Cambridge Edition October

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LOCAL LIFE

C A M B R I D G E F I L M F E S T I VA L X H A L LO W E E N I D E A S X T H E B E S T C O F F E E S H O P S I N TO W N X F E S T I VA L O F I D E A S X W E D D I N G S S P E C I A L X A R T S & C U LT U R E X F O O D & D R I N K X G I G S & N I G H T L I F E X FA M I LY DAYS O U T X P R O P E R T Y & H O M E S X E D U C AT I O N

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

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W E LC O M E

Welcome.

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feeling of mellowness seems to descend on Cambridge during the autumn weeks. Summer and its hordes of tourists having ebbed away, but the frenetic festive season still at a safe distance, the city relaxes into itself a little, basking handsomely in the golden, rusty tones of the season. Take a stroll – along the Backs, through the colleges, down by the river – and be rewarded with sights of Cambridge at its most lovely.

As well as its beauty, the city will be showing off its considerable brains this month, as the Festival of Ideas returns to celebrate its tenth anniversary and offer a timely exploration of the concept of ‘truth’. Who and what can we trust in this era of alternative facts? Is it possible to keep secrets in an age of technology? What has driven populist movements around the world? These questions and plenty more will be dissected through a series of absorbing talks, debates and exhibitions – see which tickle your fancy over on page 25.

Another cultural treat this month in the shape of the Cambridge Film Festival (page 26), which will deliver its usual, imaginatively curated fusion of Hollywood big hitters, classics, documentaries, obscure indie flicks and foreign cinema from 19-26 October.

If you need a caffeine fix with your culture, we’ve also rounded up the best coffee houses in the city this issue. Where once this may have been slim pickings, Cambridge’s cup now overflows with caffeine emporiums of the very highest order, from Hot Numbers’ high-tech homebrews to Novi’s nitro draught – see who came out top of the pile over on page 34. There’s more cheesefilled dispatches from the Swiss Alps from Alex, our food writer, on page 43, plus Elodie from drinks shop Thirsty dives into the sorcerous world of biodynamic wines. With all the talk of lunar cycles and scattering animal horns, it’s rather easy to sneer, but, as Elodie argues, the proof is most definitely in the pudding and these wines more than deliver on taste, find out more on page 55.

As ever, the issue is also packed to the rafters with news on local gigs, theatre shows, art exhibitions and plenty more – have a great October and see you next month!

Nicola Foley

E D I TO R I A L

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

A DV E RT I S I N G

Senior sales executive Chris Jacobs 01223 499463 chrisjacobs@bright-publishing.com Sales executive Shannon Walford 01223 499457 shannonwalford@bright-publishing.com

C O N T R I B U TO R S

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

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

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

M A N AG I N G D I R E C TO R S

Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck 01223 499450

FIND US @ CAMBSEDITION

CAMBSEDITION .CO.UK 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, created by Flo Thomas, depicts the glasshouse at the Cambridge University Botanic Gardens. The gardens will be open late this month with special illuminations as part of India Unboxed’s Diwali celebrations. Find out more on page 23.

Editor in chief

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

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Contents.

7 Reasons to be cheerful.

Excellent things to enjoy in Cambridge this October

8 Nightlife.

After-dark fun, from live music and club nights to comedy

11 Music blog.

Jordan from Slate the Disco gives his top gig picks for the month

13 Arts & culture.

A round-up of arty, cultural events in the city, from exhibitions to theatre

22 Art insider.

44 Food News.

50 Review.

We pay a visit to patty kings Honest Burgers

55 Drinks.

We pay a visit to patty kings Honest Burgers

56 Listings.

Your at-a-glance guide to local events for October

60 Family.

Ruthie Collins gives the low-down on arty happenings this month

Children’s theatre, outdoorsy fun, Halloween with the kids and more

25 Festival of Ideas.

65 Weddings.

Speakers, exhibitions and events, exploring a theme of ‘Truth’

26 Cambridge Film Festival.

The 37th instalment of our city’s acclaimed celebration of cinema

29 Halloween Horrors.

Get spooked on ghost tours, at a Halloween ball and more

33 Hero Eats.

78 Beauty.

Daisy Dickinson shows you how to level up your Halloween make-up

85 Open Days.

With open day season upon us, Charlotte Phillips talks to experts about how to get the most from attending

91 Education Spotlight.

34 A Coffee Lovers’ Guide to Cambridge.

97 Interiors.

Give your decor a new lease of life with these gorgeous trends

109 Home Store of the Month.

43 Alex Rushmer.

114 Property News.

More foodie treats from chef Alex, currently residing in the Swiss Alps

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Culford School in Suffolk considers the changing face of school boarding

39 Foodie 5 of the Best.

Where best around Cambridge to get your dumpling fix

65

A local weddings bonanza, featuring vibrant venues, gorgeous gowns and fabulous food

Three things you need to eat in Cambridge – right now

Get caffeinated at the city’s best coffee houses

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Gastronomic goings-on you need to know about this month

26

We explore what local interiors company Profile Designs has to offer

Local agents Cooke, Curtis & Co offer a slice of commentary

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NEWS

Festival of Ideas.

