Cambridge Edition May 2019

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YOUR MONTHLY FIX OF

M AY 2 019

LOCAL LIFE

FOOD & DRINK

NEW OPENINGS, FOODIE FESTIVALS & MORE

ARTS & CULTURE

UNMISSABLE THEATRE, GIGS AND ART EXHIBITIONS

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EDITORIAL

Editor in chief Nicola Foley 01223 499459 nicolafoley@bright-publishing.com Chief sub editor Beth Fletcher Senior sub editor Siobhan Godwood Sub editor Felicity Evans Junior sub editor Elisha Young

ADVERTISING

Senior sales executive Lee Fifield 01223 492240 leefifield@bright-publishing.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Alex Rushmer, Angelina Villa-Clarke, Alex Ruczaj, Cathy Moore, Cyrus Pundole, Charlotte Griffiths, Siobhan Godwood, Charlotte Phillips, Daisy Dickinson, Jordan Worland, Ruthie Collins, Anna Taylor, Sam Owens

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Senior designer & production manager Flo Thomas 01223 492242 flothomas@bright-publishing.com Designer Lucy Woolcomb 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, senior designer & production manager at Cambridge Edition

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

Welcome

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s you may have noticed from our cover, we’re celebrating a very special anniversary this month: welcome to our 100th issue!

Cambridge is a city filled with clever and creative people doing interesting things, and, consequently, a dream of a subject for somebody in my position. There’s always something new and inspiring to write about, and a case in point is the local music festival scene, which only grows more impressive each year. From the relaxed, rootsy Red Rooster to the hands-in-the-air hedonism of Wild Wood Disco, not forgetting old favourites like Cambridge Folk Festival, there’s truly something for all tastes going on in the fields of Cambridgeshire this summer – we round up some of the best over on page 34. I’m especially looking forward to checking out newcomer We Out Here, the Gilles Peterson-helmed festival at the beautiful site in Abbots Ripton that used to be home to the sorely missed Secret Garden Party (RIP). If they manage to throw a party that’s even half as good as SGP, we’re all in for a treat. If theatre’s more your bag, check out Watch Out, Cambridge Junction’s trailblazing festival of new writing for the stage, or you can immerse yourself in scintillating stories from the past at Wimpole History Festival (page 26).

Also endlessly exciting, as is well documented in this magazine, is the local food scene, which continues to grow and diversify with some tasty new openings on the horizon. BrewDog, a titan of the craft beer world, is preparing to open the doors of a Cambridge branch, while BBQ aficionados SmokeWorks recently unveiled a third outpost. A huge new food festival is coming to the city too, and a much-loved city centre restaurant has got a new look and new management – get the lowdown in our food news section from page 63. We also meet Tristan Welch, the culinary powerhouse behind Parker’s Tavern, one of the city’s most celebrated restaurant openings of recent years, plus Dr Sue Bailey continues her epicurean explorations with a look at Ely’s Eel Festival, a brilliantly mad local tradition which dates back to medieval times.

One of Cambridge’s most fascinating homes is under the spotlight in this issue too: join local arts guru Ruthie Collins for a peek at David Parr House, a Gwydir Street terraced house which brims with Arts and Crafts-era treasures. There’s an extra-local flavour to our Book Club this month, as we speak to Ely-based crime writer Jim Kelly about his latest novel: a gripping murder mystery with Cambridge as the backdrop.

As ever, we’ve also got all the city’s top gigs, art exhibitions and theatre shows, plus we explore Cambridge’s fantastic market in honour of Love Your Local Market, a worldwide campaign which runs 17 to 31 May. Enjoy the issue and see you next month!

Nicola Foley EDITOR IN CHIEF

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CONTENTS 8 l STARTERS

Top things to do and see in the city, plus our favourite social media pics

11 l ARTS & CULTURE Exhibitions, concerts and theatre highlights to enjoy in May

19 l ART INSIDER

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

20 l DAVID PARR HOUSE

A Gwydir Street terraced house filled with Victorian treasures opens to the public

23 l WATCH OUT FESTIVAL We find out what’s in store at Cambridge Junction’s festival of dangerous theatre

24 l INDIE

Edition learns about the history of Cambridge Arts Theatre and finds out what’s coming up

26 l HISTORY FESTIVAL A feast of history and heritage awaits at Wimpole Hall next month

43 l CAMBRIDGE FRINGE

29 l BOOK CLUB

A micro Edinburgh Fringe festival featuring 46 performers, right here in Cambridge

34 l MUSIC FESTIVALS

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

Book recommendations, special offers and author interviews From chilled-out folk fests to glittery woodland raves: get ready for a summer of fun

44 l AFTER HOURS

51 l RUMPUS FESTIVAL My Little Festival’s magical family festival returns to the Wild Wood

52 l DRAGON BOAT FEST

86 l CAMBS ON A PLATE

55 l OFF TO THE RACES

90 l LOVE YOUR MARKET

Community events, charity news and more, from your local hub

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83 l CHEF’S TABLE

Chef Alex Rushmer on what’s cooking in his kitchen this month New columnist Dr Sue Bailey on the weird and wonderful history of Ely Eel festival

56 l COMMUNITY HUB

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78 l RECIPES

Tristan Welch shares some of his favourite recipes from Parker’s Tavern

Gather a team together and get in on the fun, the Dragon Boat Festival is coming Fancy a flutter? We find out what’s coming up at Newmarket Racecourse

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74 l TRISTAN WELCH

We meet the man behind Parker’s Tavern, one of the city’s most raved-about eateries

59 l LISTINGS

We explore the city’s market, finding new gems and revisiting old favourites

97 l BEAUTY

Daisy Dickinson rounds up the beauty products on her radar this month

99 l EDUCATION

Our at-a-glance guide to the top events and goings-on this month

Early stage learning essentials, plus Gresham’s School considers the planned exam overhaul

65 l FOOD NEWS

113 l HOME & GARDEN

All the latest news and gossip from the Cambridge food and drink scene

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The latest interiors trends, and this month’s garden to-do list

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MAY ESSENTIAL

CAMBRIDGE BEER FESTIVAL

Heralding the start of summer in the city, the Cambridge Beer Festival returns to its usual spot on Jesus Green from 20 to 25 May. Founded back in 1974, the event is organised by CAMRA and is one of the largest regional beer festivals held in the country. Pop by to sample hundreds of top beers and ales of all styles, as well as ciders, meads, perry and wine. Then grab some sustenance from the famed CAMRA cheese counter, which stocks pork pies, hams and locally made bread, as well as plenty of fantastic fromage. cambridgebeerfestival.com

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STA RT E R S

SUMMER FUN

HER I TAGE L I V E CONCER T S Grab a picnic and a glass of something cold and sparkling: the glorious Heritage Live Concert Series is back! Organised by Giles Cooper Entertainment, the events run 12 to 14 July and bring A-list acts to the stunning setting of Audley End House. While you relax and soak up the splendour of this Jacobean mansion and its beautiful gardens, you’ll be treated to live music from legendary acts, including The Human League.

Makers of immortal hits like Don’t You Want Me and Love Action (I Believe in Love), they’re topping the bill on Friday the 12th, supported by fellow synth-pop heroes ABC, plus Belinda Carlisle. The next night is headlined by The Hives, known for their sharp suits and indie anthems, with The Fratellis

also taking to the stage to perform classics like Chelsea Dagger. Rounding things off in style on 14 July is an unbeatable line-up of disco icons headed up by The Jacksons. Celebrating their 50th anniversary, marked by the release of their debut single, I Want You Back, The Jacksons (consisting of founding members Jermaine, Tito, Jackie and Marlon) continue to wow audiences across the world with their live performances of a back catalogue that includes songs like ABC, I’ll Be There and Blame It on the Boogie.

They’re joined by the Grammy Award-winning Kool & the Gang, plus Boney M., featuring original singer and founding member, Maizie Williams. ticketmaster.co.uk

ONE TO TRY

M AY W EEK PU N T ING May Week, which actually takes place in June, is one of the great University of Cambridge traditions. The end of the academic year, it’s a time for extravagant balls, lavish 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 booking in on 17 June, when the legendary Trinity College May Ball takes place, or the 18th, when it’s the turn of St John’s College to light up the skies. The atmosphere is always incredible: pack some nibbles and a bottle of fizz and you’ve got yourself an unforgettable evening out. Rutherford’s and Scudamore’s both offer chauffeured punts, with prices from £285 for a punt which seats 12. scudamores.com

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Culture Club ART EXHIBITIONS • THEATRE • BOOK CLUB • CONCERTS BALLET BLACK perform a trio of works at Cambridge Arts Theatre on 7-8 May

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A RTS & C U LT U R E

ENCHANTED CINEMA Back for its fifth year of Cambridge outdoor moviegoing, Enchanted Cinema returns this month to one of its favourite venues, the gardens at The Gonville Hotel. Combining deckchairs, street food, live music, a popcorn kiosk, a bar and fab films that are either hits or cult classics, alfresco flick watching has become a fixture for many in Cambridge.

This year’s line-up of films includes favourites Dirty Dancing, The Great Gatsby, Grease, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Romeo & Juliet, Pulp Fiction and Top Gun.

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New (but surely already guaranteed to be back in the future) films such as Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite and A Star is Born also feature, plus Best Picture Oscar winner Green Book, which rounds off the programme on 15 September.

A new bar this year features BrewBoard, serving its sumptuous craft beer, and there will be street food on offer from a range of vendors on different nights. They include Pull Me Cheri’s pulled meats with a French twist, Arepa’s Station’s tantalising

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Venezuelan bites and Mexican modern street treats from Chihuahuas.

May’s screenings are: Ray on 16 May (with live music from the Robin Phillips Trio); A Star is Born on 18 May; Bohemian Rhapsody on19 May and Dirty Dancing on 30 May. As an add-on to your ticket, popcorn and prosecco, or popcorn and gin, can be pre-booked for £9.50.

Start times vary a little, as do ticket prices, depending on whether there is pre-film live music or not. enchantedcinema.co.uk

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BALLET BLACK Ballet Black returns to Cambridge with dramatic, inventive storytelling in a trio of modern works that put excitement at the fore on 7 and 8 May at the Arts Theatre.

Ingoma (Song), created by dancer and choreographer Mthuthuzeli November, is a fusion of African dance, singing and ballet. It imagines the struggles of black miners and their families in 1946 in South Africa, when 60,000 of them went on strike.

Pendulum is an intimate duet

by Martin Lawrance, and a lighthearted work by Sophie Laplane completes the programme. Tickets from ÂŁ20. cambridgeartstheatre.com

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A RTS & C U LT U R E

PA I N T OU T

©ELIZABETH GLEAVE/SHUTTER HUB

Dozens of artists used to painting outdoors are to take part in Paint Out Cambridge, from 13 to 17 May, capturing colleges, chapels, bridges, the river, Market Square and more. It’s a painting competition open to amateur and professional artists, with up to £3,000 of prizes at the awards evening on 16 May. Paint Out has already held events in Norfolk and Suffolk and has partnered with Cheffins Fine Art for the first in Cambridge. Sarah Flynn, head of paintings at Cheffins, said: “Cambridge has long been an inspiration for artists such as Gwen Raverat, Edwin La Dell and Elisabeth Vellacott, and with its iconic and world-recognised architecture and views, we are sure it will provide endless inspiration for the artists taking part.”

Painting sessions are either two or three hours and anyone can catch the creations taking shape on 13, 14 and 15 May during the day and evening. Three judges will decide the best works, and artists can enter at paintout.events.

E V ERY T H I NG I E V ER L E A R N T

An innovative photography exhibition is under way at Cambridge University’s Alison Richard Building until 3 May. Curated by Shutter Hub in collaboration with Art at the ARB, Everything I Ever Learnt showcases the work of almost 100 international photographers. Presenting pieces printed on tabloid-sized newspaper, Shutter Hub has teamed up with Newspaper Club for the exhibition, which features around 150 images. Limited edition newspaper prints will be available for £28 at the free exhibition, held at the Alison Richard Building on the university’s Sidgwick Site on West Road, weekdays, 9am to 5pm. shutterhub.org.uk

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A RTS & C U LT U R E

ADMISSIONS Two stars of the small screen star in Admissions – a ‘bold new comedy’ about what we want from the education system – at the Arts Theatre from 3 to 8 June. Alex Kingston (ER, Doctor Who) and Miranda’s Sarah Hadland star in the tale of Sherri, head of admissions at a private school. She’s a liberal who wants to diversify the student intake, and a mum who wants the best for her son. Then her personal ambition collides with her progressive values and she’s forced to make a choice. Tickets from £25. cambridgeartstheatre.com

THE SK Y’S THE LIMIT AT ELY SCIENCE FEST A visit to Ely will be out of this world from 18 May to 9 June, when science festival The Sky’s The Limit arrives to celebrate space and space travel, and commemorate the 50 year anniversary of the first moon landing. This family-friendly event takes place inside Ely’s magnificent medieval Cathedral, with highlights sure to include a seven-metre diameter lunar replica of The Museum of the Moon, by Luke Jerram, suspended from the nave ceiling. It’s an installation that reflects the imagery of the moon’s surface from NASA data. Guest speakers include astronomer royal Lord Rees, Sky at Night presenters Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Chris Lintott, and space enthusiast Dallas Campbell. Exhibits on display will include meteorites, astronaut suits, a space toilet and space food on loan from The Science Museum, The Institute of Astronomy and The Sedgwick Museum. elycathedral.org

OPEN STUDIO WEEKEND

Snap up the chance to explore the Curwen Print Study Centre at a special open weekend taking place on 18 and 19 May. With a goal of preserving and developing printmaking as an art form, the centre offers a range of printmaking courses and classes for all levels and ages and is located in the rather lovely setting of Chilford Hall, Linton. As well as hearing about available courses, you can see print demonstrations by Curwen artist tutors, view a professional working print studio, and browse and buy fine art prints donated by The Curwen Gallery in London. There will also be printmaking materials for sale if you feel inspired to have a go! It runs 11am to 5pm both days, and entry is free. curwenprintstudy.co.uk

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

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ay brings that first flush of summer; the perfect time to stroll the city, taking in the season’s cultural blooms.

Head to Espresso Library for new show, Classical Remix Volume 1, from Brendan Young, Vanessa Battaglia and Vincenzo Sgaramella. Young and Battaglia are the fabulous, creative minds behind contemporary design studio Mineheart.

Known for their savvy blend of aristochic, flamboyant excess cut with elegance and whimsical glamour, think Marie Antoinette popping up in your living room, blowing pink bubblegum at your cushions and you might be halfway there. This is an impressive collection of shimmering abstracts and mixed media, giving new meaning to old, with fresh energy and refined textures throughout. It runs until 7 June.

Espresso Library’s neighbourhood used to be known as the Kite, back in the 1970s. It’s now heavily gentrified, but in the era of Syd Barrett – who went to Cambridge School of Art across the road – this was full of bohemia, radical bookshops and squats. Run-down, yes, but a hotbed for experimentation. Fast forward 40 years, and Cambridge art is frequently lambasted as ‘too safe’.

Skyrocketing rents, house prices and the mass commercialisation of the city are ongoing assailants on the kind of risky sense of experimentation that many (perpetually) yearn for.

Short of starting a revolution encouraging landlords to offer up normally-very-expensive space or homes to artists, I’m not sure what the answer to the issue of Cambridge being ‘too safe’

is. You could throw millions at building new space for artists: much needed, yes. Or hold transient, experimental interventions, sure. But the ownership of infrastructure predominantly by older, privileged demographics, plus the ongoing need for affordable housing in Cambridge, will perpetually stifle the vitality of any art scene, unless these issues are called out for what they are. As Grayson Perry pointed out, ‘rich people on the whole don’t make culture’. There’s the rub, in one of the most affluent cities in the country. Revolution, anyone?

The truth is, anyone can go out there and shake things up. At any age. All you need is a maverick sense of wanting to take risks and upset the ‘safe’, which may ruffle a few feathers, and the drive to do it. The Untold History Museum Tours, as mentioned in the New York Times, are a new(ish) venture from three female Cambridge University graduates, first launched as part of the Festival of Ideas programme, with a goal of disrupting the dominant narratives of collections. The tours are now on offer all the year round, discussing the at times awkward histories of museum objects, of how they came to be in Cambridge, exposing colonialism and conflict as well as the impact of racism and sexism. It’s excellent to see these tours making leaps and bounds, igniting discussion and critique.

“As the title suggests, we talk about the untold histories that museum labels won’t tell you, and believe we are contributing to an important – if sometimes uncomfortable – conversation,” says Danika Parikh. “We research and run the tours independently

“It’s excellent to see these tours igniting discussion” CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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as a team of three women graduate students at the University of Cambridge.

We love museums, but became frustrated by what we feel is a huge gap in the stories museums are telling. We wanted to talk about the people from whom museum objects were collected, and be honest about how these objects were collected. So many of them were acquired during conflict or under colonialism, and erasing these stories amounts to whitewashing history.

“What we offer is a nuanced perspective on this history, supported by extensive research, that aims to tell the kinds of stories you rarely hear in museums. We were inspired by the work of other alternative museum tour trailblazers, like Alice Procter’s Uncomfortable Art tours in London, and Dan Vo’s LGBTQ+ tours at the V&A. We think they are something completely new on the Cambridge arts scene. We call it a tour of questions instead of a tour of answers!”

Finally, the Eastern Bloco Arts Area at free festival Strawberry Fair, which is on 1 June, has an exciting open call for volunteers to get involved and help make the area extra fabulous this year.

Whether you can help set up or take down, help with signage or with décor, do get involved and lend a hand with making it amazing. This is a fantastic space, full of experimentation – with music, poetry, activism and all sorts of colour and Strawberry Fair magic.

One of my happiest Strawberry Fair moments last year was watching a tiny little girl while away her afternoon in an Eco Glitter Bath art installation in this area. Glitter, glitter, glitter. Contact strawberryartarea@gmail.com for info.

As Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector once said, “don’t forget, that in the meantime, this is the season for strawberries.”

Have a gorgeous May, all. l M A Y 2 019

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RUTHIE COLLINS EXPLORES THE DAVID PARR HOUSE, WHICH OPENS ITS GWYDIR STREET DOOR TO THE PUBLIC THIS MONTH TO SHOW OFF A TREASURE TROVE OF VICTORIAN ARTISTRY

‘‘W

e wanted to keep it as it was,” Tamsin Wimhurst, local historian and the driving force behind the inspirational restoration of David Parr House, tells me, as we step through the front door. I’d remarked how strange it felt turning up and rapping the door knocker of one of Cambridge’s most famous buildings, a terraced house just opposite Hot Numbers on Gwydir Street. But while this may be an extraordinary house, it’s also famous for being someone’s home.

David Parr was a ‘decorative artist’ who lived in the terraced house until 1927. He worked for Leach & Sons, a firm that worked with stately homes, churches, houses and palaces, delivering several key commissions across East Anglia and in Cambridge, including the Jesus College chapel. Frederick Leach ran a company of ‘art-workers’, placing applied arts on the same level as the finer arts. David Parr’s home is an extraordinary, poignant reminder of Mill Road’s proud working-class heritage.

