Cambridge Edition June

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YOUR MONTHLY FIX OF

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LOCAL LIFE

Tales of the

R iverbank FROM FESTIVALS & FOODIE EVENTS TO THE ULTIMATE CAMBRIDGE PUB GUIDE, WE’VE GOT THE INSIDE TRACK ON THE CITY’S BEST BITS THIS MONTH

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S I G N U P TO O U R W E E K LY D I G I TA L N E W S L E T T E R

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Cambridge

EDI T

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W E LCO M E

EDITORIAL

Editor in chief Nicola Foley 01223 499459 nicolafoley@bright-publishing.com Senior sub editor Lisa Clatworthy Sub editors Siobhan Godwood, Felicity Evans

ADVERTISING

Senior sales executive Chris Jacobs 01223 499463 chrisjacobs@bright-publishing.com Sales executive Lee Fifield 01223 492240 leefifield@bright-publishing.com

CONTRIBUTORS

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

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Editorial designers Flo Thomas, Lucy Woolcomb 01223 492242 flothomas@bright-publishing.com Ad production Man-Wai Wong 01223 499468 manwaiwong@bright-publishing.com

MANAGING DIRECTORS Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck 01223 499450

CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK find us @cambsedition CAMBRIDGE EDITION MAGAZINE • Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3HJ, 01223 499450, cambsedition.co.uk • All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of the publishers. • Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Cambridge Edition or Bright Publishing Ltd, which do not accept any liability for loss or damage.

• Every effort has been made to ensure all information is correct. • Cambridge Edition is a free publication that is distributed in Cambridge and the surrounding area.

This month’s cover illustration was created by Flo Thomas. See more of Flo’s illustrations on Etsy at HeydayDesignsUK or at heydaydesigns.co.uk

Author illustrations by Louisa Taylor louisataylorillustration.blogspot.co.uk

Welcome

s

pring this year, with its unusually balmy weather, will be a tough act to follow – but as every local knows, summer in Cambridge is unbeatable.

From hazy afternoons at the Mill Pond to splashing around in the Jesus Green Lido, sunshiney bike rides to Grantchester and picnicking on punts, I for one am keenly looking forward to all the new season brings – and crossing everything for lots of lovely weather to enjoy it in!

June is the month the local events calendar really starts really hotting up too, serving up some gems which are well worth getting out, about, and shunning that boxset for. My top pick is the Wild Wood Disco, which you can find out more about over on page 34. As a devotee of Secret Garden Party until the last, I’m heartened to see its eccentric, creative spirit live on through another local festival – the true seal of approval for this nascent event coming from the ‘Head Gardener’ himself, SGP founder Freddie Fellowes, who’s DJing at Wild Wood Disco this month. With art, great music from the likes of Groove Armada, street food and glitter aplenty, it’s promising to be a blast, and best of all, it’s just down the road in Linton! If you’ve got a festival itch which needs to be scratched but also have small people in tow, check out Rumpus (page 43), which is the family-friendly little sister of Wild Wood Disco at the same gorgeous venue – it’s got music, magic and creative fun galore.

Also on my radar this month is Wimpole History Festival, which comes our way from the organisers of our city’s twice-yearly Literary Festival. Taking place at the stunning Wimpole Estate, this feast of history and heritage is bursting with fascinating speakers and hands-on fun – read all about it on page 22. We catch up with one of the speakers, bestselling author Kate Mosse, on page 25, getting the lowdown on her new book The Burning Chambers – also the subject of the first ever Cambridge Edition Book Club. We’re keen to get as many of our readers involved in the book club as possible, so if you’re a fellow bookworm and want to share your thoughts on this month’s read (and possibly feature in our next issue!), give us a tweet @cambsedition and join the conversation.

Undoubtedly one of the very best things about a Cambridge summer is kicking back with a pint in our city’s brilliant beer gardens – we’re truly spoiled for choice, and having lived here for years I still find new gems all the time. From great gastro pubs to traditional boozers, we’ve rounded up the best pubs in the city over on page 67 – have a read and see if your favourite watering hole made the cut.

Enjoy the issue and see you next month!

Nicola Foley EDITOR IN CHIEF

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CONTENTS 6 l STARTERS

Miscellaneous musings on Cambridge, plus our fave social media pics of the month

13 l ARTS & CULTURE

Exhibitions, art shows, theatre highlights, interviews and more

21 l THE ART INSIDER

Ruthie Collins, founder of Cambridge Art Salon, shares her arty picks of the month

22 l HISTORY FESTIVAL

Wimpole welcomes back its weekend-long feast of history and heritage

25 l BOOK CLUB

A nook of Edition for book-lovers, with author interviews, special offers and more

30 l AFTER HOURS

Comedy, festivals, gigs and more nightlife fun to seek out this June

33 l MUSIC BLOG

The inside track on the best live music this month, from Slate the Disco’s Jordan Worland

34 l WILD WOOD DISCO

A magical, glittery woodland party is headed our way – and we’ve got all the info

49 43 l RUMPUS FESTIVAL

37 l FATHER’S DAY

Get ready to rumpus down in the woods at this fun-packed family event

39 l FAMILY FUN

The latest news and tidbits from Cambridge’s buzzing food scene

40 l LISTINGS

We pay a visit to the newly revamped Old Crown in Girton for an indulgent feast

Great events and perfect pressie ideas for your pops this Father’s Day A new science centre, Open Farm Sunday and a festival of family-friendly techy fun Our at-a-glance guide to the top events and goings-on this June

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49 l FOOD NEWS 54 l REVIEW

57 l 5 OF THE BEST

Under the spotlight this month: the finest pasta Cambridge has to offer

60 l MAKE THE BEST...

Continuing the pasta fun, chef Alex Rushmer shares his favourite gnocchi recipe

63 l CHEF'S TABLE

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74 l DRINKS TROLLEY

Wine tips, cocktail recipes and a peek at some of our favourite hidden bars around the city

78 l BUSINESS

Local businesses give us their sales pitch, plus we highlight our Indie of the Month

85 l SUMMER CYCLING

Find out your Cambridge bike tribe and get tips on keeping your cycle in tip-top shape

90 l HEALTH & BEAUTY

Health, fitness and wellness chat, plus the latest beauty finds from Daisy Dickinson

94 l FASHION

Alex shares his finds from his recent stint cheffing in the Semien Mountains, Ethiopia

We round up the top trends of the month, and show you how to recreate them

65 l NATURE’S LARDER

99 l HOME & INTERIORS

The Gog gives us the lowdown on which ingredients are in season

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67 l CAMBRIDGE PUB GUIDE

We round up the best of the best boozers in town, in the first of a two-part special

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Cool conversions, our home store of the month, plus our Ask the Agent column

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JUNE ESSENTIAL

A L IDO DIP

There’s no better place to be on a sunny day in Cambridge than poolside at the Jesus Green Lido, which is now officially open for the season. It’s one of the longest lidos in Europe at 91 metres; a long, narrow shape designed to mimic swimming in the nearby river, and come sunny days, this little corner of Cambridge feels like a secluded summertime paradise. Pack a book and your shades and pitch up by the side for a sunbathe, hopping in for an occasional dip to cool off (of course, it’s more than suitable for doing actual exercise in too, we hear).

Follow @JesusGreenLido on Twitter for essential updates including pool temperature and what’s on the food menu.

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STA RT E R S WITHIN T H ESE WA L L S

K E T T L E’ S YA R D

THE MORE YOU KNOW

WHAT EXACTLY IS LURKING IN THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY TOWER?

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he tallest public building in the city, and definitely one of the most mysterious, the imposing tower at the Cambridge University Library has long been the subject of gleeful speculation by students.

The most popular of all the rumours?

That it’s packed to the rafters with Victorian pornography.

The reason for the enduring whispers about this 17-storey structure largely stem from the fact that the contents have been kept secret, from all but a privileged few, for decades. But all that’s about to change, with the opening of Tall Tales, an exhibition promising to lay bare the secrets of the tower for all to see.

And it turns out it’s an Aladdin’s cave for book lovers and historians, housing first editions of The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Casino Royale and Enid Blyton’s Famous Five, in mint condition. There’s also an archive of toys, games and ephemera which offers a snapshot of life in Britain in times gone by.

Liam Sims, Rare Books Specialist and Lead Curator of the Tall Tales exhibition

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at Cambridge University Library, isn’t surprised that the tower continues to be the subject of such intense speculation.

“At 157 feet tall the tower is one of the most visible landmarks in and around Cambridge,” he says. “But the fact that few people other than library staff have been inside has given rise to rumours about what’s inside, not least by authors including Stephen Fry and C S Lewis.”

But what of the all-important mythical mountain of salacious materials?

“As a copyright deposit library since 1710 the University Library has long received books and journals of a sexual nature, but these are not kept in the tower,” he explains. “Instead, many are kept in a class known as ‘Arc’ (for ‘arcana’, secret things), created in the early 20th century for works of sexual science, titillating novels and provocatively illustrated material. Some of these books may be seen in the exhibition!”

Find out for yourself at Tall Tales: Secrets of the Tower, which runs until 28 October. Entry is free.

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After an extensive refurbishment, Kettle’s Yard recently reopened its doors to the public, hailing the start of a new chapter in the story of this unique institution. Long a jewel in Cambridge’s cultural landscape, its reputation extends far beyond our city – in fact, it’s a visual art space of international acclaim, known around the globe for its innovative exhibitions. To discover how a collection of derelict cottages on Castle Street became a contemporary art hotspot, we must look back to the mid 20th century and to the life of art lover Jim Ede. Once a curator at the Tate Gallery, Ede moved to Cambridge with his wife in search of a grand stately home, but found his head turned instead by a ramshackle row of four cottages nestling beneath the ancient church of St Peter. With the help of architect Roland Aldridge, Ede restored and remodelled them, working towards his goal of making “a living place where works of art could be enjoyed… where young people could be at home unhampered by the greater austerity of the museum or public art gallery.”

In his quest, he created a unique space, free of the strictures of a traditional gallery, in which to showcase his collection of paintings, sculptures, furniture and other objets d’art. He lived in the house until 1966, hosting an open house each afternoon and giving guests personal tours of his collection.

When he left the city to move to Edinburgh, he gifted the collection to Cambridge University, which has acted as its custodian ever since.

Today, the gallery hosts a yearround schedule of shows, music recitals, workshops and community events, ensuring that Ede’s legacy endures and Kettle’s Yard remains very much a ‘living place’.

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Culture Club ART EXHIBITIONS • THEATRE HIGHLIGHTS • INTERVIEWS • GIGS & CONCERTS

Pianist, conductor and composer Joanna MacGregor will be appearing at Cambridge Summer Music Festival

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Arts Culture

JAZZ & BRASS IN THE PARKS One of the highlights of the summer, Jazz and Brass in the Parks is poised to return to Cambridge’s green spaces with a series of free, outdoor concerts. Running selected Sundays from June to September, the events offer a chance to enjoy some of the city’s most beautiful leafy spots and some great live music, with guests encouraged to bring along a picnic and relax. From smooth jazz to lively brass ensembles and Disney classics, there’s plenty to enjoy at the performances, which all run 3-5pm.

On 10 June, catch the Royston Town Band at Cherry Hinton Hall, then seek out the Cambridge Youth Jazz Band and Cambridgeshire Youth Jazz Orchestra on Jesus Green on 1 July. August sees CSD Brass perform at Cherry Hinton Hall on the 12th, and then the ACE Jazz Trio on Jesus Green on the 19th. Come September, it’s the turn of Littleport Brass at Nightingale Recreation Ground on the 2nd, with the series rounded off on the 9th with the fabulously entertaining Alleycats, a vocal-led modern jazz band who play arrangements of Disney classics old and new. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk/city-events CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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CAMBRIDGE SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL Now entering its 40th year, Cambridge Summer Music Festival returns with a busy line-up of classical concerts in atmospheric locations around the city from 5-21 July. Ranging from intimate solo and chamber recitals to large-scale orchestral and choral works, the programme features more than 30 events, promising a vibrant celebration of classical music.

The festival opens on 5 July with Mozart’s 40th Symphony, performed inside one of Cambridge’s most iconic buildings, King’s College Chapel. Elsewhere, you can enjoy the adventurous Brodsky String Quartet at Jesus College Chapel, watch Joanna MacGregor, one of the world’s leading pianists, perform at West Road Concert Hall and see the spectacular Aurora Orchestra play Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 (from memory, no less!) at Saffron Hall. There’s a world premiere of a new work by Kate Whitley to seek out, and the hugely popular Sounds Green open-air concerts at the Botanic Gardens return. cambridgesummermusic.co.uk

A R T U N EQUA L L ED F IR S T SUM M ER E V EN T Taking place on 16 and 17 June, Art Unequalled will showcase the work of more than 40 talented artists, offering visitors a chance to peruse and purchase a huge range of pieces, presented directly by their makers. Taking place at the picturesque Maltings in Ely, the event will feature everything from gorgeous handmade jewellery to large pieces of furniture, with something on offer for all budgets. Be sure to seek out the animal sculptures by Sally Dunham and Lynn Hazel Smith, who each have a unique and different approach to capturing wildlife in the medium of clay.

Jeweller Nadine Herrington Porter meanwhile creates sculpted narrative pieces inspired by the natural world, while contemporary textile art will be available from Sarah Burt, whose colourful needle felted creations capture the landscapes around us. As well as enjoying exploring the artists’ work, you’ll also be able to see demonstrations, chat to them about their inspirations and creative process and commission bespoke pieces, if you wish.

Admission is £2, children under 15 go free. artunequalled.co.uk

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IN SITU: Cambridge’s environmental theatre company in situ: returns with an intriguing mix of performances for the summer, featuring dark storytelling and two new ensemble performances. The first of those is the ghost in me, which creates a parallel, uncanny world to consider what haunts us, at Wandlebury Country Park on 28 to 30 June.

Director Bella Stewart says: “We can be haunted by something we cannot have or be; or something held out to us and since withdrawn. These are the futures we once imagined that have not come to pass.”

Social deprivation and mental illness are at the core of Woyzeck, Georg Büchner’s 1837 play that astonished audiences when first performed in 1913. It takes place at The Leper Chapel – a poignant reminder of the effects of illness – on 12 to 14 July. Tales from the dark side bookend the series of performances, with Richard Spaul telling Tales of Mystery and Imagination written by Edgar Allan Poe, on 2 June and Ghost Stories featuring tales by Elizabeth Bowen and Edith Wharton on 21 July, both at The Leper Chapel.

Tickets for 8pm shows available at insitutheatre.co.uk

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GREAT EXPECTATIONS

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JUNE

An orphan, a jilted spinster, a mysterious benefactor and an escaped convict coalesce Great Expectations, which gets a stunning new rework for the stage at Cambridge Arts Theatre this month. The production comes to us courtesy of the creative team behind 2015’s acclaimed Travels with my Aunt and stars Olivier Award-winning Nichola McAuliffe, who’ll be stepping into the role of one of the most memorable characters in literature, Dickens’ decaying, abandoned bride, Miss Havisham.

Originally published in the 1860s, Great Expectations was the thirteenth of Charles Dickens’ novels, and would become one of his best-known and best-loved, telling the story of young Pip’s attempt to elevate his social stature and win the heart of the haughty Estella. See it brought lavishly to life from 12 to 16 June; tickets start at £20. cambridgeartstheatre.com

ABBOTS RIPTON GARDEN SHOW Lord and Lady De Ramsey are preparing to open their gates once again for the Abbots Ripton Garden Show, a weekend-long programme of fun and frolics in a gorgeous rural setting. Running from 30 June to 1 July, the event offers visitors a chance to explore the 8.5-acre gardens of Abbots Ripton Hall, where they can discover majestic ancient trees, pretty lawns, an old-fashioned rose circle, colourful herbaceous borders and a huge lake, home to the Constable pavilion designed by Peter Foster.

There’s plenty more to enjoy beyond soaking up the sights, though, with a busy programme of talks and demos by professional gardeners, a locally-sourced food fair, plant sales, a silent auction, yoga, chocolate workshops, an obstacle course and lots of family activities.

Adding a creative twist to the show this year will be Secret Garden Party festival founder Freddie Fellowes and his team, who’ll be putting their own innovative spin on proceedings. Join the fun at the Secret Perfect Pub Party on the 30th, which will see the SGP crew adding their signature sparkle to a traditional pub knees-up in the show’s marquee. Expect cabaret, a crazy quiz, gin tasting, delicious grub and the ultimate Landlord and Landlady, plus a DJ set from Mr Fellowes himself, aka the Head Gardener.

The show is 100% in aid of local charities supported

by Lord and Lady De Ramsey. For programme details and booking info, visit the Abbots Ripton Hall website. abbotsriptonhall.co.uk

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24 JUNE

FOOTLIGHTS

PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA The world-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra brings Beethoven and Mozart to Cambridge this month in a performance at the Corn Exchange on 24 June. The concert features Katy Woolley, one of the most exciting young horn players in Europe, and will be followed by a talk at the Cambridge Union, which is free to ticket holders.

“We’re delighted to be bringing Esa-Pekka Salonen, our principal conductor, to Cambridge for the first time,” says Jonathan Mayes, Director of Residencies and Regional Concerts. “His take on the core classical repertoire is influenced by both European and American heritage as well as his own work as a composer. This concert therefore promises fresh and exciting accounts of Beethoven’s Zur Namensfeier and his Second Symphony. It is also a great pleasure to give an opportunity for the audience to hear the unrivalled playing of our principal horn, Katy Woolley, as soloist in Mozart’s best-known horn concerto.” The programme for the evening comprises Beethovens Overture, Namensfeier; Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2.

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Cambridge’s worldfamous student comedy troupe is back with Pillow Talk, their latest tour show. Promising “free-flowing hilarity, excellent original writing and side-splitting character comedy”, it delivers more of the ensemble’s trademark blend of sketches, stand-up and skits, performed by some of the brightest rising stars on the student comedy scene. Catch the show before it heads off on a world tour, from 12 to 23 June at the ADC. Tickets from £9. adctheatre.com

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JU N E W I T H ENCH A N T ED CIN EM A The Enchanted Cinema summer programme is set to serve up an array of classic films in unique locations around the city, including a screening of Tarantino tour-de-force Pulp Fiction at 1815 Bar at the Cambridge Union Saturday 9 June. The bar will be transformed into a magical pop up cinema, complete with light installations, live music from local artists and street food vendors. The action continues into Sunday, when the bar plays host to a screening of Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking dystopian masterpiece Bladerunner at 7pm. Then, for something completely different, it’s over to the gorgeous hidden garden at the Gonville Hotel for Grease on the 16th and Back to the Future on the 17th. The hotel’s kitchen will be serving up a unique menu for Enchanted Cinema ticket holders and there will be an outdoor bar and popcorn kiosk, along with live music from local musicians until the screening which will begin at sunset. Later in the month at the same venue, there’s a chance to catch Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri on the 29th, followed by Marvel epic Black Panther on the 30th. enchantedcinema.co.uk

ART HOUND OPEN HOUSE

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See a dazzling collection of contemporary art in a beautiful rural setting at Art Hound Gallery’s Summer Open House on 23 June.

Taking place in the Secret Garden Marquee at Burwash Manor, there will be more than 1000 pieces on display – all for sale – including oil paintings, limited edition original prints, experimental mixed media pieces and rare lithographs.

Browse through works by Picasso, Terry Frost, Peter Blake and Dali, alongside the current crop of cutting-edge artists such as Lauren Baker, Shepard Fairey and street artist Bambi.

