakes celebrates its 30th birthday, and they’re throwing a big party on 1 September. Aimed at all the family, there’ll be a barbecue, magician, ice cream van and a stall full of goodies, taking place from 1pm. www.yspa.co.uk
Body by Vi Challenge Want to get healthier, slimmer or more toned? A new 90-day challenge has arrived in the UK, geared at helping you get fit – within a timescale. The Body by Vi Challenge has proved a success in the States, and is now launching in the UK, being promoted in Cambridge by Alison Curtis. The plan revolves around a healthy shake, containing all the vitamins, minerals and proteins we need in our diet. “It’s great for people who don’t always get their five a day, as it covers everything you might possibly need,” says Alison. “If you want to lose weight, it works as a meal replacement, but it can also be a supplement to get all your goodness every day. For example, if you’re an older person and maybe don’t cook much, then a shake in the morning would get you started for the day. Or, if you go to the gym, you’d have it after a workout to help repair the muscles. So it’s quite versatile.” The shakes cost £39 a month for one shake a day, £79 for two and £119 for three (which includes cookies!). That works out as just over £1 per shake – much cheaper than a sandwich! The standard flavour is vanilla, but you’ll also get chocolate and strawberry sachets, and ‘shakers’ are encouraged to add in their own fruit or other ingredients. “You can mix it with anything you want, like bananas, or coffee, to make it a mocha which is great to have in the morning,” says Alison. And by adding your own challenge – maybe to run a marathon at the end of 90 days, or reach a certain weight goal – you get that added motivation to succeed. Find out more online. www.alisoncurtis.bodybyvi.com
Salon makes shortlist S T Toni&Guy in Cambridge has made the final cut in this year’s Perfect Salon of tthe Year Awards, with the winner to be announced later this month. The city ccentre salon, located on Bridge Street, is one of just a handful of finalists who have got this far in the contest due to their customer care, work w e ethic and the success of their business model. Toni&Guy opened in Cambridge in 1993, and has since won numerous awards including ‘Director of the Year’ for managing n director Lee Gordon. They put the success of their salon down d tto their talented team, who are trained in the latest cutting aand colouring techniques. w www.toniandguy.com
Savvy styling A bit strapped for cash this month? If holidays, festivals, and other summer jaunts have meant sacrificing your usual trip to the hairdressers, you might be interested in this little gem of a salon, situated at Cambridge Regional College. The Park Training Salon is a hub for trainee hairdressers to perfect their skills on the way to becoming fully qualified, while for us, it’s
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a chance to get a haircut at a bargain price. A regular cut and blow-dry costs £8, or be adventurous and try something you hadn’t dared splash out on before, like a tint or quasi colour, or highlights for just £15. They’ll also try out any hairstyle you might fancy, from French plaits to finger waves (great if you’ve got a vintage party night coming up!). Or try out some wedding hair updos, all from a glorious and affordable £5. Quite frankly, it’s win-win! www.theparkcambridge.co.uk
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Kati Suard phone: +44 7720 644345 email: kati@aaltoneninteriors.com
www.aaltoneninteriors.com
INTERIORS
WORDS EMILY BROOKS
Rest assured
CASPER UPHOLSTERED BED £1,150; Noah chest £999, Noah wardrobe £1,200, Noah free-standing mirror £550; John Lewis Bonsai rug, Mist £399; John Lewis Puri table lamp £60; John Lewis Francesca floor lamp £180; John Lewis Ombre knit throw £100, all John Lewis (08456 049049; www.johnlewis.com)
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INTERIORS
PALERMO WAFFLE ROBE, £80, The Fine Cotton Company (08456 029050; www.thefinecottoncompany.com)
From breathable bed linen to handy storage that bans the clutter, interior design has its part to play in giving you a good night’s sleep – and you don’t need acres of space to get it right ow are you sleeping? On the list of things that might be preventing you from getting a good night’s rest – parenthood, stress, alcohol and shift work, to name a handful – you probably wouldn’t add ‘a badly designed bedroom’. And yet, a calm, orderly environment with no distractions is considered one of the pieces in the puzzle of good-quality sleep, and it’s something relatively easy to achieve, to boot. Hotel-style bedrooms are currently a key interiors trend, and while it’s one that focuses on the finer things in life – finest-quality bed linen or statement-making beds, for example – it’s more about buying the best quality you can afford, and having exactly what you need (and no more) in just the right place. Practical elements such as adjustable, wallmounted lighting on either side of the bed (which can be controlled from the bed itself) and good-quality window dressings with a blackout facility are just two simple ideas that can be taken away. Well thought-through details, like bedside tables that are the same height as the bed so you can reach everything easily, are signs that some proper design thought has gone
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Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 79
INTERIORS
FARRINGDON has a simplistic, luxurious design and smart studded headboard; this upholstered bed fits perfectly in a modern home; now £749, Feather & Black (01243 380600; www. featherandblack.com)
INNERMOST BUBBLE SUSPENSION LIGHT polished copper, now £297.50 Nest (01142 433000; www.nest.co.uk)
JOULES SUNBIRD BED LINEN from £15 to £95, cushion £40; Joules Deckchair Stripe bed linen, from £15 to £95; John Lewis Pemberley cross-back dining chair £95; Angelpoise Type 75 LED lamp white, £165; all John Lewis (08456 049049; www.johnlewis.com)
TIGHT SPACE STORAGE DIVAN with Chloe headboard, from £955, Loaf (08454 680698; www.loaf.com)
into a scheme. For hotel-inspired chic, look for higher-quality bed linen in 100% natural materials, with a thread count of at least 200. It should come in only one colour – white – but feel free to be bolder with accessories, since blankets, throws, bolsters and cushions can add texture and colour. Symmetry is important for getting the look (and it’s restful on the eye, too, aiding relaxation), so go for pairs of identical cushions rather than a scattering of all sorts. Next, you need a sumptuous centrepiece of a bed. Look for big and bold headboards, especially buttoned or winged ones that envelop you and are the first thing you see when you enter the room. A headboard plus divan is a great set-up for interiors addicts, because you can keep the sturdy base and just switch the headboard as fashions change, and it’s also a good option for smaller spaces, since a footboard will interrupt your line of sight across the room