“It gives us an opportunity to celebrate those people who built so much of the city. Here we have the stories of the people who did the work, their lives,” says Tamsin. “I love the people’s history, the everyday. ” It was the William Morris-inspired patterns, handpainted throughout the house, that caught Tamsin’s eye when she first visited to interview Parr’s granddaughter Elsie for a project at the Museum of Cambridge. “I just knew it had to be saved,” she said. “We know from letters that William Morris greatly admired Leach. He gave him commissions when he had too much work. It’s highly likely that David Parr met him.”

William Morris was a major pioneer of the British Arts and Crafts Movement, which started with a group of students at Oxford University in the 1850s. A staunch socialist, he believed that without dignified, creative human occupation people became disconnected

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from life. He aimed to bring artforms together with the decoration of the home. “Your home was your canvas,” says Tamsin.

Standing in parallel to Jim Ede’s House at Kettle’s Yard, David Parr House represents a side to Cambridge ‘town’ heritage that is fast disappearing. Upstairs, you can see the railway uniform that Alfred, Elsie’s husband, wore to work. Throughout the house, quotes are written on the walls, including a line from Shakespeare’s As You Like It in the living room. ‘Tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones and good in everything.’

The house is exactly as it was when Parr and his family lived in it, from exceptionally rare Edwardian lino on the floor, to paint-by-numbers pictures in Victorian frames.

The same dolls’ house Parr’s granddaughter Elsie played with is in the bathroom. “When people come, they come for Parr; they are then seduced by Elsie. So many people who lived in terraced houses come and reminisce. I love hearing about their memories,” Tamsin smiles.

With an indoor toilet and self-closing doors, Parr’s home was both aesthetically joyous and functional, with nature-inspired patterns throughout; an ethos that permeated the British Arts and Crafts Movement that William Morris pioneered. “He would have said the beauty in an object is in the joy of how it’s made; there was no beauty in a manufactured object,” Tamsin says.

Thanks to £625K of funding from Heritage Lottery the house has been lovingly restored, with the full blessing of the family, by Cowper Griffith Architects, and the painted interiors restored by Tobit Curteis Associates. At the heart of the restoration has been the support of more than 60 passionate volunteers. There’s an open call for volunteers in Cambridge to get involved, across all areas – from cataloguing and archiving, research and even being trained to show visitors round the house. “Our volunteers have gained so much knowledge. 20 volunteers have been trained as tour guides for the house, and there’s room to help in events, marketing, grant bid writing and helping in the garden. Something for everyone.”

Probably one of the most significant older works of artistry from working class culture that has survived in modern day Cambridge today, David Parr House continues to fascinate. With a mix of visitors booking the hour-anda-half long intimate tours, which are sold out for 2019, only 2000 visitors are able to see the house each year. And what would David Parr think of all the fuss his house is now causing? “I hope he would be smiling down on us,” laughs Tamsin. l davidparrhouse.org

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DAV I D PA R R H O U S E

Above Each room in the David Parr House features hand-painted wall decorations, many including quotations from literature and poetry. Even the exterior of the house has been restored with materials used in the period Below Artefacts in the house are those belonging to David Parr and his famiy, or to Elsie his granddaughter, and have all been researched and catalogued

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T H E AT R E

CYRUS PUNDOLE GIVES THE LOW-DOWN ON WATCH OUT: A FESTIVAL OF BOUNDARY-PUSHING THEATRE AT CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION

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o you like your theatre challenging, stimulating, humorous and thoughtprovoking? All of the above will feature in the offerings served up at Cambridge Junction’s annual one-day festival of new theatre and dance, the aptly named WATCH OUT. The experimental and unusual will feature throughout the venue from 12pm on Saturday 25 May, abounding with risktaking and new ideas.

Part of the venue’s ongoing commitment to the development of contemporary performance from regional, national and international artists, this year’s festival is hosted by London-based performance artist Vijay Patel, who is noted for his boundarycrossing cabaret performances.

Finnish-Egyptian artist Samira Elagoz brings Cock Cock... Who’s There? to the festival following a successful Edinburgh run last year, where it scooped a Total Theatre Award. Based on her personal experience of rape, Elagoz showcases gender relations and takes the audience on her journey of regaining power and attempting to relate to men. She explores desire, the power of femininity and the female gaze in a world in which the virtual and the real are intertwined.

Award-winning French choreographer Lola Maury returns to Cambridge following her recent performance at the Buddhist Centre with BROUHAHA, a new piece that mixes voice, multichannel composition and movement.

Back at the festival are the “achingly hip and terrifyingly savage” (The Guardian) theatre company Made In China, with a work in progress of new piece Smithereens, while Belgian dance artist Hannah De Meyer presents Levitations, a piece where hope and despair, being and not being, sexuality, love and death rub shoulders.

Following her hugely popular Triple Threat a couple of years ago, Lucy McCormick is back with Life: Live!, a subversive, immersive narrative concept album about a woman who gets overwhelmed in a supermarket.

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With stadium-chic live visuals from Morven Mulgrew and original music written and performed by Lucy and her electrotrash Girl Squad, Life: Live! is a survival anthem for those of us who can’t decide which shampoo to buy. Lucy is performing a 20-minute work-in-progress extract, with the full performance premiering in the autumn.

Ira Brand’s Ways To Submit focuses on dominance and submission, the ways in which we give in and the ways in which we take control – physically, psychologically, sexually and socially.

Through the body, through language, and through structures of power. The piece invites you into a fantasy, a game, a dialogue: a series of duets in which power is at work.

Annoyed with politics? Luca Rutherford will be taking over the foyer with her Political Party Disco. Her attitude is that if you’re fed up of talking about politics, dance it out instead.

Tickets for the whole of the festival are £25, and while you’re milling around, grab a bite at MeatLess, Guerilla Kitchen’s sister van, which will be outside serving food, with cocktails and craft ale available inside the venue. l junction.co.uk

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INDEPENDENT OF THE MONTH

Cambridge Arts Theatre SIOBHAN GODWOOD FINDS OUT WHAT MAKES CAMBRIDGE ARTS THEATRE SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF LIFE IN THE CITY

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ccupying a prime location in the centre of Cambridge, as well as a very special place in the heart of the city’s theatre goers, the Cambridge Arts Theatre was established in 1936 by one of the University of Cambridge’s most famous alumni, John Maynard Keynes. Most well-known as a ground-breaking economist, he was also a passionate patron of the arts, being a key member of the Bloomsbury Group and married to the Russian ballerina, Lydia Lopokova.

One aspect of Keynes’ philosophy of economics was the idea that the aim of work was to provide money to pursue leisure activities. He believed in shorter working hours and longer holidays for everyone. He was awarded a 99-year building lease to establish the Cambridge Arts Theatre by King’s College in 1934.

By February 1936, the theatre was ready for its gala opening with a programme featuring ballerina Margot Fonteyn.

“The theatre also started its life hosting University productions,” says Caitlin Clark, marketing manager at Cambridge Arts Theatre, “with

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shows from The Marlowe Society and the Cambridge Footlights.” Those relationships with university groups are still important to the Arts Theatre today.

“The Marlowe Society was established in 1907 to perform Shakespeare plays in Cambridge, and the Arts Theatre programmes one of its plays every year,” explains Caitlin. “Also, Footlights presents two nights of stand-up comedy at the Arts Theatre each year, which are always really popular. Then, every three years we host the Cambridge Greek Play, which is also produced by the University; the whole play is performed entirely in Ancient Greek and we have people coming from all over the country to see it as it’s something that’s rarely performed.”

Of course, Cambridge is primarily famous for its university, and as such is seen throughout the UK as a brainy city; but does that mean the Arts Theatre only programmes highbrow plays and talks? Not at all, according to Caitlin, the Arts Theatre works hard at achieving a good balance in the types of productions it hosts, with a mix of classic and contemporary theatre, comedy, musicals,

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dance and shows for children. “We are aware that there are lots of academics in Cambridge, but it’s our responsibility to try to appeal to everyone who lives in the region, regardless of what they do and what kind of theatre they enjoy,” explains Caitlin. “People associate Cambridge with the University, but the Arts Theatre is for everyone who lives here.

“Ever since the beginning of its life, the theatre has been a receiving house, which means that theatre and production companies on tour around the UK and the rest of the world will come to us, most often on a week’s run, which is Monday to Saturday.

“We present dramas, comedies, musicals, a bit of everything really.

We have around 40 weeks of theatre planned into each year. It’s a lot about having good relationships with companies and touring venues, and picking a range of work that the people of Cambridge will love, a mix of commercial and artistic productions to give our audiences as much variety as possible. The theatre’s long-term aim is to continue producing our own work; our recent in-house productions include La Strada, The Real

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I N D E P E N D E N T O F T H E XM X XOX XNXTXHX

Thing starring Laurence Fox and 84 Charing Cross starring Stefanie Powers.”

A big focus of the Arts Theatre’s programming is shows for children and families. It has had lots of excellent adaptations of well-known children’s books, including several by David Walliams, for example. Coming up in July there is a production of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, which is adapted from the wonderful Michael Rosen book and, in October, Tom Gates Live on Stage, which is based on the books by Liz Pichon.

“Of course for families, the biggest show of the year is our annual pantomime,” says Caitlin. “We produce our own show and do everything from picking the director and the writer, to casting the show and doing the lighting and costumes. It’s an entirely homegrown Cambridge production and it’s something we’re very proud of. It’s become a really important part of a Cambridge Christmas.”

The title of this year’s Arts Theatre panto is still a closely guarded secret, but plans are already underway, and auditions for the 20 ‘panto babes’ from local Cambridgeshire schools are taking place

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“Itʼs our responsibility to try to appeal to everyone who lives in the region” in September and open to children aged between nine and 13.

The Arts Theatre underwent a major refurbishment in 2013 that involved changing the main entrance, which is now in St Edward’s Passage, and a reworking of the foyer and the theatre’s bars. Theatre goers can also now take advantage of pre-theatre buffet boxes that change every season and are proving really popular, offering the chance to grab a bite to eat before settling down to enjoy an evening’s entertainment. With its proud history and determination to look to the future and evolve, it seems certain

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that Cambridge Arts Theatre will remain a central part of life in Cambridge for many years to come. l Cambridge Arts Theatre | 6 St Edward’s Passage | Cambridge CB2 3PJ | 01223 503333 | Cambridgeartstheatre.com

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W I M P O L E H I STO RY F E ST I VA L

The rest is HISTORY WITH WIMPOLE HISTORY FESTIVAL POISED TO RETURN IN JUNE WITH ITS BIGGEST EVENT YET, WE ROUND-UP THE HIGHLIGHTS

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ee the past brought to life next month at Wimpole History Festival, a weekend-long feast of talks and activities at the Wimpole Estate. Taking place from 20 to 23 June, the event is seeing in its third year with its most ambitious outing yet, adding a second marquee and serving up a huge line-up of high-profile historians, authors, journalists, broadcasters and more, as well as interactive fun including sword and archery workshops.

A fun and enlightening event with something for all ages, speakers include TV historian Lucy Worsley, who’s guided us through everything from 17th-century childbirth to Tudor wardrobes on our screens, will this time be deep diving into the long reign of Queen Victoria: one of the most exceptional eras in British history. Showing a softer side to the famously fearsome monarch, Lucy will explore how Victoria’s profound grief at the loss of her husband Albert shaped her decades in power.

Also offering an intimate portrait of a towering figure in British history is Andrew Roberts, who’s at the festival to discuss his much-praised biography of Winston Churchill. Looking beyond the plume of cigar smoke and stirring speeches, he draws on fresh material to give some surprising insights on Churchill’s friendships, and his deeply sentimental streak.

Joining him in a trip back to wartime London is Edward Stourton, who takes a lively look at BBC radio’s role in the second world war. In an age before the internet, the wireless was the lifeline of communication on updates from the frontline – find out how ‘Auntie Beeb’ shaped this defining moment in history.

Also making an appearance is the inimitable Melvyn Bragg: straight-talking intellectual, author and erstwhile House

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of Lords peer. He’ll be discussing his latest novel Heloise and Abelard, a captivating retelling of the story of the relationship between Heloise d’Argenteuil and Peter Abelard, an infamous love affair that rocked 12th-century France.

Michael Morpurgo, author of well-loved books including War Horse, stops by to provide a slice of music and storytelling in The Mozart Question on the 22nd.

Featuring a live string quartet, the performance explores the story of Paolo Levi, a world-famous violinist, and that of his parents; Jewish prisoners surviving by playing music in a concentration camp. Sensitively told and with stunning excerpts of the music of Mozart, Bach and Vivaldi, it’s suitable for ages eight years and up.

Another highlight is sure to be BAFTA winning television writer, producer and

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Images Festival favourites Lucy Worsley, historian and curator of the Royal Palaces, and children’s author Philip Ardagh will be making welcome returns to Wimpole for 2019

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director Sally Wainwright, who’s making a rare public appearance in conversation with Anne Choma, author of Gentleman Jack, to discuss bringing this true story to the screen. The sobriquet of 19thcentury Yorkshire landowner Anne Lister, Gentleman Jack has been described as the ‘first modern lesbian’ whose coded diaries reveal numerous erotic encounters with other women. It screens on BBC Two later this year.

A grisly chapter of British history is under the microscope at Hallie Rubenhold’s talk about a group of women: Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary-Jane, all of whom were victims of Jack the Ripper. The story of the crimes are famous, but details of the lives of these women less so – Rubenhold gives them voice in what’s billed as a “devastating narrative and landmark study of a time and place”.

There’s close-to-home history with archaeologist Francis Pryor, whose new book delves into the ancient depths of the Fens, and closer to home still, with Shannon Hogan, who excavates the ancient history of Wimpole Hall itself, which dates back to the Late Iron Age.

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The festival is looking forwards, as well as back, with a keynote speech from broadcaster Jonathan Freedland. The closing event, this speech will call into question our ability to learn from history in our current climate of fake news, denialism and ‘post-truth’ politics.

Kids are well catered for too, with visits from the likes of award-winning children’s authors Julia Golding and Philip Ardagh, writer of The Secret Diary of Kitty Cask. In addition to the bustling programme of talks, you can enjoy all sorts of living history displays, from medieval cooking and duelling demos, to a falconry display and a scything festival. There will be two chances to marvel at a World War II Spitfire flyover, and eight to 16 year olds can learn how to fight like a medieval knight at Wimpole’s own sword school.

The Wimpole Estate is a gem to explore in its own right as well, with a grand old country mansion, rolling parkland and library of more than 10,000 books, making it the perfect backdrop for the festival. If you get peckish or thirsty, there are two cafes and a restaurant to choose between, or wander over to

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N EED T O -K NOW WHAT?

A feast of history, heritage and hospitality set against idyllic parkland.

WHEN?

20-23 June WHERE?

Wimpole Estate HOW MUCH?

Talks from £7

Church Field, which will be transformed into a street-food market with local traders including Azahar, Jack’s Gelato, Brewboard and Rural Coffee Project.

Booking is open now at the Wimpole History Festival website. l wimpolehistoryfestival.com

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BOOK CLUB CAMBRIDGE EDITION

Book Club BRINGING YOU TOP NEW FICTION PICKS, AUTHOR INTERVIEWS, DISCOUNTS AND LOTS MORE BOOK CHAT, THE EDITION BOOK CLUB IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH CAMBRIDGE LITERARY FESTIVAL AND HEFFERS INTERVIEW BY CHARLOT TE GRIFFITHS

T H E M AT H EM AT IC A L BR I D GE , B Y JIM K EL LY CAMBRIDGE FINALLY GETS THE DETECTIVE IT DESERVES IN THE SHAPE OF EDEN BROOKE

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he second book in Jim Kelly’s Nighthawks series, The Mathematical Bridge is a pacy detective thriller which – as Val McDermid herself says of Kelly’s writing – is intelligent, and leaves you hungry for more. Set in Cambridge in 1940, the book follows detective inspector Eden Brooke in pursuit of a deftly-woven mystery involving a missing evacuee, Irish Republican bombers, a royal visit to the city and international espionage. It also contains the beautifully drawn human moments that define excellent crime writing: a family member presumed lost at sea, the torture of sleeplessness, and the painful agonies of doing all that one could, but still falling short.

One of the particular joys of reading The Mathematical Bridge as a Cambridge resident is picturing Eden’s walks around the city and tracing his path through the familiar streets – until he suddenly disappears off into a space of Jim’s own creation. “I really like making up places that don’t exist,” the writer says from his home in Ely. “Cambridge is wonderful, but it doesn’t have that maze-like quality: you just run out of city. So it’s quite nice to have the ability to add bits on. I’m really proud of the Jewish Ghetto – it’s in that tiny little area opposite the front of Trinity, where the craft fair is, but it’s a bit like the Tardis: once you walk in, it’s limitless, and that gives you something to play with...”

The book is peppered with gems of historical information about our city that add to the richly textured landscape, and Jim’s experienced hand at weaving them into the plot is evident in every chapter.

“Anything that goes into the story has to

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fit: you can’t let research appear on the page,” he says. “You’ve got to find a way of threading them into the story and then threading them out again. The bits of research that don’t get in just sort of pile up,” he says. “One day there’ll be a whole book of them…”

Jim’s current regime sees a book delivered every year before an annual holiday in the summer months. “It’s a bit of a scrabble sometimes, but that’s fine,” he says. “That’s the thing about crime: if you get one book out, and if they like it, they want another one, and quickly.

Having been a journalist I don’t think if I was given longer, the books would be greatly better,” he laughs, “I quite like having the year.”

“I try to collect ideas throughout the year and put them in an ideas book, and then take the book on holiday with me, and sit down to think of a way forward and see if there’s anything there, any beginnings of a plot,” he says. “So by the time I come back, I’m sort of ready to get started again.” Another source of ideas comes from the phone in Jim’s pocket,

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but not quite in the way you’d expect.

“Whenever I see anything interesting, I just take a picture and tweet it – and then when I’m looking for ideas, I look back at my Twitter stream,” he says. “It reminds me of the landscapes, of what I’ve seen – those tiny details. I think really good stories come from very small details.”

One of the challenges of talking about crime novels is discussing the book without giving away the plot: but it isn’t revealing too much to say that the detail which sparked The Mathematical Bridge was archive photos of evacuees. “They all had labels attached to their clothing – and I thought there had to be something in that,” Jim says. “For my annual book launch, I collect some pictures and talk about where the book came from. For this one I talked about the IRA campaign; I’m an Irish Catholic so we talked about my own childhood – and my brother was an evacuee…”

The book’s echoes of Jim’s own experience doesn’t end with family history: Jim can often be found wandering our city just like his detective – though by u

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BOOK CLUB day, rather than at night – following a selfcreated ‘beat’ around writing locations that’s carefully honed to ensure the prolific writer effectively uses the time he has available. “There’s a cafe called Novi, where you can sit right by the window,” he says, “and in summer they open the windows up, so people are walking right past you on the pavement. I’ve never failed to get a decent hour there. Then I’ll go to the University Library where I’ll get another hour – and then I’d go to the Central Library for another hour – and if I’m really pushing it, I’m a member of the Botanic Gardens, so I’ll head to their cafe as well. I’m productive in those places, but they only work if I’ve thought in advance enough about what I’m going to do.”