The gallery will also be unveiling some new ways of exploring their art collection for visitors, including a listening and viewing booth, tactile interactive urban art and a rather intriguing sounding Art Gumball Machine.

The event runs 10am-5pm on 23 June, with a private view on the evening of the 22nd. thearthoundgallery.com

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The Art Insider RUTHIE COLLINS, FOUNDER OF CAMBRIDGE ART SALON, GIVES HER ARTY PICKS OF THE MONTH

‘‘T

he making of a whole person and the creation of true individuals can only happen by singing and dancing and making art,” says one of the world’s most renowned artists, Antony Gormley, whose new show, SUBJECT, opened at Kettle’s Yard in May. The entire endeavour is more site-specific installation than traditional museum exhibition, transforming the place into a space for reflection. While at SUBJECT, watch out for Infinite Cube II, shown in the UK for the first time. Conjured by Gormley, this mesmerising piece was inspired by the vision of Gabriel Mitchell, son of Gormley’s friend Professor W J Thomas Mitchell.

A national treasure, known throughout the UK for works such as Angel of the North, Norfolk-based Gormley won the Turner Prize in 1994 for sculptural installation, Testing A World View. You can see his sculpture in situ throughout Cambridge – from the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences on Downing Street to the gardens of Jesus College: this is the perfect time of year to enjoy it. “Both in the demands that it makes of the viewer and in the way that this exhibition uses the spaces of the gallery, the show begs the question as to where the subject of art can be found – I am proposing that it is rooted most powerfully in the imaginative engagement and ultimately the memory of the viewer. The wager of this show is that ‘subject’ has transferred from object to experience,” says Gormley himself.

Imaginative engagement is also why we all love Strawberry Fair so much, one of the UK’s biggest free festivals which you can enjoy on Midsummer Common on 2 June. Come along to the arts area of Strawberry Fair, coined Eastern Bloco. A loose collection of artist-activists, it brings together nine artists in tents, as part of an artist ‘tent city’ this year. As well as the Wild Strawberries Festival Stage, works will be on show from Long Road Sixth Form College’s media students, plus there’ll be stand-up comedy from Colin Stewart on the NHS, a free shop, collaborative art and plenty of making workshops. We will be there with our pop-up Art Salon café, where you can drink mocktails, have a paddle in our eco-glitter colour pool, be colourbombed, enjoy a kids’ disco, feel inspired by heart-warming bunting made by young and old in the community as part of our Pearls of Wisdom Social Club at Kettle’s Yard, or play your long abandoned cassette tapes on our ghetto blaster – all proceeds support our grassroots work in the arts in Cambridge. Or why not chill out with a strawberry tea on a straw bale, while watching Soap Box Science take the mic, opposite us? A fab initiative increasing visibility of women in science at festivals this summer.

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The summer is time to slow down in between dodging bustling crowds. So take The Independent’s advice: “You cannot rush Julia Ball’s painting. It slows you up and calms you down.” Make the most of this unmissable chance to enjoy her work at Espresso Library on East Road: Seven Paintings By Julia Ball, curated by Loukas Morley, runs until 10 June, a treat indeed. Go for (apart from the food and coffee) her impressive iridescent abstracts, that often take inspiration from East Anglian light – a joy. Ball has paintings in the permanent collections of New Hall art collection and Kettle’s Yard.

Another one for the diary this month is the opportunity to see Maureen Mace’s iconic ‘Tree of Discovery’ painting, which appears alongside others by this fabulous Cambridge painter, as part of a new exhibition, Along Your Street, running until 1 July at Byard Art on King’s Parade. Mace’s surreal, vibrant works have long been favourites in Cambridge and this piece is rich with that shimmering beauty found in learning and curiosity.

“Imaginative engagement is why we all love Strawberry Fair so much” Finally, artists seeking space to show work will be over the moon to learn that Makers Gallery, co-founded by artist Neil Christie, is recently relaunched, with new owner Felicity Topp breathing a new lease of life into this muchloved framers and gallery at Hope Street Yard. As well as continuing the framing service, she is taking proposals for exhibitions at the space. A gorgeous gallery, with excellent light and just off Mill Road, it’s a fantastic location for shows.

The Yard itself is a treasure tucked away in the heart of Romsey town, home to an offbeat range of independents, studios and a wellkept garden. Go there to browse, pick up a bargain, or see street art by Mr Penfold and LittleBiggs. Literary geeks will also love that Hope Street Yard is featured in a crime novel by Alison Bruce, Cambridge Black – the last in her DC Goodhew series!

Have a fantastic June, all! l

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MAKING HISTORY

ENJOY A FASCINATING FORAY INTO THE PAST AT THE WIMPOLE HISTORY FESTIVAL, WHICH RETURNS THIS MONTH – WE FIND OUT WHAT’S IN STORE

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rom the evolution of espionage to exile in Siberia, Austen to the American dream and witches to war stories, the Wimpole History Festival returns this month to take us on a continent-spanning voyage of discovery through the centuries.

Running 22-24 June, this feast of history and heritage comes our way from the team behind Cambridge Literary Festival in partnership with the National Trust.

Serving as a backdrop is the Wimpole Estate; an elegant stately home surrounded by acres of gardens, which will come alive with a rich programme of talks, debates, performances, workshops and activities

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with some of Britain’s most eminent historians, broadcasters and authors.

“Wimpole provides a magnificent setting to present history in the historic and it also allows for a variety of activities beyond the talks in the marquees,” says Festival Director, Cathy Moore. “There are guided walks around the estate; there is archery, falconry, sword school, food and craft vans, a ceilidh, yoga – genuinely something to cater for every taste. It’s somewhere you can spend a full-tobursting day.”

“Nothing is more inspiring than being in the place where history happened,” agrees Paul Forecast, National Trust Regional

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Director, East of England. “Wimpole is a beautiful historic estate which has buildings, landscape and objects that tell stories across many centuries.”

Programme highlights are sure to include Austentatious: an improvised Jane Austen novel, returning after a successful outing last year. A mad miscellany of modern culture and Austen-esque mannerisms and themes, performed in Regency costume, this lively show is improvised anew during each performance, led by audience suggestions. Previous ‘lost works’ include Sixth Sense & Sensibility, Jurassic Mansfield Park and Double O Darcy – strap on your bonnet and expect the unexpected.

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H I STO RY F E ST I VA L Author, broadcaster and anthropologist Alice Roberts will be setting sail on an adventure in search of the Iron Age ancestors we call the Celts – deep-diving into their lives, culture, knowledge and beliefs, while Thomas Williams takes on the Vikings, the Scandinavian settlers best known for rampaging and pillaging across the British coastline. As Williams, curator of the British Museum’s Vikings: Life and Legend exhibition, will tell us though, they also came to colonise and rule; their legacy shaping British social, cultural and political development for hundreds of years.

More recent history comes to the fore in Bridget Kendall and Peter Pomerantsev’s exploration of the roots of the Cold War and Putin’s Russia, while the fraught matter of Britain post-Brexit is the subject of what’s sure to be a lively debate between an academic, a historian and an author.

There’ll be plenty to delight smaller history lovers, whether they want to tussle like a medieval knight at sword school, handle magnificent birds with falconry experts or see explosions galore at the Mad Science show. There’s also appearances from kids’ authors including Philip Ardagh, writer of The Secret Diary of Thomas Snoop: Tudor Spy Boy, who also appeared at last year’s festival. “With re-enactors everywhere – from Romans to the Home Guard – a simple walk from the greenroom marquee was like stepping through time,” he enthuses about last year’s event.

“Wimpole is such a fantastic backdrop for soaking up all things historical. It has history seeping from its pores!”

Fascinated by the cloak and dagger world of espionage? Check out the discussion between Christopher Andrew and Sir Richard Dearlove, former Head of MI6. Charting the development of spying from the Book of Exodus to sophisticated 21st century deployments, via Renaissance France and Revolutionary America, the discussion promises to offer an eyeopening insight as to how intelligence operations have impacted history.

The achievements of women will be celebrated in Kate Pankhurst’s talk on fantastic females who’ve shaped history.

“It’s somewhere to spend a full-to-bursting day” From the fearless suffragette leader Flora Drummond to Boudicca and Mary Shelley, it’s a chance to get better acquainted with a host of world-changing women. Also putting women in the spotlight is Vote 100 with Diane Atkinson, which tells the story of the fight for female suffrage, from the half-a-million gathering of Women’s Sunday in 1908 to the Representation of the People Act in 1918.

There’s top historical fiction writers too, in the shape of Kate Moss (interviewed over the page) and Tracy Borman, plus an examination of history through the lens of global culture with TV historians Mary Beard and David Olusoga.

“With so much to do and see there are so many reasons to come along,” says Cathy Moore. “If you have never visited the Wimpole Estate before this is the perfect opportunity, and if you’re a history lover then what are you waiting for?”

We couldn’t agree more! l wimpolehistoryfestival.com

HISTORY FEST HIGHLIGHTS SPEAKERS SHARE WHAT THEY’RE MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO “I am lucky enough to be interviewing Peter Snow, Ann MacMillan and Patrick Bishop at separate events about the Second World War – but also hoping to sneak into lots of the other talks!”

Clare Mulley, author “I’m really looking forward to meeting budding young historians and their families to celebrate 100 years of women’s suffrage with some Fantastically Great Women. (That and the falconry!)”

Kate Pankhurst, author and illustrator “I’ve been addicted to Civilisations on the BBC – I will be stalking Mary Beard and David Olusoga to answer my questions and sign my books.”

Paul Forecast, National Trust Regional Director, East of England “Mixing with fellow book and history enthusiasts, whether audience members or fellow authors.”

Philip Ardagh, author “It would have to be David Olusoga, Kate Mosse and Sarah Churchwell.”

Cathy Moore, Festival Director

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BOOK CLUB CAMBRIDGE EDITION

BOOK CLUB

BRINGING YOU TOP NEW FICTION PICKS, AUTHOR INTERVIEWS, DISCOUNTS AND LOTS MORE BOOK CHAT, THE EDITION BOOK CLUB IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH CAMBRIDGE LITERARY FESTIVAL AND HEFFERS

BOOK 1: THE BURNING CHAMBERS BY KATE MOSSE THE FIRST SELECTION FOR OUR BOOK CLUB IS BY AUTHOR AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION, KATE MOSSE, WHO VISITS CAMBRIDGE THIS MONTH AS PART OF THE WIMPOLE HISTORY FESTIVAL. CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS FINDS OUT MORE

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As a writer of historical fiction, Kate’s delighted to see an event completely devoted to those who love the past. “I’m really thrilled to be coming to a history festival,” she says. “I’m not a historian, I’m a reader of history – and I do think that with everything we see in the modern day, there’s a lesson from history that we could have learned.

“Sometimes it’s very complicated to analyse what one is feeling, or what one can actually do about the contemporary world, and the way things seem to be changing very fast, in ways that many people are very unhappy with – but you can deal with a lot of the same emotions and, indeed, the same issues – by looking to the past. And that’s what I try to do: I write imagined characters, and an imaginary story, against a backdrop of real history.”

In the case of The Burning Chambers and the two books due to follow it, the backdrop spans 300 years, following the Huguenot diaspora around the world. “It’s a refugee story, really,” she explains, “about people who – for no fault of their own – are forced apart from their neighbours, told that people who they had loved all their lives

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his summer sees the return of the Wimpole History Festival, a joint venture between the Cambridge Literary Festival and the National Trust. One of the many speakers is Kate Mosse, much-loved author and co-founder of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, whose latest book, The Burning Chambers, has just landed on shelves, and is already winning rave reviews. Many critics are drawing parallels between The Burning Chambers and Kate’s 2005 bestseller Labyrinth – and, rather excitingly for those of us who adored this earlier novel, Kate does the same herself. “If you loved Labyrinth, I hope – fingers crossed – you’ll love this,” she explains. “They are totally different stories, totally different periods of history, but the spirit of the two books is the same. And I feel about this book like I felt about Labyrinth. Not that I don’t love all my other books!” she quickly adds, laughing. “But this feels like… yes.”

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BOOK CLUB

“If you love Labyrinth, I hope – fingers crossed – you’ll love this” are now the enemy – and having to leave the places where their families have lived for generations, and find a home in another part of the world, where often people don’t want you. And that’s the Huguenot story.”

When Kate started researching The Burning Chambers several years ago, she didn’t imagine that there’d be such strong echoes in the modern world. “It’s utterly set in the 15th and 16th century – historical fiction must only be about the time in which it’s written – but the echoes, obviously, go out.”

Like all of Kate’s books, the original idea came from the landscape: in this case, as with Labyrinth, the Languedoc region of France. “That’s where it always starts for me – the place,” she says, “and then the stories and the history of that place – and then I think: ‘Oh – I could write a story about this…’ And here come my characters to tell that story. It’s about having the confidence as a writer to let the characters take the story forward, and therefore it doesn’t always go in the direction you’re expecting. That’s what’s so exciting!”

For Kate, getting that first draft of her story down is no mean feat. “When I’m writing, I write. I get up about four in the morning, I work for eight, or nine, or ten hours a day, and then I go to sleep. And I write seven days a week: Christmas, birthdays, raining, whatever – until a first draft is done – and then the editing is about ‘that doesn’t work; or that’s not true to history’. As I said, I’m not a historian, but I do work very hard on research. You always worry you’ll make a few clangers, and I probably do, but I’m a storyteller, writing against the backdrop of history.

So I do all my research, and then when I do that first draft, it’s like a sprint – even though they’re big books – I just need to get it all out of my head, and then I’ve got something to wrestle with.”

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By the time Kate appears at Wimpole, the 23rd winner of the Women’s Prize For Fiction will have been crowned. Kate co-founded the Women’s Prize, and still firmly feels that it has a place in today’s society. “Celebrating the best always has a place. It’s about honouring women’s voices, as well as men’s voices – it’s about celebrating excellence and putting brilliant stories from women into the hands of men and women who will love them. It’s very interesting that every prize has eligibility criteria, and there’s no other prize that’s always asked to justify its existence – which kind of shows that there is still a great deal of disquiet about how far things have come, and how far they need to go. For me, it’s about celebrating and saying, ‘Try this! It’s fantastic!’ rather than complaint. I’m a great believer in – if you don’t like a book, put it down, hand it on to your mother or sister or brother or friend, and try another book. Just try. There’s a lot of great writing out there.”

Though her life is spent surrounded by books and the excitement of new authors, the classics still have a place on Kate’s shelves. “At the moment I’m not reading very much because I’m writing,” she says.

“I cannot go to sleep unless I read, but I can’t read anything that might influence or distort the voices in my own head – so the only thing I can read is Agatha Christie.

I read, and reread, and reread Agatha Christie, over and over again.”

But she does read every day – something which would have made Mosse’s younger self extremely happy. “For me, when I was growing up and trying to decide what I might do as a career, the only thing I really wanted to do was to be a reader. And in a funny sort of way, I’ve managed to do that – just be around books all the time,” she laughs. “My ten-year old self wouldn’t have believed it was possible.” l

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C AT H Y MOOR E , DIR EC T OR OF C A M BR IDGE L I T ER A RY F ES T I VA L ,ON T HE BU R N ING CH A M BER S “Kate Mosse knows how to craft a story, and if you have read her bestselling Languedoc Trilogy you can’t help but be excited by The Burning Chambers – the first book in her new epic historical fiction series. The book opens in Carcassonne in the winter of 1562, when 19-year old Minou Joubert receives an anonymous letter at her father’s bookshop consisting of just five words “She knows that you live”. At the same time her father has not been himself and she suspects that both things are connected. What follows is a fast-paced tale fusing gothic adventure, love, war and betrayal which put me in mind of two brilliant and gripping reads, The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafon) and All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr). Much like her earlier books the research that has gone into The Burning Chambers sings out on every page, from the perfectly carvedout characters to the atmospheric backdrop of a city on the brink of destruction. These universal themes of religious war and displacement give the book an eerie contemporary relevance.”

Kate Mosse is talking about The Burning Chambers at the Wimpole History Festival on 24 June. wimpolehistoryfestival.com

I N A S S O C I AT ION W I T H

GET 25% OFF C A M BR I D G E E DI T ION B O OK C LU B B O OK S A T H E F F E R S B O OK S HOP ON TR INIT Y STR EET

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BOOK CLUB

BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS IF YOU’RE PLANNING ON GATHERING FRIENDS TO READ THE BURNING CHAMBERS, AND THEN CHATTING THROUGH YOUR TAKES ON THE BOOK – WE’VE ASKED KATE MOSSE FOR SOME DISCUSSION QUESTIONS TO GUIDE YOU The Burning Chambers is set very definitely ‘then’, but it seems about ‘now’ – what’s your take on this?

Why do you think people enjoy reading historical fiction? Is it to do with wanting to shine a mirror on current events?

Do you enjoy the descriptions of the landscape? Does it make you want to go to Carcassonne, or Toulouse, or South Africa – or does that feel like a backdrop?

Think about the balance between research and storytelling. Do you know anything about the Wars of Religion? If not – did that matter?

Do you now feel you’d like to know more about this period of history?

Kate Mosse writes tales of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Does the book make you think about what you might do, if faced with similar straits? “If your neighbour is your friend, and has always been your friend – but then you’re suddenly told that now, overnight, they’re your enemy – what do you do?” Kate asks. “How far would you go to protect your family? What would you do to look after other people’s families?”

WIN!

TO SEE K ATE W I N T IC K E T S A T W I M P OL E K A MOSSE SPE I VA L A T H I S T OR Y F E S T .C O. U K N IO T DI C A MBSE

UP NEXT MONTH: WHITE HOUSES BY AMY BLOOM Our chosen book for July’s Edition Book Club is White Houses, the story of the passionate, hidden love affair between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok. A superb novel about love, friendship and power, set against the atmospheric backdrop of the White House during the Second World War, it’s written with insight and panache: historical fiction at its best. The author is Amy Bloom, the acclaimed writer of three other novels, Lucky Us, Away and Love Invents Us. White Houses can be purchased for £12.99 in hardback. Read along and tweet us your thoughts @cambsedition, with the hashtag #EditionBookClub for a chance to feature in the next issue.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION! SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE BURNING CHAMBERS BY TWEETING US @CAMBSEDITION AND HASHTAG #EDITIONBOOKCLUB.

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A DV E RT I S E M E N T F E AT U R E

THE CAMBRIDGE 3 BACK TO THE BEGINNING

© LESLEY BIRCH

© CLARE MARIA WOOD

A remarkable long-distance art project between three friends is to go on show in a Cambridge café

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Clockwise from left Clare Maria Wood, Lesley Birch and Karen Stamper.

walks around the beech woods near her home. “The Postal Project was a fun way of keeping in touch and we really bounced off each other’s visual ideas,” she says.

“The thing just kept going over years.”

Karen Stamper went on to become Head of Art at Linton Village College, and now devotes her time to creating vibrant collage paintings inspired by docklands and urban shorelines. “The Cambridge 3 name just stuck,” she says, “and we’ve been collaborating ever since.”

The three artists were awarded an art residency together in Cape Cornwall which led to a successful exhibition in St Ives in 2017. Now Beginnings takes them back to their Cambridge roots, and will include each artist’s individual work, as well as those that they have created together – via the postal system!

“We shall be displaying our latest postal project pieces and lots more,” says Karen.

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© KAREN STAMPER

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hree award-winning artists who all taught at The Perse School over a decade ago are returning to their beginnings to exhibit in Cambridge. Lesley Birch from Glasgow, Clare Maria Wood from Whitby and Karen Stamper from Hull met in Cambridge in 2001 whilst working as teachers at The Perse School on Hills Road.