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Plough your funds into a good mattress rather than the bed frame –it’s the bit that makes the difference and make it feel smaller. As every hotelier knows, headboards need to be practical as well as beautiful, so consider carefully before opting for a design in an absorbent fabric like a velvet if you like to enjoy a greasy bacon sandwich in bed on a Sunday morning. Leather, wood or a dark-coloured upholstery fabric are all good alternatives, and you can also get creative and simply frame the bed with wallpaper, a stick-on decal, or fabric suspended from a pole. If you’re shopping for a new bed on a limited budget, plough your funds into a good mattress rather than the bed frame – after all, it’s the bit that can make the biggest difference to how you sleep. The right mattress is an individual thing, with comfort depending on your weight, your sleeping
position and personal preference, so make sure you take the time to go to a shop and have a lie down rather than buying online. Pocket-sprung products are a cut above open-coil ones (the higher the spring count, the higher the quality), plus, look for a memory foam topper for added comfort, or add your own down or synthetic topper, for that floating-on-air feel when you dive into bed. Several companies can engineer you a product that has a different spec on each side, so you and your partner can both experience optimum comfort – try Feather and Black (01243 380600; www. featherandblack.com) for an integrated bespoke mattress, or Hypnos’s zip and link beds for two separate mattresses that come together seamlessly, available from
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INTERIORS
HIP HOP DOUBLE OTTOMAN BED with lift-up storage, now £499.99, Bensons for Beds (08081 446160; www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk)
MANDALAY bed linen, RRP £139 for a double duvet cover, Christy (08457 585252; www.christy-towels.com) FRENCH CHEVAL MIRROR in solid oak, £495.95, Flora Furniture (01302 7111166; www.florafurniture.co.uk)
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the Cambridge Bed Centre (01223 415353; www.cambridgebedcentre.co.uk). Some companies have attempted to cut through the vast amount of choice and offer a much more simplified ‘menu’ of mattresses: Sofas & Stuff (08081 783211; www.sofasandstuff. com) sells one type of mattress in three differing levels of firmness, while Loaf (08454 680698; www.loaf. com) sells two: a regular one and one with a topper. Add a statement piece of furniture to finish your hotel-chic boudoir – a brightly upholstered chair, sophisticated dressing table or simply a free-standing mirror. And if you haven’t got the space for any of these, never worry – hotel-style chic is not about having acres of room, but it is about keeping things as neat and tidy as if you’d just checked in. Utilise all those nooks and crannies to the full – rotate clothes seasonally (put the dormant ones in vacuum-sealed storage bags), and use the otherwise wasted space under the
bed (if you’re buying new, look for a bed with integrated storage, such as a divan with drawers or one with a lift-up top). Add storage everywhere you can, such as bedside tables with cupboards and drawers for those everyday essentials that would otherwise make a mess on a tabletop. Built-in wardrobes can be a boon in smaller rooms, since you can hide everything behind doors, store things from floor to ceiling, and create a modular system within that exactly matches your belongings; sliding doors are even more neat and compact. If you’ve got tired-looking built-in furniture, replace the doors with something more contemporary: the Kitchen Door Workshop (01825 765041; www.kitchendoorworkshop. co.uk) has branched out into wardrobe doors, with handle-free, high-gloss options and even a paintable door so you can blend it into your walls. Finally, look for compact versions of furniture that won’t swamp a diminuitive room, such as small-scale dressing tables with chairs that tuck right underneath them. A storage box at the end of the bed can add some vital extra storage/sitting space. Sealy (01697 320342; www.sealy.co.uk) makes storage boxes that match any of
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INTERIORS
KEEP TO A LIMITED PALETTE in a restful colour to make smaller bedrooms appear larger. Walls in blue, number 158 by Farrow & Ball (01202 876141; www.farrow-ball.com)
HANGING ORGANISER £13.99, Home Storage Direct (0843 289 5653; www.homestoragedirect.com)
the divans and headboards across the range, giving a neat, tailored feel to the finished look. Design tips for making smaller rooms appear bigger include sticking to a fairly restricted palette in a light hue, and keeping fussy details to a minimum – try shutters instead of curtains for a sharper, cleaner appearance, for example. Lots of mirrors can bounce the light around, and the trick works on furniture such as dressing tables as well as for a conventional-looking glass. Whatever you think about feng shui, the ancient Chinese system of arranging your home to enhance the flow of ‘positive energy’, many of its rules are quite rational when it comes to bedrooms. Positioning
the bed so that you’re opposite the door appeals to our primeval need for safety and security – you’ll instantly know when someone’s coming in. Softening hard corners also enhances our sense of a room that ‘flows’, and it’s inherently calming to use natural materials, like a wooden headboard for example. An absence of sensory stimulation is one of the keys to better sleep, so if you’re having trouble nodding off, appraise how well your bedroom is performing as a dark, quiet cocoon. Fully blacking out the windows is a must, either with blackout linings for your curtains or adding an extra blind that will seal out light. Eliminate other lighting, from the clock radio to your blinking mobile phone. Soothing lighting for just before you nod off will also signal to your body that it should be shutting down – add a dimmer switch to your central pendant so you can get ready under a soft glow.
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SLOANE THREE-DRAWER CHEST £499, Marks & Spencer (08456 031603; www.marksand spencer.com)
HAND-PAINTED SIDEBOARD/CHEST OF DRAWERS £299, Isme (08448 118112; www.isme.com)
Noise is harder to shut out, but try thick curtains in a sound-absorbing fabric like wool to block out traffic. Regulating your temperature is also important, so invest in a duvet that has summer and winter versions that can snap together, or buy two different weights and switch as appropriate. When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, every little helps. Even if you can only implement a few of these ideas, you should feel more refreshed come the morning. Good design leads to a good night’s sleep.