Impressively, Jim wrote his first two books on the commuter train between London Liverpool Street and Ely, returning from his old day job as a journalist with the Financial Times.

“I quite like working on trains: you’re surrounded by people but they leave you alone,” he laughs. “My wife (author Midge Gillies) was published before I was, and had an agent – I was messing around trying to write a crime novel: she offered to look at it, and she said there has to be something on every page that makes people want to read. So I thought I’d rewrite it – and each night, on the train, I limited myself to a single page. On the way in I read the newspapers, because I just… needed to. But on the way back, I wrote. It was a way of claiming back time.

Psychologically it was very good: even when things went wrong with the train, I just thought ‘it’s all right – I’ve got more time to do this’.”

Now a full-time writer, freed from the shackles of the daily schlep to London, when not moving around Cambridge Jim works at home in Ely, adopting the dining room table as his desk.

The family dining table also comes in handy when laying out the book for the first time: Jim’s ‘spatial’ mind means he prefers to see a plot physically rather than carrying it around in his brain. “If it’s in your head, you’re never really sure if it works,” he says. “I use report cards, so every chapter is a different card, and then I colour-code for various parts of the plot – for this series, it’s very important whether it’s night or day, so I mark the cards with a black circle if it’s night, and an empty circle if it’s day – and then I can

lay all the cards out on the dining room table and see the whole book.”

“There has to be a plan before I start writing, but almost immediately the plan becomes untenable, so I have to have another one,” he says. “I know some writers who say ‘I’ve mapped it all out: all I have to do is write it,’ but the result is often not a very good book – it gets trapped by its plan. Some things work and some things don’t, and you only really find out in the middle – and then you’ve got to make really horrible decisions.

Originally there were two big threads to the story, and I threaded them together so they both started almost immediately – and I finished the first draft, seven or eight months in, and I just knew, as soon as I started reading, that it’d be a much better book if one thread started and another came in later.”

The resulting woven plots ebb and flow throughout the book much like the river Cam itself, a crucial part of the narrative that almost becomes a background character within the tale, or one of the nighthawks, who Eden visits on his nocturnal wanderings around the city.

“Rivers are great,” Jim enthuses. “I did a book group reading: there was a woman at the event who was visiting Cambridge, and had just read the book, who said that I was clearly completely obsessed with rivers – and I thought ‘oh – you’re right’.

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LOOK OUT FOR THE CAMBRIDGE EDITION BOOK CLUB STICKERS IN HEFFERS & GET MONEY OFF OUR MONTHLY PICK

Heffers is located at 20 Trinity Street, Cambridge blackwells.co.uk

And [the detective’s] name is Brooke, which I hadn’t really thought of… it was one of those moments where somebody reveals much more about what you’re doing than you know. One of the brave things about writing fiction is that you don’t know what you’re revealing about the way you think: you just do it. And then someone stands up at an event and says: ‘Have you noticed…?’” he chuckles.

“Someone pointed out that my books are always about a body that’s been hidden in the past, or lost, and that comes to light – which is a broad description of what a murder mystery is – but it’s interesting... I always do my psychoanalysis backwards, once the book’s finished, which I think is the best way.”

The Mathematical Bridge is a hugely enjoyable book that will be extrawarmly received by readers familiar with Cambridge – and thanks to Jim’s abundant output, once you’ve finished this novel, there’s another in the series to dive straight into, and a whole host of other titles to paddle your way through in the future. Not to be missed: a perfectly gripping summer read. l CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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C AT H Y MO OR E , DI R ECTOR OF C A MBR I DGE L I T ER A RY F EST I VA L ,ON T H E M AT H EM AT IC A L BR I D GE The Mathematical Bridge is the second in the new series by acclaimed and much-loved local crime writer, Jim Kelly. Set in Cambridge in 1940 it is atmospheric, haunting and deftly plotted.

Charismatic Detective Inspector Eden Brooke attempts to save an evacuee boy from drowning in the River Cam and the following night an explosion damages a factory which seems to involve the IRA, fighting for freedom in Ulster as Britain is at war.

Is there a connection? Lovers of Cambridge, its history, and first-class crime novels will delight in this intelligent and gripping thriller.

NEW ON THE BOOKSHELF: F ICT ION PR IZE

At the end of May we’ll find out which book has scooped the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize 2019: over 600 authors entered this year’s competition, making it the biggest in the award’s history. Awarded by the Cambridge college of the same name, the prize is designed to reflect the “variety and wealth of literary talent” amongst unpublished female writers over 21.

UN I V ER SI T Y I N T R IGUE Local author Mark Wells has just published his debut novel College of Shadows, the first in his new YA fantasy series based in Cambridge. This instalment follows freshers Annabel and Nick who “discover there are not just secretive professors stalking their college’s ancient courts, but a deadly threat from beyond.”

MI N I BOOK F EST

A date for your diary: 8 June will see 15 crime, thriller and mystery authors descend upon Heffers for “Murder Will Out!”, a day-long festival including panel discussions, book signings and author Q&As. Authors appearing include Fiona Barton, Elly Griffiths and Gytha Lodge – for more information and to snap up a ticket, head to Heffers or visit their website.

UP NEXT MONTH

SPR ING BY A LI SMIT H From Ali Smith, author of How to be Both, comes Spring, the third instalment in a ‘seasonal quartet’. Described by The Observer as “a dazzling hymn to hope, uniting the past and the present with a chorus of voices”, it shows the Baileys Prize-winning Smith in fine form. What links Katherine Mansfield, Charlie Chaplin, Shakespeare, Beethoven, Brexit, the present, the past, the north, the south, the east and the west? Spring: the great connective. Smith’s quartet is set in present-day Britain: an incisive and insightful response to the issues we find ourselves grappling in 2019, the novels contain many truths about the way we live now and how storytelling can connect us to our past and help us move forward into an unknown future.

SPRING CAN BE PURCHASED FOR £16.99 IN HARDBACK. READ ALONG AND TWEET US YOUR THOUGHTS @CAMBSEDITION, WITH THE HASHTAG #EDITIONBOOKCLUB FOR A CHANCE TO FEATURE IN THE NEXT ISSUE.

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

CAN YOU DEFEAT THE HELIX? Head to the Wellcome Genome Campus and help scientists crush this alien invasion

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n alien life form known as the Helix has found Earth and is taking over the planet as we know it! The Wellcome Genome Campus, located just south of Cambridge in the village of Hinxton, needs you to take on the mission of defeating the Helix by solving puzzles and working out clues.

Enter Mission HQ and receive information and clues from scientists from across the globe who are working with you on this life-or-death mission, uncovering how the Helix communicates and how it uses genetic information to infiltrate and overtake other life forms.

Only your puzzle-solving skills can save us now!

There are two possible missions to help defeat the Helix. Mission HQ is accessible to everyone: solving the handson puzzles inside HQ can be completed by individuals, families or small groups in however long it takes to work them out. A separate, optional, timed mission can be undertaken by groups of up to ten people, and is suitable for those who are aged 14

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and over. This free, bookable experience will have you racing against the clock to work out other clues and puzzles. These will reveal more about the Helix and the battle to defeat it.

Mission HQ is operational for a limited time only during Open Saturdays and Genome Lates at the Wellcome Genome Campus. These events are your chance to visit the campus, tackle this latest mission and discover more about genomics and biodata.

Open Saturdays take place every third Saturday of the month. As well as taking on the puzzle challenges, you have the opportunity to explore the campus, visit the Open Lab experience to see cuttingedge technology in action, talk with scientists and get involved with a range of hands-on activities suitable for all the family. And on the first Friday evening of each month, you can celebrate the arrival of the weekend by gathering together your friends for Genome Lates!

Communications tell us the Helix will arrive on Saturday 18 May, and you have until Saturday 21 September to defeat it. l

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WHEN TO DEFEAT THE HELIX: OPEN SATURDAYS:

1-4pm, 18 May, 15 June, 20 July, 17 August, 21 September GENOME LATES:

5.30-8.30pm, 7 June, 5 July, 2 August, 6 September All events are free but booking is essential.

More information and booking: bit.ly/ defeatthehelix #DEFEAT THEHELIX

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Find your

FE ST IV AL WHETHER YOU’RE INTO CLASSICAL MUSIC, FOLK, ROCK, INDIE, RHYTHM & BLUES OR GRIME, THERE’S A NEARBY FESTIVAL FOR YOU. SIOBHAN GODWOOD ROUNDS UP THE BEST OF THE BUNCH

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G E T YO U R R AV E O N

STRAWBERRIES & CREEM 15 JUNE

The venue may seem rural and sleepy, but once Strawberries & Creem kicks off, the Cambridgeshire countryside won’t know what’s hit it. 2019 marks this day festival’s fifth birthday, and you can be sure it will be a celebration to remember. Starting life in 2014 as a garden party for 800 people in a field, this year the festival welcomes 15,000 visitors to Haggis Farm to enjoy the best in UK urban and dance music.

The festival has a rep for attracting big hitters from the UK scene, and past visitors have included Wiley, Skepta and Kano – not to mention Shaggy!

2019’s line-up promises to be the best yet, with headliners Ms Dynamite, Stefflon Don and Sean Kingston, as well as sets from Mahalia, B Young and special guest Kevin Lyttle. strawberriesandcreem.com Haggis Farm, Cambridge: ten minutes from city centre

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F E ST I VA LS

BOUTIQUE BRILLIANCE

S TA N DON C A L L ING 25-28 JULY

Standon Calling is now in its 14th year, and has come a long way since its beginnings as a birthday party in a field! With a loyal band of regulars who come back year after year and a growing audience of new fans, it’s a festival for all ages that doesn’t compromise on any age group’s fun or entertainment. Set in the beautiful grounds of Standon Lordship, it’s well known for its friendly vibe and eclectic mix of entertainment, from top musical acts to the annual dog show. Each year the festival has a theme, or ‘story’, that’s told all across the three days of the festival through events and fancy dress. Past stories have included Murder on the Standon Express and Gods and Monsters, and this year’s theme is Twisted Creatures: A Strange Evolution. If you need any more explanation, the festival’s posters – populated with flying seahorses and giant snails – should give you a few clues.

2019’s line-up is unmissable, with music headliners Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, Mercury Prize-winners Wolf Alice and Nile Rodgers & Chic, as well as comedy from Russell Kane and Angela Barnes and DJ sets from Norman Jay and Simian Mobile Disco.

Kids are well catered for, too – Dick and Dom are staging a DJ Battle, while Mr Bloom from CBeebies is bringing along his band. standon-calling.com Standon, Hertfordshire: an hour from Cambridge

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A TOUCH OF CLASS

CAMBRIDGE SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL 13-27 JULY

Cambridge Summer Music Festival, stretching across late July and a huge selection of venues around the city, is a Cambridge summer institution and wonderful feast for music lovers across the city. This year, festival director David Hill has chosen to focus on two themes: music by women composers across the centuries – from Hildegard von Bingen to Clara Schumann – and music by (and inspired by) Johann Sebastian Bach. Highlights include the St John Passion, which launches the festival, and a performance of the complete Brandenburg Concertos.

Sounds Green, a series of open-air concerts taking place in the University Botanic Garden, is also a part of the Summer Music programme, but kicks off earlier, on 3 July, and features acts including Truly Medley Deeply and Martin Kemp’s Organised Chaos. Bring a rug and a picnic! cambridgesummermusic.co.uk Venues around the city: on your doorstep

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F E ST I VA LS

I N T H E C LU B

THE CAMBRIDGE CLUB

16 JUNE

The Cambridge Club is back on Father’s Day this year for another one-day festival – and this year it’s doubling in size, with 10,000 people set to descend on Haggis Farm for a celebration of music, food, fun and sunshine. Established two years ago, the festival is back with a bang with a fantastic line-up for 2019. Last year’s event saw the fabulous Gabrielle grace the main stage at Haggis Farm, and Trevor Nelson kept the crowd swinging until sunset. This year promises to be even more spectacular, with the one and only Sister Sledge headlining, and Craig Charles making a triumphant return with his Funk & Soul Club. Other musical acts include Uncle Funk & The Boogie Wonderband, and The Voice finalist Michelle John. The festival is organised by the team behind the hugely successful Strawberries & Creem, but this one-day festival has a very different vibe, aiming itself squarely at family fun. Alongside all the music, food and booze, there’s a diverse programme of children’s entertainment, including circus skills, arts and crafts, and storytelling. It’s a brilliant way to introduce kids to festival fun while fantastic acts – along with local artisan gins, prosecco, craft ale, ciders and a food menu covering everything from jerk chicken to vegan offerings – will ensure the adults have a fab day out, too. thecambridgeclub.co Haggis Farm, Cambridge: ten minutes from the city centre

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R E A DY TO ROCK ?

CAMBRIDGE ROCK FESTIVAL 25-28 JULY Cambridge Rock Festival started life as the Rockinbeerfest, and has a reputation for bringing nationally and internationally acclaimed rock acts to Cambridge to perform alongside up-and-comers and local bands. Now in its 15th year, 2019 sees 50 acts descend on Haggis Farm to perform across two tents, called Ruby and Sapphire.

The line-up this year includes Don Airey & Friends, Cats in Space, Winter in Eden and Atomic Rooster, and visitors will get the chance to sample over 100 different real ales – hopefully not all at once – although other drinks are available! cambridgerockfestival.co.uk Haggis Farm, Cambridge: ten minutes from city centre

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F E ST I VA LS B AC K TO YO U R RO OT S

RED ROOSTER FESTIVAL 30 MAY TO 1 JUNE

If you can’t afford a tour of the music venues of Nashville, Mississippi, Memphis and New York this summer – and who can? – then don’t worry, because Red Rooster festival is bringing all the best in contemporary American roots music to a field near you! Set in the beautiful woods and parklands of Euston Hall in Suffolk, this three-day festival is a celebration of blues, rock ‘n’ roll and country and soul, hosted by Harry, Duke of Grafton. This year’s Saturday headliners are The Budos Band all the way from Brooklyn, and other acts include Grammy-nominated Cedric Burnside, New York songstress Sunny Ozell making her Red Rooster debut, Nashville’s J.D. Wilkes and The Black Eyed Dogs featuring Ethan Johns. This really is a festival like no other, attracting a real cross-generational mix of music lovers. Kids can run free among the corn fields and families can enjoy lip-smacking ribs and corn on the cob around the campfire, while the party crowd dance until dawn to DJs at the Howlin’ Woods bar down by the lake. redrooster.org.uk Euston Hall, Suffolk: an hour from Cambridge

FOLK FABULOUSNESS

C A M BR IDGE FOL K F ES T I VA L 1-4 AUGUST

Cambridge Folk Festival is not only a key part of summer in the city, but also widely regarded as the best folk festival in Europe. It’s been entertaining residents and visitors for more than 50 years in the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall, just a stone’s throw from the centre of Cambridge. Over the years, the festival has a gained a well-deserved reputation for highlighting up-and-coming artists who go on to do great things. Artists who first received attention for their performances at Cambridge Folk Festival include Laura Marling, Mumford & Sons, Jake Bugg and Ward Thomas. This year, the guest curator is muchloved local lad Nick Mulvey, who is selecting five of his favourite acts to enchant the Cherry Hinton crowd, as well as taking to the stage for his own set. There’s a special kids’ concert on the Sunday morning, and day tickets are available – perfect if you live in or around Cambridge, and a really good-value way to hear a huge amount of music. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk/folk-festival Cherry Hinton Hall, Cambridge: on your doorstep

NEW IN TOWN

W E OU T HER E F ES T I VA L 15-18 AUGUST If you’re still in mourning for the sadly departed Secret Garden Party, then a trip to its former site in Abbots Ripton might be just what you need to heal the pain. This summer, legendary producer and former 6 Music DJ Gilles Peterson brings the inaugural We Out Here Festival to Cambridgeshire, joining the musical dots between soul, hip-hop, house, afro, electronica, jazz and beyond. “I wanted to bring to the UK a festival that celebrates the elements of UK club culture, and the community that surrounds it,” says Gilles. The line-up is immense, with highlights including Gary Bartz featuring Dwight Tribe and Saul Williams, The Comet is Coming, Zara McFarlane and Nubya Garcia, plus DJ sets from Mr Scruff, Objekt and – of course – Gilles Peterson himself. The festival takes place over four days and nights with a variety of boutique and luxury camping options, as well as quiet and family camping areas, and aims to welcome people of all ages and walks of life.

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F E ST I VA LS

WOODLAND WONDER

T HE W IL D 22WOOD DISCO JUNE

With its magical woodland setting and music across three stages under the setting sun and, later, the stars, The Wild Wood Disco really is a tiny bit magical – so it’s no surprise that last year’s headliners, Groove Armada, described it as “one of the finest settings for a party we’ve ever seen”. This year, acts on the main stage include Faithless and Horse Meat Disco, while the Paradise Lost area – hosted by Seb Fontaine – promises to be a ‘hidden homage to disco, divas and bad behaviour’. It’s an over18s only event, and camping opens at 11am, with music kicking off from 2pm and lasting well into the early hours. thewildwooddisco.com Horseheath Racecourse, Linton: 30 minutes from city centre CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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CA M B R I D G E F R I N G E

Fringe Benefits AFTER A SUCCESSFUL DEBUT LAST YEAR, THE CAMBRIDGE FRINGE COMEDY FESTIVAL RETURNS TO TICKLE OUR FUNNY BONES

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romising to fill the bank holiday weekend with laughter, Cambridge Fringe returns on 26 May for a packed day of comedy gigs in venues around Mitcham’s Corner. The event enjoyed a barnstorming debut last year and is back bigger and better for 2019, offering 46 shows back-to-back across The Portland Arms, The Boathouse, Thirsty and The Waterman.

Throughout the day, you can see top comedians from around the world serving up a huge range of styles, from side-splitting sketches and witty one-liners to kids shows, game shows, science shows and compilation shows. Headlining is Marlon Davis, whose hilarious, energetically delivered observations you may have seen at Live at the Apollo and ITV’s The Stand Up Sketch Show. He’s joined

by Irish comedian and Radio 4 regular Gráinne Maguire, plus you can enjoy some off-beat silliness from Glenn Moore. Another highlight is sure to be Cambridge’s own Adele Cliff, an Edinburgh Fringe favourite whose one-liners are legendary.

“Comedy festivals are becoming increasingly popular on the UK and global comedy circuit, and if we attract performers to our little city, they are more likely to want to come and tour here or perform at the other comedy clubs we have,” explains festival organiser Ali Warwood, who is herself a stand-up comedian and also founded Commoners’ Comedy Club here in Cambridge. “This whole project is not-for-profit and is therefore inclusive, but also allows the performers to take risks and for audiences to take a punt on an act they haven’t heard of before. This year, we are also running a local showcase gig for less experienced local comedians to perform at a festival. Last year, the shows were mostly full and the feedback from acts and audiences was fantastic.”