“We became great friends, painting and drawing together late into the night in my kitchen, listening to David Bowie,” says Lesley. “We mixed words and art, inspiring each other.”

When Lesley left the school and moved to Yorkshire, she received a parcel in the post. “It was a piece of wood with a map collaged on the front and a few splashes of colourful paint. A note from Karen said: ‘Respond and send on to Clare’.”

“So I did,” says Lesley. “I laughed to myself and called it The Cambridge 3 Postal Project.”

Clare Maria Wood, former Head of Art at The Perse School, still lives in Cambridge and now concentrates on painting and printmaking inspired by

SEE THE BEGINNINGS SHOW 2 to 30 June at The Locker Café, King Street, Cambridge Monday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm The Private View takes place on 1 June, 6pm to 8pm.

Tickets available from thecambridge3.com

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After Hours THE NIGHTLIFE EVENTS NOT TO MISS THIS MONTH

MAY WEEK PUNTING May Week, which actually takes place in June, is one of the great Cambridge University traditions. It represents the end of the academic year, a time for the collective letting down of hair, of extravagant balls and garden parties, and a chance for students to say their goodbyes. Even if your uni days are long gone, you can enjoy the festivities by heading down to the river and getting a front row seat to the huge, spectacular fireworks displays.

A punt offers the best vantage point, and for the most impressive displays, we recommend 18 June (when the legendary Trinity and Clare College balls take place) and 19 June (St John’s). The atmosphere is always incredible – so pack some nibbles and a bottle of fizz and you’ve got yourself an unforgettable evening out. Scudamore’s, Let’s Go! Punting and Rutherford’s will all be offering May Week punting experiences, and early booking is advised for all.

S T R AW BER R IES & CR EEM Having secured another cracking line-up for its 2018 outing, Strawberries & Creem returns to Haggis Farm on 16 June. Heading the bill is T-Pain, the chart-topping, Grammy-Award winning rap hero responsible for tracks like Buy U a Drank, I’m Sprung and I’m N Luv. He’s joined on the bill by a crop of top artists including Shy FX, David Rodigan, Not3s, Kojo Funds, and DJ Luck & MC Neat.

Since starting life as a modest garden party five years ago, S&C has grown in size and scope, now attracting some 10,000 festival-goers for a serious party in a pretty corner of the usually sleepy Cambridgeshire countryside. Second-release tickets are available for £42.50. strawberriesandcreem.com

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22 JUNE

NIGHTLIFE

NOW BOOKING CAMBRIDGE C O M E DY F E S T I VA L 18-21 JULY, JUNCTION, FROM £6

Comedy fest returns to the city with 34 shows from some of the world’s finest comedy performers.

JU N E N E W M A R K E T N IGH T S The line-up of stars at Newmarket Nights this year begins on 9 June when Demi Lovato will feature songs from her latest album Tell Me You Love Me. Lead single Sorry Not Sorry carried on from her earlier hits, including Heart Attack, Confident, Cool for the Summer, Give Your Heart a Break and Skyscraper. Under-18s go free to this concert. Next on the feast of live music that follows on from racing at the world-famous sporting arena is Paloma Faith on 22 June. She has been building up her success consistently this decade, with her first No 1 album, The Architect, just before Christmas. On 29 June, James Blunt returns to Newmarket Nights after giving thousands of fans an unforgettable night in 2014. His hits include You’re Beautiful and Goodbye My Lover. newmarket.thejockeyclub.co.uk

S TA N D O N CALLING 26-29 JULY, STANDON, FROM £159

Still time to grab your ticket to this funpacked Hertfordshire festival, featuring Paloma Faith, George Ezra, Bryan Ferry and Goldfrapp.

B M OV I E F E S T I VA L 28-29 JULY, JUNCTION, PRICES VARY

SARAH MI L L IC A N

RUF US WA I N W R IGH T

A true comedic superstar both on screen and performing live, Sarah Millican returns to the Corn Exchange as part of her latest tour, Control Enthusiast, for four nights between 20 and 23 June.

Whether you’re sorting out the tickets for this or just turning up when you’re told to, expect to learn about the correct way to eat a biscuit – and what can happen at a bra fitting... cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

One of the greatest singer-songwriters around, Rufus Wainwright has worked with Elton John, David Byrne, Mark Ronson, Joni Mitchell and Bert Bacharach. As well as acclaimed albums Want One, Want Two and Release the Stars, he’s also written two operas and a five-movement song-cycle inspired by Shakespeare’s sonnets. Catch him at the Corn Exchange on 29 June. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

STRAWBERRY FAIR Strawberry Fair, the free, volunteer-run institution that attracts some 30,000 revellers each year, returns to Midsummer Common on 2 June. Offering a day of music, stalls, food, fun and dancing, this year’s theme is heroes, which is sure to be embraced by those who take part in the parade that kicks things off in colour and style. As well as live music, expect theatre, comedy, a photography exhibition and art workshops, plus spoken word and open mic guests. strawberry-fair.org.uk

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Cheesy B movie bliss at the Junction’s annual festival, featuring craft beer, stalls, a retro gaming floor – plus mullets aplenty.

J U N K YA R D 4 AUG, JUNCTION, £10

A one-day festival at Cambridge Junction featuring High Focus headliner Jam Baxter with DJ sets, live bands and more.

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Music Blog

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GIG GUIDE

JORDAN WORLAND FROM LOCAL MUSIC WEBSITE SLATE THE DISCO SELECTS HIS MUST-SEE GIGS IN CAMBRIDGE THIS MONTH

Wales. But this only brings us to the margins of a musical map that also includes The Beach Boys, Nigerian funk, krautrock and 1940s British noir fiction... Boy Azooga’s debut album 1, 2 Kung Fu is piloted by Davey Newington, a young man who, it’s safe to say, has much musical heritage.

One of his grandfathers was a jazz musician who played drums for the Royal Marines. Davey’s dad (violin) and his mum (clarinet) both played, and met, whilst working with the BBC National Orchestra Of Wales. Davey himself enjoyed orchestral engagement playing the aforementioned triangle for the National Youth Orchestra Of Wales. Davey’s vocals and arrangements carry the tuneful yearning of early Badly Drawn Boy – but eager audiences will discover that the palette extends far beyond singer-songwriter poignancy.

Drawing influences from old calypso, early rock ‘n’ roll, ‘60s girl groups, late-‘50s R ‘n’ B and gospel (among many others) is our next Portland tip, C.W. Stoneking, plays on the

fallow year means no Glasto on the TV this month – but you can get your fix with a host of great live shows in Cambridge to fill the void.

Our first tip this month is Crows, who bring their incomparable live show to the Blue Moon on the 1st.

A gripping and soul-crushing group of misfits from the darker corners of London town, to date they’ve released a handful of EPs with spine-splitting guitar lines and waves of throbbing garage-psych. Expect loud, intense and dark.

Cambridge’s newest venue, Storey’s Field Centre, has a busy month with two events of note. Firstly – and ever popular in Cambridge – The Wave Pictures on the 23rd; then Kristin Herch and Fred Abong on the 28th.

As one of the UK’s most prolific and well-loved bands, The Wave Pictures release several albums a year. This year, they are releasing two – the spontaneous, recorded-inone-day epic masterpiece that is Brushes with Happiness is available in June, followed by Look Inside Your Heart in October.

Kristin Hersh is known for her solo work and for work with her bands Throwing Muses and 50FootWave. She has released ten solo albums. Her guitar work and composition style range from jaggedly dissonant to traditional folk.

Hersh’s lyrics have a stream-of-consciousness style, often reflecting her personal experiences.

There’s a lot going on at The Portland Arms this month, with Seán McGowan topping our must-see list on the 7th.

The lyrically dextrous folk-punk troubadour was last seen in Cambridge impressing the crowd as he opened for Billy Bragg. Last month he released his debut LP Son Of The Smith, and the album is disarming in its scope, surprising in its erudite tackling of life’s challenges, and strong of voice – with just a dab of laddish humour.

Our next Portland recommendation comes in the form of the much-tipped Boy Azooga, who bring their looselimbed live show to town on the 12th. The Boy Azooga story includes both Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon and playing triangle for the National Youth Orchestra Of

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“A host of great live shows will fill the Glasto void” 20th. C.W. Stoneking has been hiding out since his last live full-band shows in July last year, when he performed a run of headline dates culminating in a rousing set at Newport Folk Festival. Rumour has it he’s busy crafting songs for his full-length album, his first since 2014’s ARIA-Award winning Gon’ Boogaloo.

However, the road continues to call and, following successful solo dates in Australia and the USA recently, C.W. is returning to UK, Irish and Netherland stages in June for a limited series of intimate performances. These will be his first solo performances in the UK for ten years.

The stand-out show at the Cambridge Junction this month is Miles Kane on the 22nd. The Last Shadow Puppets member returns this month with his first solo record in five years and we’re expecting more of his awesome formula of hooky, guitar-laden tunes with upbeat and punky lyrics.

Elsewhere at the Junction we have Jack Carty and Maz O’Connor on the 11th, Lisa Knapp on the 14th, Ralph McTell and Wizz Jones on the 21st, and Beltane Fire on the 29th.

Finally, if you fancy a bit of 80s nostalgia on a summer’s evening, then A-ha will be at The Abbey Stadium on the 10th. l

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WHERE THE THINGS ARE AS THE WILD WOOD DISCO PREPARES TO RETURN, WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT’S IN STORE AT THIS YEAR’S OUTING FOR THE FLAMBOYANT MINI FESTIVAL

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ad to say farewell to Secret Garden Party? Fed up with schlepping for hours across the country to get your festival fix? Or maybe you just love a seriously good party? Either way, you need to get this local secret on your radar, pronto.

An intimate mini festival in a gorgeous woodland setting, Wild Wood Disco returns for more glittery good times on 30 June. Taking place at Horseheath Racecourse (near Linton), it’s the second outing for this boutique shindig, which comes our way courtesy of quirky local party-makers My Little Festival. From art installations to laser shows, firepits to street food, there’ll be plenty to explore as you make your way around the lovingly crafted site, soaking up the sounds of fab live acts across two stages as you go.

“We were overwhelmed by the positive response to the disco last year and knew we needed to come back bigger and better this year,” says festival director Vicky Fenton. “We pride ourselves on high production values and attention to detail; our goal is to create a small, memorable and totally unique party that will become a firm favourite of the festival season.”

The organisers set the bar high at the debut event – pulling in the legendary Jazzie B for the headline slot – but they’ve raised it still further this time with two very special guests: Tom Findlay and Andy Cato, aka electronic super-duo Groove Armada, who both originally hail from Cambridge. One of the biggestselling dance acts in the world, the pair are best known for anthems like Superstylin’ and I See You Baby, as well as mega-hit At The River. “It's great to be coming home to Cambridge with GA,” said Findlay of the upcoming

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gig. “I grew up in Cambridge, and the place has played a major part in my musical education. Time to see if I can’t give something back – see y'all on the danceflooor!”

The impressive line-up doesn’t stop there, with festival faves Stanton Warriors taking to the decks for one of their signature genre-hopping sets. This seasoned duo have been in the game for more than 20 years, selling out global tours and bringing their trademark sound to festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury and Burning Man. Also keeping the crowd dancing until the small hours will be house music legend Seb Fontaine, DJ/producer duo Plump DJs and SGP’s ‘Head Gardener’.

This time around, the festival will be introducing the Sundown Stage, where revellers can relax as day turns to night, listening to Ibiza style chillout tunes, disco and funk. Adventurous partygoers can meander down The Wild and Winding Path: a magical route through the forest lined with surprises to discover and places to relax under a canopy of trees – see if you can find the hidden venue for a dance! Also waiting to be discovered is a secret absinthe hut: venture over for a glug of the green stuff and to find out why Oscar Wilde described this famously potent spirit most “poetical thing in the world…”

If you need a bite, you’ll be spoiled for choice with the street food feast which includes artisan pizzas from Fired Up and lip-smacking wings from Buffalo Joes, plus sugary treats from the Churros Bar. We doubt you need any further tempting to join in the fun and games, so: mark 30 June in your diary, grab your glitter and dig out your dancing shoes – we’ll see you in the woods! l

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FOUR T H I NGS NOT TO MISS AT W I L D WO OD DISCO

1

FOREST FEAST:

Taste your way around the cream of the local street food scene, from artisan pizza to gourmet mac and cheese.

2

ABSINTHE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER:

See the green fairy deep down in the woods with a glass of the strong stuff at the hidden absinthe hut.

3

GET INTO THE GROOVE:

Shake your stuff to legendary dance duo Groove Armada.

4

SUNDOWN KIDS:

Catch the sunset and enjoy blissed out beats at the Sundown Stage.

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W I L D W O O D D I S CO

NEED-TOKNOW WHAT:

Perfectly formed boutique festival, taking place in a woodland glade. Groove Armada headline.

WHEN:

30 June, 2pm-2am.

WHERE:

Horseheath Racecourse, Linton.

HOW MUCH:

Tier 3 tickets £45. Camping available for additional £15.

Shuttle bus to and from Cambridge £10. thewildwooddisco.com

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FA M I LY

Father’s C A M BR IDGE CLU B SPOIL YOUR DAD – OR DROP HINTS ON HOW TO GET SPOILED – WITH HELP FROM OUR HANDY GUIDE

FATHER’S DAY AFTERNOON TEA Jo Kruczynska, aka Afternoon Tease, is planning a Father’s Day afternoon tea of epic proportions at the newly spruced up Restaurant 22. Forget dainty finger sandwiches and petit fours though, this feast includes hearty doorstep sandwiches, homemade sausage rolls, AT’s famous cheese scones and a good wedge of cake.

It takes place on 17 June and there are sittings at 12.30pm and 3.30pm, priced at £22. afternoontease.co.uk

The Cambridge Club presents a new one-day food, drink and music event, the Father’s Day Festival, on 17 June.

Headlining the bill is Gabrielle, who hit the No 1 spot with Dreams and Rise in the 90s and noughties, and teamed up with East 17 on If You Ever.

Top tunes will be spun from 12pm to 10pm at Haggis Farm, Cambridge, and among the DJs will be Radio 2’s Trevor Nelson and 6 Music’s Craig Charles (complete with his funk and soul club).

With more live acts, there’s sure to be something to keep you dancing throughout the day.

We Love Food will supply a mouthwatering banquet and to drink you can choose from a wide range, including gin, prosecco, champagne, real ale, craft lager and cocktails.

There will be a children’s area and families are welcome.

Tickets are £25, or £67 for family tickets. thecambridgeclub.co

PRESENTS FOR POPS

If you have a dad who loves cooking up a storm, check out these beautiful, highquality hand-sewn leather aprons from Aabelard. Prices start at £125. aabelard.com

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Your dad can level up his BBQs with a Big Green Egg – available at The Gog farm shop – which are ideal for low and slow cooking, perfect pizzas, and even baking bread!

Prices start at £675. thegog.com

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Flavoured with pomegranate and chinchona bark, this silky smooth pink gin is from the English Drinks Company and available at Burwash Manor, priced at £35. burwashmanor.com

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FA M I LY DAYS O U T

Top Family Days Out

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OPEN FARM SUNDAY

Gather up the family and head for the great outdoors this month at Open Farm Sunday, which returns on 10 June. Offering a chance to learn more about farming, meet animals and enjoy activities such as tractor rides, walks and demonstrations, the event is part of a national initiative which will see hundreds of farms up and down the country open their gates to the public. Locally, you can visit Manor Farm in Harlton (10am4pm) for face-painting, machinery demos, ice creams, a hog roast and a chance to play in the straw, mud and wheat pit – plus meet the sheep and pigs at the farm. Hope Farm in Knapwell will also be open for the day, showing how they farm for wildlife, with talks, pond dipping and trailer rides. Find out more at the Open Farm Sunday website. farmsunday.org

CAMBRIDGE SCIENCE CENTRE REOPENS

R A SPBER RY F IEL DS

Get creative with tech at Raspberry Fields, a two-day jamboree of coding fun at Cambridge Junction. Hosted by Raspberry Pi – makers of the world-famous Cambridge-born microcomputer – the event runs on 30 June and 1 July and will serve up fun for the whole family, from hands-on science to music and talks.

Inspire your inner inventor, immerse yourself in interactive digital installations and learn about some of the mind-boggling projects digital makers are working on at the moment, including cool robots and wearable tech. There are also lots of festival-themed activities to get stuck into, such as face painting, fun performances, free giveaways and some delicious food. Tickets are £5 for over 16s and free for under 16s, and the event runs from 10.30am-6pm on 30 June and 10am-5.30pm on 1 July. junction.co.uk

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Offering a space to get hands-on with science and tech through unique exhibits, shows and workshops, Cambridge Science Centre unveiled its new home at Cambridge Leisure Park in recent weeks. Launched in 2013 with a goal of making science fun and accessible, the Centre welcomed more than 99,000 guests through its doors at its old location on Jesus Lane, and the team are looking forward to continuing their mission at their new, bigger and better premises.

“Our new home is absolutely marvellous,” enthuses Chris White, a science communicator at Cambridge Science Centre. “It is light and spacious, with much more space for exhibitions than in our previous space at Jesus Lane, as well as a dedicated show area. We have had a fantastic time introducing our new space and exhibits during our launch event, and we look forward to welcoming schools and families from the region to the revamped and rejuvenated Cambridge Science Centre!”

As an education charity, the centre is dedicated to finding innovative ways to engage young people with science and get them thinking about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. The new centre is now open to the public from Tuesdays to Fridays between 3pm and 5.30pm and Saturdays to Sundays between 10.30am and 5pm, as well as every day from Tuesday to Sunday during school holidays. cambridgesciencecentre.org

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What’s On A ROUND-UP OF EVENTS IN AND AROUND CAMBRIDGESHIRE THIS MONTH

1 JUNE

3 JUNE

9 JUNE

JESTERLARF COMEDY CLUB

OAE TOTS: THE APPLE TREE

Susan Murray comperes Ninia Benjamin, one third of BBC2’s 3 Non-Blondes, rising star Colin Chadwick, and Duncan Oakley’s mix of musical comedy and stand-up.

7.45pm | Cambridge Junction | from £13.50 | junction.co.uk

A concert introducing children aged two to five to the magic of classical music.

Includes baroque and folk music to meet the instruments of the orchestra.

11am, 1.30pm | Saffron Hall | £12, U18s £6| saffronhall.com

BEST OF NEW ZEALAND FESTIVAL

2 JUNE

5-9 JUNE

SASASAS

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

The best in sound system culture and all things bass comes to the Junction for the Cambridge launch party of Outlook Festival, which takes place in Croatia in September. Featuring SASASAS, Skibadee, Shabba D, Harry Shotta and Phantasy.

10pm | Cambridge Junction | from £15 | junction.co.uk

A riotous reinterpretation of one of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays, featuring original live music, this classic tale of young lovers is given an irreverent twist.

7.45pm, 2.30pm Thursdays and Saturdays | Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £19 | cambridgeartstheatre.com

A walk-around event where you can taste more than 30 wines in the £15 to £30 bracket. A cheese and meat platter is included, with payas-you-go tasting sample tokens.

3pm | University Centre | £11.37 | bestnewzealandwine.eventbrite.co.uk 10 JUNE

TRACY BEAKER GETS REAL Tracy, aged 14, returns to the ‘dumping ground’ and looks back on the last four years of her life, from being fostered and dumped and fostered again. Then her mum unexpectedly reappears.