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INTERIORS
LITTLE
TREASURES Create the ultimate haven for your kids with a few imaginative touches DOG LIGHT CUT OUT £78 WHITE RABBIT ENGLAND
HT £175 MAIDEN GIANT MIFFY LIG KIDS’ BEAR RUG £189 KELATY
FERM LIVING MARIONETTE CUSHIONS £24 CLOUDBERRY LIVING
PLAYTIME RULES HANGING METAL SIGN £5.95 DOTCOMGIFTSHOP
BALL STRING LIGHTS NOW £27 ASPACE
FERM LIVING NEON LIGHTNING CUSHION £28 THE KID WHO
ODEN BOOKENDS ‘BANG – WALLOP’ WO EE.COM TTR £16.50 MYGIF
CONVERTIBLE MODERN COT BED £999 BELVIS FURNITURE
GLOW IN THE DARK OWL PRINT £30 THE KID WHO
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MOTORING
Motoring Review SKODA OCTAVIA VRS The pinnacle of a model range which spans seventeen years, this practical but sporty Skoda is an electrifying drive, says Sue Baker he traditional view of a sports car is a low-slung two-seater with enough performance to paint a smile of happiness on the face of its driver and a frown of envy on everyone else. So a car with a hatchback body and seats for five people does not really qualify, surely? Well yes it does, when it has a vRS badge on the back. Performance-wise, there can be absolutely no argument that this bright blue streak of lightning on wheels is a sports car. It just happens to be packaged in a body that also makes it a practical family car – albeit an unusually rapid one. How does a top speed of over 150mph sound? Or a standing start sprint time to the benchmark 62mph (100km/h, for Europhiles) in less than seven seconds? By any standards, that is a fast car which will quicken any petrolhead’s pulse at the prospect of driving it. It may be quite surprising to some people that this car wears a green winged arrow logo on its nose and hails from a factory in the Czech Republic. Yes, a high-performance Skoda. If the Skoda name still brings those hoary old jokes bubbling to mind, well sorry, but you’re a dinosaur. The bargain-basement pricing and mirth-inducing reputation of long-ago Skodas is ancient history, and today the Czech car maker is a highly respected member of the Volkswagen Group family. Having toured the company’s main factory in Mlada Boleslav, an hour’s drive away from Prague, I can vouch for the high-tech modern efficiency of the place. That is where this car is made, and what a car. It is the fastest Skoda Octavia ever produced, the pinnacle of a model range that has endured across 17 years and three generations of body shape. At the heart of this newest Octavia is a basic
mechanical structure in common with the latest Volkswagen Golf, known in VW jargon as its MKB modular platform, and already highly praised for the driving calibre of all the cars engineered around it. Others are the latest Audi A3 and Seat Leon. So the foundation is very good, and the Octavia architecture built onto it is as handsome as it is contemporary, but what makes this car special is the magic Skoda’s engineers have injected into it. The engine is an acclaimed two-litre petrol unit with a lavish 217bhp power output. The suspension is beefed up from the standard Octavia, and has a sophisticated multi-link arrangement at the rear end of the car. The ride height is slightly lower than standard, squatting 12mm closer to the road surface, for aerodynamic efficiency and improved high-performance road holding. This vivid electric blue paintwork, called Race Blue Metallic, is the car’s prime launch colour, and it really suits it in an extrovert, ‘look at me’ way. You wouldn’t want to drive a car with this level of
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MODEL TESTED: Skoda Octavia vRS 2.0 TSI PRICE: £27,695 ENGINE: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol, 217bhp GEARBOX: Six-speed DSG auto TOP SPEED: 152mph 0-62mph: 6.9 seconds FUEL ECONOMY: 44.1mpg average HOW GREEN? 149g/km CO2
performance if you were a shrinking violet, so being a bit ‘in yer face’ on colour scheme is part of what this car is about. Inside, the vRS has standard-fitment sports seats. They are huggily supportive to grip you on the bends, but unlike some other sports seats they have been thoughtfully designed not to unduly obscure the forward view of anyone travelling in the back of the car. If you have sickness-prone youngsters in the family, that could matter quite a bit, especially when whoever is behind the wheel makes exuberant use of the performance. I am happy to report that a fast trip to Longleat safari park and back with three under-11s on board was entirely vomit free. So what is it like to drive? In a word, electrifying. Squeeze the throttle, and the Octavia vRS takes off like a scalded cat. Without the squealing or hair-raising
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MOTORING
tantrums, though. What is particularly pleasing about this car is how civilised it is as well as immensely quick. Acceleration is both shove-in-the-back dramatic and also surprisingly civilised. Power take-up is smooth and linear, and the handling is grippy and precise. There is plenty of feedback from the steering to communicate exactly what the front wheels are doing, and response to wheel inputs is instant. The car has a system that enables it to apply judicious braking to the inside wheels on cornering as a means of ensuring cornering stability. It has a similar effect to the car having a limited slip differential, but without the mechanical complexity. The six-speed dual-clutch DSG (direct shift gearbox) is electronically controlled, and comes with paddle shifts for a really slick manual action through the gears, without taking your hands off the steering wheel. If you prefer, or mood dictates, you can lazily leave the box in auto mode to do the work for you. In common with other cars with this level of performance, the ride quality is on the
firm side. It is not quite unforgiving enough to rattle your fillings, but it is heading in that direction. The wheels are standard 18-inch alloys, chosen because big wheels suit a high-performing car and also because they look good filling the wheel arches. Did I happen to say that this is the fastest Skoda Octavia ever produced? Actually, it
is the fastest production car that Skoda has ever produced – only exceeded for pace by some of the marque’s world championship rally cars. It’s a fact that only serves to deeply underline why these days, the joke is on those who still think Skoda cars are something to laugh about.
CHEVROLET TRAX: THE ORIGINAL REBORN For many decades, Chevrolet has been known for its dependable and capable SUVs, having invented the class over 75 years ago with the introduction of the Suburban Carryall in 1935. The Chevrolet Trax has the DNA of a Chevrolet SUV with all the traditional Chevrolet values and more. It is a modern, highly versatile yet fuel-efficient small SUV, offering car-like handling and all-wheel drive, making it perfect for today’s urban explorer. It is available in two trim levels, LS – priced at £15,495 – and LT, starting at £17,495. The LT models will include Chevrolet’s exciting new generation of connected radio, Chevrolet MyLink technology. This new technology aggregates content from smartphones onto a seven-inch, high resolution, full colour touch-screen display. The system provides easy access to personal playlists, photo galleries, phone books, and other forms of stored media and data. It also supports TuneIn Internet radio, Siri Eyes Free, an intelligent assistant, as well as BringGo, a trusty navigation app that can be downloaded onto compatible smartphones.