If you need another incentive to go along, the shows are completely free to attend – though the organisers encourage a cash donation if you like what you see. You can reserve your ticket in advance, but there will be spaces set aside for walk-ins on the day. Find out more by searching Cambridge Fringe on Facebook or follow the festival on Twitter @FringeCambridge. l

N E E D -TO - K N OW WHAT:

Micro Edinburgh Fringe-style comedy festival WHEN:

26 May

WHERE:

The Portland Arms, The Boathouse, Thirsty and The Waterman pubs HOW MUCH:

Free to attend, organisers suggest a £5 donation

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After Hours

NOW BOOKING

THE NIGHTLIFE EVENTS NOT TO MISS THIS MONTH

A DA M A N T 28 NOVEMBER, CORN EXCHANGE, £41.50

Punk singer turned Prince-Charming-ofpop performs his first solo album, Friend or Foe.

11 M AY

FRANK SK I N N ER

5 NOVEMBER, CORN EXCHANGE, £28

Comic legend performs new stand-up material in Cambridge.

CLUB CIRQUE: TROPICANA Dress up and dance into the night as Neon Moon takes over the main Junction space from 9pm until the small hours on 11 May. It’s a world of glamour and glitter, featuring cabaret, circus and burlesque performers. DJs are playing eclectic retro swing and soul sounds, fused with garage, jungle, house and hip-hop till 3am. Outfitwise, go all out with the tropicana theme – and be outrageous! Tickets from £22.50. junction.co.uk

C A MBR I D GE N IGH T F EST I VA L

G A R B AGE

This band started out being known for the live-stage dabblings of Butch Vig, former Nirvana producer, but quickly became the Shirley Manson-fronted indie pop/rock super power that created hits such as Stupid Girl and Only Happy When It Rains. They play the Junction on 14 June as a warm-up for festival dates. Tickets £42.50. junction.co.uk

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5 OCTOBER, CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION

A fab line-up you’d expect at a major festival, including Seb Fontaine, Norman Jay and Cuban Brothers.

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Gig Guide JORDAN WORLAND FROM LOCAL MUSIC WEBSITE SLATE THE DISCO GIVES HIS TOP LIVE MUSIC PICKS FOR THE MONTH AHEAD

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ever before have we had an article where three of the acts we list as ‘must-see’ all clash on the first night of the month we’re previewing.

Welcome to May 2019…

Our options for the first night of May are as follows: Honeyblood (J2), Cabbage (The Portland Arms) and Idlewild (J1). Honeyblood craft biting power-pop with sugary angst and acrimony, and they’re in town with their new album, In Plain Sight. Cabbage’s sound is a scuzzy take on indie, complete with thrilling riffs and mighty choruses, best described as Nirvana-meets-early-Happy Mondays. Over 20-something years, Idlewild have gone from raucous cult curiosity to chart-bothering national treasures. They’re back in Cambridge with their latest, kaleidoscopic album.

Don’t be fooled by the opening paragraph – there is loads happening across the other 30 days of May. Comprised of members from Queens of the Stone Age and The Last Shadow Puppets, Mini Mansions are at The Portland Arms this month (17th). On other dates at the same venue, there is Just Tom & Pete (3rd) and Kris Barras (7th). Pip Blom (29th) are our must-see at The Portland Arms this month. Expect Britpop-tinged indie bangers from the four-piece, who release their debut LP at the end of the month.

Pete Um and C Joynes are two of Cambridge’s most thorough, unique and skilled musicians. Both release albums before the end of the summer and are celebrating with a free, combined album launch at The Blue Moon on the 24 May. There’s a busy month at the Cambridge Junction, but we have our eyes firmly on two exceptional artists.

First, a duo who boast one of the best releases of the year so far: Sleaford Mods play the Junction on the 10 May. Second, Brooklyn’s Big Thief (26th) make a debut appearance in Cambridge. Big Thief produce sorrowful and stewed stories wrapped in a bewitching balladry sound. Their sophomore album Capacity, released in 2017, marked an incredible start to a career and they’re back to promote its follow-up, U.F.O.F, which is released at the start of May. One for fans of Angel Olsen or Sharon Van Etten.

Finally, DJ and journalist Steve Lamacq celebrates 30 years in the music industry with a new, intimate one-man show of anecdotes and observations, clocked up over three decades of championing new music. Lamacq brings his book Going Deaf for a Living to the Cambridge University Centre Wine Bar on Friday 24 May.

SOPHIE EL L IS-BE X T OR With six top-ten hits to her name, plus the numberone collaboration with Spiller, Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love), disco queen Sophie Ellis-Bextor stops by in Cambridge next month to perform tunes old and new. Her perfomance will feature a live orchestral accompaniment and you can catch it at the Corn Exchange on 2 June, tickets from £33. cambridgelive.org.uk

A L MU R R AY Al Murray, the nation’s best-known pub landlord, steps backwards into the future on 22 May at the Corn Exchange to give his views on the new tomorrow… a tomorrow that smells like yesterday, but with Wi-Fi. Tickets £30.50. cambridgelive.org.uk CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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CAMBRIDGE SK A FESTIVAL The third edition of Cambridge Ska Fest promises to be the best yet, on a night guaranteed to bring Jamaican ska, reggae and two-tone sounds bang up-to-date. Three live bands (Maroon Town, Big 10 and BuBounce) and four DJs are using the FrontLine Sound System. Doors open 7pm on 18 May, tickets are £16. junction.co.uk

SPOONFED Cambridge’s legendary drum and bass night returns to Fez Club with another line-up of genre heavyweights this month. Usually on a Thursday night (bad news for DnB lovers who also need to get up for work in the morning), this special edition of the event takes place on Sunday 5 May – the night before bank holiday Monday – and goes right the way through to 6am. The event is the brainchild of local producer DJ Logistics, aka Matt Gresham, and his older brother Dan (Nu:Tone), together with Saikon & In:Most, and offers a chance to see some of the biggest names in the game in an intimate setting.

This month’s special guests are LSB and Pola & Bryson and tickets are available on FIXR. Search Spoonfed Cambridge on Facebook for more details.

HONEYBLOOD

I DL EW I L D

Idlewild have dabbled in a range of styles over the years, which has seen them feature at Cambridge Folk Festival, among other big stages. They’re performing tracks from their new album Interview Music at the Junction on 1 May, with tickets priced at £22.50 in advance. junction.co.uk

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Glasgow’s Stina Tweeddale has fronted Honeyblood for seven years, but the third album, In Plain Sight (out on 24 May), sees the former duo now very much her sole vision. She’s collaborated with producer John Congleton (Angel Olsen, St. Vincent) for her most ambitious work yet. Catch Honeyblood at the Junction on 1 May, tickets £14. junction.co.uk

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X XDV A X XEXRT X XI SX E M E N T F E AT U R E

SPOTLIGHT ON SUSSEX & HOBSON STREET

Slip away from the bustle of the city centre down to Sussex Street, home to a lovely array of indie businesses just ever-so-slightly off the beaten shopping track. One must-visit is Millers Music, one of the oldest shops in the city, which has weathered world wars, recessions and dramatic changes in the way we shop, but remains a firm favourite for its wide range of musical instruments and friendly, knowledgeable service. Brides-to-be, check out the stunning Tailor’s Cat, which is home to more than 200 exquisite designer wedding dresses. And why not pick up a steaming jacket potato from Tatties while you’re in this corner of town? Round the corner and you’ll be greeted by Hobson Street and top hair salon Reeds, plus the delightful Cafe Abantu. It’s impossible not to be tempted by the home-made salads and freshly baked sweet treats on offer at this cheerful eatery. Or, for something a little stronger, head down the road to Robert Graham, which specialises in fine whisky and cigars.

WHAT IS LOVE CAMBRIDGE? Love Cambridge is the brand developed by Cambridge BID to deliver events and projects designed to animate and entertain our city. These include the Love Cambridge gift card, open-air cinema nights, Wimbledon screening, magazines, maps and much more. Follow us on social media to be kept up to date with what’s going on in Cambridge this summer. lovecambridge_ Love Cambridge love-cambridge.com

lovecambridge_

MARKET SQUARE CINEMA SCREENINGS Alfresco cinema nights return to the Market Square this summer by popular demand.

Cambridge Business Improvement District (BID) is pleased to announce a new programme of free films to delight audiences of all ages, with double screenings at 6.30pm and 8.30pm, and a night market selling artisan food, beverages, crafts and gifts. Delivered under the Love Cambridge consumer brand, the initiative is run in partnership with the Cambridge City Council Markets Team.

The season begins at 6.30pm on Friday 24 May with Coco, an engaging animation that celebrates music and Mexican culture through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy and his great-great-grandfather.

At 8.30pm, grown-ups will be transported to a Greek island for the all-singing, all-dancing romantic comedy, Mamma Mia! On Friday 21 June, the biggest family film of 2018, Peter Rabbit, will captivate a younger audience, with rascally tales from the vegetable garden, before box-office-topper Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again! brings sunshine back to the big screen.

The Parr family endeavour to restore public trust in superheroes on Friday 26 July with M A Y 2 019

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Incredibles 2, ahead of the hilarious School of Rock, in which a failed, wannabe rock star poses as a supply teacher at a prestigious prep school in order to improve his finances.

The season finale on Friday 30 August will see Early Man, an historical football comedy from the creators of Wallace and Gromit, entertain a family audience. Major box office success Bohemian Rhapsody follows – don’t miss an earlier-than-usual start at 8pm – with a musical celebration of Queen and their extraordinary lead singer, Freddie Mercury.

Becky Burrell, marketing and commercial manager at Cambridge BID, comments: “Our outdoor films and night markets are fast becoming a summer tradition for Cambridge residents, who enjoy the opportunity to see their favourite movies on the big screen, free of charge and with a variety of delicious refreshments close at hand.”

Approximately 100 seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis for each screening, though families and film buffs are welcome to bring their own chairs and rugs.

Full details are available at cambridgebid.co.uk

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

17-31 M AY

CAMBRIDGE MARKETS EMBRACE LOVE YOUR LOCAL MARKET 2019

Cambridge market is once again taking part in the national Love Your Local Market (LYLM) campaign this year. This is led by the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) and is backed by central government and the wider market industry.

The national campaign aims to attract new market traders and highlight the importance that markets play at the heart of the local community – not only for retail, but also as a valuable community asset that provides a real focal point for our town and city centres.

LYLM 2019 runs from 17 to 31 May 2019, and this year there are activities running throughout the fortnight! The programme of activities includes: • Night market & free outdoor cinema • International food day & live food demonstration

• Charities day • Design Cambridge market logo competition • Digital workshops

• Live music • Free bike health checks • Free LYLM shopping bags • And much more!

For more information about the background of the Love Your Local Market campaign visit: nabma.com/love-your-local-market-2019 For more information about what is happening, follow Cam Markets on social media. cambridgemarketuk cammarkets

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THE WILD WOOD RUMPUS

Ready to RUMPUS WE FIND OUT WHAT’S IN STORE AT THE WILD WOOD RUMPUS, JUNE’S MAGICAL FAMILY FESTIVAL

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day of music, magic and adventure in the woods, The Wild Wood Rumpus returns to the Cambridgeshire countryside on 8 June. The latest offering from the endlessly creative brains behind My Little Festival, you’ll find this family-orientated event at Horseheath Racecourse, aka the Wild Wood: a green and glorious site around a half-hour drive from central Cambridge.

The organisers are promising surprises and wonder at every turn, with art installations, enchanting activities, live music, woodland crafts, den building, a bubble disco and plenty more to explore.

“Last year, we were so delighted to see our vision become a reality and see so many happy children running around the beautiful woodland,” says Vicky Fenton, Rumpus co-founder. “We had such positive feedback from parents who attended the event. They were delighted their kids had the chance to spend a

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day in nature, joining in with so many great activities and burning off loads of energy running about. There were many exhausted children and happy parents left at the end of the day, and the groups that stayed on site to camp got to experience a bit more magic.”

The little sister event of Wild Wood Disco, the grown-ups’ party which takes place at the same site a fortnight later (more on page 41), this year’s Rumpus line-up includes the ever-exuberant Brass Funkeys. Known for putting their brassy spin on hits by everyone from Clean Bandit to Rage Against The Machine, they’ll be performing, as well as running a music workshop. Also delighting ears will be The Alley Kats, a vocal-led jazz band playing Disney songs and other childhood movie classics, plus funk fusion band Release The Chimps.

Venture deeper into the woods and you’ll find the Wildlings Craft School, a place to make and create before joining in

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with a big, colourful parade at the end of the day. And that’s not all, the Fairyland Trust is demonstrating how to make a crown that’s fit for a fairy king or queen, while Nod at the Fox theatre group is bringing its trademark storytelling and puppetry.

For something a little quieter, there’s yoga and mindfulness sessions for families and teens, plus local bookshop Heffers is offering author readings in the literary tent, with writers including Helen Moss, Gillian McClure and Sarah Finan.

Elsewhere, head to the face paint and glitter station, and then get your dancing shoes on for a disco: the Early Night Club is bringing its usual hands-in-the-air, good-time vibes to the main stage later in the day.

If all that sounds like hungry work, you’ll be pleased to discover that the food on offer is every bit as exciting as the entertainment, featuring some of the top traders in the area. Feast on gourmet burgers from Steak & Honour, gooey mac and cheese from The Mac Daddy, artisan wood-fired pizzas from Fired Up and sweet treats from Jack’s Gelato and the Churros Bar. The Spirited Mare, a bar in a horsebox, is serving cocktails, Bloody Marys and prosecco.

The event runs from 11am to 10pm and tickets are available now, priced at £65 for a family (two adults and two children), with free parking available on site. If you want to make a night of it, camping tickets are available, too – and with marshmallow toasting and campfire songs included, it sounds like the perfect end to a perfect day! l thewildwoodrumpus.com

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Dragon Boat

Festival A

ll eyes may have been on the River Thames last month for the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, but come 7 September, the action is on the Cam, when the Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival returns for a day of raucous fun on the river.

Known for its lively atmosphere, the festival is now in its 15th year and offers the chance to see teams battling it out along a 200-metre stretch of river by Ditton Meadows, cheered on by hundreds of spectators.

Crews are made up of companies, clubs and groups of friends from around the region, with 11 people (including a drummer), racing in traditional, ornately

carved Chinese dragon boats. Qualified helms and racing equipment are provided by festival organisers, Gable Events, and each crew is guaranteed a minimum of three races.

You don’t need to have the physique or athletic prowess of Sir Steve Redgrave or Dame Katherine Grainger to be a successful dragon boater. In fact, no previous experience is needed at all – just plenty of team spirit and enthusiasm.

Under the expert guidance of the helm, your crew will be paddling along in time and bonding together as you race towards the finish line. Each team gets three attempts to improve their race time, and everyone has an equal chance of reaching

the semi-finals. More than 40 crews are expected to battle it out and all are keen to knock the CMR Surgical team off their pedestals as reigning champions.

If you fancy getting involved, then good news: there’s still time to enter a team, but get in quick as spots do tend to sell out. You’ll be joining local firms including Sitec Infrastructure Services from Waterbeach, who’ve been enthusiastic contestants for the last two years.

Crew manager Taryn Caleno had this to say about the event: “We are always so busy as a company with a number of different teams working for separate clients and types of work. We find it difficult to fit traditional team building away days into our schedule, so the Dragon Boat Festival is a great opportunity to link in our social side with an element of team building, too!”

As well as being lots of fun, the festival raises around £20,000 for charity each year. For 2019, the chosen cause is once again Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), a charity dedicated to making a difference for patients at Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals. By entering a crew and raising money for ACT, the teams are helping to raise much-needed funds for cutting-edge technology, additional specialist services, important research and extra comforts for patients

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D RAG O N B OAT F E ST I VA L

that make all the difference over and above what would be possible through NHS funding alone.

Emily Willdigg, ACT’s mass events lead, is looking forward to building on the success of last year’s event: “We hope that businesses will support our much-loved hospitals by getting a team together. With the help of many generous supporters, we can provide funds so that our local hospitals can offer the very best care day after day, year after year.”

For spectators, there’s plenty to see, with a race every 10 to 15 minutes, plus bankside entertainment including children’s rides and inflatables, food stalls and a bar. There will also be a colourful Chinese lion to meet, t’ai chi and traditional dancing displays. Visitors will also have the opportunity to find out more about the festival charity, ACT, and the fantastic work it does in making a difference for patients at Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals.

Keeping the competitive spirit healthy, there’s a trophy up for grabs, plus the team that raises the most money for charity will win a fun day out at Cambridge Escape Rooms. l For further details and an entry form call 01780 470718 or visit dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/cambridge

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W H AT IS DR AGON BOAT R ACING? Dragon boat racing originated in Ancient China more than 2,000 years ago.

Traditionally, these paddled long boats were raced by contending villagers, and it remains a popular Chinese pastime to this day, celebrated each year with a huge festival in June. The sport is becoming increasingly popular in the UK – in fact, it’s Britain’s fastest-growing corporate team-building activity! That might be because it requires no previous experience and doesn’t rely on brute strength – it’s something everyone can get involved with. The key to success is teamwork, timing and listening to your helm’s instructions: failure to do so could result in an unscheduled bath!

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T H E G U I N E AS F E ST I VA L

Off to the races AS NEWMARKET RACECOURSE GEARS UP FOR THE GUINEAS FESTIVAL, WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT’S IN STORE

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ith exhilarating racing, luxurious hospitality, live music, a cracking atmosphere and, of course, plenty of fabulous outfits, Newmarket Racecourse’s QIPCO Guineas Festival returns with a bang this month. Taking place on 4 and 5 May, this event sees the Flat racing season accelerate into top gear, bringing two days of world-class sport with races coming thick and fast.

Highlights include the 2000 Guineas on Saturday the 4th, where the trainer of Too Darn Hot is aiming to follow up the colt’s success in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes at the Rowley Mile last autumn and cement his status as the horse to watch in 2019.

You can also expect the names Quorto and Just Wonderful to crop up a lot over the course of the weekend.

On Sunday, there’s more edge-of-yourseat action for the turn of the fillies in the 1000 Guineas, a race won in 2018 by 66-1 outsider, Billesdon Brook.

Away from the racing, the Guineas is a glamorous event in the social calendar, with plenty of luxurious hospitality options if you’re keen to indulge. Feast on exquisite fare at Chez Roux or pay a visit to the racecourse’s brand-new Parade Ring restaurant, which is located on the third floor of the Millennium Grandstand and offers stunning views of the Parade Ring, plus a private bar.

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Elsewhere, there’s a host of free fun to enjoy: over on the Hyperion Lawn, you’ll find live music and a variety of bars and food stands, and make sure you stick around after the final race for the renowned Après Racing parties.

All racegoers get free entry to dance the evening away, with special guests including Radio 1 Breakfast host Greg James, who is making an appearance on the Saturday night. As it’s a Bank Holiday weekend, there’s no excuse not to enjoy the fun!