Reasons to be cheerful.

Get your grey matter working at the Festival of Ideas, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year and features hundreds of fascinating free events. Running 16-29 October at venues around the city, the festival includes debates, workshops, talks, exhibitions and performances, celebrating the arts, humanities and social sciences. This year’s festival puts truth under the spotlight, discussing everything from whether we can still believe in experts to how conspiracy theories stake their claim to truth. Find out more on page 25.

H A L LOW E E N S P O O KS .

Fancy dress at the ready, because Halloween is just around the corner, and Cambridgeshire and its surrounds will be delivering some great ghoulish goings-on to enjoy. Whether you want to channel glittery Gothic chic and dance the night away at a decadent Halloween ball, get creeped out on a walking ghost tour of the city’s spookiest corners, or get scared utterly senseless at an immersive horror experience in the grounds of an ancient stately home – we’ve got all your wickedest whims covered. Turn to page 29 for our pick of the top events.

VOLUNTEER FOR CAMBRIDGE. If you’ve ever thought to yourself that you’d like to give back to your community, get more involved with a cause you feel passionately about or use your free time to help those in need, the Volunteer for Cambridge event on 21 October is the perfect chance to find out about volunteering opportunities nearby. More than 90 organisations will be at the event, from community arts groups to charities that help young people with learning disabilities to local events such as Strawberry Fair – all of them on hand to chat about what they do and what they need from volunteers. To find out more, visit: cambridge.gov.uk/volunteer-for-cambridge

S I LV E R S C R E E N M AG I C .

The Cambridge Film Festival, a highlight of the local events calendar, returns this month for its 37th instalment, bringing a dazzling line-up of cinematic treats. As always, you can expect an eclectic blend of Hollywood big-hitters, insightful documentaries, cult movies, family favourites and more left-field offerings, plus film screenings in unique locations. We’ve got the full low-down over on page 26; have a read and get planning your festival!

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October nightlife.

C H E C K O U T L O C A L E V E N T S O N L I N E AT C A M B S E D I T I O N .C O.U K

H OT 8 B R A S S B A N D .

One of the many great acts to emerge from the rich musical landscape of New Orleans, the Hot 8 Brass Band return to Cambridge this month for a gig at the Junction – and if last year’s blistering performance is anything to go by, it’s going to be unmissable. Mixing up marching brass band elements with a dollop of hip hop, funk and jazz, the group are known for their irresistible covers of well-loved tracks by artists from Snoop Dogg to The Specials. Most famous of all is their joyous take on Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing – the track responsible for getting them a record deal and tipping them over into mainstream success.

Catch them on 13 October, tickets are £20.50. junction.co.uk

1O4C T .

DIZZEE RASCAL.

Boo Hewerdine.

One of the most respected songwriters in the biz, Ely-based Boo Hewerdine has written hits for everyone from Natalie Imbruglia to kd lang. His most long-standing and fruitful partnership, though, has been his ongoing collaboration with Scottish singer Eddi Reader, for whom he penned the Ivor Novello-nominated Patience of Angels. He’s also got a clutch of solo albums under his belt, the latest of which, Swimming in Mercury, was released in April this year, with The Guardian praising its “simple, poetic reflections on life and love”. This month, you can catch him perform with Manchester rising stars We Were Strangers in the beautiful setting of Waterbeach Baptist Chapel on 14 October, tickets are £12.94. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

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Grime superstar Dizzee Rascal pays Cambridge a visit this October, hot on the heels of the release of Raskit, his much-anticipated sixth album. It’s the first offering from Mr Rascal (as Jeremy Paxman referred to him) in four years, and has been widely heralded as both a return to his roots and a return to top form. Credited with bringing London’s sizzling grime scene into the mainstream, he’s best known for tracks such as Fix Up Look Sharp, Bonkers and Dance Wiv Me. Catch him on 13 October, tickets are £27.75. cornex.co.uk

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Guaranteed to get any party going, the brilliant Hackney Colliery Band are back in Cambridge next month to serve up a dose of their feel-good brass music. junction.co.uk

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CRAIG CHARLES FUNK & SOUL CLUB.

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Suzanne Vega.

A leading light on the 1980s folk revival scene, Suzanne Vega plays Cambridge on 1 October as part of a tour to celebrate the 30th and 25th anniversaries respectively of her albums Solitude Standing and 99.9F. She’ll be playing both albums in full at the gig, as well as performing more tracks from throughout a distinguished career that has seen her sell over seven million albums worldwide. Widely recognised as one of the most brilliant songwriters of her generation, she’ll be revisiting hits including Marlene on the Wall, Luka, and her most famous track of all, Tom’s Diner. Tickets are available from £32.25. cornex.co.uk

Already looking forward to Christmas? Get yourself a ticket to Cambridge’s hottest December get down pronto and enjoy the good-time grooves with Craig Charles. junction.co.uk

DR HOOK. 1970s rockers Dr Hook hit the Corn Exchange this month as part of their Timeless World Tour 2017, which stops by in Cambridge on 14 October. Original front man Dennis Locorriere is still doing his thing, joined by an impressive new band who’ll be reviving classic tracks such as A Little Bit More, When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman and Sharing The Night Together. Tickets start at £31.75. cornex.co.uk

N I C K M U LV E Y. Local lad done good Nick Mulvey plays a homecoming gig at Cambridge Junction this month, following the release of his second album. Wake Up Now, released last month, sees the twice-Mercury-nominated singer songwriter in relaxed form, serving up more of the sumptuous alt-folk he’s become known for. See him in action on 16 October, tickets are £19.50. junction.co.uk CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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ERASURE.