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NEW
Through Chevrolet MyLink technology, customers with a compatible iPhone or similar Apple product* running iOS 6 can also direct Siri to perform a number of tasks while they safely keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. The power train line-up comprises of a 1.4L turbocharged unit, 1.6L and a 1.7L VCDi. Customers will be able to choose between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive variants. Trax will complement the larger Captiva and is the modern
expression of one of Chevrolet’s core competencies, which is building and selling great SUVs; it is the original SUV reborn for the urban frontier. *Note: Siri is available in Beta only on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad (third and fourth generations), iPad mini and iPod touch (fifth generation), and requires Internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply.
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PETS
WORDS ALEX WYLIE
DETECTING CANCER IN PETS
Just as with humans, catching cancer early in pets gives them the best chance of survival. Alex Wylie from Eastgate Veterinary Group advises on what to look out for adly many cancers are not preventable, however most are treatable if discovered early enough. Cancer screening in humans is well established and saves millions of lives yearly, and there are also methods of detecting cancer early in pets. Understandably, owners may be afraid of testing for cancer in both themselves and their pets. A diagnosis of cancer is horrendous, but it is not as devastating as losing the chance to fight it, and there are many ways to screen for cancer. HEALTH CHECKS Cancer is sometimes discovered or suspected at a routine check-up. It is recommended that young pets have wellness checks (usually combined with a vaccination) every 12 months. Any cat or dog over eight years of age, and rabbits over four, should be examined every six months, as they are more prone to developing age-related illnesses, including cancer. Special attention should be paid to the reproductive organs of animals that have not been neutered. The incidence of cancer is high in the mammary glands (breasts) of females and the testicles of males. BLOOD TESTS There are some cancers that can be specifically tested for by analysing blood samples. Examples include thyroid cancer in cats, tumours causing adrenal overactivity (Cushing’s Disease) in dogs and even prostate cancer in humans.
Changes in blood parameters can also suggest that cancer or another hidden illness is present in an organ. There is, however, no one ‘cancer test’ and normal results do not rule out cancer. It is recommended that pets over the age of eight years have their blood analysed every six months. TESTING OF LUMPS AND BUMPS Owner vigilance is crucial in the discovery and monitoring of any masses that occur on the outside of their pet. If any new lumps are found or changes in existing masses noticed, it is important to seek veterinary attention. The vet will often suggest a simple procedure called a needle biopsy. The vet places a needle into the mass, removes some cells and places them on a slide for examination. This quick and easy test is often all that is needed to put an owner’s mind to rest, and even if fears are confirmed, an early diagnosis could save a pet’s life. X-RAYS A vet may want to X-ray a pet if they are suspicious of cancer or want to check that a tumour has not spread. It is important that large-breed dogs that are prone to bone tumours (such as Rottweilers and St Bernards) are X-rayed early if lameness occurs after middle age.
ULTRASOUND Ultrasonic imaging is a useful, non-invasive way to see inside an animal’s body and organs. It can be used to check the organs for abnormalities. In most cases ultrasound is used during investigations of illness. It can, however, also be used as a screening tool (usually six monthly) in ‘at risk’ pets. Suggestions of screening programmes for dogs include: examining the spleen of German shepherds and golden retrievers over the age of eight as these breeds have a high prevalence of hemangiosarcoma, a malignant tumour most commonly found in the spleen; or a full abdominal ultrasound, from the age of six, of dogs whose breed or family history puts them at a high risk of cancer. The breeds with the highest rates of cancer include flat-coated retrievers, boxers, Rottweilers and Bernese mountain dogs. Treatment of cancer often saves lives but before this can be done it needs to be detected. Many veterinary clinics provide senior pet clinics run by veterinary nurses to help owners monitor for age-related illnesses. Owners worried that their pet may already have cancer should book an appointment with their vet as soon as possible. If you have any concerns contact us at www.facebook.com/eastgatevets
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Education Whether you're looking for the right school for your children or thinking of re-entering education yourself, our local learning guide has got it covered
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St Mary's School
KEY ADMISSIONS DATES 2013/ 2014
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SCHOOL n 2013, we opened our new Sixth Form Centre. Just a short walk from the senior school site, the Centre provides the appropriate independence for our students whilst maintaining the benefits of links with the main site. The spacious, modern and beautifully appointed Centre will prepare students for university life. The building benefits from dedicated subject classrooms for the subjects taught only at A-level, two study areas and access to extensive careers and Further Education information. The latest Information and Communication Technology is available through WIFI access across the site. The open plan common room provides an excellent place to study informally, take a break with friends or read a newspaper, whilst using the café-style kitchen to make drinks and snacks. There is also a hi-spec, fully equipped gym with cardio-vascular machines and weight and toning equipment plus an additional studio space with full length mirrors. Our new Learning Resources Centre for all Senior School pupils, combines print and online learning resources at ground floor level with easy external access to allow the space to be readily available for external use as part of our on-going programme of outreach to the local community. As we celebrate our 115th anniversary and the Year of Faith we will also celebrate the restoration and blessing of our School Chapel in early October. We look forward to it being used for quiet contemplation, thought and prayer – an oasis of calm in the midst of our busy school days. Charlotte Avery, Headmistress 96 | Cambridge Edition Schools Guide | 2013
5 OCT 2013
JUNIOR SCHOOL OPEN MORNING Saturday 5 October 2013, 9.30am – 12.30pm St Mary’s Junior School, 6 Chaucer Road, CB2 7EB
12 OCT 2013
SENIOR SCHOOL OPEN MORNING Saturday 12 October 2013, 9.30am – 12.30pm St Mary’s School, Bateman Street, CB2 1LY
7 NOV 2013
SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING Thursday 7 November 2013, 7pm – 8.30pm. St Mary’s School, Bateman Street, CB2 1LY
23 NOV 2013
JUNIOR SCHOOL TASTER T STER WORKSHOP (ALL AGES) TA Saturday 23 November 2013, 10am – 12noon, St Mary’s Junior School, 6 Chaucer Road, CB2 7EB
23 NOV 2013