If you’ve not been to the races before, the first thing you need to figure out is the kind of ticket you want as this will dictate which enclosures and stands you have access to. Options range from the new and prestigious Century Stand Enclosure, which offers an alfresco experience, to the Premier Enclosure, where you dress to impress and get access to the best facilities. For a more casual affair, check out the Garden Enclosure, where you can soak up the atmosphere in the heart of the action for minimal cost. Picnics are allowed here, and you’re welcome to bring in a bottle of bubbly, too. Find out more at The Jockey Club website. l thejockeyclub.co.uk

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CO M M U N I T Y H U B

VINTAGE FURNITURE FLEA MARKET

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ick up a pre-loved treasure for your home at next month’s Cambridge Vintage Furniture Flea, which takes place on 8 June at St Barnabus Church on Mill Road. Voted Best Fair by the Vintage Guide to London, this day-long market offers all kinds of homewares, including furniture, record players, ceramics, lighting and barware. With a focus on quality and affordability, the event offers a celebration of mid-century style from the fifties onwards, with a range of top vintage traders from across the UK, plus a specially curated local contingent. From Ercol tables and chairs to toys, telephones and cameras, there’s sure to be something to delight shoppers with a love of retro style. It’s £2 entry from 11.30am, or you can bag early-bird access for £3 if you want first dibs on the bargains.

Search Vintage Furniture Flea on Facebook for more information.

Community

HUB

WATERBEACH RUNNING FESTIVAL

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imber up and get your running shoes on for Waterbeach’s Running Festival on Saturday 11 May. There are 10K, 5K races or a 2K Fun Run, plus a 100m toddle for the under-fives.

The 10K, 5K and 2K are all gun-start and chip-timed finish, and the course is on flat, traffic-free tracks around the Waterbeach Barracks. Open to all, there are trophies available for the fastest times, plus food stalls and kids’ entertainment in the Festival Village, where you can enjoy the atmosphere and cheer on the runners if you don’t fancy working up a sweat.

Races are £12 to enter (£15 on the day), except the 100m, which is £3 per child. Register online by 6 May. waterbeachrunningfestival.co.uk

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GREEN MAN BALLYHOO

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elebrate this month’s first bank holiday weekend with a trip to glorious Grantchester, where The Green Man pub is hosting a beer festival, complete with live music and tasty food.

Running from 3 to 6 May, The Green Man Ballyhoo features excellent ales and lagers, as well as ciders and wine, and kicks off on Friday with a punky line-up of acts that includes Freedom Faction and The Dirt.

On Saturday, it’s a rock and roll rumpus featuring The Flying Aces and Camisayo, then on Sunday it’s the turn of Keltrix, Hot Tramp and Kill Retro.

Come Monday, there’s an all-day open mic, plus an appearance from Release the Chimps. Entry is free – find out more by searching Green Man Ballyhoo on Facebook.

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RADIO GAGA JULIAN CLOVER AND LUCY MILAZZO, HOSTS OF CAMBRIDGE BREAKFAST, CHAT FOOD, STRAWBERRY FAIR AND THE CAMBRIDGE BAND COMPETITION

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he food writer Tim Hayward once told us that, outside of London, there were two cities that had a thriving food scene: Bristol and Cambridge. Tim was born in Bristol and now lives in Cambridge as the co-owner of Fitzbillies. He’s also one of the speakers in the Main Event that kicks off Eat Cambridge at The Guildhall this month.

Starting on Saturday 11 May and running through to Sunday 26 May, the Eat Cambridge festival celebrates what’s good about food and drink in the city.

It should come as no surprise that your foodie breakfast radio presenters will be hanging out at many of the events – in fact, our Friday Foodclub feature has already given us a chance to meet with many of the exhibitors getting involved!

Later in the month, we’re hoping to run a special 12-hour marathon broadcast in aid of Oxfam. Our colleague, Tim Willett, will be in the studio throughout, with presenters popping in to give him moral support and live sessions from some of the city’s finest musicians. Later, Oxjam Cambridge brings live music to our favourite bars and venues.

Also in May, we’re unveiling which bands will be appearing on the Cambridge 105 Radio stage at Strawberry Fair. It’s a chance to hear some of the city’s musical talent live and for free – though we encourage you to give generously to anyone waving a bucket in your direction. Listen out for news of our headliners, which in previous years have included Tom Lumley & The Brave Liaison, Hollowstar, 4th Labyrinth and the wonderful Fred’s House. We’re also going to be giving you a chance to hear some young talent,

courtesy of Les Ray from Cambridge 105 Radio’s Stummers & Dreamers programme (alternate Mondays from 7pm and on demand).

Strawberry Fair is the first of a number of musical events that we’re covering during the summer months. We’re also be at The Big Weekend on Parker’s Piece and, of course, the Cambridge Folk Festival.

Julian Clover and Lucy Milazzo present Cambridge Breakfast, Cambridge 105 Radio, weekday mornings from 7am.

NEW COMMUNITY CENTRE

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irton residents recently celebrated the official opening of the new William Collyn Community Centre, which offers a range of facilities at the heart of the village. Funded by Girton Town Charity, the centre is located on Wellbrook Way, and is available for use for activities and local groups, as well as corporate and independent bookings for meetings, training sessions and conferences from the wider community.

The Centre is open seven days a week and managed on a day-to-day basis by Cambridgeshire ACRE, specialists in rural community development. There are a range of spaces on offer, each fitted with AV equipment, plus a fully equipped kitchen, lavatories, and changing rooms and showers.

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W H AT ' S O N

What’s On YOUR AT-A-GLANCE GUIDE TO EVENTS AROUND CAMBRIDGE THIS MONTH

1 MAY

4 MAY

5 MAY

IDLEWILD

ECHOBELLY

Scottish alt-rockers formed in 1995, this band have dabbled in folk and other styles and play The Junction in support of their latest album, Interview Music.

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

One of the Britpop bands that were about the songs, rather than harking back to the 1960s, their hits include Great Things and Dark Therapy. An acoustic gig, which is in aid of Action on Addiction.

7.30pm | Storey’s Field Centre | £13.50 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

HORRIBLE HISTORIES: BRAND NEW BARMY BRITAIN

3 MAY

A West End show that has never toured until now. Expect Richard III, Henry VIII, Mary Tudor vs Mary Queen of Scots and peep into the world of Samuel Pepys.

1.30pm, 4pm | Cambridge Corn Exchange £18, children £15 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

4 MAY

WET WET WET It’s no Sweet Little Mystery how Wet Wet Wet have endured so long, with three No 1’s to their name: Help From My Friends, Goodnight Girl and the mega-hit Love is All Around – so successful that the band had to ask their record company to stop producing copies!

8pm | Cambridge Corn Exchange | £28 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

7-8 MAY

CAMBRIDGESHIRE CHORAL SOCIETY

BALLET BLACK

Richard Laing conducts the society’s annual concert, which features the music of four of France’s greatest composers: Poulenc, Vierne, Franck and Fauré.

7.30pm | Trinity College Chapel | £15 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

Three works including Ingoma (Song), fusing ballet, African dance and singing, and Martin Lawrence’s Pendulum, an intimate duet, which premiered in 2009.

7.45pm | Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £20 cambridgeartstheatre.co.uk 7-12 MAY

CAMBRIDGE FESTIVAL OF THE VOICE Cambridge Early Music has created a series of concerts at college venues and Little St Mary’s Church. Highlights include Tenebrae performing Requiem Mass for six voices, the Choir of King’s College, The Gesualdo Six and the Sollazzo Ensemble.

Various times, venues and prices cambridgeearlymusic.org 8 MAY

THE HORNE SECTION

18 MAY

C A M BR IDGE SK A F ES T 3 Top-class ska, reggae and 2 Tone music from three live bands and DJs. Maroon Town bring the authenticity of Jamaican ska into the 21st century with groove, rap and rocksteady, Big 10 deliver a huge sound and entertaining antics, while BuBounce take their set through many eras.

7pm | Cambridge Junction | £16 | junction.co.uk

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Five outstanding musicians and one nonmusical stand up join together for an evening of comedy, songs, enthusiastic dancing and a lot of mucking about, in a show from Alex Horne, creator of Taskmaster.

7.30pm | Cambridge Corn Exchange | £28 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 10 MAY

SLEAFORD MODS Determined Nottingham duo who plough their own distinctive path. Featuring Jason Williamson’s take on austerity-era Britain delivered in an abrasive, minimalist style.

7pm | Cambridge Junction | £21.50 junction.co.uk

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W H AT ' S O N 11 MAY

EAT CAMBRIDGE FOOD & DRINK FAIR The Main Event kicks off the foodie festival, and is followed by two weeks of fringe events throughout the city. A showcase for Cambridgeshire’s independent food and drink scene, you can expect stalls, plus fascinating workshops and talks on the day.

10.30am-4pm | Cambridge Guildhall | £2 eat-cambridge.co.uk 11 MAY

MARK STEEL A regular on Radio 4 and a familiar face on BBC2, including appearances on QI, Steel’s witty, dark, sardonic take on the real world cuts to the core.

8pm | Cambridge Junction | £17 junction.co.uk 11 MAY

NEON MOON CLUB CIRQUE: TROPICANA If you’ve never been before, this is your opportunity to break into an exotic world of glamour and glitter. The show features cabaret, circus and burlesque performers, and dress code is to come as your alter ego, and let your imagination run wild!

9pm-3am | Cambridge Junction | from £22.50 | junction.co.uk 14-18 MAY

THE REMAINS OF THE DAY Darlington Hall runs like clockwork in 1930s England thanks to one of the last truly great butlers, Stevens. But the country stands on the edge. Twenty years later, he finds an old friend and reflects on the choices he made.

7.45pm, 2.30pm Thursday and Saturday Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £20 cambridgeartstheatre.co.uk 16 MAY

THE GUILTY FEMINIST The comedy podcast sensation comes to Cambridge for a hilarious evening exploring the noble goals of 21st Century feminists – and the paradoxes, hypocrisies and insecurities which undermine them.

7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £18 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

29 MAY

PIP BLOM The Dutch 21 year old dreamed years ago of starring in Eurovision and now creates sweetly scuzzy indie-pop tunes.

Wise move? You be the judge.

7pm | Portland Arms | £9.90 | theportlandarms.co.uk

19 MAY

CAMBRIDGE PHILHARMONIC: THE PELICANTATA

Roald Dahl’s story The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, adapted into a large-scale choral work by Donald Sturrock, will be narrated by Sir Tony Robinson, as Cambridge Philharmonic bring to life the tall tale about the Duke of Hampshire’s attempts to keep his 677 windows clean, with the help of a giraffe.

5.30pm & 7.30pm | West Road Concert Hall £15 | cambridgephilharmonic.com

16, 18, 19, 30 MAY

ENCHANTED CINEMA The first four dates of Enchanted Cinema’s outdoor screenings this year are Ray (16th), with live music by the Robin Phillips Trio prior to the film, A Star is Born (18th), Bohemian Rhapsody (19th) and Dirty Dancing (30th).

7pm | Gonville Hotel | £14.50, Ray £21 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

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7.45pm, 2.30pm Thursday and Saturday Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £24 cambridgeartstheatre.co.uk 27 MAY – 1 JUNE

STONES IN HIS POCKETS A small village in Ireland is turned upside down when a Hollywood film studio decides to make a historical blockbuster in the area. As cultures clash, it’s clear Tinseltown’s idea of Ireland is far from reality.

7.45pm, 2.30pm Thursday and Saturday Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £20 cambridgeartstheatre.co.uk

20-25 MAY

THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL Bestselling author Peter James is back with this spine-tingling world-premiere. Starring Bafta-nominated Joe McFadden and Rita Simons, who played Roxy in EastEnders, it tells the story of the Harcourt family, who move into their dream home, only to find it quickly turn into a nightmare.

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30 MAY – 8 JUNE

EVITA Festival Players bring Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s classic to the ADC. It features the classics Don’t Cry For Me Argentina and Another Suitcase in Another Hall.

7.45pm, no shows 2nd and 3rd | ADC Theatre | from £11 | adctheatre.com

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Food & Drink I N T E RV I E WS • R E C I P E S • FO O D N E WS • W I N E T I PS

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FOOD NEWS

FO O D N E WS

D ’A R RY ’ S GET S ‘S TOL EN’ King Street’s d’Arry’s, a stalwart of the local dining scene, has had its identity ‘Stolen’!

But fans of the eatery needn’t panic: it’s just a new name, and the restaurant is still very much going strong. The change in name represents a new generation of the Gerard family taking the reins at the establishment, with Charlie Gerard looking to ‘steal’ the best food and ingredients from around the world and bring them together in a menu of stretched sourdoughs and salads, plus large plates including salmon fillet in lemon, thyme and chilli.

“We’re celebrating exciting national and international food styles by keeping what makes them delicious, but reinventing their style and flavours for today,” explains Charlie. He’s had fun with the theme, dotting the venue with ‘stolen’ traffic cones and an old bike hanging outside, while menus taken from hundreds of other restaurants paper the walls inside.

The popular upstairs bar, the Liquor Loft, continues to run alongside the restaurant, and the range of imported wines from d’Arenberg, which gave its name to the original restaurant, remain, too. You can also slurp down a craft beer from Stolen’s own brewery, The Old Cannon Brewery in Bury St Edmunds. stolencambridge.co.uk

P I M P MY F I S H AT C A M B R I D G E D I S T I L L E RY Who fancies posh fish and chips, and a tasty G&T or two? Head over to the Cambridge Distillery in Grantchester on 4 May, when local food truck Pimp My Fish is popping by between 3pm and 9pm. A relative newcomer to the city’s street food scene, Pimp My Fish has already been making waves with its modern spin on fish and chips. Menu choices include the Run DMC (miso cod, sweet potato chips, chilli and minted peas with wasabi tartare sauce) and The Del Torro (a crispy fish finger burrito with Asian slaw, sriracha, coriander, mango chutney and curry sauce). Purists: don’t panic – there’s also classic fish and chips on offer, plus the Distillery will be serving gins and gin cocktails. cambridgedistillery.co.uk

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FOODIES FESTIVAL HITS CAMBRIDGE! A ‘gastronomic Glastonbury’ hits Cambridge next month, bringing a long weekend of amazing food, entertainment and live music to Parker’s Piece from 28 to 30 June. One of the biggest events of its kind in the country, Foodies Festival attracts more than 25,000 visitors to its run of events. It visits nine venues across the UK, including Brighton, Edinburgh and Oxford, between May and August. For the first time ever, Cambridge is being added to that list – and our mouths are already watering at the feast of deliciousness in store!

Transforming Parker’s Piece into a foodie bazaar, the event features more than 200 exhibitors and award-winning artisan producers, a street food village, a kids’ cookery school, a healthy living area and more.

You’ll also be able to watch culinary masters at work in the Chefs Theatre, picking up tricks of the trade and recipe ideas. Local star chefs on the line-up include Midsummer House’s Daniel Clifford, Parker’s Tavern’s Tristan Welch and Vanderlyle’s Alex Rushmer. Eva Humphries – the brains behind Wholefood Warrior, a platform that aims to educate people on health and nutrition and encourage better lifestyle choices – is also making an appearance. Baking fans, meanwhile, should make a beeline for the Cakes & Desserts Theatre to meet familiar faces from The Great British Bake Off. Once you’ve had your share of sweet treats, mosey over to the Drinks Theatre for a variety of masterclasses on wine, beer and more. Or why not grab a cocktail from the giant Pimm’s teapot or a drink from the vegan beer tent? The dog arena, which will be doling out prizes for categories including best lookalike, is definitely worth a visit if you want to meet some handsome hounds.

For some hands-on fun, there are workshops on midsummer cupcakes, psychedelic meringues and more, and after a day of feasting, you can relax on the grass and enjoy some poptastic tunes at the music stage. Scouting for Girls will be entertaining the crowd, along with Cambridge group Indietones and dozens more top local bands.

In addition to a being a great day out, Foodies Festival also raises funds for UK-wide homelessness charity, Crisis. For every ticket sold, the festival makes a donation to the cause, and there will be merchandise on sale at the event to give a further boost to the total, too.

Festival director, Sue Hitchen, says: “This year’s festival once again combines our two favourite things, music and food, and it’s going to be bigger and better than ever. We’ve made sure our visitors get the best in terms of star chefs and music acts, and this will create a brilliant weekend for all the family.” She adds: “I’m also delighted to have Musicians Against Homelessness on board with us once again and to be able to donate much-needed funds to such a worthy cause in Crisis. Through music, we are also helping to raise awareness of the plight of homeless people.”

Tickets, including VIP packages, are now on sale. foodiesfestival.com

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W I N!

We’re giving away four VIP tickets to Foodies Festival Cambridge, plus four goodie bags.

Head to cambsedition.co.uk to find out more and enter!

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FEELING THIRSTY?

WINES FROM THE VOLCANOES SAM OWENS FROM DRINKS SHOP THIRSTY ON THE WINES THAT WILL BE ERUPTING THIS YEAR

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n awful lot of people I’ve met in the wine game did a similar degree to me: a languages one. I was a not-especially-good French and German student at Christ’s College during the early nineties. Despite my woeful student work ethic, I always felt pretty comfortable if you dropped me into Paris or Berlin. Spain, however, was a different matter – until I was lucky enough to have a string of Spanish girlfriends either side of the millennium.

Spanish, I established, was pretty similar to French in terms of vocab, grammar and structure. And I learnt quickly.

This proved particularly helpful during recent trips to the Canary Islands. Having never visited these lumps of volcanic rock in the Atlantic until February 2019, my half-term family trip to Lanzarote was a revelation.

If you’ve never been: go. And if you love interesting wines, definitely go.

The humble vine tends to produce the most interesting grapes (and wines) in the most interesting environs.

Give it a safe, well-irrigated environment and it will give you something perfectly nice, but a bit boring. Stick it somewhere challenging or downright bloody difficult

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– and it will tend to offer up something special.

Lanzarote is a perfect case in point. The vines grow in circular hollows in the ground (the ‘soil’ being little more than black volcanic grit) with each hollow having a dry stone wall around it to protect against the wind. The vine (or vines) grow at the bottom of the hollow, where the tiny amount of rainfall collects.

The result is something unlike anywhere else on the planet.

Whites are to the forefront, although reds are produced as well. Malvasía Volcánica is the main grape variety – the clue’s in the name.

Elsewhere in the Canaries, all sorts of interesting grape varieties flourish in all sorts of extraordinary environments. The island of Tenerife has arguably the widest variety: five different ‘denominaciones’ exist there.

Given that Tenerife hosts Spain’s highest mountain (Mount Teide at 3718m), it’s no surprise to learn of so much variety.

We’ve recently brought in a pair of Tenerife wines at Thirsty & Hungry on King Street, with more to come from other amazing Atlantic volcanic islands. It’s a fascinating journey, well away from well-trodden paths. Are you game?