4pm | Cambridge Junction | £10, £6 con | junction.co.uk 12 JUNE

CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL OF ART GRADUATE FASHION SHOW

Students from the Anglia Ruskin University fashion design degree course put their creations on the catwalk. This selection of individual and focused final collections will hopefully launch the students into their chosen careers.

7.30pm | Cambridge Junction | £10, £7 con | junction.co.uk 12-16 JUNE

GREAT EXPECTATIONS Award-winning actor Nichola McAuliffe stars in this powerful new stage adaptation.

Will Pip win Estella’s heart, and become part of the educated elite?

7.45pm, 2.30pm Thursdays and Saturdays | Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £20 | cambridgeartstheatre.com 12-23 JUNE

2 JUNE

T IF F S T E V ENSON: BOM BSHEL L A comic whose star is very much in the ascendancy, Tiff Stevenson has been on Mock the Week, 8 Out of 10 Cats and People Just Do Nothing.

She describes herself as oscillating between Sylvia Plath and Beyoncé.

8pm | Cambridge Junction | £12.50 | junction.co.uk

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FOOTLIGHTS TOUR SHOW: PILLOW TALK

The sketch group that has spawned Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Richard Ayoade and Olivia Colman makes its debut at Cambridge Union. Expect original writing and character comedy.

9pm; no show 14 & 18 June | Cambridge Union | from £11 | adctheatre.com

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W H AT ’ S O N

9 JUNE

TH A NK YOU FOR T HE MUSIC Smash-hit tribute show brings all the Abba No 1 hits together to celebrate the amazing look and enduring appeal of the Swedish legends.

7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £29 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

12 JUNE

ALL NEW SCUMMY MUMMIES SHOW

20-23 JUNE

26-30 JUNE

SARAH MILLICAN

84 CHARING CROSS ROAD

Join Ellie and Helen in a celebration of the scummier side of parenting, from drinking wine at teatime to hiding from the PTA. 8pm | Cambridge Junction | £17 | junction.co.uk

The hugely popular comic takes over the Corn Exchange for four consecutive nights of mirth, observation and more, as she aims to prove she is no control freak, but a control enthusiast.

8pm | Corn Exchange | from £30.25 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

A tender, heart-warming tale of a transatlantic friendship that creates a snapshot of Britain from the late ‘40s to the swinging ‘60s.

7.45pm, 2.30pm Thursdays and Saturdays | Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £19 | cambridgeartstheatre.com

19 JUNE

22 JUNE

28-30 JUNE

STEALING THE SHOW: IMPROV HEIST COMEDY

DAVID BADDIEL

MILES KANE

The comedian performs his Olivier-nominated one-man show My Family: Not the Sitcom, featuring candid reflections on dysfunctional relatives, memory, ageing, golf and gay cats.

7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £28.50 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

A stunning musical talent, now persuing a successful solo career, Miles creates an exhilarating vibe when playing live. He stops off in Cambridge as part of his UK tour.

7pm | Cambridge Junction | £22.50 | junction.co.uk

For those who’ve always thought Hollywood heist movies should ditch big-name actors for more improvised comedy.

7.45pm | Corpus Playroom | £5-£8 | adctheatre.com

19-23 JUNE

24 JUNE

30 JUNE-1 JULY

MISCHIEF MOVIE NIGHT

PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA

RASPBERRY FIELDS

A show that’s enjoyed six months on Broadway and a sold-out West End run, the audience suggests a genre, location and title and the improvisers bring the show to life.

7.45pm, 2.30pm Thursdays and Saturdays | Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £15 | cambridgeartstheatre.com

The orchestra perform in Cambridge for the first time with their principal conductor, Esa-Pekka Salonen. Featuring Katy Woolley, principal horn, as soloist on Mozart’s bestknown horn concerto, No 4.

7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £12.50 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

Inspire the inner inventor in you. A new festival of digital making led by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, offering a chance for people of all ages to have a go at being creative with tech.

10.30am Saturday, 10am Sunday | Cambridge Junction | £5, U16s free | junction.co.uk

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FA M I LY

Let’s get ready to Rumpus!

FIRST-TIME FAMILY FESTIVAL HITS CAMBRIDGE THIS MONTH WITH MUSIC, ARTS AND CRAFTS, STREET FOOD AND MORE

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f you go down to the woods on 9 June, you’re sure of many big surprises, when Rumpus arrives for a day of fun and frolics in the Cambridgeshire countryside. The familyfriendly sister event to the Wild Wood Disco, Rumpus will see this green and glorious site come alive with music and magic. The event is promising surprises and wonder around every corner, from live bands to woodland crafts, storytellers to spellbinding art. It takes place at the Horseheath Racecourse over in Linton, aka the Wild Wood, kicking off at 11am and offering something for the whole family.

Delighting ears old and young will be the brilliant Brass Funkeys, a good-time brass band known for their lively covers of classic tunes. They’re joined on the music bill by top local acts including SJ and The Flying Pigs, Tiger Blue and Fruity Clave – a Brazilian samba band. If your little ones love a dance and stomp about, make a beeline for the bubble disco – surely the stuff of under-fives’ dreams – which will take place on the woodland stage and feature all their favourite teenybop hits. Be sure to swing by the face painting and glitter stations beforehand to help you really strut your stuff!

In the mood for something a little quieter? Local bookshop Heffers will be running a series of activities for little book lovers. Step inside the magical literary tipi for stories, poetry and

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workshops with the likes of cartoonist Glenn Dakin; Foxcraft writer Inbali Iserles; and Katherine Mann and Laura Robson Brown, creators of the wildly popular Fitz and Will, the Cambridge Cats books. Students from Anglia Ruskin’s children’s illustration course will be there, too, leading the creation of a giant mural which everyone can contribute to.

There’s also den building and foraging with W.I.L.D. to seek out the chance to meet the fairy king and queen, make some art from nature and create dream catchers, wild wands, bird feeders and more at the Wildings Craft School.

Don’t miss out on the Woodland Procession, filled with colour, costumes and music, and if you scramble deeper still through the thicket of branches into the woodland, a Mad Hatter’s tea party awaits you…

Parents will be pleased to hear that the food and drinks offering sings with crowd-pleasers for all ages, from gourmet mac and cheese to tacos, brownies and

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gelato. Plus there are cocktails to enjoy.

Rounding things off at 8pm, in their own, hands-in-the-air style, the Early Night Club will be playing top tunes until close at 9.30pm.

“We are so excited that we have such a great line-up. Everyone has been so enthusiastic about the concept of Wild Wood Rumpus – inspired by a desire to get back to nature, away from screens and have some fresh air and fun!” commented Alex Ruczaj from the festival team. “Adding in the local writers to tell stories, with the arts, crafts and eco activities, such as the stunning Land Art For Kids team who create truly beautiful sculptures and art from nature, there will be plenty to entertain all ages. We think this will make for the perfect small festival for the whole family to enjoy, and we can hardly wait for the ninth.” l Tickets are currently available at £65 per family of four, £20 per adult, and £15 per child. thewildwoodrumpus.com

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Food & Drink FOOD NEWS • CAMBRIDGE PUB GUIDE • SUMMER WINE TIPS • RECIPES • REVIEWS

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FO O D & D R I N K

Food News A MONTHLY ROUND-UP OF GASTRO GOINGS-ON AROUND CAMBRIDGESHIRE

T HIS MON T H AT T HE DIS T IL L ERY

There are a busy few weeks planned at the Cambridge Distillery’s Grantchester showroom, with a crop of great events that range from foodie feasts to a yogafilled celebration of summer. First up, there’s a botanical-inspired pop-up from Alex Rushmer and Lawrence Butler, the two chefs who used to man the stoves at the now-closed Hole in the Wall.

They’re looking forward to sharing a menu specially devised to complement and draw out the flavours of the distillery’s own gin range, making for a truly memorable midsummer feast.

The botanical pop-up runs from 11 to

23 June and is priced at £65 for seven courses.

Then, on the 23rd, you can embrace the new season with a day filled with colour, movement, laughter and creativity. Running 10am until 4pm, the Summer Celebration is hosted by Yoga with Felicity, and begins with a cacao ceremony, gentle yoga and meditation practice. This is followed by a tasty buffet lunch and a chance to make your own flower crown, floral garland or table display to take home at the end of the day. After that, everyone will join together for a sensory workshop session

before enjoying a refreshing cocktail.

Day passes are priced at £100.

Moving into July, Allotment Cafe will be popping up on the 7th for an English garden party feast featuring three courses packed with superb seasonal ingredients. After being greeted with a gin cocktail and canapes, guests will enjoy a summery feast showcasing beautiful botanicals and locally foraged ingredients, with the option of adding a flight of Cambridge Distillery’s awardwinning gins. Tickets are £50 for three courses and welcome cocktail. cambridgedistillery.co.uk/events

THIRSTY BIERGARTEN 2018 Drinks shop Thirsty relaunched its wildly popular Biergarten for the season in May – and they’ve got plenty of fun in store for us over the coming months. This time around, they’re bringing their Berlin-style vibe to the garden of St Giles’ Church (Castle Street) where they’re offering fantastic craft beers and top-notch street food. Family and dog-friendly, it’s promising once again to become a must-visit on the Cambridge summer boozing circuit. Food on offer will include the likes of artisan pizzas from Fired Up and vibrant veggie cuisine from Wandering Yak, gourmet burgers from Steak & Honour and Mexican bites from Al Chile, plus amazing pastry-based treats from Pie Central and coffees from Beanissimo.

Find out more via Thirsty’s Facebook page, facebook.com/thirstycambridge

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CAFE FOY OPENS Quayside has welcomed a new eatery in recent weeks in the shape of Cafe Foy, a family-run indie serving up epic toasties, awesome Scotch eggs, small plates and cocktails. The cafe takes its name from the phrase ‘garde ta foy’, the motto of Magdalene College, which owns the building. It translates as “a feast or drink given to someone before a journey” – and we’re sure they’ll be filling up plenty of hungry punters before they depart up the river, given their prime location on the banks of the Cam. We can’t wait to taste our way around the menu, which is positively bursting with crowd-pleasers, from the towering Rueben toastie (loaded with home cured beef pastrami, melty Emmental cheese, mustard, pickles and sauerkraut) to the freshly baked cakes and Bellinis. cafefoy.com

WINE FESTIVAL Head to the University Centre at Granta Place on 9 June for a celebration of the wines of New Zealand, hosted by Cambridge Wine Merchants. Running 3pm-6pm, the event will feature more than 32 great wines, plus cheese and meat platters. Tickets are £11.37, available from Eventbrite. cambridgewine.com

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My Favourite Table JO KRUCZYNSKA, AKA POP-UP HOST AND CAKE BAKER EXTRAORDINAIRE AFTERNOON TEASE, SHARES HER TOP CAMBRIDGE FOODIE TIPS l WHAT’S

YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO EAT IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE?

I am a regular at Urban Larder, and more recently Samovar Tea House in Ely for coffee. I’m also an absolute sucker for the Korean wings from Buffalo Joe’s at foodPark and have recently discovered the toasties at Cafe Foy on Quayside. I would also definitely like to give a shout out to Arepa Station, who are on Ely Market every Saturday and on Cambridge Market Wednesday to Sunday – they make the most amazing homemade Venezuelan arepas (corn meal flatbreads) filled to the brim with deliciousness such as spicy pulled beef, cheese, black beans, fried plantains and their special green sauce. l YOU’RE

HAVING A NIGHT IN: WHERE ARE YOU CALLING FOR TAKEAWAY?

My absolute favourite comfort food takeaway in Cambridge is from Kymmoy – their salt and pepper squid is to die for! l WHERE

DO YOU LIKE TO SHOP FOR INGREDIENTS?

I’m sure this isn’t an original answer but I love heading down Mill Road where you can pretty much find anything you could ever need. The spice cave at Al Amin is an absolute treasure trove and their homemade curries, which you can buy to take away from the counter right at the back of the shop, are delicious! l WHAT

DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE CAMBRIDGE FOOD SCENE?

I love the number of independent restaurants and cafes that continue to pop up around town. It’s a tough old game, starting a business, and takes a lot of passion, which makes these small businesses all the better.

They’re run by people who care, love food and want to share that! l WHAT

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE OF?

I recently went to Broadway Market in Tooting, South London, an indoor market, which at night is transformed into an amazing collection of small restaurants and bars. It was absolutely buzzing! It gives smaller traders the chance to showcase their individual offerings in a restaurant setting but without having to take on the overheads of a long-term lease, and it also gives the public the opportunity to try a variety of new foods.

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FO O D & D R I N K

T HE F R INGE’ S F IN A L F LOU R ISH The main event may have been and gone but there’s still time to catch the last of the Eat Cambridge fringe events if you’re speedy. On 1 June, local street food titans Steak & Honour and Guerrilla Kitchen join forces to lay on an epic eight-course feast, while on the 2nd, it’s over to the gorgeous Flock Cafe at Burwash Manor for an early summer supper club featuring local and seasonal ingredients in dishes like rhubarb pavlova and Burwash pork shoulder roasted with fennel, garlic and new potatoes. On the same day, at Cambridge Gin Company’s Grantchester distillery, there’s a seasonal gin tasting to sip your way through, while on Sunday 3 June pop along to Burwash Manor for Sizzling Sunday, a huge, delicious celebration of Burwash rare breed pork. Expect a lazy day of feasting on the farm, plenty of pulled pork and tasty street food and a mini craft beer festival – sounds like a top Sunday to us! Finally, on the Sunday evening, visit Alimentum, one of Cambridge’s fine dining gems, for a relaxed supper club with chef patron Mark Poynton, who’ll be serving up exciting new dishes and asking you to score them!

GIN DAY

Celebrate World Gin Day on 6 June with a trip to Six, the sixth floor restaurant at the Varsity Hotel, where they’re hosting a special gin-inspired afternoon tea.

Priced at £26.50, guests will be treated to dainty finger sandwiches, and sweet treats including lemon, Earl Grey and gin tarts, grapefruit and gin choux buns and gin and tonic macarons religieuse. To drink, you can choose from a gin menu with over 30 varieties, or a selection of gin tea cocktails created by Six’s in-house mixologist – we love the sound of The Earl of Cambridge: Earl Grey tea paired with Cambridge Dry Gin, fresh blueberries, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, with a violet infused sugar rim.

Bottoms up!

The afternoon tea is available 12pm to 5pm. sixcambridge.co.uk

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R E S TAU R A N T R E V I E W

Old Crown

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estled on the outer edge of Girton, the Old Crown surprised from the second we arrived.

“This is – really nice?” we hissed at each other, as the smiling bar staff showed us through the beautifully appointed restaurant to a table near the fireplace. This historic pub enjoyed an extensive makeover at the start of 2018, with a reported six-figure sum being spent on the interiors: think velvets in rich teals, mustards and jewel-like colourways, plus a copper-topped bar and a few artdeco touches to set the tone. A west-facing garden terrace is perfect for catching the late afternoon sun, while fires keep the venue cosy in the cooler months of the year. Which all adds up to create one of the smartest restaurant interiors in the area.

Though the building is owned by Suffolk-based pubco Greene King, the Old Crown is the newest addition to well-regarded Lavenham-based group Stuart Inns’ roster of boutique restaurants and pubs, including the Lavenham Greyhound and Swan at Long Melford. The Old Crown itself is run independently by manager Paul Richardson and team, and, by all accounts, is going down a storm with locals and visitors alike. And based on our experience, that’s hardly a surprise.

The menus arrived, accompanied by a wine and extensive gin list, and both of us immediately clocked the Old Crown’s ‘bottomless’ brunch offering with unlimited Prosecco, and made a mental note to return. The welcoming front of house team, coupled with the splendidly styled interiors, set the stage with a perfect atmosphere for enjoying an evening meal – it felt like those in charge knew exactly what they were doing.

Which, when you consider the pub’s experienced stakeholders, makes sense.

We started our meal with a small bowl of rosemary popcorn, before moving on to a beautiful beetroot and goat’s curd salad made with multiple varieties of beetroot and a cool, creamy fresh cheese. My companion tucked into the Old Crown’s black treacle brawn fritter, served with fashionable curry-roasted cauliflower and golden raisins. It’s great to see sustainably-minded ingredients such as pig’s head becoming more and more popular in Cambridge’s restaurants, especially when it’s treated as well as in the Old Crown’s kitchens. Both of the starters were completely delicious, and the

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style of cooking really let the seasonal produce speak for itself: it’s clear that there’s someone talented devising the menu.

For mains we tried one of the two vegetarian dishes: chive gnocchi with fennel, asparagus, watercress cream and crunchy toasted seeds, which was comforting without being too heavy, as gnocchi dishes often can be. The asparagus and fennel were a real taste of summer and ably demonstrated how vegetarian dishes can be inventive and elegant.

When reviewing a restaurant, it’s important to show balance – so the other dish we picked to contrast the gnocchi was a Hereford sirloin steak served with a rustling heap of triple-cooked chips, a confit shallot and generous slick of beef-based sauce. We genuinely had a tricky time selecting our mains from amongst the exceedingly tempting list of dishes: butter-poached hake, lamb belly and a pork wellington feature, along with a rump steak, an aged beef burger and an IPA-battered fish of the day – but were delighted with the creations presented to us, and cleared our plates with ease. The Old Crown’s plates deserve a brief mention: ceramics which are contemporary, but not in a way which impedes eating or distracts from the presentation of the food – another example of the management’s expertise and experience winning the day.

Dessert was again a challenge to choose, but in the end a toasted lemon meringue pie and the

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© CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS

CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS PAYS A VISIT TO THIS NEWLY SPRUCED UP GIRTON PUB

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FO O D & D R I N K

“It’s clear that there’s someone talented devising the menu”

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WHAT:

Gorgeous, newly refurbed gastro pub serving up cocktails, elegant food and brunches.

WHERE:

89 High St, Girton HOW MUCH:

Starters from £6 and main courses between £14.50 for harissa falafel and £22 for Hereford Sirloin Steak with triplecooked chips.

© CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS

spectacular-sounding (and looking) multilayered chocolate and pistachio millefeuille won our hearts.

We shared the sweet courses, as well as a Toffee Apple cocktail from the Old Crown’s well-balanced cocktail list, cleared our plates, said our goodbyes and headed off into the night.

The Old Crown is a perfect example of a welljudged local pub with the style, class and menu offering to lure those living further afield. It’d be the perfect spot for a celebratory evening out with family, or simply a midweek treat – and if brunch is your bag, then that bottomless offer sounds like an ideal way to while away a couple of hours. Girton, you’re a lucky village indeed: let’s hope the Old Crown’s newest incarnation is here to stay. l

OLD CROWN

oldcrowngirton. co.uk

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A DV E RT I S E M E N T F E AT U R E

THE ART OF THE APERITIVO Relax the Italian way by sitting back in the company of friends and family and enjoy a glass or two alongside authentic Italian dishes. Let aperitivo prepare your stomach for the gastro journey ahead!

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herever you travel in Italy you will find the locals enjoying aperitivo. Aperitivo (not to be confused with the happy hour) is a pre-meal, always before dinner and usually between the hours of 6pm and 9pm. A beverage with small bites is common in most Italian bars and it’s always a social occasion – a chance to chat and catch up before heading home for a big meal.

“Enjoying food and drink together and building up to the main evening meal is a big part of any Italian family’s way of life,” says Maurizio, founder of Maurizio Dining & Co. “We’ve tried to recreate the art of aperitivo with our simple menu of wooden boards laden with cheeses and salumi, authentic pasta dishes and cicchetti. We hope it’s a tasty addition to the Italian food scene in Cambridge.”