10 F E B , C O R N E X , F R O M £42. 75

The chart-conquering musical partnership of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke will be in Cambridge early next year with their back catalogue of hits inlcudng A Little Respect and Always. cornex.co.uk

SA R A H MILLICAN .

21-23 J U N E , C O R N E X , £30. 25 Funny, frank and unapologetically filthy, comedian Sarah Millican performs her new show Control Enthusiast, covering everything from bra fittings to the benefits of casserole. cornex.co.uk

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NIGHTLIFE

Music blog.

J O R DA N WO R L A N D F RO M L O C A L M U S I C W E B S I T E S L AT E T H E D I S C O S E L E C T S H I S M U S T-S E E G I GS I N CAMBRIDGE THIS MONTH

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he autumn live music season gets off to a grand start this October in Cambridge. Norfolk Street’s The Blue Moon has a host of evenings that catch our eye, starting with Cambridge punk outfit Bloody Knees (26th) in what will be their first hometown show in ages.

The four-piece are back with new EP Maybe It’s Easy this month and this gig gives us the chance to remind ourselves of their excellent, gut-punching, raging guitars and growls.

The Blue Moon schedule kicks off with the fuzz-pop stylings of Acid Tongue on the 1st – expect surfy garage rock that’s as catchy as it is kooky. On the 8th we have the duo of Sally Anne Morgan and Sarah Louise Henson who hail from North Carolina. Experiencing their sparse and unadorned use of close vocal harmony and acoustic instrumentation in a live setting will make for an eerie and atmospheric evening, especially in the intimate surroundings of The Blue Moon. Instrumental doom outfit The Grey play on the 17th, whilst on the 27th The Blue Moon welcomes Noga Erez. Erez is an Israeli musician, singer-songwriter, keyboardist and producer who creates uncompromising, unpredictable, sophisticated and bold danceheavy beats and dynamic melodies.

We have a tie for our top pick at The Portland Arms this month. Firstly, Diet Cig on the 23rd, and then (Sandy) Alex G two days later on the 25th. Diet Cig is the New York boy-girl duo of Alex Luciano (guitar and vocals) and Noah Bowman (drums). Their debut album released earlier this year was a triumph of raucous pop-punk that was clever, funny, confrontational and ever so slightly twee. (Sandy) Alex G also released a new record, Rocket, this year – a brilliantly considered next step and his catchiest record yet.

New York City dweller Jeffrey Lewis is a comic book artist and indie-rock musician, mixing captivating folk spiels with raw-edged garage rock. Lewis never disappoints when in town and he’s back on the 5th with his brilliant full-band show. Other Portland tips this month include the pop-punk stylings of Junior (18th), indie-pop stalwarts The Lovely Eggs (30th) and Howling Bells’ Juanita Stein (2nd). Stein released her own solo record earlier this year and it’s a gem; evocative and filled with stories of heartbreak and optimism weaved together with her honey voice.

At Hidden Rooms on Jesus Lane this month we highly recommend the Alex Hitchcock & Will CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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Images from top Fickle Friends; Bloody Knees; Noga Erez

Barry Duo on the 5th. Both from an acclaimed music schooling, this new duo format sees them explore each other’s original compositions and repertoires, ranging from Hermeto Pascoal to Lennie Tristano.

October is a busy month for music over at the Cambridge Junction, too, and there’s a host of gigs on our radar. It’s hard to pick highlights, but topping our must-see list is The Horrors (who released their fifth album, V, last month) on the 26th.

Local lad done really good Nick Mulvey returns to the Junction on the 16th with his new record in tow. Wake Up Now is Mulvey’s sprawling sophomore solo record and the follow-up to his Mercury Prize-nominated debut from 2015.

The record is filled with great leftfield rhythms, harnessing an exquisitely natural guitarist doing extraordinary things, painting unique colours across a very moreish collection of songs.

Last seen in Cambridge opening for The Kooks, Fickle Friends perfectly craft glittering pop music; they play the J2 on the 14th. Also at Cambridge Junction this month, folk festival faves CC Smugglers take to the stage on the 19th whilst The Pigeon Detectives bring their Wait For Me debut album ten-year anniversary tour to town on the 30th.

South London legends Squeeze are at the Corn Exchange on the 27th, while hit-maker Dizzee Rascal stops by on the 13th. A pioneer of grime music, he brings brand new material from his latest record, Raskit. n

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Arts & culture.