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BREWDOG CAMBRIDGE TO OPEN After years of rumours and dashed hopes for the beer drinkers of Cambridge, popular brewery BrewDog has finally confirmed it is opening a bar in Cambridge city centre. Located at the multistorey Bene’t Street building that was previously home to steakhouse CAU, the Aberdeen craft brewers will be serving up the excellent beers they’re known and loved for around the world, including Punk IPA, Dead Pony Club and Clockwork Tangerine, as well as loads of specials from the taps and some bites to eat. This latest opening comes as part of a brisk expansion for BrewDog, which has seen the company open up venues everywhere from Oxford to Ohio. Keep an eye on BrewDog social media for news on the planned opening date. brewdog.com

GET SET FOR EAT CAMBRIDGE Eat Cambridge, the city’s annual celebration of local independent food and drink, returns this month, offering a huge market followed by a fortnight of fringe events. The Main Event is on 11 May at The Guildhall – a bustling market where you can try and buy all sorts of delicious food and drink, plus meet producers. Stalls this year include BrewBoard brewery, Hot Numbers coffee, One Part Love Bakery, Cambridge Distillery and lots more. There’s also a line-up of hands-on sessions and talks running throughout the day, which includes a food photography workshop and a round table with the cream of Cambridge’s brewing scene. The Main Event is followed by a fortnight of fringe events, which span everything from pop-ups to supper clubs and tap takeovers. Top picks include the street food cinema event with foodPark and supper on a bus with La Latina Bustaurante. For the full programme and booking details, head to the Eat Cambridge website. eat-cambridge.co.uk M A Y 2 019

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SMOKEWORKS TAP LAUNCHES SmokeWorks, the steampunk BBQ joint with branches in the city centre and Station Road, has recently revealed the latest string to its bow in the shape of a bar and sandwich shop. Just around the corner from the original Free School Lane branch of the restaurant, the SmokeWorks Tap is located on the site that used to be home to Al Couture’s hair salon, and will serve as a sandwich shop, bar and cafe.

By day, you can expect Hot Numbers coffee and artisanal flatbreads stuffed with smoked beef brisket, pork shoulder or BBQ jackfruit, served with a variety of lip-smacking slaws, pickles and homemade sauces. By night, meanwhile, it will transform into a buzzing bar with beer, bourbon and cocktails. The team have created a drinks offering that complements their signature low ‘n’ slow BBQ food, teaming up with Harston-based brewery BrewBoard to create their own beer: Smökevurks (a gold multi-hopped Session Pale Ale). There are also 13 different bourbons to sample, plus cocktails including a smoked maple Old Fashioned and Spiced Rum Iced Tea. Bar nibbles accompany the drinks on offer, also following a BBQ theme, such as maple bacon candy, sriracha cauliflower and smoked pork balls (aka The Hog’s Bollocks!). smokeworks.co.uk

T H E B I E RGA R T E N I S B AC K !

In news that will come as music to the ears of Cambridge’s beer lovers, drinks shop Thirsty has brought back its wildly popular Biergarten for the summer of 2019. This season’s location is Mackays on East Road, which was the site of one of Thirsty’s first forays into outdoor events back in winter 2016. As ever, you can expect fantastic beer, wine and cocktails, along with appearances from some of the city’s best-loved street food traders, including Guerrilla Kitchen and Steak & Honour. There will also be great tunes and plenty of seating and space to relax and enjoy the atmosphere, possibly some fireworks, and even, we’re told, a snow machine.

Plans are unconfirmed at present, but Thirsty may be pitching up here for the whole summer, and they’re also planning to spawn new Biergartens elsewhere in the city as well, so keep an eye out! Check out Thirsty’s Twitter @ThirstyCamb for the latest updates.

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SECR ET SOCI A L AT 26 4 8

Hidden beneath the cobbles of Trinity Street is 2648: a hip, subterranean cocktail lounge, complete with a hidden tequila den. Whether you want to chill out on comfy sofas and play board games, or dance the night away to DJs at events like Love Frequency, there’s something for every mood. The venue is adding a new addition to its line up with Secret Social, a meetup for local creatives and professionals that takes place on the last Thursday of every month. A place to network and let your hair down, there is a top range of cocktails, craft beers and wine on offer, with free tasters available pre-7pm.

Food-wise, Reggae Kitchen will be in the kitchen, serving up steaming plates of Caribbean-inspired bar food.

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EDITION MEETS TRISTAN WELCH CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS TALKS TO THE MAN BEHIND ONE OF CAMBRIDGE’S HOTTEST RESTAURANTS, PARKER’S TAVERN AT THE UNIVERSITY ARMS HOTEL

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hough the latest incarnation of the University Arms hasn’t yet reached its first birthday, it – and Parker’s Tavern, the restaurant at the heart of the new hotel – has already made quite the positive impression. Cambridge-raised head chef Tristan Welch returned to the city with his young family three years ago to preside over the rebuild of the hotel’s kitchens, and after opening the doors in the summer of 2018, he now directs proceedings throughout the restaurant and bar.

Growing up just outside the city meant Cambridge was the place to go: Tristan spent his early years visiting the Botanic Garden, wandering through the museums and swimming in the Cam – all the key elements required for a Cambridge childhood. “I remember standing on Parker’s Piece, looking up at

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the old University Arms, and imagining it was a castle rather than a hotel,” he recalls, nestled in one of the library’s sofas for a snatched conversation on a busy midweek morning.

Tristan has fond food memories of Browns – and Sweeney Todd’s in particular: “I loved it there,” he says, “mainly because we’d go for family birthdays or celebrations. I remember having a burger with sweetcorn chilli chutney and it just blew my mind – but obviously, the biggest food memory I have is the Rupture Rapture.”

For those of us not raised in the city, Sweeney Todd’s ‘Rupture Rapture’ gargantuan ice cream sundae has become the stuff of legend, and features in many a Cantabrigian’s recollected restaurant experiences. “It used to be served on a platter with fourteen different scoops of ice cream, sparklers, sauces – and it was just breathtaking,” Tristan enthuses. “You never forget those moments at restaurants, just a little something special – and actually, it was also quite affordable.”

Nowadays, the chef is focused on creating those moments for hundreds of visitors every single day. With breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and evening service to deliver for the hotel’s residents (plus guests from the local area), it’s understandable that his time is precious.

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“You still have to be nimble and agile and reactive” loose structure that keeps the restaurant ticking over nicely. “I’ll start with morning meetings, a 10am briefing with the team, then it’s tasting in the kitchen.

By 12.30pm, it’s a walk around, a chat to the guests, that sort of stuff – and then if I can, I’ll get in the kitchen and do a bit of time there, which I really like – then in the afternoons it’s normally a catch-up with finance, or our suppliers,” With a team of 90 looking to Tristan for direction, a large proportion of the chef ’s day is spent managing those in the restaurant’s employ. “It’s a lot of people,” he says. “A lot of talking to, mentoring, just putting your arm round – in the morning it takes me about half an hour just to say hello to everyone – but it’s something that I’m rather keen on: saying hello or good morning to everyone. It’s very important.”

Tristan’s own CV is dotted with names that anyone would recognise. He started his career working in kitchens for Gary Rhodes, then with Michel Roux Jr at Le Gavroche – before spending time in Paris at L’Arpège, working in Scotland at Glenapp Castle, landing head chef at Pétrus with Marcus Wareing and Gordon Ramsay, then heading off in

2007 to relaunch London’s acclaimed Launceston Place with a new, modern British menu. In 2012, he took a two-year break in Sweden with his family, before heading to Mustique for a new position as executive chef at The Cotton House, the exclusive island’s only hotel – and now finds himself back in Cambridge, overseeing Parker’s Tavern. Tristan is, quite definitely, a chef with a pedigree and has worked alongside some of the most well-known names in the industry, but he is carving out his own approach when it comes to managing a kitchen.

“The industry’s changed and moved on from the days when I was a young commis chef – I can’t look to any of the experiences that I had to recreate a working environment,” he says. “Now, there are goals and tasks are set, rather than just... getting shouted and sworn at.”

Tristan adopts a more mentorshipstyle role with his team, hoping to instil a little of his own seemingly-boundless enthusiasm and passion for excellent food, but also pairing that with a modern approach to setting goals and having clear timelines for results. “A kitchen is a million deadlines at once, for lots of different things, whether boiling an egg or

T IME OU T

Tristan’s wife and three sons dine in Parker’s Tavern once a week, and regularly drop in to see him at work. “I have those super proud moments where the kids say they want to come in and see Daddy – and the staff encourage them to sit down, have a little something – they actually wrote the kids menu for me,” he smiles. When not dining at PT, Tristan’s sons like roaming the city for sweet treats – just like their father.

“We like a cafe – with three young boys, it’s got to be a cafe,” Tristan says. “We enjoy the Cambridge Cookery School for kanelbullar, Jack’s Gelato, of course, and a cheeky Steak & Honour every now and again.”

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serving a guest,” he says. “When a guest orders a drink, it’s already late, no matter how quick you can get it to them: from a guest’s point of view, they’ve ordered a drink and they want it now. It’s like – spinning ten thousand plates at once.”

Despite Tristan’s responsibilities to his team, and the level of organisation required to keep an operation of this size running smoothly, there’s still a playfulness to Parker’s Tavern that keeps the mood light – which is reflected in the dishes they serve. “You still have to be nimble and agile and reactive, because, ultimately, you’re dealing with Mother Nature: one of the most beautiful, temperamental beasts you’ll ever come across,” Tristan explains. “Sometimes, the asparagus will come in and look a little different – so suddenly you have to make a decision: ‘OK – I’ll prep it this way today’. There are a million different things to get right.”

Easter 2019 saw Parker’s Tavern hiding handmade eggs in other establishments around the city and revealing clues via Instagram, while Tristan himself regularly

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pops up across social media with episodes of Tristan’s Tricycle, where he cycles the city on a customised threewheeler, cooking up dishes as he goes.

It’s this carefully-encouraged sense of whimsy and magic that’s crucial to the restaurant’s identity: in a building and city that’s simply steeped in history, it skilfully navigates a path between old and new, simultaneously making new traditions while also honouring those of times gone by.

“To move forward, you’ve got to understand where you came from,”

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Tristan says. “After all, this is the reincarnation of the University Arms, which had so many wonderful traditions and so many wonderful people working here – we’re very mindful of that. In the kitchen we’ve got a framed menu from the 1970s so everyone can remember what our restaurant was, and where we came from – maybe one day we’ll even…” he grins, leaving the promise of a seventies-inspired feast at Parker’s Tavern hanging unspoken in the air between us.

With the one year anniversary in August fast approaching, the whole team at Parker’s Tavern have their sights firmly set on the future. “First of all, we’ll try and get through the weekend,” Tristan jokes, “but we’ve actually got some very exciting things coming up: a new bar menu, plus some amazing new cocktails taken to a higher level – and our afternoon tea is starting to take off, which is rather exciting… The rest are just pipe dreams right now. The menu will keep changing seasonally, as it always does – and we’ll just have to see what Mother Nature throws at us.” l M A Y 2 019

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Recipes TRISTAN WELCH, HEAD CHEF AT PARKER’S TAVERN, SHARES TWO OF HIS FAVOURITE RECIPES

SERVES 4

C A M BR IDGE BU R N T CR E A M TRISTAN’S LUXURIOUS RECIPE FOR CAMBRIDGE BURNT CREAM (OR CRÈME BRÛLÉE, DEPENDING ON WHICH SIDE OF THE CHANNEL YOU’RE FROM!)

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l 350ml double cream l 150ml milk l 1 nutmeg, crushed l1 00g caster sugar (plus extra

for the topping)

l 6 egg yolks

ST EP -B Y-ST EP GUI DE l Preheat the oven to 110°C and have ready an

ovenproof dish that can hold roughly 600ml.

lP our the milk and cream into a large pan and

add the nutmeg. Bring to a simmer gently on a low heat then place to one side to infuse.

lM ix together the egg yolks and caster sugar,

then gently pour the milk infusion over this mix and stir well.

l Pass through a sieve into the ovenproof dish

as far up to the top as it can go.

l Bake in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes. You

can check if it’s done by giving the dish a little nudge and looking for slight wobble in the middle.

l Once cooked, allow to cool. At this stage it

can be kept in the fridge for up to two days before serving, but it is at its best a few hours after being cooked.

l Sprinkle over a layer of caster sugar and

caramelise with a blow torch or under the grill. Serve immediately.

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FO O D & D R I N K

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SERVES 4

PT’S SPAGHE T T I BOLOGN ESE THE PERFECT COMFORT FOOD, TRISTAN’S SPIN ON THIS CLASSIC DISH IS A LONG-STANDING PARKER’S TAVERN FAVOURITE

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l 600g braising steak l6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon l 4 cloves of garlic l2 tins of chopped tomatoes l1 generous tbsp tomato paste l4 sprigs of thyme l1 bay leaf l 1 medium onion l 1 stick celery l ½ bottle red wine l 2 litres beef stock l 1 tbsp butter

ST EP -B Y-ST EP GUI DE l Preheat your oven to 140°C.

l Heat the butter in a large ovenproof

saucepan, season the steak with salt and pepper and brown with the bacon for about 20 minutes.

l Finely chop the celery, garlic and onion,

add to the pan and continue to cook until softened.

l Stir in the tomato paste, bay leaf and

thyme, fry gently for minute, add the wine and let bubble a little, allowing the alcohol to evaporate.

l Dilute with stock, cover with greaseproof

paper and place in the oven for three hours checking every 30 minutes or so. Add a little more stock if it starts to dry out.

l Once cooked, allow to rest and stir with

a wooden spoon to break the tender meat into smaller chunks.

l To serve, cook your spaghetti for two

minutes less than it says on the packet, reserving some of the cooking water.

Warm up the bolognese sauce and add a little of the pasta cooking water. Stir in the pasta and boil for a minute, allowing the pasta to soak up the sauce.

l Serve hot. For an extra British touch I like

to serve it with freshly grated Berkswell cheese; it’s slightly similar to parmesan, which naturally works well too.

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

Salad Days

LEVEL UP YOUR SALADS TO CREATE A TRIUMPH OF TEXTURE, FLAVOUR AND SATISFACTION: LOCAL CHEF ALEX RUSHMER SHOWS YOU HOW

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aking a salad is a culinary balancing act. Actually, I should rephrase: making a good salad is a culinary balancing act. Making a bad salad is easy, in much the same way that doing anything poorly is easy. But the nimble palate and dexterous fine-tuning required to transform a collection of raw ingredients into a bowl to which you cannot help but return to several times over, requires a base level of knowledge and a not-unreasonable amount of time.

The most significant light bulb moment I had whilst filming Masterchef (almost a decade ago) came when I was working in the kitchen at a Thai restaurant in Stoke Newington. I was given a masterclass in the core principles of Thai cooking, which revolves around the harmonising of four key flavours: sweetness, acidity, heat and saltiness.

A couple of years ago, whilst studying for a wine exam, I was introduced to a near identical philosophy with regards to wine making. Key elements – sweetness, acidity, tannin, body – have to be pitched against each other or the wine will taste out of kilter. And so it is with a salad.

A well-executed salad can be a riotous meal all by itself, a pinball of enjoyment, pinging itself around the palate and satisfying to both mind and body. But only if it is a thoughtful, considered composition, and not a hastily thrown together assemblage of languid lettuce, stale croutons and out-of-season tomato.

I’ve recently begun to buy into the virtues of a chopped, rather than tossed, salad. A tossed salad – usually involving a leafy base – is fine, but only as a mere side dish. It can rub up alongside a substantial main element in happy harmony, but it can’t hold its own centre stage. A chopped salad, though, is a different story. In the right hands it can bring texture, flavour, satisfaction and satiation in equal measure. Although it can share equal billing with a slice of frittata or a pile of steaming falafel, it is more than happy to have nothing more than more of itself for company.

The recipe for success is simple: the base vegetables form only part of the CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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“A well-executed salad can be a riotous meal all by itself ” story but must be robust enough to stand up to being bashed around. I generally begin with a couple of tomatoes and half a cucumber along with whatever else is in the fridge. Once roughly diced, a sprinkle of salt acts like the punchbowl at a social gathering and gets the party well and truly started. A few handfuls of cooked grains make a sensible secondary addition: rice, quinoa, couscous, pearl barley or buckwheat, but plentiful and hearty. Cooked pulses are next: chickpeas, lentils, butterbeans, all are versatile enough to marry the larger flavours that are about to enter the fray in the form of roughly chopped herbs. For me, parsley is an essential but mint, sorrel, lovage or other aromatic soft herbs work equally well. Finally, a texturiser is required. I favour some sort of nut, crushed with the flat of a knife.

Once the key ingredients have been mixed together, the balancing act between

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richness, sweetness and acidity can begin. Step one: don’t skimp on the oil. Generous glugs of decent olive or rapeseed oil are essential. Cheese also adds a pleasing richness, as well as a poke of acidity if you opt for feta or youthful, zesty goat’s cheese. Further acidity must be added in the form of vinegar, citrus or even pomegranate molasses. Finally, don’t neglect the importance of a little sweetness. Honey, agave syrup or even sugar will add complexity, and help to balance and round out every mouthful.

Once everything has been mixed, taste, tweak where necessary (salt, lemon juice, oil and sugar are ideal for this) and, in the words of Lisa Simpson, ‘commence shovelling’. l M A Y 2 019

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CA M B R I D G E O N A P L AT E

Swimming along the River Cam to Ely PURPORTEDLY NAMED FOR ITS ABUNDANCE OF EELS, ELY STILL CELEBRATES THIS FASCINATING FISH EACH MAY, AS DR SUE BAILEY DISCOVERS f anyone had mentioned jellied eels to me, I would have squirmed. But I was converted when I tasted the tangy-sweetsmoky flavour of a smoked eel at last year’s Ely Eel Festival. Now an established date in the local food lover’s calendar, this annual event hosts all kinds of eel-based fun, from the World Eel Throwing competition (fortunately not with live eels) to a food and drink festival, and runs over the spring bank holiday weekend from 3 to 6 May. The 16th Eel Day Parade heads off from the High Street to the river, while the Eel Food Safari runs throughout, with local cafes and restaurants providing creative twists on the eel theme.

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At the Ely Eel Festival, this amazing fish is celebrated with music, dancing, a living history encampment, a beer and cider tent, more than 75 artisan food and drink traders, and street food. I, myself, will be acting as eccentric cook Fanny Cradock in the Cookery Theatre, too, making an eel-shaped cake and talking about eels’ past popularity, so do come and say hello!

Once, eels were a staple food in the Fens, and jellied eels from Ely lured Londoners to visit.

The Old Fire Engine House restaurant in Ely has eel hooks in the kitchen and tales are told of a cut-off eel’s head shooting along the preparation counter. This was in the late 80s and, according to one of the ladies working there, put her off eels completely. When eels were much more available, they used to serve the delicious traditional eel pie topped with a puff pastry crust. An early 15th-century recipe adds to the

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eels some garlic, mace, saffron, crushed apples and verjuice (which is vinegar-like, sharp juice from crab apples).

Originally the marshes surrounding Ely were full of eels, and it’s thought this island in the Fens owes its name to this curious fish. Eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea in the western Atlantic and their offspring float like curled leaves on the warm Gulf Stream back to Europe, drifting along for up to three years. They then grow into transparent glass eels, or elvers, like a mass of wriggling spaghetti, and begin to swim up freshwater streams to mature into adults. The fully grown silver eel (aged between ten and 35 years) then makes its return journey to spawn.

The Environment Agency’s Dr Ros Wright, who specialises in eels, says: “Long black ribbons of glass eels used to come up along the rivers,” but eel numbers have declined globally by 95% caused by “a perfect storm of man-made impacts”. For 15 years, EU regulations have now controlled fishing to restore numbers. As Dr Ros says: “Eels are a very important part of the ecosystem for biodiversity, not just to be put on to people’s plates.” So we must value, respect and conserve eels.