The ritual of aperitivo dates back to the late 1700s when distiller Antonio Benedetto Carpano created one of the first types of vermouth by combining fortified white wine, various herbs and spices. Very quickly vermouth became a firm favourite and aperitivo culture was born! Sometimes the boundaries between aperitivo and the main meal are blurred as nowadays pasta can also be found on menus.

Now over a year old and firmly settled on Mill Road, Maurizio Dining & Co. is the perfect place to say ciao to your worries, enjoy the passion and tradition of Italian food and wine, and watch the world go by. Cin cin! l

Maurizio Dining & Co. Italian aperitivo and wine bar 44 Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 2AS Tel: 01223 301869 Mob: 07957735844 info@mauriziodining.com www.mauriziodining.com

OFFER 15% off your bill with a copy of this page.

T & Cs apply. Valid for all food and drink, Mondays to Thursdays, from 1 June until 31 August 2018

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Our favourite aperitivo drinks at Maurizio Dining & Co. NEGRONI

One-part gin, one-part red vermouth and one-part bitters, traditionally Campari.

FRANCIACORTA BARBOGLIO DE GAIONCELLI

The Italian equivalent of champagne.

APEROL SPRITZ

A sweeter favourite made with Aperol bitters and Prosecco.

PROSECCO ORGANIC FRIZZANTE Juicy and fresh flavours from the Veneto region.

CRODINO

Non-alcoholic aperitivo that takes its name from the small town of Crodo.

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FO O D & D R I N K

PASTA FIVE OF THE BEST

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS

YOU CAN’T BEAT THE SOUL-SOOTHING PROPERTIES OF A PASTA DISH – BUT WHERE CAN YOU FIND CAMBRIDGE’S PRIMO PLATEFUL? CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS INVESTIGATES...

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R: P E R F EC T F O

P E O P L EA N D G W A T C H IN ITH W S T S A FE S D N F R IE

SUPERMARKET PASTA SALES HAVE DECLINED IN RECENT YEARS, THANKS IN PART TO THE RISE OF GLUTEN-FREE EATING AND ALTERNATIVE GRAINS – BUT YOU ONLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ASTRONOMICAL SUCCESS OF RESTAURANTS SUCH AS PADELLA IN LONDON’S BOROUGH MARKET TO SEE THAT BRITONS HAVEN’T FALLEN OUT OF LOVE WITH THIS WHEATY TREAT. CAMBRIDGE HAS BEEN HOME TO SOME MUCH-MISSED PASTA PLACES: CLOWNS CAFE, OF COURSE – WHERE LATE-NIGHT BOWLFULS KEPT GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS WELL-NOURISHED – OR MILL ROAD’S PASTA FRESCA, WHICH SEVERAL LOCALS OPENLY MOURNED WHEN WE ASKED FOR RECOMMENDATIONS ON TWIT TER. BUT IF YOU’RE AFTER FANTASTIC FUSILLI, SPLENDID SPAGHET TI OR TERRIFIC TAGLIATELLE THESE DAYS, WHERE CAN YOU FIND PASTA THAT’S WORTH PAUSING FOR? READ ON FOR OUR CURRENT FAVOURITES...

MAURIZIO DINING & CO Pasta is always on the menu at this relative newcomer to the Cambridge dining scene. Maurizio opened on Mill Road around a year ago and has fast won over locals with delicious aperitivo, simple cicchetti, sharing boards of cheeses and Italian meats, and a pasta dish which changes daily. When we dropped by, the specials included trofie pasta al pesto, which our super-friendly server highly recommended – and which we demolished in minutes. Wash down your dinner with a glass from Maurizio’s extensive and well-kept wine list – and every Thursday, their Italian cocktails are two for £10.

BEST FOR: CELEBRATORY MEALS AND SPECIAL OCCASIONS

IL PICCOLO MONDO

No round-up of pasta places in our city would be complete without mentioning Trip Advisor’s number one eatery in Cambridge – this fiercely booked-up restaurant out in the village of Bottisham garners praise from all corners, and sits extremely high on many people’s must-eat lists.

We snuck in before lunch service to sample their latest summer pasta treat, tortelloni di zucca – pasta parcels filled with pumpkin and parmesan cheese, served with with peas and cream sauce, all home-made by chef Elio. It’s well the effort of persisting to secure a reservation at this beautiful rural restaurant, though weekends are currently booked out until August – hit the phones, plan ahead, and secure yourself a pasta feast to remember.

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FO O D & D R I N K BEST FOR: DATE NIGHT

DE LUCA CUCINA & BAR

R: P E R F EC T F O

A M ID - G S H O P P IN SNACK

Nestled between Regent Street and Parker’s Piece is a secret: De Luca’s delightful rooftop terrace, the perfect spot for al fresco dining in the heart of the city. On a sunny day this is an ideal location for lunch, especially if you manage to bag the table with a view over the green. De Luca’s à la carte menu features several pasta dishes, but the summery vibe of the day sent us in the direction of seafood and the linguine with shrimp and crayfish in a rich Napoli sauce – delicious. If you visit for a later meal and find yourself lingering after dinner, their top-floor cocktail lounge becomes a lively piano bar on certain nights of the week – a whole evening’s entertainment under one roof.

LIMONCELLO This full-to-bursting Italian delicatessen on Mill Road has been a favourite of the local foodie scene for well over a decade, subtly changing and shifting its offering over time. The classic pick-your-own-pesto counter remains, selling antipasto and priceybut-beyond-delicious pots of sauce to smother on your own feasts – but the deli also features the chance to rest your feet (don’t miss their teeny garden for a peaceful bolthole) with a plateful of homemade gnocchi, filled ravioli or tortellini. Served on a bed of salad, tossed in Limoncello’s ‘world famous’ rocket pesto and drizzled with balsamic glaze, their pasta is fresh and wholesome. If you’d prefer to eat at home, you can take it away – cooked or ready-to-cook – to tuck into later on.

PERFECT FOR: CHEAP (AND DELICIOUS) EATS

WANT TO MAKE

TRADIZIONI

YOUR OWN

PERFECT

Don’t be fooled by the minimalist interiors of this Mill Road (what is it about Mill Road and pasta?) eatery if you’re passing while its doors are shut: the kitchen goes big on flavour, as will be completely obvious by the packed tables of happy diners you’ll find tucking in during opening hours.

Famed for its pizza offering but also serving up a terrific plate of pasta, Tradizioni’s platefuls are budget friendly and completely delicious – and the £1 corkage for BYO makes this the perfect spot for a low-key night out with pals.

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PASTA?

TURN OVER FOR OUR GLORIOUS GNOCCHI & CROMER CRAB RECIPE

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H OW TO M A K E T H E B E S T

NETTLE GNOCCHI WITH CROMER CRAB & VERMOUTH RECIPE BY ALEX RUSHMER

One of the major barriers to making pasta at home is the lack of a dedicated pasta machine.

Rolling pasta by hand is possible but requires a lot of time – and generations of ancestors whose skills you could acquire. With that in mind, I’ve stretched the definition of pasta to make this recipe accessible to anyone without specialist equipment (aside from a potato ricer), who is yearning for something delightfully comforting. I’ve flavoured the gnocchi with nettle tops - easily foraged throughout Cambridge - and then made a sauce from the white and brown meat from a Cromer crab, one of the region’s most prized ingredients, and rightfully so.

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TO SERVE FOUR AS A STARTER OR TWO AS A MAIN COURSE FOR THE GNOCCHI

3 handfuls of freshly picked nettle tips, washed in cold water l 4 medium-sized baking potatoes l 1 egg l c.125g tipo 00 flour or strong white bread flour l salt, to taste l freshly ground black pepper l ¼ nutmeg, finely ground l olive oil l

FOR THE CRAB

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped l 25g butter l 50ml dry vermouth l 1 dressed Cromer crab l 3tbsp crème fraiche l 25g finely grated parmesan l 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped l salt and pepper, to taste l lemon juice, to taste l

TO FINISH l

25g butter

STEP-BY-STEP

Rub the potatoes with olive oil and season generously with salt. Place in a preheated oven and cook for an hour, or until well baked and soft in the middle. Cut the potatoes in half and allow them to steam for 10 minutes.

Add 1tsp olive oil to a large saucepan and tip in the nettle tops, season lightly with salt, several turns of the pepper mill and the nutmeg. Place over a

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FO O D & D R I N K medium heat and wilt the nettles until they look like cooked spinach. Drain in a sieve or colander (press out as much water as possible) and tip them onto a cutting board and chop finely.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil.

Add enough salt to make it taste like the sea.

Scoop out the insides of the baked potatoes and squeeze through a potato ricer into a bowl (for a tasty snack, pop the skins back in the oven with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, bake for another 15 minutes and eat immediately). Mix with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes to release more steam then crack the egg in, add the chopped nettles and mix.

Add about half the flour and mix well then turn out onto a floured surface.

Sprinkle more flour over the top and start to knead like a bread dough. If the mix is too sticky, add more flour a little at a time until the dough comes together into a workable lump that is dry to the touch. Divide into four then roll each ball into a sausage about 2cm in diameter. Cut into bite-sized chunks and roll into gnocchi shaped pieces then roll each piece over the back of a fork to give the characteristic creases.

Place the gnocchi onto a lightly floured tray then cook in the salted boiling water until they float. Line another tray with a tea towel and spoon the cooked gnocchi onto it. If you’re not eating them straight away, chill immediately and keep in the fridge.

© CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS

To make the crab sauce, add the butter to a saucepan, melt over a gentle heat then add the shallots.

Cook for 10 minutes until they are soft then increase the heat and add the vermouth. Cook for 5 minutes until the alcohol has cooked off and the liquid has reduced by a third then add the crab, crème fraiche and parmesan. Mix well until the cheese has melted then add the parsley and remove from the heat. Check the seasoning, add salt and pepper if necessary, then finish with a squeeze of lemon juice. Keep warm.

To finish, heat a frying or sauté pan over a medium high heat and add the butter. Cook until it begins to foam then add the gnocchi, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. The gnocchi will brown slightly in the butter. Once one side is cooked, turn them over and cook for 2 minutes, taking care not to burn them. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sauce. Spoon into bowls, garnish with grated parmesan and serve immediately.

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FO O D & D R I N K C H E F ’S TA B L E

A moveable feast

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ALEX RUSHMER PACKS HIS BAGS AND HEADS TO ETHOPIA FOR A CULINARY ADVENTURE

’ve recently returned from my boldest culinary experience to date.

Six months ago I was alerted to a job advert for a guest chef position at an ecolodge in Ethiopia’s Simien Mountains National Park. I was, at that time, coming to the end of a consultancy job in the Swiss Alps and evidently hadn’t had quite enough of mountain living, so fired off a tentative application. A telephone interview quickly followed, then a meeting in Cambridge, and before I could think too hard about how much of an adventure it would be, dates were fixed and flights were booked. “There’s no Internet here at the moment,” I was told in an email before I left, “but there is a cafe that has it about 80% of the time. That’s five kilometres away,” it continued. I briefed Charlotte, my wife, not to get too worried if she didn’t hear from me for several days at a time. A flight to Addis Ababa was followed by another to Gondar and then a slow, two-hour drive up the mountains to Limalimo Lodge, which sits right on the rim of an escarpment that feels very much like the edge of the world.

This was to be my home for a month and, looking out from 3000m over the ancient landscape, it felt like a very long way from Cambridge.

Of course, the main reason for my journey was for the exchanging of culinary knowledge – in return for sharing my skills, recipes and kitchen management techniques, I would be immersed in a completely alien gastronomic tradition and be able to learn new techniques myself. I arrived midway through Lent which, given the power of the Ethiopian Orthodox church, is of major significance.

Of the 180 mandated annual ‘fasting’ days – on which no meat or animal products may be consumed – Lent accounts for 55, so for almost two months prior to Easter Sunday a significant proportion of the country’s population are essentially vegan. The staple food is a fermented, flat bread called injera made from either teff or barley flour stirred into a batter, left for 72 hours then cooked over a large shallow metal plate set over a fire. It serves as a communal edible plate for every meal and is both incredibly healthy and utterly delicious (although perhaps an acquired taste for some thanks to its distinctive sour tang).

Various preparations of vegetables, lentils and salads are spooned onto the injera and then everyone helps themselves, using the fingers of the right hand to tear off pieces of bread which are then used to scoop up tasty mouthfuls of food. The national dish, and the food that sustains virtually everyone during the lengthy fast, is shiro wat, a thick soup made from onions, tomatoes and chickpea flour and flavoured with the nearly ubiquitous spice mix of

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berbere – a chilli-heavy spice blend that can contain up to 20 individual spices. Also popular, and more enjoyable, is mussir wat, a red lentil dish similar to dal but dark red and heady from the unmistakable hit of berbere.

As Easter rolled around there was a significant shift in diet. Everyone I worked with woke early on Easter Sunday with the enthusiasm of a child at Christmas. Chicken, lamb and beef were all squarely back on the menu and over the next few days I was lucky enough to be invited into several homes to taste some truly authentic Ethiopian home cooking. Some, like dulet (a stew made from the tripe, kidneys and intestines of sheep) was somewhat challenging and left me longing for the veg-centric cooking of a few days previously. But others, like the rich chicken and egg dish doro wat, were memorably wonderful. And I will certainly be looking to recreate a spectacular preparation of slowcooked lamb – so heavy with spice that it made my lips, already chapped from the altitude and dry air, tingle and burn in the most satisfying way.

Of course, there were things I missed: chewy sourdough, the familiar tang of an aged cheddar and a glass of Italian wine.

But the experiences I enjoyed will linger longer in the memory than any of that does on the palate. Most of all though, I took away a reaffirmation that food has the power to transcend national, social, cultural and linguistic boundaries and bring people together more than anything else. l

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FO O D & D R I N K

Nature’s Larder THE TEAM FROM THE GOG, OUR AWARD-WINNING LOCAL FARM SHOP, BUTCHERY, DELI AND CAFE, GIVE THE LOW-DOWN ON THE SEASONAL PRODUCE TO SEEK OUT THIS MONTH

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are we say it, but spring has finally sprung and this glorious weather is bringing a delightful array of delicious local produce to the shelves at The Gog. Nothing more befits an alfresco dinner on a warm evening than some tasty British asparagus. This versatile vegetable, lovingly grown in the fields of Norfolk, can take you right through from breakfast to lunch and supper! Labourintensive to grow, not many people know that asparagus spears are actually the young shoots of a cultivated lily plant and considered to be one of the delicacies of the vegetable world!

Sadly the British asparagus season only lasts for around eight weeks, but the pairings are endless to make the most of them whilst they’re at their best. Our firm favourite is grilled asparagus with the finest free-range eggs brought to you from Rattlesden Farm in neighbouring Suffolk – these guys are so committed to delivering the freshest eggs, and have been since 1953 – that the owner did his usual rounds on the morning of his wedding!

Simply poach a couple and serve with the warm asparagus, a knob of butter and sprinkle of sea salt. Delish!

Why not add some smoked salmon to make it more of a meal?

Pinney’s of Orford use hand-reared salmon from one of the oldest independent farms in Scotland to ensure the very highest quality, then back at Butley Creek the salmon undergoes the slow smoking process to achieve a unique subtlety of flavour. This family-run business has been bringing the finest fish to the tables of Suffolk since the second world war ended, and their unique smoking process, which uses whole oak logs, has changed very little since then.

If you’re feeling really decadent, pick up a sustainably sourced smoked haddock fillet or two from our freezers, gently poach it in some milk and hot water, pop on a poached egg and serve with grilled asparagus – all the ingredients for a simple and healthy supper, it brings a whole new meaning to fast food!

The ultimate lunch in our humble opinion, our cafe has been serving up tasty cream of asparagus soup with a chunk of warm bread and salted butter – needless to say it’s been selling out fast! Pop into The Gog to pick up all the ingredients you need, and more. This Farm Shop and Deli 2018 regional award-winner is open seven days a week with expert butchers, cheesemongers and grocers on hand every day to share their expertise and inspiration with you!

Next month: good old tasty English strawberries l thegog.com

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PUB GUIDE

Cambridge

PUB GUIDE Part one

BRILLIANT BOOZERS, GREAT GASTRO PUBS, BEAUTIFUL BEER GARDENS: OUR PINT GLASS RUNNETH OVER WITH OPTIONS FOR WHERE TO HEAD FOR A BEER AND A BITE: HERE’S OUR PICK OF THE BEST!

PIN T SHOP Since opening in 2013, this Peas Hill restaurant-pub has become one of the most popular dining and drinking spots in the city. And why do we love thee, Pint Shop? Let us count the ways! First up: their huge drinks list is a treasure trove for discerning boozers. Cast your gaze up to the blackboard menu by the bar – on which the name, provenance and strength of the many craft beers are neatly chalked up. Gin fan? There’s more than 100 to choose between, from the grapefruit-suffused Robin of Locksley to the exotic Jinzu, a heady blend which sings with cherry blossom and yuzu. And all this is before we get to the exquisite home-serve cocktails, which include ‘hard lemonade’ and the Nitro Cooler (Dubonnet, Cointreau, Crème De Cacao and Nitro Stout). Food-wise, dishes on the endlessly exciting menu include the Cambridge-famous devilled lamb shoulder kebab and hearty portions of chips and curry sauce.

If you’re looking for an alfresco drink this summer – check out their newly spruced-up outside courtyard, which often hosts BBQs in the warm weather.

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CAMBRIDGE BREW HOUSE A busy, lively joint on King Street, this pub boasts its very own brewery, which keeps the casks well stocked with tasty home-brewed beers, including the light and hoppy Misty River and the citrusy Brewhouse IPA. As with the rest of the City Pub Group’s Cambridge outposts (Old Bicycle Shop, The Petersfield et al), the eats are great, especially the huge ‘dirty’ burgers and the well-laden sharing boards. It’s a good place for watching sports, too, and rooms upstairs are ideal for private parties.

THE ARCHITECT Making the schlep up Castle Hill oh-so-worth-it, this pub’s menu focuses on pie and mash and fish and chips – offering diners seemingly innumerable iterations on those delicious themes.

Alongside delicious and hearty British grub, there’s craft beers, cocktails and a sizeable gin list to enjoy at this welcoming hub. The owners have also done brilliant things at The Architect’s sister pub, the Blue Lion, if you find yourself in need of a feast over in Hardwick.

THE PORTL AND ARMS Standing on the corner of Chesterton Road and Milton Road, The Portland is a stalwart of the local music scene and has long held a reputation as being a place to discover great bands still under the radar. From Mumford & Sons to The Broken Family Band and Ellie Goulding, many a star in the making has cut their teeth in this well-loved pub. Aside from the busy line-up of gigs, there’s a nice patio garden and menu of traditional pub grub to enjoy. If you only try one thing, we recommend wrapping your chops around the colossal Portland Big One burger…

T HE H AY M A K ER S

This popular Chesterton High Street pub provides ample space in relaxed surroundings to enjoy good food, with pizza very much to the fore on the menu with 13 varieties to choose from, including caramellata and calzone di verdure.

Most of the beers are from Milton Brewery and other British microbreweries, and just some to tempt you are Milton’s Mammoth, Sparta and Minotaur. Lager comes from Peak District brewery Taddington, while you can raise a glass to your spirits with Talisker 10 Year Old whisky, from the renowned Isle of Skye distillery.

Brew Dog is just one of your bottled options and we like the sound of Nene Valley’s Release the Chimps.