Z.E.N Trio.

Classical music in stripped back, trio-form comes to the Corn Exchange on 2 October with some of the most exciting young musicians around. Taking their name from their first initials, the Z.E.N Trio comprise current and former BBC New Generation artists Zhang Zuo (piano), Esther Yoo (violin) and Narek Hakhnazaryan (cello). The trio, who formed in 2015 and have recorded an album, will perform works by Haydn, Brahms and Dvořák.

This is the opening date on a UK tour, with concerts in China to follow. Tickets start from £20.50 and concessions are £12.50. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

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THE OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR. Immerse yourself in the wonders of the sea on 6 October, when the Ocean Film Festival World Tour arrives in Cambridge to share a showcase of awe-inspiring short films. Offering a spellbinding look at life above and below the water’s surface, the 2017 programme sees intrepid freedivers exploring an eerie shipwreck, nomadic sailors face the icy waters of Antarctica and spectacular footage of marine life including humpback whales and the endangered Giant Pacific manta ray.

The festival, which originates in Australia, is from the team behind the Banff Film Festival, and celebrates the divers, paddlers, surfers and oceanographers who dedicate their lives to the marvels and mysteries of the ocean.

“We’re delighted to be bringing the Ocean Film Festival World Tour back to UK audiences for the fourth year running,” says Tour Director Nell Teasdale. “Featuring incredible cinematography, the films capture the raw beauty and power of the ocean, while celebrating an eclectic and fascinating mix of characters who live for the sea’s salt spray.”

Highlights from this year’s programme include Sea Gypsies, which follows a free-spirited crew about to embark on an extraordinary 8,000-mile voyage from New Zealand to Patagonia, taking in the intimidating iceberg-strewn waters of Antarctica along the way.

Whale Chasers, meanwhile, shines a spotlight on the group of ‘citizen scientists’ who sit atop the rugged cliffs above New Zealand’s Cook Strait. A motley gang of men in their 70s and 80s, they’re keeping watch for humpback whales as part of the Cook Strait Whale Count – a study into the recovery of New Zealand’s humpback population since the end of New Zealand whaling in 1964. It’s tiring but rewarding work – but the reason that these volunteers are so good at their job is that, as well as being descendants of New Zealand’s 200year history of whaling, they were all once whalers themselves…

Fishpeople looks at the ocean’s limitless opportunities for fun and freedom, speaking with surfers, spearfishers and a group of at-risk kids in San Francisco; all of whom can vouch for the transformative effects of time spent in the sea.

Tickets are £15.75. cornex.co.uk

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Above Dive beneath the surface with insightful films, such as Sea Gypsies and The Legacy, when the Ocean Film Festival World Tour lands at the Corn Exchange on 6 October

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THE BEST MAN. Forget fake news, try a slice of timely cuttingedge writing, when The Best Man, by Gore Vidal, comes to the Arts Theatre, 16 to 21 October.

Martin Shaw leads the cast in the UK premiere of this award-winning play about a race to the White House.

Opposing presidential candidates are neck and neck in a battle for their party’s nomination. All they need is official support from a respected ex-President.

But where does compromise end and corruption begin? Who will be proven to be The Best Man? Also starring Jeff Fahey, Glynis Barber, Honeysuckle Weeks and Gemma Jones, this tale of political intrigue twists and turns just like the real world.

Tickets start from £23. cambridgeartstheatre.com

Sounds of Science.

A eureka moment comes to the Corn Exchange this month when history, knowledge, science, technology and the arts come together for a unique experience not to be missed. Author Christopher Lloyd introduces key moments in the history of science in a talk that reveals the sounds used to represent them, before a 21-minute soundscape performed by sound artist and musician Dame Evelyn Glennie and composed by Jill Jarman. The event – part of Cambridge Science Festival – takes place at the Corn Exchange at 4.30pm on 8 October. Tickets are £22 for adults and £15 for children, but currently there’s a 2-for-1 offer on kids’ tickets. cornex.co.uk

THE CAMBRIDGE CONTEST OF LIARS.

We live in the age of ‘alternative facts’, but can you tell a lie from the truth? Find out, or spin some tall tales of your own, at the Cambridge Contest of Liars this month. Taking place on 19 October at Cambridge Junction, this evening brings together some of the finest fibbers for an evening of falsehoods and fabrications – all masterfully spun.

Unbelievable or believable, you can be the judge.

If you fancy getting up on stage yourself, contact Cambridge Storytellers, with up to 300 words about yourself and the lie you’d like to tell – if it’s good enough you could win a prize, plus the rather dubious bragging rights of being crowned the best liar in the city… cambridgestorytellers.com

M E D E A , W R I T T E N I N R AG E .

Coming straight out of Greek mythology, Medea is back – and this time she wants to tell her side of the story. A blood-soaked collage of performance, opera and confession, this startlingly contemporary reimagining of the ancient Greek tale sees Medea transporting audiences from ancient Greece to modern Europe and back again through her monologues. The story is brought vividly to life by dancer and vocalist François Testory, who fuses his extraordinary physicality, his androgynous and unique stage presence and a seven-octave vocal range for this evocative lament. The performance also features live music by acclaimed composer and music producer, Phil Von. It’s at Cambridge Junction on 11 October; tickets are £12.50. junction.co.uk CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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Morgan & West: Time-Travelling Magicians.