Eel history is fascinating, according to Craig Cessford, senior project officer at Cambridge Archaeological Unit. “Eel is often the most common species of fish bone we find in Ely from the eighth century onwards. But we actually have better evidence for eels from Cambridge. There was a bowl found beside a seventh-century burial with eel bones in it. We also have a grig (funnel-shaped willow trap) found in a 14th-century pit.”

The last full-time eel catcher, Peter Carter from Norfolk, retired recently and used

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“Eels are a very important part of the ecosystem for biodiversity” traditionally made woven traps to catch eels, taking over from lifelong eel catcher, Sid Merry, who died seven years ago. But David and Richard Bunning of the Mid Norfolk Smokehouse still have fresh, hot, smoked and jellied eels.

According to David, there is still “a good steady eel population in the Norfolk Broads”.

To find out more about the fascination with eels, listen to The Hungry Roundhead – aka local guide and food historian Nora Gardner – at the Cookery Theatre. Nora says: “The 17th-century flavours and dishes come to life as I talk about the origins of traditional recipes.”

So, why not visit the festival to learn more about and sample this unique and locally famous fish? l

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

CELEBRATE NATIONAL SMILE MONTH WITH SPECIAL OFFERS AT ANGLIA ORTHODONTICS Get a smile to be proud of with a range of discreet treatment options

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nglia Orthodontics, one of the largest providers of orthodontic care in Cambridgeshire with branches in Cambridge, Huntingdon and Ely, is celebrating National Smile Month this May with some unmissable promotions.

Now is the perfect time to assess your own dental health and think about how you could improve your smile – so why not come and see us? We offer state-of-the-art equipment and exceptional service in a comfortable and relaxed environment.

Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry that deals with straightening teeth. The results can improve how your teeth bite together when you eat and how easy it is to clean them.

Treatment can also do wonders for how your smile looks; and who doesn’t want a straight, beautiful and healthy smile to be proud of?

We use the very latest techniques

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and appliances to ensure you get the right treatment for your needs. Our most popular option is Invisalign aligners.

What sets Anglia Orthodontics apart from other practices is our commitment to making the whole process as simple as possible.

Following your initial consultation and assessment appointment, you have the opportunity to use our innovative dental monitoring service, which allows a specialist orthodontist to monitor your progress remotely.

All you need to do is take a photo of your smile each week and upload it to our app, which an orthodontist can access to check your progress. This means you don’t have to visit the practice so often, making treatment much more convenient for even the busiest of people.

We are a Diamond Invisalign provider, making us one of the leading practices to offer this

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popular clear, nearly invisible, removable appliance that could straighten your front teeth. It’s so discreet that people won’t even know you’re having treatment unless you tell them.

National Smile Month is a nationwide campaign run by the Oral Health Foundation, designed to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. There are lots of exciting activities you can get involved in to help spread the word, from posting ‘smiley selfies’ on social media to joining the #Smileathon. For inspiration, visit the website – www.nationalsmilemonth.org.

To find out more about how Anglia Orthodontics could help enhance your smile, and to make the most of our National Smile Month promotions, contact us today.

Anglia Orthodontics Cambridge, Huntingdon & Ely 07527 017 386 angliaorthodontics.co.uk

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X X XVXEX YO LO X X XU R MA R K E T

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LO V E YO U R M A R K E T

IN CELEBRATION OF LOVE YOUR LOCAL MARKET, TAKING PLACE FROM 17 TO 31 MAY, WE SENT ALEX RUCZA J TO DISCOVER WHAT’S ON OFFER IN CAMBRIDGE

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LO V E YO U R MA R K E T t’s mind-blowing to think that people have been using the Cambridge Market for around a thousand years. Back then, there wasn’t the pull of online shopping or a dozen minisupermarkets within a mile of your house. Visiting the market would have been an essential part of your day. Jo Sharpington, from walking tour company, Cambridge on Foot, tells me the market in Cambridge is one of the oldest markets located continuously on the same site in the country. “People needed to come for daily requirements, such as meat, fish, dairy produce, bread, leather and wool”, she says.

You can still certainly get many of your necessities from the market, and lots more besides, but it is often seemingly much busier with tourists buying souvenirs, gifts or their lunch from the many delicious international food stalls. I want to find out what else is on offer, and whether the market is able to serve my modern-day shopping requirements, tempting me away from my usual outlets.

Starting with groceries, Lyn and Joff Sharman’s connection with the market doesn’t quite go back a thousand years, but they are one of the longeststanding stallholders – a family business spanning three generations. Lyn comments: “We still have lots of regulars coming in, and also a new generation of shoppers; the students and younger people are shopping here more.” When asked why people choose her market stall over the supermarket, she says: “It’s fresh, and much of it is local produce, it hasn’t travelled, plus it’s not in loads of plastic, which appeals to lots of people these days.” The stall has a steady flow of customers perusing the beautifully displayed produce, and many stop for a little chat and some for cooking advice. It feels a little like stepping back in time, to a slower, more pleasant way of shopping.

There are a number of great produce stalls on the market, offering everything from fresh fish to cheese, pies, bread, olives and much more. Sunday sees the Wild Country Organics stall busy from opening, with queues round the block. Market manager Tim Jones tells me: “We are starting to see a shift, particularly at the weekend and on Sundays. Families come for their organic goods, they sit on the fountain to chat and eat.

It’s a great atmosphere. Cambridge people want to shop at independent places and the market has 201 of them!”

This is refreshing to hear and I resolve to start doing more of my weekly shopping at the market.

Next, I head in search of clothing, to see if anything in the market can turn my head the same way the groceries have. First up is The Serpentine Swap, offering super-stylish vintage (60s-90s) clothes with a twist. Stallholder Rachael Victoria tells me she offers a swap facility, giving 50% off if people bring in suitable second-hand items. “When I set up the stall, I thought how lovely it would be to create a big communityclothing recycling hub, a place where people could visit regularly and find something great for cheaper than high street prices. We are now all so acutely aware of the negative impact that ‘fast fashion’ has. I really want u M A Y 2 019

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Ely Market NOT FAR AWAY, YOU CAN FIND ANOTHER INSPIRING MARKET THAT IS DEFINITELY WORTH CHECKING OUT

Ely Market has a general market on Thursdays, Sundays and bank holidays, a craft and collectables market every Saturday, plus a fabulous farmers’ market on the second and fourth Saturday of the month, which includes ‘vegan alley’. These markets are jam-packed with incredible street food, produce, vintage and artisan goods.

On 5 and 6 May it’s the third annual Vegan & Vintage fair at Ely market: a family-friendly event with vibrant vegan street food, vegan beauty and lifestyle products, as well as ethical clothing, vintage and upcycled furniture, collectables, clothes and records.

ELY M A R K ET ESSEN T I A L S Images A selection of the varied and exciting products available from Cambridge Market, including curated vintage clothing from Momme & Mig, gourmet burgers from The Smoking Cow and halloumi sticks coated in sumac with pomegranate seeds and mint yoghurt from Hallouman. Plus artisan cheese, gorgeous flowers, local produce, fresh fish, handmade jewellery, second-hand books and records, as well as plenty of interesting and delicious international cuisine

ELY RESIDENT JO KRUCZYNSKA, OF AFTERNOON TEASE FAME, GIVES HER TOP TIPS FOR ELY FARMERS MARKET A flat white from Silver Oak Coffee – you can sit on top of their coffee rig and get a great view over the market.

Amazing bread and baked goods from Luca of Grain Culture The best crumpets in Cambridgeshire from Dovecote Bakery Great cheese from Suzanne of Hum-Closen All things Spanish – meats and cheeses and more – from Guillermo of Azahar Sausage rolls and scotch eggs to die for from Edis of Ely

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LO V E YO U R M A R K E T

“The market and many of its traders are trailblazers for the way we should shop now” to provide people with the opportunity to support ‘slow fashion’ and allow them to make a conscious choice to buy clothes sustainably.”

This approach is echoed by another clothing stall on the other side of the market, Momme & Mig, which displays a rainbow of crisp dresses in summer and cosy coats in winter. Charlotte Gregersen buys from all over the world, always seeking top-quality vintage clothing.

“My whole idea is that my clothes look like new clothes” she explains. “It opens people’s minds when they look at the garments here. I am lucky as we have a lot of ‘thinking’ women in Cambridge, who care about the lasting quality of things. I buy clothes from the era where women wouldn’t just wear things once.”

Charlotte also wraps the clothes she sells in paper and ties them with string to be carried home – so much nicer than a plastic bag.

The market has always had its fair share of stalls offering high-quality, used goods: great record stores (like North South Records and Matrix Vinyl) and book stalls (such as Paul Neeve’s Market Bookstore and Buckles Books), have all served the public for many years, with a good sprinkling of advice and chat to add value to your pre-loved purchase. The new stall owners seem to be carrying on this tradition with Bookish, co-owned by Kate Kemp, offering a small range of carefully curated books and framed pictures. “All the books are ones we have read or want to read. The pictures are created from original book covers – the Tin Tin ones are recycled from water-damaged books,” she explains. Everything on the stall is second-hand, but hand-picked, which again seems like an approach from a bygone era, where we valued and reused things more, yet one that chimes with modern ‘green’ values, too.

I am already feeling impressed and enthused by the old-meets-new approach to eco-friendly shopping, when I stumble across a small stall called Full Circle, run by ecologist Emma Thomas. She has been on the market since December, offering a range of goods specifically for the environmentally concerned shopper. “We really wanted a place in the heart of the

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community as our business is very community-focused, helping people to help the planet, so the market is the ideal place for us,” she says. She talks me through their product range, which focuses on helping the consumer to “break up with plastic and stop using single-use items”. There is a Zero Waste range of shampoos, deodorants and soaps (plus dog shampoo) made by a local company, natural toothpaste, coffee cups that are ‘poetically’ made from recycled single-use coffee cups, plus a range of refillable products, including hand soap and laundry soap. Full Circle is also crowdfunding to expand the business to include a no-packaging grocery range, where you can obtain olive oil, pulses, stock and more in refillable containers. Emma’s passion and commitment is truly inspiring, and there is a queue of curious and interested shoppers as I leave her.

By now it’s lunchtime, and I wander over for a chat with Neil Mackay from The Mac Daddy and buy some of his delicious mac ‘n’ cheese. I tell him I’m feeling enthused about the planet-friendly shopping opportunities within the market, and he has more good news for me. “Where possible, market traders do trade with each other, too”, he says. “I buy cheese from The Cheese Stall for example, and the majority of food traders use compostable packaging.” Neil is also the only hot food trader that trades from a cargo bike, and is also part of the carbon-free-dining scheme, which plants trees to offset CO₂ usage.

It strikes me that, despite its long history, the market and many of its traders are trailblazers for the way we should shop now, and must shop in the future. As small, independent businesses, they are able to adapt and offer an approach that the larger shops seem slow to adopt.

They offer the perfect combination of the best old ways (paper bags and the personal touch) combined with the new (a real commitment to helping us change the impact that our shopping has). I, for one, am feeling inspired to shop regularly at the market not just this month, but every month – and I hope you are, too. l

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B E AU T Y

the

BEAUTY

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here are many weird and wonderful days to celebrate on the beauty calendar, and this month, we’re being encouraged to pay more attention to our smiles with National Smile Month (13 May to 13 June). Like many, I’ve always had a fear of sitting in the dentist’s chair – perhaps after years of orthodontics. However, as an adult, I’ve come to realise that the methods and services available really have come a long way since I was in train tracks, and there are so many (less scary) options to help you improve your smile. In fact, writing this has prompted me to book an (overdue) dental check-up!

They say a smile is worth a thousand words, so what better way to celebrate this month than by framing yours with a new lipstick or trick? The first step should always be exfoliation, whether it’s your body, face or lips, it’s essential to create a fresh canvas, and I love the Lush lip scrub pots (£6.50, Lush, Lion Yard) available in a range of flavours. My personal favourite is Bubblegum, for a nostalgic taste.

bible

If you’re not up for needles, but fancy a bit of a boost for your lips, Wunderkiss from Wunder2 is an incredible lip plumping gloss (£17.95, wunder2.co.uk) that puckers your smile, adding volume and fullness. Available in five shades, I prefer the clear option for a more natural look. Unlike many other lip plumpers, I find this one doesn’t make you want to instantly rip your lips off in tingly, hot fear, but still gives great results.

Another trick for giving the appearance of bee-stung lips is some clever contouring.

Now, I’m not talking Kardashianlevel chiselling, but applying smart art techniques adds a little oomph to your kisser. You need lipstick (or liquid lipstick) in two similar colours, one darker than the other (you can also use a lip pencil for this). Apply your darker shade over moisturised lips in narrow careful strokes where your pout naturally creases: the wide V shapes of your Cupid’s bow, and opposite, on the bottom lip. The idea is to create shadow. Next, take your lighter shade and fill in, then blend together. My holy grail for lip products is Huda Beauty, which offers a Lip Contour Set (£29, cultbeauty.co.uk). This has everything you need to create that milliondollar smile. l

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WORDS BY DAISY DICKINSON

THE ONE THAT I WANT

For ultra-hydrated and kissable lips, Kaplan MD’s Perfect Pout Introductory Duo (£24, cultbeauty. co.uk) does what it says on the tin by delivering a nourishing blend of 22 organic ingredients to give life and smoothness to your smackers. Use the mask for five minutes, wipe away and follow with the included lip balm, which has the added perk of plumping – giving a full effect, while also providing SPF20 and silky soft nourishment.

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Education S P OT L I G H T O N N U R S E RY A N D P R E - P R E P • E X A M R E FO R M

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Early Years ESSENTIALS CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS SPEAKS TO LOCAL SCHOOLS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING IT RIGHT AT THE NURSERY AND PRE-PREP STAGE

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e’ve worried for decades, centuries even, about how best to prepare children for adult life, the most effective way to give them a solid grounding in the subjects that really matter and, indeed, at what age formal education should begin. Other, more recent, concerns include growing fears about children’s mental health and the extent to which the current focus on high stakes exams – from Year 6 SATs to GCCEs and A-levels – is to blame.

As the pressure to perform in solidly ‘academic’ subjects increases, critics of the current system say that it’s sucking the enjoyment out of learning. With limited time and resources, some creative subjects like music and drama are being marginalised in the school curriculum.

The result can be a constant juggling act as schools attempt to cover all the bases: from the educational must-haves, to the softer skills that help make young people work-ready, like sound literacy and numeracy attainment, to punctuality.

But when it comes to creating educational systems where learning is creative, productive and fear-free, there’s one sector of education where all of this is old hat.

Nursery and early years practitioners in our area have known for years just how effective it can be to create a learning environment where children are free to explore, to learn without boundaries or preconceptions, and where success and failure don’t come with emotional

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baggage, but are merely the natural consequence of trying different things and seeing what does and doesn’t work. You’ll hear references to higher performance learning, which is the belief, says Kerry Owens, deputy head of St Mary’s Junior School, that you can basically ‘grow a brain’ and help children to achieve high levels in their learning – and be involved in the process.

Learning, says Marie Ransome, nursery supervisor at Oaks International school (OIS), is about repetition, honing knowledge, skills and understanding over

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time. It’s not just about the end result, but about the process along the way.

“The children are encouraged to experiment and investigate themselves to find the answers,” she explains. “Mistakes are fine – they are proof that the children are learning.”

Getting it right at this stage isn’t just important, it’s essential, says Nicola Henson, head of nursery and pre-prep school at Sancton Wood School. She likens the process to building a house.

“People forget that to have a beautiful house, you have to lay some foundations. u

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“Your child will be mostly taught through games and play” For me, that’s what the early years provide. If you don’t have the footings of the house, cracks can start to appear in the brickwork later on.”

Official government guidelines in England on the early years foundation stage (EYFS, which covers children from birth until the end of their first year in reception, when they turn five) have been around for ages and are specific about what nurseries and pre-prep departments should be covering. Communication and language, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design all feature. But a key sentence in the official wording is: ‘Your child will be mostly taught through games and play.’

It may sound straightforward, but these are games and play with a purpose, delivered by a highly trained team of early years practitioners and teachers. Their job is to know all the children they work with inside out, so each one gets an almost miraculously personalised programme of learning, individualised to their interests and confidence levels.

“It’s making learning very practical and achievable for everybody, because children all learn differently and need different approaches,” points out Nicola Henson.

She cites the example of a nursery-aged pupil, with limited English, but a very clear sense of what he enjoyed doing.

For him, playing with Play-Doh created a calming, relaxing play space, which meant the school could also start to reach out

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with additional activities to help him improve his vocabulary.

“It was his comfortable place to learn, so we were constantly drawing on that knowledge to make it interesting for him and to make sure we could engage him. We might add in some animals and teach him about animals or add in some colours and teach about colours. If a child is happy and secure, they’re going to learn more – and more quickly.”

Teachers are also highly ambitious for their pupils. At OIS, expertise with a whole host of different mother tongues is something of a house speciality, and children from the age of three receive weekly Spanish lessons with a native Spanish speaker.

At St Mary’s School, Cambridge, Mandarin is taught from Year 1, while a specialist science teacher inspires even the tiniest pupils to take an interest in science, technology, engineering and maths. Computer coding is widely offered at a very young age – often starting with games that help pupils understand just why it’s important to get your instructions right. At Sancton Wood, for example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 may write out all the stages required to make a jam sandwich. Tiny differences can lead to enormous variations – like jam on the outside of the bread. “It makes you realise that if you miss one of the little coding instructions, you all make it very differently,” says Nicola Henson.

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the classroom. Children may enjoy a real fire as part of Forest School, learn how to climb trees and handle smaller – but fully functioning – woodwork tools. Four and five year olds at St Mary’s Junior School are adept at using woodworking tools – including scaled-down saws – recently making their own little money boxes.

“They’re taught how to use them from the beginning,” says St Mary’s Kerry Owens.

Soft skills, including speaking (and performing) in public are also part and parcel of day-to-day life for these young children. At OIS, there’s a big emphasis on helping children develop good behaviour, kindness, good manners and teamwork. “Younger children have the older ones as role models and they will have a ‘buddy’ in the older years,” explains Marie Ransome.

At St Mary’s, every Reception child has an individual line to say in the annual nativity play. “We always are astounded by how important it is for that early confidence,” says Kerry Owens. “It’s not just about what you say, it’s where you come in, working with other people, producing this team effort. We often find that the children we’d least expect are the ones who stand up there and put their heart and soul into it.”

The school also encourages every pupil who learns an instrument – even complete beginners – to perform in public, the earlier the better. “It is a big thing to stand up and perform. It’s really important to understand that you’re not just learning these things to practise,

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“The importance of imagination, creativity and having freedom to explore” practise, practise. You’re learning for a reason, for example, practising to perform at the teatime concert.”

Involving children in decisions about their learning, and understanding the reasons behind what they’re doing, is a key part of the educational process, explains Marie Ransome. “At OIS, there is a big emphasis on ensuring the children love learning and are happy. It’s about valuing the process, rather than the end product. With craft work, for example, it’s the children who lead the creative process and suggest ways to make the picture or item better. It’s not something made to a predesigned template.”