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PUB GUIDE

THE EAGLE This quintessentially English pub not only serves great ales and food, but it’s got an eye-poppingly fascinating history.

It’s been open as a pub since 1667, boasts a seriously spooky ghost story (ask about the upstairs window, if you don’t scare easy), and its ‘RAF Bar’ bears the graffiti of Second World War pilots who burned their names into the ceiling. Most famously of all, in 1953, Francis Crick burst in to announce that he and James Watson had ‘discovered the secret of life’ after identifying the structure of DNA. The courtyard is always packed, and they do a mean fish and chips, too.

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T HE PU N T ER

Pound Hill favourite The Punter is described as by its owners as “cheerfully baggy”. An old coaching inn just a few minutes walk from the river, it attracts postgrads, dog lovers and “arty, beardy types”, plus determined regulars keen to get their favourite dish.

A converted barn that wraps around a courtyard can be hired for special occasions and a New York Times review described The Punter as “snug in winter and cool in summer”.

THE FREE PRESS THE KINGSTON ARMS

Makers of arguably the finest Scotch eggs in the whole city, The Free Press is a traditional backstreet pub on Prospect Row, a couple of minutes’ walk from the city centre. Adorned with the pages of old newspapers, it’s cosy and snug, with a roaring fire in the winter and a courtyard garden to bask in come summer. It’s a great spot for lunch, with generous doorstop sandwiches, beer battered fish and chips, juicy burgers and a slap-up roast on Sundays.

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In amongst the glut of great pubs the Mill Road area has to offer, the Kingston Arms remains a favourite. Cosy, traditional and always packed with happy drinkers, the pub’s Twitter page sums up the vibe nicely as being “like your living room, but with beer”. The everchanging beer line-up will please ale aficionados, and if you’re after a bite to eat too, its hearty pub grub never disappoints. On a budget?

Check out the ‘recession menu’ for tasty bargains, and if you’re looking for a Sunday feast, the hearty roast takes some beating.

Those pitching up for a long stay can idle a rainy day away with board games aplenty – but when the sun shines, the dinky courtyard is a top spot for afternoon boozing.

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PUB GUIDE

THE PLOUGH, SHEPRETH

Describing itself as a “village pub with big ideas”, this Shepreth gem is everything you’d want from a local, and some. Inside, it’s bright, light and beautiful, with a range of different rooms to explore; from the aviation-inspired Spitfire Bar to the Mandolin Bar, an homage to all things musical in which the house piano resides. Step outside and you’re greeted with a charming country garden, complete with the pub’s famous climbing tree, up which adventurous little ones are encouraged to scramble.

Meanwhile, grown-ups will love the comprehensive menu, which ranges from stone-baked pizzas and Bunny Chow (a South African curry), to pub favourites like fish and chips.

THE MAYPOLE As well as recently being named CAMRA’s Cambridge Pub of the Year 2018, this family-run city centre pub proved popular on our Facebook poll, with Joe praising its “great ales and a lovely outdoor courtyard” and calling it a “lovely sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of central Cambridge”, while Sarah enthused about its “great beer and gin selection and really friendly staff”. Slap bang in the city centre but with a delightfully local feel, it boasts a cracking outdoor courtyard and a whopping drinks list. Sip your way around 16 real ales on tap and a further 70 bottled or canned; a great cocktail list and around 40 gins – and then tuck into the tasty Italian dishes on the menu. The Maypole can also smugly lay claim to that all-too-elusive quality in a good pub: a fantastic atmosphere. Definitely one to add to your list.

T HE M IL L Renowned for its wide choice of real ales, The Mill, Mill Lane, is on the grassy banks of the Cam. The pint-sized pub has won three CAMRA awards, including Cambridge Pub of the Year in 2015, and in the summer you can take your drinks out to enjoy next to the Millpond. When it’s colder enjoy one of the many board games, and there’s a vinyl collection for you to spin your discs of choice on a record player.

Expect pub classics with a twist on the menu, with vegan, veggie and glutenfree options too. If you’re planning a party, the snug can seat 16 people.

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THE GRANTA This popular Newnham Terrace destination by the river is a family friendly pub with beer garden and Wi-Fi. You can get a pub classic, such as sausage and mash, fish and chips or macaroni cheese, with a pint for £10, and new for the summer on the menu are jerk duck, baked sweet potato and spicy fried haloumi with jerk gravy. There’s an extensive range of red, white, rosé and sparkling wines to choose from, plus a selection of 14 gins to try and tantalising cocktails, too.

A NCIEN T SHEPHER DS This Fen Ditton pub was saved from the brink last year by a group of investors, who clubbed together to keep it alive for the community to enjoy. At the helm is Ronan McLister (whose previous experience includes running favourite local pubs such as the Royal Standard on Mill Road), who’s overseen the modernisation of the Ancient Shepherds, freshening up the interiors and the revamping food offering. It’s still every inch the village pub though, with fireplaces, beams and cosy nooks to hide away in. Food-wise, it’s all about classic pub grub made with fresh, seasonal produce, and when it’s time for a tipple, there’s top-notch beers on offer from breweries including Adnams, Woodbridge and Nene Valley Brewery.

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THE SALISBURY ARMS

This buzzy Tenison Road hangout is known for its pizzas, its pots, and its pints. The latter, made at the Charles Wells brewery in Bedford (the pub’s owners) include tempting brews like Dry Hopped – a delightfully refreshing, dangerously quaffable lager.

The pizzas, meanwhile, are light and crispy, cooked to perfection in a wood-fired oven and topped with oodles of melty mozzarella and toppings like pulled ham hock and caramelised pineapple. There’s also bubbling pots of comfort food like mac and cheese, all served up in a cosy, community-minded pub which takes some beating.

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Drinks TROLLEY

I K N OW T H I S G R E AT L I T T L E P L AC E ...

Cambridge Gin Lab A LOOK AROUND SOME OF CAMBRIDGE’S HIDDEN DRINKING DENS. UP THIS MONTH, THE CAMBRIDGE GIN LAB Tucked away along cobbled Green Street, behind a Victorian shop front freshly painted in Cambridge Blue, fascinating things are happening. Cocktails change colour and foam, an LED light powered by lemons flickers into action, neat rows of test tubes brim with mysterious liquids... Welcome to the experiential cocktail lounge from The

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Cambridge Distillery. A new addition to the Cambridge Gin Lab, which has been open around a year, it takes inspiration from the kind of experience you’d get with a tasting menu at a top restaurant, but lets the drinks take centre stage in an intriguing and interactive session filled with boozy, sciencey fun. You can book in for a full-blown experiential tasting or simply

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pop in and have a cocktail from their everchanging menu whenever you fancy.

If you want to learn more about the history and mysteries of gin, or even blend up botanicals and create your very own gin, you can do that at the Gin Lab too, as well as buying bottles of their award-winning spirits. cambridgeginlab.co.uk

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D R I N KS

PADDOCK PUNCH RECIPE Newmarket Racecourses’ cocktail provider, Cocktail Box, share a favourite equine drink YOU WILL NEED:

35ml coconut rum 20ml fresh lime 20ml passion fruit syrup 20ml raspberry purée 10ml cherry brandy 50ml pineapple juice METHOD:

Pour all ingredients into a shaker with cubed ice, shake and strain into a highball over fresh cubed ice. Garnish with a pineapple leaf and cherry.

“Newmarket’s Adnams July Course is poised to open its doors for the summer, with the season continuing in style at the Moët & Chandon July Festival. What better way to celebrate the summer than with a cocktail?”

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F E E L I N G T H I RS T Y?

Summer Sparkle ELODIE CAMERON FROM DRINKS SHOP THIRSTY ON THE JOYS OF SPARKLING WINE What’s better than a glass of something bubbly on a warm summers day? June is full of perfect reasons (or perhaps that should be excuses) to pop a bottle of something sparkling.

There are weddings (we’ve even had a Royal one this year), summer parties, posh picnics, Wimbledon, Henley Regatta, graduation ceremonies... the list goes on. But one thing is clear: nothing brings a smile and feels as celebratory as a glass of fizz.

Whether you prefer coupes or flutes, pink or not, fruity or brioche flavours, in cocktails or au naturelle, sweet (doux) or dry (brut), sharp bubbles or soft mousse – what’s wonderful about sparkling wine is there is something for everyone style and price-wise, as well as for every occasion.

Although for many Champagne is the benchmark by which all others are measured, there are also sparkling wines from around the world, from Germany through to Tasmania via California, South Africa and New Zealand.

English sparkling wines continue to make a growing mark in terms of quality. Made in the same way as Champagne and often with the same grape varieties (mainly Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir) our cool climate seems to suit this style of wine perfectly.

Cava oozes style and value, as it’s made using the same

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techniques as Champagne, where the wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle. This is a costly process but allows for wines with complex flavours and fine bubbles – just like Champagne. It is usually made with traditional grape varieties of macabeu, parallada and xarello, but Champagne grape varieties can also be used.

Prosecco meanwhile gives us endless easy-drinking joy and fun. Made from the glera grape the secondary fermentation (to create the bubbles) is in a tank under less pressure so the bubbles are soft and mousse-y; this makes it great value and allows for more of a fresh and fruity style of wine. l Bel Star Prosecco NV – a floral, elegant Prosecco: looks great, with a lovely creamy mousse. Perfect on it’s own or in cocktails. £12.20 l Cava Navaran Brutissime NV – an elegant sparkler, with refined citrus notes and lovely small, fresh bubbles. £12.90 l Castle Brook 2009 – Champagne grapes grown in Herefordshire. A floral and zesty palate with hints of lemongrass and a warm brioche finish.

Deliciously delicate. £27.50 l Beaumont des Crayeres, Grand Reserve NV – There are notes of yellow plum and pear, a light hint of grapefruit and a little brioche and honey. Elegant and rich, a good versatile Champagne with or without food. £28

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A DV E RT I S E M E N T F E AT U R E

HACK TO INNOVATE AND CHANGE LIVES Calling on all postdocs and innovators to help launch the next big idea in health

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n 2 and 3 July 2018, for the first time the Wellcome Genome Campus is hosting a two-day Hackathon to inspire and connect life-sciences postdocs, PhDs, local business leaders and innovators.

We are looking for people like you with skills and backgrounds in everything from biodata and genomics to UX design, drug development, ethics, engineering and those who can bring a patient’s perspective to the challenges. More than just a hacking experience at the world-famous Genome Campus, this Hackathon will present you with entrepreneurial opportunities that could launch your idea to the next level.

WHAT ARE WE HACKING?

In a nutshell, we want to help create a healthier future for all. But we can’t do it without you and our special partners, so we’ve teamed up with some amazing, innovative companies to create this oneof-a-kind event. Each of our partners will pose a challenge for the hackers to take on. Are you ready to work with the likes of ARM, Atos, AstraZeneca, Boston Consulting Group, Medicines Discovery Catapult, Open Targets, SIGMA and the postdocs and innovators from the p2i network?

Representatives from the Sanger Institute, EMBL-EBI and other healthtech Cambridge companies will be on hand as mentors to help you craft the winning pitches.

WHERE & WHEN 2 to 3 July 2018 at the world-famous Wellcome Genome Campus, just outside Cambridge.

DON’T FORGET

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?

Day 1 will start at 9.30am on Monday, 2 July with registration and team formation, after which you’ll have the opportunity to take part in ‘deep dive’ workshops designed by our Grand Challenge Partners, as well as pitch preparation sessions for those who would like to take part. With an early dinner and drinks served around 6pm, hacking will continue into the night with food vans serving late-night snacks to keep you going.

Day 2 will start with bacon butties whilst hackers work on finalising their presentations and, after lunch, pitching and demos will be judged with winners announced at the grand finale. Networking and a closing celebration will complete Hackathon 2018 around 3.30pm to 4pm.

Hackathon Partners

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WE ALSO PLAN TO GIVE YOU

• Prizes from our partners for the best pitch or idea • Food vans, beer and incredible snacks • Goodies • Mentors to help perfect your pitch or a demo of your solution • An inspirational speaker or two to keep energies high

to join our Facebook group and remember to use #BioDataHack on Twitter.

IF YOU LOVE TO HACK AND WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, SCAN THIS QR CODE TO REGISTER

INTERESTED?

For more information on the challenges, costs, accommodation, directions on how to get to Campus and to register, go to www. wellcomegenomecampus.org/hackathon l Grand Challenge Partners

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DOWN TO SPACE EXPLORATION YOUR SPACE, THE LOCAL SERVICED APARTMENTS COMPANY, SHARES THE SECRETS TO ITS SUCCESS

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ffering the perks of staying at a hotel but the privacy and home-from-home comforts of an apartment stay, Your Space is leading the way locally with its best-ofboth-worlds accommodation. In the face of stiff competition from all sides, this local indie has seen its business develop over the last fifteen years, growing from three serviced apartments to more than 80, with locations across the city. The company was founded in 2002 by Suzanne Emerson and Steve West, who met on a round-the-world yacht race ten years previously. Later joined by Paul Perkins, they were inspired to start Your Space after

seeing the trend for serviced apartments taking off in other parts of the world.

Customer experience is at the heart of their business, from the thoughtful welcome baskets they provide for each guest to a 24-hour support service; they go the extra mile to make sure their guests have an enjoyable stay that’s memorable for all the right reasons.

While business travellers make up the bulk of their customers, Your Space also regularly hosts tourists and those in town to visit friends and relatives. “Often it’s local businesses who are looking for something different for their employees to stay in other than a hotel,” explains

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Suzanne. “Their stay lengths are often longer than leisure visitors, and hotel style living isn’t what’s wanted – they want a home. Where a company may previously have rented a few houses and then put their employees in as required, they now use serviced apartments which are cheaper, more efficient and significantly less hassle.

We also host people who are relocating to Cambridge, and have even had guests who have had to move out of their own homes because of floods or fire.”

The benefits for customers range from the value-for-money price-point of the apartments to the convenience of being able to do their own washing and cook their own food (all kitchens are fully equipped and stocked with essentials); little things which can make the world of difference you’re staying away from home, especially for an extended period.

But while its offering is unique, the company has to compete with a whole range of different kinds of businesses; many of them huge international corporations. So how do they fend off rivals? “Our competition varies from hotels and B&Bs to aparthotels and Airbnb,” says Suzanne. “None of the first three offer a person their own, fully equipped personal space to live in as if it were a

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B U S I N E SS

BUSINESS P I TC H P E R F E C T

Look Like Cool THE LOCALLY-BASED LUXURY KIDSWEAR SHOPPING WEBSITE GIVES US ITS PITCH

WHAT’S YOUR PITCH?

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home. Even an aparthotel doesn’t offer the space and freedom that a stand-alone serviced apartment offers – many don’t have space for a dining table so you have to eat at a desk facing the wall. Also, the kitchen in an aparthotel is usually just a couple of hot rings and a microwave. An Airbnb apartment can offer you a similar experience to a serviced apartment, but is often run by an individual that doesn’t have experience and can’t offer 24-hour professional backup. We’re a professional company and take issues like fire safety and quality of service very seriously.”

It seems to be working. In addition to their increasing collection of luxury apartments, they’ve seen the team grow to 19, and their guest feedback score is over 90%. Resting on laurels isn’t in the game plan though – and while global domination’s not on the cards, they’ve got their eyes firmly set on capturing as many visitors to the city as possible.

“Cambridge is our home,” says Suzanne, “and looking to the future, we just want to keep refining our service and ensuring we remain the premier Serviced Apartments company in Cambridge.”

Look Like Cool is an online luxury children’s holiday shop selling beach/swimwear year-round as well as a gorgeous selection of ski wear. We cater to children aged 0 to ten years, providing everything from candy-scented jelly sandals to cosy cashmere bobble hats! We stock major brands (Moschino, Kate Mack, Mini Melissa, SnapperRock and lots more) as well as Spanish, Italian and Danish brands.

WHAT’S YOUR BACKGROUND?

As an ambitious single mum, following the birth of my two-months premature daughter, I found the prospect of returning to a full-time job impossible and wanted to create something that would make my daughter proud of me in years to come. I have always been hugely excited by startups (I co-founded Wowcher in 2009) and the buzz around launching a new brand so I set about starting something in an area I was passionate about: fashion and clothing. I found that when going on a beach holiday during the winter months with my daughter it was hard to find stylish children’s holiday clothing and felt there wasn’t enough emphasis on UV protective swimwear. This ignited my desire to source and sell beautiful holiday collections you simply couldn’t find on

the high street, as well as an unrivalled selection of bright and colourful UV protective Swimwear.

WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE?

We are the only dedicated children’s holiday shop offering a wide selection of clothing for both winter and summer vacations all year round.

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?

This is an easy one to answer! We recently won the FSB Award ‘Start-Up Business of the Year’ for the East of England which was incredible. Having only launched in mid2017 it’s amazing to get that recognition.

The ‘mum hours’ of working through the night for months are definitely paying off!

WHERE DO YOU WANT THE BUSINESS TO BE IN FIVE YEARS?

Our aim is to be a nationally recognised holiday shop providing everything you need for children when going abroad from a diverse selection of designers. I also want to expand our own label collection; we launched our own label jackets and hats in October 2017 and now also do lightweight microfibre beach towels. We also have a celeb swimwear collaboration in the pipeline which we are excited about! looklikecool.com

WANT TO BE THEIR GUEST? VISIT YOURSPACEAPARTMENTS.COM

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B U S I N E SS

HANBURY MANOR UNVEILS NEW BUSINESS SPACE HERTFORDSHIRE HOTEL SHOWS OFF IMPRESSIVE NEW FACILITIES

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ooking for a venue to host your next conference or meeting?

Check out the recently unveiled facilities at Hertfordshire’s Hanbury Manor. The result of a £1.7m renovation, the new meetings and events space blends historical and high-tech to impressive effect, featuring 17 new rooms and suites.

Three beautifully appointed new meeting rooms – Cedar, Pine and Willow – pay homage to the history of the 17th Century Hanbury Manor while offering state-of-the-art technology to serve delegates’ needs. Suitable for ten, eight and eight delegates respectively, the rooms feature hand-finished furniture and décor, using a rich palette of copper, brown and blue and innovative technology such as Clevertouch Screens, Smart Write on the walls and ClickShare connectivity.

If you need a larger area, the 200-capacity Thundridge Suite offers a smart, multi-functional space which can be used for both meetings and as a breakout area for delegates to unwind in. The Assembly Hall, meanwhile, the centre of the new events hub, offers polished wooden floors and subtle references to Hanbury Manor’s serene parkland, featuring a striking deconstructed rose design in the carpet in honour of the 19th century rose garden built by James II for Robert Hanbury in 1865. Rugs are hand-crafted and the bespoke carpentry reflects the geometric quatrefoil in the garden’s fountains.

Poles Hall, a chapel which forms part of the original manor house, retains the

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original distinctive vaulted ceiling and minstrel’s gallery, now rejuvenated with a softer decor and a unique, atmospheric lighting system. Accommodating 180 guests, it features striking bespoke chandeliers and concealed LED lighting for a soft glow or dramatic effect.

The Garden Court, Summer House and Conservatory, meanwhile, ideal for wedding parties, offer an elegantly romantic setting overlooking the original scented Grade II listed Walled Garden and has space for 160 guests.

“We are delighted to welcome guests to experience our improved and inspiring event environments, which celebrates the hotel’s sense of place and heritage while offering the very latest in technology,” says General Manager Russell Prior. “Our beautiful location in Hertfordshire means we are in a fantastic position for clients looking for an easy escape out of London; for international delegates we are only a short distance from Luton and Stansted airports and we have great road and rail links to the rest of the country. Once here, delegates and guests can maximise both their business and leisure experience by enjoying our excellent facilities including our world-class golf course, luxury spa, fantastic restaurants and 200 acres of stunning parkland. We do offer something for everyone.”