There’s an evening of baffling magic and captivating conjuring in store this month at Cambridge Junction, when time-travelling Victorian magicians Morgan & West pay a visit on 27 October. Not content with their status as the nineteenth century’s greatest magic duo, this prestidigitatory pair are on a mission to wow audiences in 2017 too, presenting an evening of magic, mystery and the unexplainable. Tickets are £12.50. junction.co.uk

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Jools Holland.

MAGIC OF MOTOWN.

Jools Holland is in town this month with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, promising a night of toe-tapping fun, classic tunes and special guest performances. A stalwart on our screens thanks to his BBC live music showcase Later with…, which celebrated its 50th series this year, Holland is still spreading the boogie-woogie word and having bags of fun doing it.

This show, on 29 October at the Corn Exchange, will see him joined by a nineteen-piece band which features a pianist, organist, brass, strings, percussion and vocalists. They’ll also be joined by Grammy Award winner José Feliciano, one of the most prominent stars in Latin America and revered musicians in the world, with whom Jools is releasing an album.

Tickets start at £32.25. cornex.co.uk

Celebrate the solid gold grooves and iconic artists of one of the greatest ever record labels this month as the Corn Exchange steps back in time for a ritzy Motown extravaganza.

Magic of Motown, which is celebrating ten years on the road, is also honouring the 50th anniversary of Motown mega hit Reach Out I’ll Be There. You’ll be transported right back to golden era ‘Motor Town’ as the uber talented cast faithfully recreate the tunes of greats like The Supremes, The Temptations, Jackson 5, Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie and more – complete with glittery costumes galore and slick choreography. If you fancy joining in the fun, the show takes place on 28 October and tickets start at £28.75. cornex.co.uk

B A L L E T B OY Z .

Formed in 2001, BalletBoyz have become an international sensation, performing all over the world and picking up a slew of awards and accolades. Challenging ballet clichés, the group are credited with introducing the dance form to new audiences through their refreshing approach and innovative productions. This month, you can catch one of their stunning live performances at Cambridge Arts Theatre, when they perform their latest offering Fourteen Days on both 22 and 23 October.

The first half of the production sees the fruits of the labours of choreographers Javier de Frutos, Craig Revel Horwood, Iván Pérez and Christopher Wheeldon and composers Scott Walker, Joby Talbot, Charlotte Harding and Keaton Henson when they were given just 14 days to create a piece. Playing with the concept of balance and imbalance, the result is an exciting and varied programme of dance and music.

The second segment of the evening, entitled Fallen, was choreographed by Russell Maliphant and is set to a powerful score by French film composer Armand Amar. The piece won the National Dance Award for Best Modern Choreography in 2013.

Tickets start at £23. cambridgeartstheatre.com CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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t’s been 14 years since David Walliams, together with comedy sidekick Matt Lucas, burst onto our screens with sketch show Little Britain, poking fun at the idiosyncrasies of our national character. A further BBC series, Come Fly With Me, followed, together with judging Britain’s Got Talent.

Less well-known is the fact that, impressively, Walliams is currently the most successful children’s author in the UK, having penned 11 hit books so far. With one of his most popular offerings to date, Awful Auntie, at Cambridge Arts Theatre this month (25-29 October), we caught up with him to find out what audiences can expect from the show.

Q. FIRST THINGS FIRST, WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED AWFUL AUNTIE?

Q&A.

A. It may not be the answer you were expecting but I am obsessed with the film The Shining. I wanted to create a horror story where a child was trapped in a house with a dangerous relative, cut off from the outside world. As for the character herself, I had a lot of fun creating Aunt Alberta.

Villains are always so much more fun than heroes. I wanted her to be funny as much as scary, which is something my literary hero Roald Dahl always did so brilliantly.

Q. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME YOU’VE WORKED WITH BIRMINGHAM STAGE COMPANY (BSC), WHY DO YOU THINK THE COLLABORATION HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL?

A. I think I share a sense of humour with Neal Foster, who runs BSC and has written both adaptations, so it has been very harmonious. Also, the company are really successful, and have been making magnificent family shows for years, so I completely trust them.

Q. ARE THERE ANY CHALLENGES WITH THIS PRODUCTION?

A. I think the world of Awful Auntie is very heightened, for example Aunt Alberta has a henchman who is actually an owl. So I think capturing the tone of the book and still making it believable will be the biggest challenge. Also trying to balance the humour with the frightening moments is never easy, but I have every faith in BSC.

Q. HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATE CHILDREN WILL REACT DIFFERENTLY TO THE SHOW THAN THE BOOK?

A. When you read a book it’s normally on your own, whereas when you watch a stage show you share the experience with an audience. You are likely to laugh more in an audience, so hopefully the stage show will be a hoot.