TASTER SENIOR SCHOOL TA T STER WORKSHOP (YEAR 7 ENTRY) Saturday 23 November 2013, 9am – 12noon, St Mary’s School, Bateman Street, CB2 1LY
25 JAN 2014
ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS FOR 2014/15 ENTRY Junior School & Senior School: Saturday 25 January 2014
14 FEB 2014
ST MARY’S IN ACTION DAY A Junior and Senior School. Friday 14 February 2014 11am – 12.30pm & 2pm – 3.30pm
9 MAY 2014
ST MARY’S IN ACTION DAY A Junior and Senior School. Friday 9 May 2014 11am – 12.30pm & 2pm – 3.30pm
7 JUNE 2014
JUNIOR SCHOOL TASTER T STER WORKSHOP (ALL AGES) TA Saturday 7 June 2014, 10am – 12noon, St Mary’s Junior School, 6 Chaucer Road, CB2 7EB
7 JUNE 2014
TASTER SENIOR SCHOOL TA T STER WORKSHOP (YEAR 7 ENTRY) Saturday 7 June 2014, 9am – 12noon, St Mary’s School, Bateman Street, CB2 1LY
REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR SEPTEMBER 2014 ENTRY IS TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 2013. Please visit our website for more information or to book a place at any of our events www.stmaryscambridge.co.uk
St Mary’s School, Cambridge inspires learning for girls St Mary’s is a happy, thriving day and boarding school for girls aged 4 to 18. Welcoming girls of all faiths and none, from the local area and from all continents of the world, we are proud to be the only allthrough girls’ school in Cambridgeshire. Our values have a long tradition, based on the educational vision of our Catholic Founder, Mary Ward (1585-1645). More than 400 years ago, she had a moment of extraordinary clarity that led to a radical idea - that women are entitled to an education equal to that of men, believing that ‘women in time to come will do much’. This intent is central to our approach at St Mary’s, as it is in all Mary Ward schools worldwide, and it inspires us – students and staff – in all we do. Promoters of co-education will say that in the ‘real world’ the sexes work and live together and so dividing boys and girls at school is essentially artificial and ultimately unhelpful. However, the ‘real world’ is different to the ‘teenage world’ for several reasons. Young people today have more to cope with than ever before: the expectations placed on them make life very
complex. In this challenging environment, we understand the needs of girls better than anyone and are uniquely placed to respond to these needs, where success comes as much from confidence as from learning. We are aware that young people in the developed world are facing increasing pressure from a technologically advanced, multimedia and global environment, in which young people are constantly stimulated and exposed to conflicting values. Our school ethos genuinely supports the development of the entire person including the moral, spiritual, physical, creative and academic. St Mary’s offers a loving, calm, understanding and nurturing school environment in which personal issues can be discussed and allows girls the space to simply ‘be’ themselves without the added pressure of competition with boys. Our teachers are attuned to being able to support social and emotional needs particularly mindfully which in turn supports the development of self-esteem. With Mathematics and the sciences
as our most popular A-levels, we are also proud to offer our students a programme of activities through which they can learn to take risks in a supportive environment and accept failure with grace and compassion. We encourage girls to push boundaries through pursuits such as the Exploration Society and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme as well as other extra-curricular activities. As Britain aims to get more women into the Boardrooms of FTSE 100 and 200 companies, we ensure that our girls know what leadership looks and feels like within the security of a highly supportive school since all leadership positions necessarily go to girls. We also address key 21st century needs including digital competence, initiative and entrepreneurship through teaching Social Sciences and running clubs and schemes such as Young Enterprise. Work Experience and Careers advice is liberally offered with many of our alumnae generously coming into school to talk and give advice as well as offering placements and work experience.
CONTACT INFORMATION To book a place at any of our events, arrange an individual tour of the school or to make an appointment with Charlotte Avery, please contact: Jenny Boscoe, Assistant Register
ST MARY’S CAMBRIDGE Bateman Street, Cambridge, CB2 1LY For more information about St Mary’s please visit
TELEPHONE: 01223 224167 EMAIL: admissions@stmaryscambridge.co.uk
www.stmaryscambridge.co.uk Cambridge Edition Schools Guide | 2013 | 97
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WORDS CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS
An educated Choice Charlotte Phillips takes a look at the ways in which schools in our area are equipping local youngsters to excel across the board
chools have always been good at keeping at least one eye on the future (just as well, perhaps, that teachers are famous for having an extra pair in the back of their heads), and they need to be. Rarely a week goes by, it seems, without dire warnings that as a nation, we’re in danger of being trounced academically and economically by better educated, more vibrant countries. “What we don’t know is what the 21st century is going to look like in terms of employment and employability, the jobs we understand that will be left and, conversely, jobs that we haven’t even imagined will be available in the next 20 to 30 years,” says Charlotte Avery, headmistress of St Mary’s School, Cambridge. Look East, we’re told. A glittering new future is on the way and if we fail to prepare our children for it, it could be one that relegates us to the sidelines unless we up the pace of innovation to match. Talk to our area’s schools, however, and you get a distinctly different perspective, minus the doom and gloom and full of reassuringly forward-thinking ideas to equip pupils with the right skills for the future. The starting point for schools is getting the basics right. In a high-achieving area like
98 | Cambridge Edition | September 2013
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this, that means securing all the academic bases. Cambridge schools regularly make headlines for their achievements – the Stephen Perse Foundation, The Perse and St Mary’s were among those recently singled out for praise by a national newspaper for their superlative 2012 exam results. That said, the educational successes achieved across the region are many and various. At Friends’ School in Saffron Walden, a Quaker-based foundation for three to 18 year olds, pupils’ GCSE results exceeded predictions by an average of half a grade last year, while Long Road Sixth Form College saw students achieve a 100 per cent pass rate for the 18-unit National Diploma (equivalent to three A levels). But when it comes to giving pupils the tools they need to be future ready, exam results, though important, are just the start. It isn’t just about what they learn but how they learn it – and the inspiration it sparks along the way. King’s Ely emphasises the way pupils take responsibility for their learning and go beyond their comfort zone, while at the Cambridge Steiner School, the ‘rich, broad and balanced’ curriculum is designed to develop ‘head, heart and hands’ and foster essential problem-solving skills.