For overnight accommodation, the hotel has 161 bedrooms and suites, plus comprehensive fitness facilities, a restaurant and a championship 18-hole golf course to enjoy. l marriotthanburymanor.co.uk

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“The new events space blends historical and high-tech” CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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INDEPENDENT OF THE MONTH

Wallis & Son SIOBHAN GODWOOD LEARNS MORE ABOUT THE IMPRESSIVE 80-YEAR HERITAGE OF THIS LOCAL FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS

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ambridge is a city that’s well known for its wealth of fantastic independent retailers; and one of the things that our city does best is nurture family-run businesses with an impressive history. On these pages we’ve talked to many of them – including Trinity Street Jewellers and Millers Music amongst others – and in this issue, we are finding out more about Wallis & Son, a garage, car sales and rental business that has been a part of Cambridge life for over 80 years.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that petrol runs through the veins of the Wallis family. The company was started back in

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1937 by Percy Wallis and his son Geoffrey, who sold bikes and cars in and around Cambridge and started their first garage, Cresswells, in Newmarket. They soon had several garages in Cambridge and Newmarket, and over the years have had a number of dealerships, including Jaguar, Rolls Royce and Land Rover. But the family interest in motorised vehicles goes back even further, to 1908, when brothers Percy and Horace Wallis witnessed the Wright brothers’ historic flight and set about building their own plane in the shed at the end of their garden in Cambridge.

The company is currently run by Elliot Wallis, the grandson of Geoffrey Wallis.

In the 1970s, Elliot’s father, Nigel, joined the business, overseeing the move to its current Barton site in 1984 and allowing Geoffrey to retire – although he didn’t take a break from motorised vehicles, instead choosing to spend his retirement pursuing his hobbies of flying and sailing! Elliot himself joined Wallis & Son in 1999 after doing a degree in business and marketing and learning the ropes at Marshall Motor Group, another Cambridge institution.

But far from being a business that has stayed exactly the same for the 81 years of its existence, the key to Wallis & Son’s success and longevity lies in the family’s ability to move with the times, diversifying and changing the business as the years have gone by to keep up with trends and keep the business alive and thriving. “In

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the modern day, the market moves so fast, and if you don’t keep up to speed with it, it’s very easy to get left behind,” says Elliot.

“You really have to be on it, to make sure you’re competitive.”

For Elliot, this means juggling the many different parts of the business: Wallis & Son, the core of the business, which is car sales and repairs; Wallis Rentals, the car hire business; and Cambridge Wedding Cars – as well as managing 30 staff. “I always say that I wear a lot of different hats,” he says. “I’ll be busy with one thing, then I’ll have to change my hat and divert my attention on to something else. That can be tricky. I’ve also got three Twitter accounts, three different Facebook pages and three websites to manage, which is a very modern problem to have to deal with and certainly not something my father ever had to worry about!”

Cambridge Wedding Cars is a part of the business pioneered by Elliot. “A wedding is a really happy time in people’s lives, so it’s fun to be part of,” he says. “We’ve got one of the biggest fleets of wedding cars in Cambridge with about 25 vehicles, and because we have our own garage too we never have any trouble with maintaining and looking after them.”

Elliot has noticed a shift in wedding trends since 2008, when he started the wedding car side of the business. “To begin with we had modern Bentleys and they were really popular, and continued to be so until about 2013. Then people began wanting classic vehicles; lots of couples are going for more rustic weddings with marquees and tepees, so our old Land Rovers and Jeeps are a big hit.

More people want to do self-drive weddings, too. We’ll take the bride to the church with a chauffeur in perhaps a Bentley, then the groom or the best man might hire something like an E-Type or an Aston Martin to arrive in, and then the couple can drive off in that to the reception.”

The car hire side of the business has also evolved over time. “We have a prestige range, with cars like Aston Martins, Maseratis, Range Rovers and Discoveries, then we’ve got vintage cars including old Jaguars and Daimlers. Of course we have contemporary cars and vans if people just CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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I N D E P E N D E N T O F T H EX M X XO X XNXTXHX

“Someone will turn up thinking they’re hiring a van and discover they’re getting an E-Type for the day!” want the best value car they can get to do a job; but there’s a big market in cars for birthdays, special events and proms. Often someone will book a fantastic car as a surprise – someone will turn up thinking they’re hiring a van and discover they’re getting an E-Type for the day!”

Just as with weddings, Elliot has seen an upturn in the popularity of older cars for hire. “People are bored with modern cars. They all look very similar, and feel very similar to drive, so they’re looking for something with a bit more personality.

We also hear lots of customers say, ‘I’ve always wanted a car like this’ – so there’s an element of wish fulfilment, a dream that you’ve had your whole life perhaps becoming a reality. That’s why it’s so worthwhile looking after and maintaining these beautiful vehicles from the past.”

One side of the business which has been a slightly more surprising success is the petrol station’s forecourt shop. It has become famous for its enormous, eclectic range of stock, including American produce

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introduced by Elliot’s mother, who comes from the US. “The shop also specialises in chocolates and biscuits; it’s full of unusual things,” says Elliot. And it’s this part of the business that is Elliot’s current focus for expansion. The petrol station and shop will be having a total refurbishment in the summer, with a new coffee shop and also food to go. “It’s a really important, steady part of the business, so it’s about time it got a bit of attention!” he says.

And despite having to wear all his different hats and keep all his plates spinning, Elliot isn’t complaining. “For me it’s a privilege to be ensuring the family business continues to thrive,” he says.

“And clearly, I just love cars, and to have all these cars to play with, and touch, and own… to me, it’s like having a collection of beautiful artwork. Many people are jealous of what we’ve got here, and it’s a source of huge pride to me every day.” l Wallis & Son, Cavendish House, Cambridge Road, Barton, Cambridgeshire CB23 7AW | 01223 263911 | wallisandson.co.uk

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ON YOUR BIKE S U M M E R CYC L I N G

IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL BIKE WEEK, 9-17 JUNE, WE GET SOME TIPS ON THE TOP CYCLES ON THE MARKET (WHATEVER YOUR BIKE TRIBE!) AND GIVE THE LOWDOWN ON HOW TO KEEP YOUR BIKE IN TIPTOP CONDITION

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WHAT’S YOUR CAMBRIDGE BIKE TRIBE?

T H E COMMU T ER You’re among the tough cookies haring towards Cambridge Train Station at unspeakable hours of the morning, rain or shine.

Journeys are timed to within a nanosecond (the 7.15 to King’s Cross waits for no man), and you can’t afford pesky bikerelated malfunctions. Reliability and durability are key, and you know too well that a lightweight frame can make all the difference when it comes to lugging bicycles up flights of stairs. For those who need to take their bicycles with them on public transport, a fold-up can be a space-saving godsend for squeezing into a tight spot.

RUTLAND RECOMMENDS:

T H E C A MBR I DGE CRUISER Often spotted breezing along The Backs, you Cruisers are an easy-going bunch. You’re in no hurry to get anywhere, and your bike is an extension of your style. Colourful, vintage-style cycles catch your eye, and you’re on the hunt for that perfectly comfy and cool leather saddle (and a wicker basket large enough to hold a couple of G&T cans and a picnic rug).

RUTLAND RECOMMENDS:

This one’s easy! The Pashley Britannia 8-Speed Ladies Hybrid Bike (£824.99) is perfect for leisure cyclists who love vintage style. A classic ‘sit up and beg’ bicycle, it harks back to a bygone era – in fact it’s based on the model that iconic brand Pashley have produced since the 1920s – and boasts a classic sweeping handlebar and an elegant upright seated position that lets you glide along effortlessly in comfort. Plus it’s got a huge basket – ideal for loading up with picnic treats before you peddle off to Grantchester.

Our top pick would be the Brompton 2018 M-Type 3-Speed Folding Bike (£1,119.99). This handsome but uber-functional fold-up is perfect for anyone who needs to stow their cycle on transport, or who would simply rather not leave their bike locked up outside (not unreasonable in a cycle theft hotspot like Cambridge). If you want something to help ease the load, consider an e-Bike like the Kalkhoff Jubilee Move B7 2018 Electric Hybrid B7 (£1,558.99), with Bosch motor system.

THE STRAVA SLAVE All about racking up miles? Enjoy a pow-wow at Espresso Library about that segment you just can’t crack? Fan of lycra? You might just be a Strava slave – but we probably don’t need to tell you that. For you, bike performance is key – anything that will help you seize those coveted KOM/QOM accolades is worth the cash. You love scouting out the latest techy gadgets and you’re always in the market for new ways to spruce up your cycle.

RUTLAND RECOMMENDS:

A high-spec road bike is your ideal ride – and we reckon the Scott 2018 Foil 20 Disc Carbon Road Bike (priced at £3,298.99) is about as good as it gets. Bringing ne w levels of aerodynamics to life on the road, it’s the perfect blend of speed, comfort and stiffness, ready to propel you to the top of the (virtual) peloton with its light carbon frame, aero shaping and Shimano Ultegra drivetrain components. Gadget-wise, check out the Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt (£199.99), a neat bike computer with GPS mapping that’s easily linked up with your phone.

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S U M M E R CYC L I N G

TOP 5 BIKE MAINTENANCE TIPS Catherine Thompson, head mechanic and instructor at Outspoken, shares her tips for keeping your bike running smoothly

1. PUMP UP YOUR TYRES

T H E UR B A N R ACER A hipster-type about town in search of the holy grail of style and performance in a cycle. Your beloved two-wheeler is mostly used for dashing around town (speedily), plus the odd long ride at weekends – probably to get to that country pub with the amazing burgers and craft beer that everyone’s raving about.

RUTLAND RECOMMENDS:

Something cool and minimal – a nice touring bike like the very stylish Pashley Pathfinder (£1,844.99) would fit the bill perfectly. This sleek cycle effortlessly combines modern geometry and performance with Pashley aesthetics to create a truly refined bicycle capable of traversing the map, all year round.

Tyres are not airtight and need to be inflated regularly to maintain pressure. They always have their recommended pressure written on the side, so it’s easy to check how hard to pump them. Properly inflated tyres mean you’ll go faster, get fewer punctures, and your tyres will last much longer. Look to do it every other week or once a month as a minimum.

2. GIVE IT A CLEAN The big areas of wear and tear on a bike are the chain and sprockets – as you ride around you pick up dirt and dust from the road, which wears down the links and the teeth of the chain and sprockets, making them thin and sharp. Put a bit of chain degreaser on a rag and run the chain through a few times, giving it a good rub to get off as much dirt as possible. Clean the little cogs that the chain passes through on the derailleur as well as the sprockets front and back. Follow instructions on the degreaser and wash with water afterwards, if directed, leaving the bike to dry.

3. LUBRICATION After you’ve given the chain a clean always re-apply lubricant. The key to this is little and often. You don’t need to cover the chain in oil, just use about a drop per link. Let it sink in, then wipe off any excess with a rag. Use a proper liquid bike lubricant (not a spray like WD40).

THE ADVENTURER

4. CHECK YOUR BRAKE PADS Worn brake pads don’t just cause ineffective and unsafe braking, they can also damage your wheels. Once all the rubber is worn the metal will show through and cut into the rim of your wheel. Check regularly whether your brakes are working and have a look to see there’s plenty of rubber on the pads. If you’re not sure, drop into your local shop – they’ll be happy to look for you.

A weekend not spent hurtling your bike down a mountainside or tearing up woodland trails is a weekend wasted for you thrill-seekers.

The flat Cambridgeshire landscape leaves you wanting so you head off in search of more exciting terrain at the drop of a hat. You need a bike that can keep up with your adrenalin-pumping adventures – and a way to transport it on your frequent schleps to the Peak District.

5. GET IT SERVICED

RUTLAND RECOMMENDS:

Only a mountain bike will do for you – and one with seriously heavy-duty suspension that can soak up all the knocks and bumps of a hard haul downhill. If you’ve got some cash to splash, check out the Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon Expert 29 2019 Mountain Bike Blue (£4,999.99), which boasts unrivalled handling and stiffness, and sublime suspension kinematics, making for a dream of a mountain biking experience – however extreme you want to go! For packing your bike up for long journey, the Thule VeloCompact 3 Bike 7-pin Tow Bar Car Rack (£459.99) is a winner. It can fit up to three bikes (four with an additional adaptor) on your tow bar, and is easy to use.

All cycles recommended can be purchased at Rutland Cycling, which has branches at Cambridge Train Station, the Grand Arcade, on Barnwell Road and in Histon. rutlandcycling.com

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Servicing can sometimes seem like an expense but, just as with a car, it’s best to keep on top of the maintenance. A good bike shop will be able to fit the service to your needs. A little service at six months and a bigger one at twelve months each year will keep your bike running like new.

Outspoken offer a range of courses to help you get to grips with your bike, including beginners, advanced and groups. Check out the website for more info. outspokencycles.co.uk

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OUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO NEW WAYS TO LOOK AND FEEL GREAT IN AND AROUND CAMBRIDGESHIRE

YOGA CONNECTS FESTIVAL If a weekend of yoga, dancing and wild swimming appeals, we have just the event for you. Yoga Connects, now in its fourth year, is limbering up to return from 29 June to 1 July at the Abbots Ripton site previously home to Secret Garden Party. It’s out with the hedonism and in with the mindfulness for this ludicrously pretty corner of the Cambridgeshire countryside, with a celebration of all forms of yoga including Acroyoga, Nourishing Yin Yoga, traditional Hatha and Ashtanga. Headliners include Stewart Gilchrist, the tartan wearing Scottish activist and Ambra Vallo, ex prima ballerina. There’s plenty more, from live music to cacao ceremonies, paddleboarding on the lake, meditation and dance, hot tubs, and plenty of delicious, nourishing food.

Prices from £97 for day tickets, More info at yogaconnects.co.uk

COMING SOON!

GR ESH A M HOUSE W EL L N ESS June sees the launch of Gresham House Wellness, a new botanical spa set within the gorgeous gardens of the Gonville Hotel inside a stunning Victorian Villa. A unique retreat in the heart of the city opposite Parker’s Piece, the spa is inspired by its surrounding gardens and parklands, offering three treatment rooms and eight luxury bedrooms.

Enjoy facials, massages, nail treatments and more performed by highly trained beauty therapists, and if you fancy really indulging, make a night of it with a stay in one of the exquisite bedrooms. Stay tuned to the next issue of Cambridge Edition for more info. gonvillehotel.co.uk

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H E A LT H & B E AU T Y

TRIED & TESTED

BEDFORD LODGE SLEEP RITUAL NICOLA FOLEY HEADS TO THE NEWMARKET-BASED SPA AND HOTEL TO PUT THEIR PROMISE OF A BLISSFUL NIGHT’S SLEEP TO THE TEST

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card-carrying member of the night owl club, bedtime and I aren’t the best of pals. My day begins with at least five hits to the snooze button, yawning on until I’ve consumed enough caffeine to enter the land of the living. Come bedtime, predictably, I’m full of beans: mind whirring, reading, scrolling through social media and Netflixing until the small hours. And then the cycle begins once more. In short – I’ve got sleep issues: I don’t get enough of it and what I am getting is poor quality. I’m not alone.

The Royal Council of Public Health estimates that four in ten of us Brits aren’t getting enough sleep, while one in five sleep poorly most nights – and worryingly, that on average we’re missing out on a whole night’s worth of sleep every week.

And this sleep deprivation epidemic is bad news. A long-term lack of shut eye can lead to a roll call of health problems including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and obesity.

Like many of us, a really good night’s sleep is something that I covet with a passion, so when an email dropped into my inbox from a person promising me exactly that, I jumped at the chance.

The email was from the Newmarketbased Spa at Bedford Lodge, which has

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cottoned on to our collective sleeplessness and created Sleep Ritual: a 360˚ wellness experience geared specifically towards giving us that mythical, blissful night of uninterrupted slumber.

The ritual began with an hour or so of chilling out in the spa, having a steam, a dip in the hydrotherapy pool and bobbing about in the rooftop Jacuzzi, before I was ushered up to the treatment rooms.

It’s here that the zen-time really starts, beginning with a soothing back massage.

Using warming oils, my therapist got to work expertly kneading out tensions and starting me on my voyage toward total relaxation. The ritual continued with a facial, packed with nourishing ESPA products and ending with a scalp massage and an overnight hydration therapy mask: an intensive treatment that works as you sleep, leaving you with deeply hydrated, glowy skin when you wake. Result!

From there, I padded along the corridor in my fluffy slippers to the next and final treatment in the ritual, the dry flotation experience. Encased in a fleecy blanket then wrapped up in a waterproof cocoon, you’re slowly submerged down into the flotation pod, where you experience the zero-gravity weightlessness of being underwater while staying completely dry.

It’s a unique sensation. At first my mind

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kept chattering: I worried I wouldn’t be able to get into it, that I’d get bored, wouldn’t be able to switch off – weirdly nervy at the total lack of distractions.

Within a few minutes though, the flotation worked its magic and my brain completely switched off. I succumbed to the womblike embrace of the pod, all thoughts ebbed away and I was left in a trance-like state of relaxation: the cumulative effects of the trio of treatments leaving my body and mind totally blissed out.

The cloud-like beds at the hotel are the perfect place to round off the Sleep Ritual if you can make a night of it, and it took all my might not to hit the hay immediately – though the exceptionally tasty fare at the hotel’s Squires restaurant was worth staying up for. We awoke, as hoped, thoroughly refreshed, greeted by a gorgeous sunshiney Suffolk morning and delighting at the sight of the thoroughbreds trotting out of the paddocks below. Breakfast matched the hearty and delicious standard set by the previous evening’s meal, a full English with Newmarket sausages and perfectly poached eggs which set us up for the day ahead. If you’re looking for a night of relaxation, resetting and recharging, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

The Sleep Ritual starts at £95 per person. l bedfordlodgehotel.co.uk

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B E AU T Y

the

BEAUTY bible

O

n a recent trip to Paris, I couldn’t help but notice how chic and minimal the make-up trends were, but how unique and perhaps a little more daring the fashions.

It would seem that when showing off an outfit, the Parisian way is to opt for a classic or more natural face. With this in mind, I’ve been switching up my routine a little and trying some new products, all of which lend themselves perfectly to anyone wishing for a more minimal – or indeed time-saving – approach.

The first step to obtaining that ooh la la complexion is to glow, glow, glow. If you’re lucky enough to have naturally dewy, rosy skin then congratulations, move to finish – but if, like me, you’re nowhere near to obtaining the eight hours of sleep neccessary to achive that, then products such as Iconic London’s Illuminator (£30, iconiclondoninc. com) in Original will become your new BFF. This versatile liquid glow can be mixed with your primer or foundation to add a healthy sheen, or dabbed onto cheekbones and blended for a catch of light. Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter (£30, John Lewis) is a dewy multitasker that adds a little colour and plenty of glow. Wear alone or over foundation to improve skin’s luminosity.

Another trick to add further dimension to the face is with a little careful contouring – now, before you panic, I’m not talking Kim K curves, just back to basics with a

little simple sculpting. Cream products are easier to work with than powders when creating glow, and Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (£21, harveynichols.com) are perfect for easily adding shadow to the natural contours of your face. Draw a line just beneath cheekbones and blend out and up into temples. Add a pop of colour with Kilo Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush (£8.90, kikocosmetics.com) to the apples of cheeks to finish.