Q. WHAT DO YOU HOPE CHILDREN WILL TAKE FROM THE PRODUCTION?

A. Stella is a pretty self-reliant heroine, and so I hope children will be inspired to find the strength within themselves to deal with bad situations. Also Stella is posh and even has the title ‘Lady’, but by the end of the story she realises none of that is important and that all people should be treated the same. I believe that too.

Q. … AND FOR ADULTS?

A. The message for adults is don’t lock your niece in a country house, or you may end up being killed by a giant snow owl.

Q. AND WHAT ACTUALLY MAKES A ‘GOOD’ BOOK FOR A CHILD?

A. I think a good children’s book should be funny and exciting, and have a message that makes you think about it long after you have finished reading it.

Q. WHICH OTHER MODERN CHILDREN’S AUTHORS DO YOU ADMIRE AND WHY?

A. Dame Jacqueline Wilson is a genius. I read ‘Tracy Beaker’ and instantly thought I should give up it’s so brilliant. Michael Morpurgo is an astonishingly good writer who has found an exciting way to teach children about history. He is an absolute gentleman too. Andy Stanton’s books are very funny, as are Jeff Kinney’s. I love to read Julia Donaldson books with my son. Judith Kerr is a brilliant author and illustrator, and let’s not forget Michael Bond who created Paddington!

Q. WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY TECHNOLOGIES VYING FOR CHILDREN’S AT TENTION, WHY DO YOU THINK CHILDREN WILL STILL PICK Q. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE OF YOUR OWN NOVELS AND WHY? UP A GOOD BOOK?

A. I think books are so immersive that children do like being alone with them. I think we all have J K Rowling to thank for turning children onto books in their millions.

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A. Mr Stink is my favourite. I think it has a strong message about how we treat people less fortunate than ourselves, and Sir Quentin Blake’s illustrations are absolutely magical.

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The Art Insider.

RUTHIE COLLINS, FOUNDER OF CA MBRIDGE ART SALON, GIVES HER ART Y PICKS OF THE MONTH

“I

t was the worst of times, it was the worst of times.

Again. That’s the thing about things, they fall apart, always have. Always will…”

So starts Autumn, by awardwinning Cambridge-based novelist Ali Smith, summing up British identity, post Brexit: divided, falling apart – hand in hand with the hope that autumn brings. As Cambridge turns golden, it’s hope that’s always, to me, evoked by those dazzling blue skies the city is blessed with at this time of year.

Increasingly, as divide, class war and posttruth suspicion apparently become the norm, art that celebrates the connections between us all (remember those?) is the new radical.

Artist Ella Whittlestone is running a workshop at Heong Gallery, on 7 October as part of The Big Draw event. The workshop is part of her Connect Draw project, which has united prison residents, teachers, students and folks of all backgrounds. “I wanted to use drawing to show the connections between us all,” she tells me in the gallery, while efficiently enthusing my five year old with utter passion for drawing and all things Quentin Blake in a fun range of family activities. Go along for her drop-in workshop on the 7th alone or with your kids: you will be in good hands. The gallery, part of Downing College, is a pristine art space just a stone’s throw from the hustle of Regent Street and Parker’s Piece. This will be the last chance to catch Quentin Blake and the Folio Society’s exhibition The Best of All Possible Worlds – so worth the trip. Check connectdraw.wixsite. com to learn more about Ella Whittlesford’s Connect Draw project, or visit thebigdraw.org for more information on the workshop.

You can ‘exhibition hop’ from the Heong Gallery up to Bateman Street, where Alliance Française is hosting a long-awaited show from French-born Cambridge artist Catherine Lalevée this month, running until the 21 October. Perfect for this time of year, Lalevée’s work explores the beauty of colour, natural forms and how they can be expressed, and female sensuality. “Designers want me to dress like spring, in billowing things. I don’t feel like spring, I feel like a warm, red autumn,” Marilyn Monroe, one of the most famous icons of female sensuality, once said, a line that reminds me a little of Lalevée’s sumptuous work. Visit the show within Alliance Française’s opening times.

Blazing with colour and light will be a one-night-only light festival, a highlight of

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The festival is putting truth under the spotlight. In a posttruth world dominated by fake news, what – and who – are we all to believe?

India Unboxed, on Wednesday 25 October at the Botanic Gardens – celebrating Indian Festival of Light, Diwali. India Unboxed is a fantastic programme from Cambridge University Museums as part of the UK/ India Year of Culture, organised to mark the seventieth anniversary of Indian independence. Cambridge’s most stunning gardens will be lit up by installations from Studio Carrom, accompanied by music from the amazing Talvin Singh. You can try your hand at lantern making, plus contribute to a large-scale art work with help from Emergency Exit Arts. What a fabulous idea!

Diwali, or Deepavali, marks the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil. We could all do with celebrating that.

Malavika Anderson, India Unboxed Programmer, says: “The Festival of Light is a special opportunity to celebrate the success of

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this season with a free, evening opening of the Botanic Garden. We welcome you to celebrate Diwali with us through spectacular lightbased installations, creative making, music, food and more inspired by our collections.”