It isn’t just about what pupils learn but how they learn it – and the inspiration it sparks along the way “Adding value and helping give children skills for a future they can’t see – a much trickier job – is what Steiner Waldorf education does particularly well,” says a school spokesperson. The stress is on “placing the child, rather than the fluctuating impulses of politics and economics, at the centre of the curriculum.” Schools, like their pupils, are geared up to question what they do, and that includes reviewing the curriculum to make sure it is
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fit for purpose – or going beyond it, as at Friends’, where German and psychology staff recently joined forces to give A level students a unique insight into interpretations of a German short story. Current developments at the Perse School include a switch to the International A level biology syllabus which the school feels is more academically rigorous. Head Ed Elliott stresses the importance of instilling intellectual curiosity and love of learning,
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timeless qualities that will stand people in good stead whatever the future brings. It is also vital, he says, that pupils learn how to discriminate. “30 years ago there were textbooks and the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Now the Internet means pupils are inundated with information. It is essential to teach students how to synthesise, scrutinise and analyse information for accuracy, bias and relevance. These skills are more important than ever.” Giving children a hands-on role in their own education is one way of letting them put all the academic tools of the trade into action – which they do with gusto. It’s an approach that’s very much in evidence at St Faith’s School, where Margaret White, director of studies, speaks eloquently of the need to equip pupils with a foundation that they can build on. “There are different strands. There’s the academic strength and security so pupils are equipped intellectually. They have to have experience of dealing with ideas, being able to think for themselves, with skills
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and knowledge that are common across all fields. Then there’s building up a love of learning and an enjoyment of working hard. Finally, there’s the experience of success – a striving for excellence.” A recent science fair demonstrated just how successful this approach can be, with year 8 pupils (the top year at St Faith’s) investigating everything from how effective waterproof cosmetics actually are, to the amount of water in an apple. After devising their own experiments, the children put together presentations to talk parents through their work. Scientific knowledge, a love of learning, the confidence to put a point across and the joy of success: the event had the lot. Schools here are also cannily making use of the innovation and pioneering work going on all around us, increasingly involving local employers in curriculum planning. After consulting local high-tech firms and academics, for example, the Perse School is bringing in computer science for year 7 pupils as the best way to equip them ‘to
Equipping students with an up-to-the-minute skill set is front of mind create the technologies of the future’. Other schools, such as St Mary’s, are also offering the subject as a GCSE and A level option. For Charlotte Avery, the focus is on offering ‘the best sort’ of technologies and equipping pupils with the appropriate learning and etiquette so they can respond to the challenge without being overwhelmed by its well-advertised downsides. Equipping students with a skill set that is as up to the minute as possible is also front of mind at Long Road. Already excellent links with local employers have been strengthened with the new Plus course. In addition to offering help with everything from interview techniques to financial knowhow, students can also opt to get up close and personal with a local firm, spending time there to find out what lies behind its aspirations, success and ways of working.
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When it comes to the great East/West debate, the future could be about fusion, rather than friction That blend of skills is also reflected in the changing balance of the qualifications on offer. From September 2014, Long Road students will be able to mix and match A levels and vocational courses such as BTECs, while the college also plans to increase take-up of the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) with its emphasis on original research and all the skills that go with it. It may sound as if it’s all work and no play. Anything but. The extra-curricular activities on offer are breathtakingly wide; part of a judicious mix that enhances rather than detracts from academic studies. Long Road, which incentivises participation in its enrichment programme by giving every student a target of credits to work towards, has reintroduced the Duke of Edinburgh award, whose traditional-sounding title belies a modern approach, with its focus on self-reliance, endurance and community service – all timeless qualities.
At St Mary’s, too, the rich co-curricular programme is designed to give girls the experience of leadership and democracy. While the approach may be tried and tested rather than brand new, it is “crucial to developing the skills and competencies and confidence of young people in the 21st century,” says Charlotte Avery. She also points to the challenges – social, emotional and technological – that children face. With family stress and mental health issues amongst younger people both increasing, schools need to focus on the whole child. It’s the reason St Mary’s sets such store by its PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) programme which, together with tutorial programmes, stresses ‘what the Catholic Church would call character formation’, focusing on everything from self-awareness to dealing with failure and learning how to form positive relationships.
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Get all the elements in place and, Charlotte Avery thinks, pupils “can meet changes and challenges with optimism and resilience.” It’s fighting talk. But, as she and other heads point out, when it comes to the great East/West debate, the future could well be about fusion, rather than friction in education. International families still rate a Western education. “They are looking for breadth and creativity,” says Charlotte Avery, whose pupils come from as far afield as China, South Korea and Malaysia. She sees a meeting of minds as pupils share ideas and often form lifelong friendships that span continents and philosophies. The Perse, meanwhile, is involved in projects that “literally bring East and West together,” says Ed Elliott, with pupils from Singapore and China travelling to the UK to work on environmental issues with Perse students. If all goes well, similar projects could mark the first stages of a shift towards cross-cultural collaboration rather than competition and an education that, almost literally, offers the best of all worlds.
Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 103
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Friends' School KEY DATES 2013-2014
RIENDS’ SCHOOL is a coeducational school for pupils aged 3-18 with a difference. A Quaker school with a rich and established history and a school committed to realising the potential and talent of all its students. In line with its Quaker ethos of tolerance and mutual respect, there is dedicated pastoral care to support the welfare of each individual from Nursery to Sixth Form for both our day and boarding students. Academic achievement is set within a framework that encourages allround development; a flexible structure ensures pupils reach their full academic potential. There is a broad educational foundation and, in addition to promoting academic success, a wide range of cultural, creative and physical activities are offered. The School has an excellent record of achievement at both GCSE and A Level, with a wide choice of subject options available. Social skills, service to others and selfconfidence without conceit is important at Friends’. There is an extensive programme of extra-curricular and weekend activities for boarders and day pupils in the Senior School and many popular clubs for younger pupils including swimming club, art and architecture and photography club. There is an onsite Forest School which is used by the Nursery, Infants and Juniors and late stay provision is included in the fees and available until 5.45pm for both Nursery and pupils in the Junior School. It is an exciting time for our Nursery, Infant and Junior Departments as they are enjoying new purpose built facilities. As well as light, airy classrooms there is also a new library, art room, state of the art ICT suite and spacious Assembly Hall. At age 11 pupils finish the Junior School with excellent SAT’s results and the confidence to begin their education in the Senior School. Visit Friends’ on Saturday 12th October during our Open Morning. Contact Alison Stanbury on 01799 525351 or email admissions@friends.org.uk for further information.