The other great thing about cream products is how quick they are to apply – use a Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (£5.99, Superdrug) or even fingers.

Once you’re set, kohl eyeliner smudged under eyes will add a little brooding je ne sais quoi. I like the Delilah Long Wear Retractable Pencil in Coal (£20, Space NK) which features a built-in smudger for application without messy fingertips.

Lashings of black mascara finishes the look, and for this Essence Lash Princess is an absolute steal of a product at just £3.30 from Wilko on Fitzroy Street.

And for that Parisian pout?

You can’t go wrong with a slick of red. I’m currently obsessed with the Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint (£19, harveynichols. com) – long-lasting, not too drying, with a handy doe-foot brush that makes application a cinch. l

“I’m not talking Kim K curves, just back to basics with a little simple sculpting” CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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WORDS BY DAISY DICKINSON

THE ONE THAT I WANT

Responsible for making bloggers lose their minds on Instagram since its launch, Makeup Revolution Conceal and Define Concealer has become a cult hero. A dupe of Tarte’s Shape Tape Concealer, the Makeup Revolution version is a fraction of the cost at just £4 in comparison to £22 for Shape Tape. So, is it worth the hype? I managed to grab one online after weeks of the product being sold out in our local Superdrug, and I can confirm: it’s sure worth parting with your cash for this. Creamy and thick, but without looking cakey – I don’t know how they do it, but who cares, suddenly I don’t look as tired as I feel!

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Play

ORANGE CHECK PRINT TAPERED TROUSERS

£15, Pretty Little Thing

PATTERN

TRIBAL PRINTED TROUSERS LOLLYS LAUNDRY

£85, House of Fraser

Checks, botanicals, geometrical, tribal designs, polka dots and stripes: prints are set to be big news for summer 2018. Get on trend by mixing, clashing and layering up your prints a la the models on the Marni and Mary Katrantzou catwalks

VERONA DRAPE GATHERED SKIRT

£60, French Connection, Market Hill

TOP WITH CONTRASTING COLLAR

MIX IT UP

£39.99, Zara, St Andrew’s Street

A good tip for pattern playing like a pro is to keep the tailoring and silhouette simple to let the print do the talking. Top picks from the High Street include these bold and beautiful botanical trousers from bargain brand Shein, plus Topshop’s playful striped blazer – both fit for a print-cess!

SPOT PLISSE TROUSERS

£32, Topshop, Grand Arcade

TROPICAL PRINT TIE WAIST WIDE LEG PANTS

£18.99, shein.com

STRIPED SUIT JACKET

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FAS H I O N

HOW T O W E A R I T This trend is all about breaking the rules, but the line between flamboyant fashionista and I-got-dressed-in the-dark is a thin one. Good rules of thumb include choosing prints where colours are inverted, combining prints from the same ‘family’ (like different kinds of stripes, or doubling up on florals), and matching colours.

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Home Edition © HOUSE OF FRASER

AS K T H E AG E N T • E D I T I O N LO V E S • CO O L CO N V E R S I O N S

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Cool

INTERIORS

CONVE RSIONS CONVERTING YOUR LOFT OR EXTENDING INTO THE BASEMENT OF THE HOUSE CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO THE SPACE IN YOUR HOME. ONCE THE BUILDING WORK HAS BEEN DONE, TAKE NOTE OF SOME DESIGN TIPS TO CONVERT THE FUNCTIONAL INTO FABULOUS, SAYS ANGELINA VILLA-CLARKE

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W ith stamp duty, moving fees and legal bills to pay, the cost of moving house is often prohibitive. More householders than ever are deciding to stay put and improve their homes by making use of their existing spaces.

Building into the loft is one way to add value and give more room in a home. A basement conversion can be trickier, but is often a transformative way to extend your living area.

Whatever space you choose to convert, the first port of call is to contact the experts – such as Anglia Property Preservation Ltd, a Cambridgeshire company that specialises in basement conversions. “If your home has a cellar or basement that is dark, uninviting and damp, your first step should be a call to us,” says the company. “Our specialist design and installation team can transform these unusable spaces into welcoming rooms or imaginative spaces to use for gyms, home cinemas, utility rooms or wine cellars.”

Colour is an important consideration as many conversions, whether they are at the top or the bottom of the house, may have odd angles or dark corners. “Loft and basement rooms are not always the easiest rooms to decorate. To maximise the space, use fresh whites or neutrals to allow natural light to bounce around the room,” says Kasia Wiktorowicz, marketing communications manager at Valspar Paint.

Neptune’s muted shades – such as Grey Oak and Honey Slate – will give character and definition in loft spaces which are flooded with light. And equally, for darker spaces says Charlotte Cosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball,

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INTERIORS This page Keep it light and airy with California Shutters, from £166 per m2. Bottom left Farrow and Ball’s Brinjal paint colour, from £45 per 2.5 litres.

Opposite page, clockwise from top Valspar’s Visionary paint colour, from £15 per litre, is a new neutral. Nordic Ochre fabric, £21 per metre, by iLiv. Neptune’s Driftwood emulsion, £38 per 2.5 litres

HOW TO USE COLOUR

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JAYSON BRANCH, CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT CASTRADS, GIVES HIS TOP TIPS

Blue is a perfect choice for bedrooms and bathrooms due to its soothing and revitalising qualities.

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Rooms with natural light will give off a warm tone so a cool shade of white with a blue or grey base can balance the hues.

Yellow, as the brightest colour on the spectrum, is a welcoming shade, and works well in basements.

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INTERIORS

This page Source interesting homewares, such as this Elsted chair, £375, and Warnham floor lamp, £109, at Mood Collections

“it can be really effective to embrace the darkness of the nooks and crannies by using a bold colour, such as Down Pipe or Inchyra Blue, to create a really dramatic feel. It’s best to use only one colour in the room – taking it onto the ceiling to minimise any sharp lines of contrast between walls and ceiling colour. This will help to make the room feel bigger.”

Touches of brighter colour can also be added in with well-thought out fixtures, such as Castrad’s period-style radiators, which come in a host of hues and metallic finishes; window dressings, such as the chic shutters from California Shutters; or the pretty printed blinds at iLiv. The new collection of furniture and accessories at interiors specialist Mood Collections is based around the power of light. “Pale colour schemes reflect

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LIGHTBULB MOMENT and emphasise natural light for a bright and airy space you can enjoy,” says the brand. “Muted colours and pops of pastel have become a new, modern neutral in the home. What’s more, your choice of lighting, particularly in loft or basement rooms, can ensure that the space will feel cosy and inviting. Opt for stylish bedside table lamps that create a feature with a soft, subtle glow and consider introducing floor lamps to the bedroom for the ultimate cosy reading corner.”

Of course, the right lighting can transform the look and feel of a room.

Martin Waller, founder of Andrew Martin Interiors, gives his advice: “Layer lighting and use multiple light sources to make a room versatile. Opt for dramatic pendants as your main source of light and pair with statement table lamps to create an atmospheric mood. Wall lights

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SØREN RAVN CHRISTENSEN, CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF VITA COPENHAGEN, ON LIGHTING

A key consideration for lighting is to ensure it looks beautiful even when not switched on.

Ensure there are plenty of secondary lights in corners and along walls, as well as one or two pendants above the centre of the desired area where you would like to focus the most attention.

Lights have the function of making things visible when it is dark, but also making the interiors look inviting.

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“Lighting can give a pop of colour in a neutral scheme” work well as accent lighting to highlight interesting features in the room. Choose bold pieces featuring structural shapes, interesting texture or coloured glass to make a style statement, even if the lighting is switched off.”

As well as adding atmosphere and clarity, lighting – such as the quirky table lamps at Pooky and the elegant lamps at Arteriors – can give a pop of colour in an otherwise neutral scheme. At Original BTC, lighting is kept small and interesting, with hanging pendant lamps, modern spotlights and mini globe wall lights adding a touch of glamour.

Use the unusual wall heights and odd angles found in loft rooms and basements to your advantage by adding in quirky touches with bold wallpapers, such as those at Galerie Wallcoverings, unusual art – seek out the neon pieces at Andrew Martin – and home accessories at Audenza.

Finally, with angled walls and alcoves the norm in conversions, fitted storage is the best idea to make the most of your space. The iconic Scandi String Shelving System – which was launched in 1949

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Clockwise from above Gatsby scalloped armchair, £845; cushion, £35.50, from Audenza. Afflatus wallpaper, £64.95 per roll, by Galerie Wallcoverings. May pendants by Original BTC, from £275. String Storage at Skandium, from £42

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INTERIORS

STOCKISTS Andrew Martin 020 7225 5100 andrewmartin.co.uk Anglia Property Preservation 01223 244 515 app-ltd.com Arteriors 020 7929 8015 arteriorshome.com Audenza 01162 986 393 audenza.com California Shutters 0800 1950 196 californiashutters.co.uk Castrads 0161 439 9350 castrads.com Farrow & Ball 01223 367771 farrow-ball.com Galerie Wallcoverings 01892 700 730 galeriehome.co.uk iLiv i-liv.co.uk Mood Collections moodcollections.co.uk Neptune 01793 427 300 neptune.com Neville Johnson 0161 873 8333 nevillejohnson.co.uk Original BTC 020 7351 2130 originalbtc.com Pooky 020 7351 3003 pooky.com String Storage at Skandium 020 3876 2744 skandium.com The Heritage Wardrobe Company 0203 355 8575 theheritage wardrobecompany.com Valspar Paint valsparpaint.co.uk Vita Copenhagen vitacopenhagen.com

This page Komoreibi wallpaper from the Elisir Collection, ÂŁ64.95 per roll, by Galerie Wallcoverings

CELEBRATE YOUR INTERESTING SPACES JACQUI BROOKS, CO-FOUNDER OF ONLINE BOUTIQUE AUDENZA, GIVES HER TOP THREE TIPS

Use mirrors to reflect light and give a sense of space and indulgence.

Plants, whether real or faux, give an element of calm. Use different heights to create a visually interesting setting.

Go for wall art in 3D form for a visual feast.

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INTERIORS

This page Neville Johnson’s fitted furniture, prices vary, makes the most of the awkward spaces in a loft room

“Fitted furniture can be built so no space is wasted” – features wire panels and shelves of various depths and colours, which can be built to fit any area.

Neville Johnson’s bespoke furniture is perfect for maximising every inch.

“A loft conversion often comes hand in hand with awkward architectural features, such as sloping ceilings and wooden beams, says Karen Conn, furniture designer at Neville Johnson.

“Fitted furniture can be built directly into the apex to ensure no space is wasted, creating floor to ceiling storage which truly maximises your room’s potential.”

Location is key when it comes to getting the most from your storage, says Wane

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Borg, a partner at The Heritage Wardrobe Company: “A bespoke fitted wardrobe solution will ensure you are utilising the full height and depth of the space, in particular if there are awkward or difficult angles to work with. In loft bedrooms, a tailored fitted wardrobe solution is a must to maximise the space and provide an aesthetically pleasing design.”

From using your basement to house a new kitchen to reimagining your loft as a new working space, one or two choice pieces of standalone furniture – such as an elegant chest of drawers or an interesting cabinet – will make it a space you want to escape to whether it is up in the sky or down to earth.l

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S T OR AGE SOLU T IONS If you’re planning major work on your home it’s likely you might need to store some of your possessions, from big pieces of furniture to all of those boxes up in the loft you’ve been meaning to sort out. Local family-run business Peaks Storehouse, located on Ditton Walk, offers a great solution, providing costeffective, secure self-storage for domestic, commercial or business clients and students. They’ve been in business for over 75 years, and offer 24-hour access to your storage unit, plus a price match with any competitor. peaks-storehouse.co.uk

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INTERIORS GOLDEN ANGEL WINGS

£89, audenza.com

HERBALIST CHEST

£995, shimu.co.uk

PALM HOUSE GOLD EMBROIDERED VELVET CUSHION

£14, sainsburys.co.uk

FINNA SUSPENSION LAMP

£540, christopherwray.com

EDI T ION

LOVES PROSECCO NEON LIGHT

£64, audenza.com BABINGTON MARBLE-EFFECT BEDSIDE TABLE

£45, tesco.com

HEXAGONAL SHELF MIRROR

£149, marksandspencer.co.uk

PIROUETTE TABLE LAMP

from £170, pooky.com

SEASONAL OLD ROSE PAINT

£38 for 2.5lr, neptune.com

ARRAY FUSION CABINET

£339, johnlewis.com

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INTERIORS S TO R E O F T H E M O N T H

Country Traditionals

F

rom the pretty navy and white heart motifs to the whimsical Midnight Star design, the Ceramika Artystyczna crockery may come from a renowned pottery in Poland, but it nonetheless looks perfectly at home in kitchens up and down the UK. Nicola and Simon Tame are the couple behind Country Traditionals, a company which has imported the pottery for the past 20 years. Lovingly made and handdecorated by highly skilled craftsmen and women at one of the oldest and most highly-respected potteries in Poland, the company now has three stores in the UK. “The business originally started from a pottery barn in East Sussex,” recalls Nicola. “Six years ago, we took it over from the original owners who were retiring. I was running my own interiors accessory company and Simon was an operations manager for an importing company, so we had the right skills set.’’

Since taking over, the couple have opened a second branch in Stamford and a third, Country Traditionals on Magdalene Street in Cambridge, and also sell the pieces wholesale to around 100

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shops across the UK, as well as running a website, and having a presence at specialist fairs up and down the country.

“Everyone seems to fall in love with the crockery,” continues Nicola. “It is extremely hard-wearing – so the pieces can go from oven to table and are dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe.

Practicalities aside, it is the glorious designs which give the most appeal.”

Stocking 150 different shapes – from teapots to heart-shaped baking dishes – in more than 15 different patterns, the ranges have become covetable to a wide range of customers-turned-collectors.

“Customers just keep adding to their collections – once they have a piece they just seem to get addicted to it!” laughs Nicola. “There are spots to flowers, hearts to stars and whatever you choose they all mix and match together so you can form an eclectic collection which works well in either the traditional or contemporary home.

“We have the exclusive rights in the UK on most designs from Ceramika Artystyczna,” she continues. “And we visit the workshop, found in the Boleslawiec region of Poland, once a year to decide on new patterns. That’s definitely the fun

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part! Window dressing is another part of retailing that I love and I’m always on the look-out for props that we can use in the shops to bring added interest to window displays.”

The Polish factory has won many awards over the years for the quality of their designs and production, including the prestigious TUV quality certificate.

Each item is fired twice at temperatures in excess of 1250°C, classifying it as stoneware rather than earthenware, making it chip-resistant and hardwearing.

“It’s such a delight to work with such artisans,” says Nicola. “Around 70% of the workers in the workshop are women and each artisan undergoes an artistic training of two years before becoming a decorative artist. Best of all is the feedback we get from our valued customers. That’s one of the best things about being an independent business – the direct contact we have with our suppliers and our customers.”

With plans to relaunch the website and a new store in the pipeline, the future looks unbreakable. l Country Traditionals, 18 Magdalene Street, Cambridge CB3 OAF | 01223 322007 | countrytraditionals.co.uk

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P RO P E RT Y A S K T H E AG E N T

Nature vs Culture SAM COOKE, PARTNER AT LOCAL AGENTS COOKE, CURTIS & CO, ON HOW WE FIGURE OUT PRIORITIES WHEN BUYING HOUSES

T

he question of nature vs culture comes up a lot in my job. Not because I’m prone to Francis Galton* mis-quotes, I’m on about the other sort of nature – trees and lakes and mountains and those sorts of things.

I digress.

What I regularly find myself trying to understand from people in order to work out where they might like to live, is the balance they’re looking for between being around nature and being around culture.

Cambridge is pretty good for culture. Not just because we have plenty of museums and that grasshopper clock, but also because we have a diversity of people, a load of funny little pubs, parks to play football in, a liveliness and bustle that’s easy to see. I like going into town and meeting people from all over the world, then them taking me to some little place that I didn’t know existed despite having lived here my whole life. But we’re less well off on the nature front. Friends of ours moved from here to the German Alps a few years back because they realised they were right at the nature end of the spectrum and that the chalky hill we have near Orwell didn’t really satisfy their desire for the big outdoors. Their village is amazing – mountains, lakes, meadows, utter peace and quiet.

You’re not allowed to mow your lawn at lunch time or on a Sunday lest you disturb the silence. It’s bloody lovely. Sitting here typing this I’m fondly remembering the holidays we’ve had there – running for four hours up the wooded logging trails to the top of a mountain and only seeing one other human one sunny spring day was a particular highlight. The fact that the other human was selling beer out of a tiny hut called an Alm added to the wonder of the day, but what made it super-special was that, because I had no money with me, he let me have a beer if I promised to come back and pay for it another day. (I hope he’s not still there waiting. Sucker.) But what do they do for culture? They have a few nice local bars and restaurants, maybe six, but after that they have to drive an hour to Munich or Salzburg. It doesn’t bother them in the slightest, but it would plenty of people.

Cambridge isn’t the worst for getting to the countryside, compared to living in central London it’s a breeze. The byways and bridleways that surround the city may not be as dramatic as the Alps, but they are only a few minutes’ away from the edge of town. But then central London smashes us to bits when it comes to choices of vegan restaurants.

I listened to an interview with Brian Eno once and he said that you needed to have two houses to find the balance – one in West London and one by the sea – then alternate a few months at each until you get bored/claustrophobic. Which is a great solution if, like him, you’re Brian Eno, but less realistic if you have a nine-to-five job and your bank balance isn’t showing the benefit of decades of great artistic achievement.

For the rest of us who like a bit of nature and a bit of culture the usual answer is to live somewhere compromised – quite near a city and quite near some country. Like nature more than culture? Maybe move 15 miles out of town. Like culture more than nature? Consider the suburbs.

But compromises suck. You sell them to yourself as the

“Compromises suck.

They're the worst of both worlds” best of both worlds, but in truth they’re mostly the worst of both worlds. When you live in the suburbs you can’t just walk five minutes into town, so you don’t go in as much as you would if you actually lived in the centre. And 15 miles out isn’t the countryside, it’s commuter belt.

As you can tell, I’ve been thinking about this a bit. I thought I’d had my Newton’s Apple (Trinity again) moment when I decided to move to Mill Road and buy a motorhome to schlep off to the country in, but it turns out it’s quite tough round there to find a parking space for a seven-metre camper. But I now think I have it: I’d like to introduce you to my latest crowd-funded internet start-up. House sharing. The basic idea is that you hook up with another family/couple/person like you and you share two houses – one right in the middle of a town and one on top of a hill somewhere. It’s cost effective, because you’re only paying half the running costs, it will probably solve the housing crisis because people like Brian Eno won’t have one house that sits empty the whole time and you get to make new friends. There are a few minor pitfalls, so the plan needs some fine tuning, but with your help I think it’s a goer.

Please send PayPal donations to the usual email... l

*For those who didn’t graduate from Long Road’s Psychology class of ‘97, Sir Francis was a Victorian polymath who did experiments with twins and coined the phrase ‘nature vs nurture’. To make the joke super-relevant, he went to Trinity College, which is one of the big old buildings in the centre of town. You’ve probably been past it. Did you know that the bookshelves in the library were carved by a talented chap called Grinling Gibbons? This funny name adds to my theory that the whole of Cambridge University is based loosely on the Harry Potter series of books. I’m planning to cover this theory in detail in a future column. Stay tuned.

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18/05/2018 15:41

CE ADS_JUNE.indd 116

18/05/2018 15:41