Given the success of early years practitioners in Cambridgeshire’s schools, should there be more effort to acknowledge their success and even incorporate some of their techniques elsewhere in school, rather than taking away all the nice, cuddly stuff pretty much as soon as children have celebrated their fifth birthdays?

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“People recognise in early years the importance of imagination, creativity and having freedom to explore and build a love of learning,” says Peter Woodroffe, deputy chief executive officer of the Independent Schools Association. “What tends to happen later on is that they are stuffed behind desks and forced to write in books, because people are desperate to get them prepared them for the 11+ so they get into the best senior schools, so they get the best GCSEs and A-levels, and so they get into the best universities.

Whether that’s actually the best thing or not is strongly argued.”

Schools are, he says, looking at different approaches for older children, where, instead of always leading from the front, teachers are increasingly learning facilitators, encouraging and supporting children and giving them a greater sense of ownership over their education. And, if they’re in need of inspiration, our area’s early years providers will be happy to guide them. l M A Y 2 019

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Testing times THE STAFF AT GRESHAM’S SCHOOL IN HOLT, NORFOLK, CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS OF OFSTED’S PLANNED EXAM OVERHAUL

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xam season is fraught with stress for young people countrywide, and helpful advice for weathering the storm abounds: draw up a timetable, summarise notes, practise with past papers, exercise often, avoid junk food, sleep regularly, reward yourself... and so on. Whatever advice a young person chooses to follow, they will all, undoubtedly, still be feeling the pressure that formal assessments of academic knowledge bring.

So, Ofsted’s proposal to broaden the focus of its education inspection framework – away from academic achievement, towards curriculum and learning – will be music to many ears, including teachers, who for too long have felt the pressure of league tables. But any reform will be a while in coming, and so offers no solace for this year’s cohorts.

While considering its reforms, Ofsted uncovered two disturbing facts that have been linked to the current assessment system. First, it was discovered that children in many primary schools are spending their time repeatedly reading comprehension tests, rather than reading a wide range of books.

Cathy Braithwaite, head of Gresham’s Prep School, believes: “Exposure to the broadest possible range of books from an early age is essential to opening children’s minds to the wonderful thoughts, ideas and opportunities that will help them develop knowledge, confidence and creativity of their own.

While young people love to, and learn a lot from, reading and rereading favourite stories, this is very different to repeatedly studying comprehension tests – the

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monotony of which may put some children off reading altogether.”

Second, Ofsted found that many secondary school pupils are having their options limited by having to select GCSE subjects as early as Year 9, and are being discouraged from choosing more difficult subjects in favour of ‘easier’ ones, because of a disproportionate focus on examination results.

Douglas Robb, Gresham’s headmaster, says: “A system that serves to limit a young person’s choices at just 14 years old is a travesty. At this young age, students still have their whole life ahead of them and are very unlikely to have formed any clear or lasting ideas about what career they might like to pursue – let alone which subjects they will just enjoy studying in-depth for longer for the pure joy of it.”

So, every day of the school year, most teachers are thinking about how best to deliver each lesson to achieve the best possible examination results, based on a belief that exam success itself should be the goal for piquing a pupil’s interest, nurturing their understanding and developing their skills around a subject (as opposed to being just one of the desired outcomes).

For students at Gresham’s School, exam season is a little different. First,

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the location on the North Norfolk coast means students are connected with the great outdoors, which helps alleviate their stress. But, more importantly, Gresham’s approach has never been to ‘teach to test’, because the focus has always been in-line with Ofsted’s proposed reforms: to keep the broader purpose of education front of mind and focus on preparing young people for rewarding personal and professional lives. The aim for Gresham’s students is to move on from their time at the school with the intellectual, personal and social qualities and skills needed to make a positive difference to the communities in which they live, not just for them to achieve an impressive set of grades. Indeed, Gresham’s School has a long track record of achieving just this, with famous alumni such as Peter Brook CH CBE, Olivia Colman, Sir Philip Dowson CBE, John Humphrey Spender and Lord Benjamin Britten standing as shining role models to current and future Gresham’s students.

For schools like Gresham’s, which focus on nurturing inquisitive and happy children equipped for the real world, Ofsted’s proposed shift in focus is thoroughly welcome. Finally, there will be the opportunity to celebrate the good work already taking place in schools across the country. l M A Y 2 019

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Home Edition © M&S

S P R I N GT I M E GA R D E N S • E D I T I O N LO V E S • B AT H RO O M T R E N D S

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

MOVE TO THE MEADOWS Cambridgeshire buyers encouraged to consider five star homebuilder’s Trumpington Meadows development

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five-star homebuilder is encouraging those seeking a luxury property that provides the best of town and city living to consider its lavish Trumpington Meadows development in Cambridge.

Barratt Homes has been awarded the five star rating for the tenth year in a row from the 2019 Home Builders Federation (HBF) annual customer satisfaction survey, which asks customers who have bought a new home if they would recommend it to a friend. The popular housebuilder is the only large national housebuilding company to achieve this.

With the survey revealing that 90% of the leading developer’s customers are happy to recommend the developer, Barratt Homes is encouraging Cambridgeshire buyers to view the high quality of its properties at Trumpington Meadows.

Set within an expansive 148-acre scenic country park, the award-winning Trumpington Meadows is located on Hauxton Road in Cambridge and has two- to five-bedroom homes for sale.

The properties on the development are built to the highest specification and provide a stylish way of living within open plan, contemporary layouts.

Expertly crafted with modern family life in mind, the variety of apartments and homes are perfect for young couples, working professionals and families.

Neighboured by Trumpington Meadow Country Park, the development provides residents with spectacular green scenery,

while offering an array of essential amenities and quick travel links to the nearby city.

For working professionals, there is quick access to the M11 and a convenient Park and Ride service is on your doorstep, while Cambridge city centre is just three miles away.

Growing families can benefit from the variety of schooling options nearby, including Trumpington Meadows Primary School, located on-site, and the Perse Upper School, just two miles away.

Great days out will never be too far from home with an abundance of shops, bars and restaurants for the whole family to enjoy in Cambridge.

Annette Hurst, sales director at Barratt Homes Eastern Counties, said: “Receiving five stars for the tenth year in a row is a testament to the high-quality homes and service we deliver to our customers.

“At Trumpington Meadows, the astounding homes featured will be a wonderful place for a variety of buyers to

call home, including those taking a step on or up the property ladder.

“With an array of moving schemes available, we would encourage those interested in living at the development to visit the sales centre on-site to find out more about how they can make a move today.”

There are plenty of schemes house hunters can use to help them when reserving a property at a Barratt Homes development, including Help to Buy with just a 5% deposit, Part Exchange and Movemaker, all designed to make the moving process simpler for buyers.

Trumpington Meadows homes are priced from £429,995. l To register an interest in any of the properties at Trumpington Meadows, please visit the on-site sales and information centre, open: Monday 12.30pm to 5.30pm and Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5.30pm. For more details about any of the Barratt Homes developments in the area, visit barratthomes.co.uk or call the sales line on 033 3355 8488.

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Offer available on selected plots only. Terms and conditions apply. See website for details, subject to contract and status.

Prices correct at time of going to press. Images include optional upgrades at additional cost. Following withdrawal or termination of any offer, we reserve the right to extend, reintroduce or amend any such offer as we see fit at any time.

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GA R D E N S

How does your

GARDEN GROW?

ANNA TAYLOR, OWNER OF ANNA’S FLOWER FARM IN AUDLEY END, SHARES WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE GARDEN THIS MONTH

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aia, the Greek goddess of fertility, land and growth, seems to have inspired the name for the month of May, which certainly feels appropriate. The Romans celebrated the beginning of May with the festival of Floralia to celebrate the Roman goddess of flowers, Flora. It was marked by dancing, gathering of flowers and wearing bright clothes, just like more modern May Day celebrations and maypole dancing. And with the garden transforming this month, voluptuous and rich with the trees and hedges turning verdant green, I think there is much to celebrate. Flowers race ahead in dry, warm weather or leaves are lush and full if it’s wet.

We mark May Day by continuing the ancient tradition of leaving anonymous May Baskets of flowers on our neighbours’ doorsteps, celebrating the day – and marking the beginning of summer.

We are cutting the tulips, ranunculus, anemones and other spring bulbs. The first big flush of flowers brings full busy days for us again, cutting and conditioning, weeding as the soil has warmed up and still sowing new seeds for later in the summer, together with hardening off seedlings to plant out. It can still freeze even after dry, warm days, so protect your young plants. May feels pivotal in the gardening year – and we will reap the rewards across the summer for all the work we have done thus far.

By the end of the month, we are sowing biennials, in preparation for next spring’s flowers – a whole year ahead! They fill a flower gap in May between the spring flush and the first summer annuals and perennials, so you can feel really pleased with yourself if you manage to squeeze those in. Think wallflowers, silvery pods of honesty, sweet rocket and foxgloves. They are some of the loveliest spring flowers.

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in our arsenal. Unless we have a terrible attack, we avoid slug pellets, as they affect the soil composition with iron phosphates.

We first make sure our soil is well prepared, so the plants grow strong and can sustain some damage, but by far the best way to deal with slugs in our experience is to catch them! Night-time raids with a torch are highly successful, as are jam jars of beer sunk into the soil next to vulnerable plants.

Slugs are drawn to the beer, slip in and drown. It’s horrid, but even with a pond of frogs, chickens and wild birds, we always have slugs attracted to our rich soil and tasty young plants. We also surround some precious plants with plastic bottle rings, and once they have established over the next few weeks, their leaves are tougher and unbothered by slugs. It sounds like lots of effort, but well worth it.

May is a sneak preview of the summer: warmer, bright, long days. The final push of sowing, tending and planting before the big performance of flower beds and borders. l

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THIS MONTH Celebrate Garden Day at the Anna’s Flower Farm plots on Sunday 12 May with tours, tea and cake – and you can book to make a flower crown on the day, too. See the website for more details. annasflowerfarm.com

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Pretty practical

INTERIORS

THE BATHROOM MAY BE A FUNCTIONAL SPACE, BUT THERE’S NO REASON IT CAN’T ALSO OOZE STYLE. FROM THE LATEST COLOUR PALETTES TO THE MOST COVETABLE FIXTURES, ANGELINA VILLA-CLARKE REVEALS HOW TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE RETREAT

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he bathroom is normally the smallest room in the house and, traditionally, homeowners have opted for neutral palettes to create a spacious, clean feel. But, think again, say colour experts.

Bold schemes and dark colourways can evoke a luxurious, indulgent feel, even in the smallest spaces. Benjamin Moore’s deep Calypso Green paint colour, for example, is sultry and sophisticated, while the Old Claret shade taps into the latest trend for all things pink.

Charlotte Cosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball, offers her insight: “Pinks offer a huge amount of warmth, meaning they are perfect for bathrooms. Try out shades like Pink Ground or Calamine as a softer alternative to white.

For rooms that face north, use a dark colour like Paean Black on the walls and a shade like Peignoir on the woodwork to create a rich and romantic scheme.”

Interior designer at Heritage Bathrooms, Charlie Williams, agrees that dark shades can bring a high-end experience and a spa-like quality to a bathroom. “The key to achieving this look,” he explains, “is to be brave with your use of matte blacks. Use the colour on the walls, floor or key pieces, such as your freestanding bath. Lighting is vital when creating a usable darker space, so ensure your fittings have the functionality to offer both bright and dimmed lighting, enabling you to create a relaxing, atmospheric space.”

Meanwhile, for feature walls, the colour consultant at Crown Paints, Neville Knott, advises that Deep Bottle-Blue and Ocean Green are the must-have hues for this year. “Often the smallest room in the home, the bathroom has for too long become the victim of the ‘all white makes it look bigger’ design philosophy.

Thankfully, upcoming trends embrace a more creative and bold approach to what can be one of the most exciting spaces in the home.”u

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SM A L L S T Y L E SURFACE ADVICE FROM OTTO TILES

For a small space, choose a single tile that carries a pattern. This creates a statement ‘wow’ look. For a larger space, choose a design where four tiles make one pattern.

The brighter, the better. Avoid plain coloured tiles if you really want to make a statement.

Previous page Walls painted in Tin Bath, £20.50 for 2.5L, Crown Paints Left Calypso Green, £86.50 for 3.79L, Benjamin Moore Above Paean Black, £46.50 for 2.5L, Farrow & Ball Below Granley Deco standard basin, £175, Heritage Bathrooms

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Consider using tiles on the floor and on the walls, either using one design all over or mixing complementary designs.

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Above Hex Plain Pink Hexagon Cement Tile, £485 per 5m², Otto Tiles Below Havana Silver Ornate Matte Tile, £49.99 per m², Gemini Tiles Top right Azul Imperial Natural Quartzite, POA, Gerald Culliford Bottom right Key Stone Kura flooring, prices vary, Amtico Signature

THE NATURAL TREND TOP TIPS ON WHAT TO CHOOSE FROM STONE SUPPLIER GERALD CULLIFORD

Terrazzo allows you to experiment with colour and pattern – perfect for clients who want pieces that are distinctive and one-off.

Echoing this sense of drama is a rise in a variety of unique surfaces on offer for designsavvy interior aficionados, with hand-crafted tiles, unusual marbles and terrazzo surfaces bringing a sense of worldly glamour to our most practical room. Tapping into a timeless French feel is Gemini Tiles’ Havana Silver Ornate Matte tile, which works well underfoot.

While Gerald Culliford’s Brazilian Marinace Rosso granite – sourced from the deep riverbeds in Brazil – is a decadent and striking statement choice.

The latest collection from Otto Tiles is all about colour, with bright green, ochre and rose-pink tiles inspired by Moroccan designs, but introducing a modern aesthetic. Founder Damla Turgut says: “A small bathroom is a great space to experiment and decorate with colour and pattern. Choose geometric patterns rather than floral patterns – they make much more of a graphic impact in a smaller area.”

Consumers are also becoming more adventurous when it comes to flooring, with plenty of patterns, textures and finishes on offer. Above all, bathroom flooring needs to be practical, durable and robust. Therefore, Sarah Escott, design manager at Amtico, advises that a good choice is Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT).

“Our design is rooted in traditional methods, but we embrace digital technology in order to evolve,” says Sarah. “We also scour the globe u

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Statement bathroom countertops are definitely a trend at the moment, with vibrant surfaces used almost like works of art.

Natural stone gives you individuality and clients can select their own, as each piece is unique.

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INTERIORS

STO CK IST S Amtico 0121 745 0800 amtico.com

Benjamin Moore 01753 575756 benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk Bette 0844 800 0547 bette.de/en Britton Bathrooms 01322 473 222 brittonbathrooms.com Clearwater 01322 473 222 clearwaterbaths.com C.P. Hart 03458 731 121 cphart.co.uk Crosswater 0345 873 8840 crosswater.co.uk Crown Paints crownpaints.co.uk Farrow & Ball 01223 367771 farrow-ball.com For The Floor & More 0161 850 5857 orthefloorandmore.com Gemini Tiles 0800 014 2994 geminitiles.co.uk Gerald Culliford 020 8390 4656 geraldculliford.co.uk Heritage Bathrooms heritagebathrooms.com Lundhs lundhsrealstone.com/uk Otto Tiles 020 3488 3205 ottotiles.co.uk Stone & Ceramic Warehouse 020 8993 5545 stoneandceramicwarehouse.co.uk

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INTERIORS

looking for unique design inspiration that will ultimately transform people’s living spaces.”

Also offering a range of vinyl flooring – and perfect for those after vivid schemes – is For The Floor & More, with husband and wife founders Joe and Louisa applying their experience with print to produce their own unique patterned options.

Meanwhile, the American Graffiti porcelain tiles from the Stone & Ceramic Warehouse feature designs inspired by street art and famous icons. They create a stunning visual impact when laid together on any floor or wall.

The brand’s Rainforest patterned slab tiles also offer a striking forest pattern, turning your walls into art forms.

From bathtubs to luxury showers, updating fixtures and fittings is the most obvious way to make a difference in the bathroom. A statement bathtub, for instance, adds instant glamour.

Britton’s square Sustain bath is a modern take on the standalone tub, while the Albion Bath

Opposite page American Graffiti tiles, £420 per m², Stone & Ceramic Warehouse Top left Clearline Sustain bath, from £175, Britton Bathrooms Top right Kittie flooring, £48 per m², For The Floor & More Above Vicenza bath, from £2,199, Clearwater

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Company offers a range of traditional shapes, with claw or ball feet, available in metallic, burnished and coloured finishes.

Ashton & Bentley’s baths come in a range of coloured finishes and are a great way to inject personality into a bathroom. “Pinks and greens are particularly popular at the moment,” reveals managing director, Edward Carey. “Soft shades of pink give the room an elegant, retro feel, while green hues are perfect for creating a relaxing, natural ambience, especially when paired with wooden accessories.”

Clearwater, meanwhile, offers baths in a variety of curvy, modern designs. Faye Froy, marketing manager at Clearwater, advises: “A bath is the main focus of a bathroom.

Our distinctive Nebbia bath isn’t the usual symmetrical shape, but instead features one long end to provide bathers with extra back support and comfort. For those with small bathrooms, the Formoso Petite bath is ideal, and for those who appreciate the aesthetic of straight lines and edges, the Vicenza bath is a good choice. The floor-standing bath spout is also ideal for those who enjoy a particularly clean-cut looking bathroom.”

One key piece has the potential to transform your room – from Lundhs’ antique basin to Crosswater’s range of black and gold feature taps. The BetteCraft basin, from bathroom manufacturer Bette, for instance, is formed into its craft-like ‘potter’s wheel’ shape by hand, while the BettePond Silhouette is a free-standing circular bath reminiscent of the original shape of the ‘tub’. Mix and match these contemporary shapes with vintage radiators, industrial lighting and copper-toned accessories for an characterful feel.

Offering a wide range of innovative bathroom furniture is C.P. Hart. Rachel Martin, the company’s merchandising director, gives the last word: “In 2019, bathroom trends are manifesting themselves in a kaleidoscope of colours, finishes and shapes. In particular, we’re seeing water-inspired blues and greens revitalising bathroom schemes. There’s never been a better time to escape the restraints of minimalism and have a little bit of fun with bathroom design.” l M A Y 2 019

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INTERIORS

BROOKLYN COPPER BATHROOM PENDANT

HAND-WOVEN BATU TOWEL

£75, industville.co.uk

£28, hammamandhome.co.uk

PARISIENNE VINCENT TILE

£78 per m², sacw.co.uk

BRUSHED COPPER SOAP DISPENSER

£18, redcandy.co.uk

EDI T ION

LOVES ANTIQUED GOLD METAL SWAN DOOR KNOB

£6, giselagraham.co.uk

WAFFLED COTTON LINEN TOWELS

from £15, secretlinenstore.com

GEO: ARCH VINYL FLOORING

£48 per m², forthefloorandmore.com

EICHHOLTZ HEXA GOLD MIRROR

OXFORD CAST IRON RADIATOR

£894, sweetpeaandwillow.com

£1,095, frontlinebathrooms.co.uk

URBAN PARADISE GLASS CANDLE

£8, sainsburyshome.co.uk

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