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12 OCT 2013
OPEN MORNING Saturday 12 October, 10am-12.30pm. The Nursery, Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form will all be open for tours. See our new Nursery and Junior School buildings and chat to our friendly, experienced teachers.
20 NOV 2013
WORKING OPEN MORNING Wednesday 20 November, 9.30am-12.00 midday. A chance to see the school in action on a normal working day.
NOV 2013
YEAR 6 TASTER DAY – places to be booked in advance An opportunity for Year 6 pupils to experience a day at the Senior School.
1 FEB 2014
ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS 2014 Saturday 1 February 2014
CONTACT INFORMATION Alison Stanbury, Admissions Secretary TEL: 01799 525351 EMAIL: admissions@friends.org.uk
Friends’ School Mount Pleasant Road Saffron Walden CB11 3EB
For further information please visit www.friends.org.uk
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Madingley Hall Institute of Continuing Education
YOUR CHANCE TO STUDY PART-TIME AT CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY Are you searching for a part-time or short course in your local area? Would you like to study with the University of Cambridge but aren’t sure where to begin? Are you looking to investigate an interest, pursue a passion or progress your career with a part-time qualiďŹ cation? The Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) offers hundreds of courses for adults of all ages, with options ranging from weekends right up to two-year Master’s programmes. ICE is based at Madingley Hall, a spectacular 16th-century mansion on the outskirts of Cambridge with some of the ďŹ nest gardens in the region.
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DID YOU KNOW... ...Madingley Hall is also available for hire? If you’re looking for an atmospheric and inspiring venue with ďŹ rst-rate facilities, give us a call. We cater for all occasions, from business conferences to weddings. 106 | Cambridge Edition Schools Guide | 2013
APPLY BY 9 SEPTEMBER FOR 2013/14 CERTIFICATES AND DIPLOMAS These part-time, one-year courses give you the chance to gain an undergraduatelevel qualiďŹ cation from the University of Cambridge. Most are open to anyone with an interest in the topic, with no special entry requirements. All are led by Cambridge academics who are experts in both their subjects and in teaching students of all ages and experiences. Subjects on offer in 2013 include Archaeology, Astronomy, Coaching, English Literature, Evolutionary Biology, Historic Environment (landscapes and gardens), History of Art, International Development, Local History, Philosophy and Religion. FUNDING AVAILABLE If you are new to ICE, or if you’re a state-funded teacher, you could be eligible for a bursary award of up to ÂŁ200. You may also have access to part-time student loans if you’re studying for your ďŹ rst university qualiďŹ cation. OTHER COURSES AT ICE Ä‘ĆŤ ĆŤ , all year-round at Madingley Hall Ä‘ĆŤ ĆŤ ĆŤ ÄŒ ďŹ ve-week courses starting in January Ä‘ĆŤ ĆŤ ÄŒ international programmes based in central Cambridge Ä‘ĆŤ ĆŤ , allowing you to study at Cambridge wherever you are in the world Look out also for our free lectures and concerts, featuring leading international thinkers and local musicians. Plus we will be holding an Open Day on 17 April 2014, where you’ll be able to explore the Hall and Gardens and ďŹ nd out more about what we do. FIND OUT MORE For more information about ICE and Madingley Hall, visit www.ice.cam.ac.uk/edition or contact us on enquiries@ice.cam.ac.uk or 01223 746262 to request a free brochure.
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WORDS CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS
Back to School For those looking to enhance their careers, develop new skills or simply indulge a hobby, Cambridge is a hotbed of later-in-life learning. We look at what's on offer
Many people seek to gain formal qualifications that help move their lives in a new direction f you were inclined to predict the future for adult education in our area based on current statistics (rather than tea leaves) you could be forgiven for expressing a few doubts. Even in Cambridge itself, that bastion of learning, it may come as a surprise to hear that fewer adult learners signed up in 2011-2012, ending a five-year run of sustained growth, while numbers were down by 3,000 in the East of England as a whole. It’s not just here that the thirst for knowledge appears to have been partially quenched: the pattern was repeated in every other region bar London, reports James McHugh, knowledge manager at Skills – Third Sector, which works towards shaping the talents and ambitions of workforces in not for profit organisations. Though there was some good news, with a quarter more adults signing up for maths and English courses nationally, other
areas didn’t fare quite as well, with numbers taking ESL (English as a Second Language) dropping by 15 per cent, for example, and apprenticeships, the government’s flagship earn as you learn scheme, gaining ground with older learners in 2011-2012, but losing some of their appeal amongst those aged 19 and under. With student numbers down, courses being axed and finances tight, it’s fair to say that the official picture for adult learning is not a uniformly cheerful one. Talk to those at the sharp end here, however, and you’ll hear little in the way of pessimism. “Our enrolments across the board are up this year,” says Paul Ireland, communications and marketing manager at Madingley Hall, home of the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education. Many people seek to gain formal qualifications that help move their lives in a new direction. The range on offer means they’re unlikely to be disappointed (as long
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as they meet the 9 September applications deadline for one-year courses). Madingley Hall shares Cambridge University’s wide scholarship with the general public through a huge number of courses, from summer schools in July and August to two-year Masters degrees, with international relations, creative writing and English amongst the subjects on offer. More accessible options include certificates from philosophy to evolutionary biology, equating to a first-year undergraduate programme, while diplomas and advanced diplomas are on par with second- and final-year degree study respectively. It’s an offering that attracts everyone from enthusiasts from outside the UK jetting in to nearby Stansted for weekend residential courses, to teachers taking advantage of bursary funding to study their subjects in more depth, as well as industry experts or budding academics looking to hone their professional expertise.