Book tickets through Cambridge Live or for more information about the India Unboxed Festival of Light, visit www.museums.cam. ac.uk/festival-of-light.

India Unboxed is also part of the Cambridge Festival of Ideas, where you’ll find hundreds of events happening across the city, from 16 to 29 October. This year, the festival is putting truth under the spotlight – in a post-truth world dominated by fake news, what – and who – are we all to believe? I’ll be heading along to Computing History: Where did all the women go?, an exhibition at the Museum for Computing History starting on 13 October that gives pioneering women from the world of IT, previously written out of history, their time to shine (though shouldn’t really be necessary, right?).

Finally, become spellbound at the Neon Moon Grand Halloween Ball at Cambridge Junction, on Saturday 28 October – for an electrifying night of circus, cabaret and burlesque featuring world-class acts. Neon Moon have grown from strength to strength, with support from Cambridge Junction and the Arts Council, taking their scintillating work to the likes of Southbank Centre and venues all over the UK. Very much a place to escape the worst of times, fleetingly.

And sparkle. As Martin Luther King once said: “darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.” Have a fabulous October, all. n CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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Opposite page Paintings by French-born artist Catherine Lalevée, now based in Cambridge and exhibiting this month at the Alliance FranÇaise.

Above Cambridge University Botanic Garden is opening – and lighting up – after hours as part of India Unboxed’s Diwali celebrations. Left Ella Whittlesford’s Connect Draw project comes to the Heong Gallery for a drawing workshop on 7 October

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OF IDEAS. WORDS CYRUS PUNDOLE

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ind-blowing concepts, world-leading speakers, fears for the planet and great ways to save it have all featured in this cutting-edge event that has become a local institution: the Cambridge Festival of Ideas.

Now in its tenth year, organisers have taken a topical view for this event’s theme… truth.

It’s the word that has dominated the news agenda (side-by-side with ‘fake’, which we won’t dwell on) and of course, it is the driving force behind academic research.

The festival puts truth under the spotlight, asking whether we can still believe in experts and how conspiracy theories stake their claim to truth. Can we keep secrets in an age of technology? What drives populism?

Over 200 events will attract thousands of visitors from 16 to 29 October, featuring debates, talks, films, performances and exhibitions in galleries, lecture theatres and museums around the city. With something for all ages, most of the events are free.

Among the speakers are former Labour MP, now director of the Victoria & Albert Museum, Tristram Hunt; Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury; Richard Dearlove, ex-head of the Secret Intelligence Service (a role fictionally known as ‘M’); director of Liberty, Martha Spurrier; Dame Athene Donald, professor of experimental physics; revisionist historian Ruth Dudley Edwards; and technology author George Zarkadakis.

Ariel Retik, festival manager, said: “The Festival of Ideas aims to challenge people’s received ideas and question the status quo.

From fake news, espionage and conspiracies, to populist lies – the subject of truth has dominated the news in 2017.

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“These stories are entwined with wider topics: how do we decide what is true? Can there be a ‘correct’ historical narrative? How do religions and ideologies stake their claim to universality? The festival is a chance to discuss from a huge variety of perspectives what truth really means.”

Hunt will feature in a debate on 17 October, Empire and Brexit, with Financial Times commentator Gideon Rachman and moderated by historian Shruti Kapila, discussing the changing world order. Dearlove and Spurrier are part of a four-strong panel discussing Can We Keep Secrets? on 21 October.

Denial: In Defence of Truth features Professor Sir Richard Evans, who was the principal expert witness against Holocaustdenier David Irving when he sued historian Deborah Lipstadt for libel. He reflects on the case and the recent film Denial on 21 October.

Among the experimental performances this year at the festival, Cambridge Storytellers present Cambridge Contest of Liars. Will you have the wool pulled over your eyes on 19 October with a collection of tall tales, fibs and alternate versions of the truth?

Also featured are a number of events marking 70 years of Indian independence, including Mahatma versus Modi (17 October), in which a panel will consider whether the current leader of the biggest democracy on the planet has changed the country beyond all recognition.

A range of hands-on sessions include art and storytelling for all ages and an adult workshop, Speaking Truth to Power, brainstorms ideas for ‘bystander training’ in how to deal with sexism and racism (17 October). n Booking has already opened for all events. You can download a copy of the full programme at festivalofideas.cam.ac.uk

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rom Catalonia to Korea, Marlene Dietrich to Moana, animation to archived treasures, the Cambridge Film Festival (CFF) has laid out a typically diverse and engaging programme for its 37th outing. Run

by Cambridge Film Trust with backing from the British Film Institute, the festival takes place 19-26 October at the Arts Picturehouse and various other venues around the city. There’s something for film lovers of all tastes and interests, whether you want to engross yourself in a scintillating documentary, an obscure indie flick or a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster. As ever, there will also be opening and closing night galas, numerous UK premieres and a chance to hear more about the films from the people who made them.

H I G H L I G H TS

By popular demand, the festival will be continuing its ongoing showcase of the cinema of Catalonia, one of Europe’s oldest cultures.