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CASE HISTORY 1 Budding entrepreneur Laura King is never short of new business ideas. Her latest venture is a stylish jewellery to face masks firm called No Gringles (the name comes from 50s slang meaning no worries). She was one of the first students to enrol on o a new CRC ‘start your own business course’ which is formally u unveiled this month following a successful trial year. “It was brilliant,” says Laura, who also works part-time at C CRC. The biggest benefit was a slug of badly needed confidence coupled with practical tips that helped her get to grips with the administrative and financial essentials. “The tutor really helped me with organising spreadsheets, so that when I get a receipt I organise it and note the dates. It’s been really useful.”
Also reporting similarly healthy demand is Anglia Ruskin University. It provides award-winning support to its 7,500 parttime students who have a choice of 300 short, undergraduate and postgraduate courses across three campuses in Cambridge, Chelmsford and Peterborough. It’s been backed by an investment of £80 million over five years, and coupled with nifty footwork, that has seen courses becoming more customer friendly than ever before. In addition to its 50 distance learning options, ranging from management to hospitality and tourism, some of Anglia Ruskin’s courses incorporate a face-toface component, with students attending seminars as well as studying online. At Hills Road and CRC (Cambridge Regional College), two of our area’s other leading providers of adult education, there’s
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also a distinctly upbeat mood – and a similar emphasis on flexibility. At Hills Road, adult education students can, for the first time, enrol online, making the process quicker and simpler than ever before. Madingley Hall, meanwhile, goes the whole hog, with short online courses delivered “entirely through web learning, attracting students from all round the world,” says Paul Ireland. Everywhere you go, the breadth of ways to learn is matched by the subjects on offer. CRC, whose recent £23 million redevelopment makes it one of the “bestequipped colleges in the country”, it says, is offering a range of higher education courses including Higher National Certificates and Diplomas. “The low cost means students can avoid racking up vast debts and because they’re part-time, they can work while they learn,” says Chris Lang, deputy principal.
At Hills Road, meanwhile, wouldbe counsellors can opt for a range of increasingly popular AQA level 2 to 4 qualifications as well as an introductory course. And for perfect pairing with our area’s emerging industries, it’s hard to beat the college’s Access to Bioscience course, brand new for 2013-2014. Those seeking to plug educational gaps aren’t left out either, with GCSE and IGCSE essentials covering English, maths and Spanish at Hills Road, as well as an AS lineup that now includes Latin. Colleges are also no slouches when it comes to tapping into the psyche and interests of their audience. Not for nothing are business-related courses increasing in number and range. You only have to look at the entrepreneurial spirit that has been driving so much of our area’s recent growth
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CAS E HISTORY 2 A talented painter, Alison McRobb has attended Hills Road’ s popular term time Painting wit hout Boundaries art course and summer school for the past six years. She praises the laid-back eru dition of tutor John Dillistone, wh ose gentle blend of encourageme nt and inspiration does wonde rs for the students involved. A former head of divinit y, Alison is now a principal examiner specialising in Hinduism . Travelling for her job to countries including Mauritius and India has influenced her art, changing the col our palette she uses as well as pro mpting a move from figurative to abstract works, something she feels the course has given her the confidence to explore. Her advice to anyone thin king of signing up is to go for it. “It can be unnerving to turn up at a class and not know what’s expect ed of you but John teaches in a ver y informal way. There’s great variety and he celebrates what every student does, making something of eve ryone’s work and making you thin k about your own.” to understand their appeal. At Hills Road, courses on building your own website and InDesign for beginners – software designed to give a professional edge to publications – are amongst those proving a hit with students. At CRC and Anglia Ruskin, too, budding business magnates are also increasing in number. For many students, going back to school again isn’t just about broadening educational horizons but fulfilling a longheld dream, making more of a much-loved hobby – or acquiring a useful skill. Hills Road is adding to its popular Saturday classes, ranging from one-off workshops including Living with Dyslexia (12 October) and Autism Awareness (19 October) to three-session courses on Ceramics, Film Animation and Painting in oils and acrylics beginning on 28 September.
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Cambridge Edition | September 2013 | 109
EDUCATION
With a focus on younger recruits, adult learners could feel the pinch
The blend of the practical and creative is also exemplified by CRC’s most popular courses amongst its 6,000 part-time students – plastering, photography, plumbing and jewellery making. So whether it’s a bicycle maintenance course at CRC or an insight into creative writing, offered at Hills Road as well as Madingley Hall, colleges quite definitely aren’t standing still. Mind you, with highenergy options including yoga and ballroom dancing (both on the menu at Hills Road) nor are their students. So what does the future hold for our area’s adult learners? With cuts of £260 million planned for 2015-2016, funding for adult education will remain tight and a fairly substantial cull of qualifications that are no longer deemed fit for purpose is on
110 | Cambridge Edition | September 2013
CASE HISTORY 3 With tutors who ranged from ‘good to great’, compatible fellow students and Madingley Hall as the stunning backdrop, Mike Levy has, unsurprisingly, found completing a diploma in local history there a fulfilling experience. Something of a history buff tto begin with, Mike had originally studied history – he is a Fellow iin Holocaust Education with the Imperial War Museum – while his b business, Keystage Arts and Heritage, makes the past come alive through performances to schools and community groups. The diploma, he felt, combined academic rigour as well as “sharpening my analytical and research abilities”. The social side, which included meeting up with fellow students in the university library before Thursday tutorials, was also a highlight. “We formed an informal tea room club and would sit and talk about the week’s reading or how our assignments were going. It was rather nice.” And it’s definitely not over yet. Mike has now applied to study for an Advanced Diploma – equivalent to third-year undergraduate studies. As a mature student, “going back to be at the feet of the experts who are world experts in their field is great,” he says, with evident enthusiasm.
the cards. Employers, meanwhile, are to be given more say – and financial clout – when it comes to shaping training to meet more local needs. With a focus on younger recruits, more mature adult learners could be forgiven for feeling the pinch. Though this September sees the introduction of the new loans for adult learners aged 24 and above studying for at least a level 3 qualification, they’ve made scarcely a dent on the educational landscape, with just two per cent of those who qualify applying for them. It could mean participation dropping still further, thinks James McHugh. Fighting back with a cornucopia of courses of unprecedented quality and range, it’s a battle adult education providers in our area are determined to win.
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