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Camera Catalonia, now in sixth season, will this year feature screenings including One-Eyed King, a dark comedy from writer-director Marc Crehuet, plus Spanish Civil War epic Uncertain Glory, based on the novel of the same name which is considered by many to be one of the best Catalan novels of all time.

Hopping continents, the cinematic output of Africa will also be celebrated at this year’s event as the Cambridge African Film Festival (CAFF) teams up with the Film Festival once again to present five of the best African films from the last year. Leading the line-up, fresh from winning the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize from the Berlin International Film Festival, is Félicité, the dazzling fourth feature film from acclaimed director Alian Gomis.

Microcinema will be another focus at this year’s event, with a special strand exploring a theme of ‘Archive and Memory’. Encompassing both contemporary and historical work, one highlight is sure to be Charity, the newly commissioned film by the 2016 winner of the

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THERE'S A FEAST OF T R E AT S I N S T O R E F O R C I N E M A- L OV E R S T H I S MONTH, AS OUR CIT Y'S F I L M F E S T I VA L R E T U R N S F O R I T S 37 T H I N S TA L M E N T

Indulge your inner movie buff during the eight days of Cambridge Film Festival this month, with a trip or three to the flicks.

There’s everything from 1930s thriller The Wages of Fear and the epic Spanish Civil War film Uncertain Glory, to children’s classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and French fantasy short, The Red Balloon.

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Margaret Tait award, Kate Davis. This will be shown alongside a rare screening of Tait’s seminal work, On The Mountain, together with a newly restored piece by the avant-garde filmmaker Margaret Raspé entitled Blue on White Edges and Frames. Works by Cordelia Swann, Sarah Wood, Gair Dunlop, Sam Ashby and Dick Jewell complete the programme. All the Microcinema screenings will be free to attend and feature a special introduction by and Q&A with programme curator James Mackay.

The archive strand of CFF will also be making a welcome return, serving up new restorations from major European and US archives, including classics of the sound era and silent rediscoveries accompanied by live music from Neil Brand, Stephen Horne and John Sweeney. Catch screenings of the suspenseful The Wages of Fear, plus rare German silent The Woman Men Yearn For, which sees a young Marlene Dietrich in her first starring role.

The popular Cambridge Family Film Festival is also back for 2017, offering a bumper CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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programme of much-loved characters, old and new, from film and TV. Highlights include a screening of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney’s very first animated feature, which gets an airing in honour of its 80th birthday, and a singalong version of a much more modern Disney classic, Moana.

Younger film fans will love Kate in Oz, a special Wizard of Oz inspired episode from CBeebies Kate and Mim-Mim. There will be a new series of Peppa Pig for little ones too, as well as an animated short of Michael Rosen’s classic children’s story, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt. Older children are well catered for too, with a great selection of features and shorts from around the world including spellbinding documentary The Eagle Huntress, Studio Ghibli’s The Red Turtle, Indian film I Am Kalam and magical French short The Red Balloon.

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NEON MOON: HELLFIRE. If you like to go all out on Halloween, nobody does it better than the Neon Moon Burlesque and Cabaret Club. Their Halloween Ball, taking place at Cambridge Junction, will be serving up the usual heady mix of risqué performances, cocktails, dancing and of course, next-level fancy dress all round. A multi-room extravaganza, Hellfire is promising to be the most debauched Halloween party in town, featuring performances from fire-eater Shade Flamewater, sultry burlesque from Ruby Truelove and jaw-dropping aerial gymnastics from Jo Foley, plus music from The Brass Funkeys.

Headline DJ Chris Tofu of Continental Drifts will be keeping the ghosts and ghouls grooving right the way through until 2am with his melting pot of electro swing, flamenco, hip-hop, breakbeat and Balkan soundclash, while in the ‘Hell Lounge’, you can chill out to cocktail jazz and Afro-Cuba blues from DJ Jazzlord. There’ll be plenty more tricks and treats lurking around every corner, and as ever, the dress code is let your imagination fly, indulge your wicked side and get as creative as possible – there’s no such thing as going too far at Neon Moon…

The event takes place on Saturday 28 October and tickets are £27-£32.50. Over 18s only. junction.co.uk

Halloween.

G E T R E A DY F O R T H E S C A R I E S T T I M E O F Y E A R W I T H O U R RO U N D - U P O F S P O O K Y E V E N T S A N D AC T I V I T I E S

Scaresville.

If you like to spend your Halloween being scared witless, check out Scareseville, possibly the most fantastically frightening event in the east of England. Running 4 October-4 November, it sees an entire haunted village mysteriously appearing each year in the grounds of Kentwell Hall in Suffolk. Guests set off on an hour-long, adrenaline-fuelled frightfest into the darkness through forests, farmland and creepy rooms, encountering all manner of horrifying characters. Calm your nerves with a stiff drink at Bar-Baric afterwards.

Tickets start at £15. scaresville.co.uk

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Halloween Walking Tours.

HINCHINGBROOKE HORROR. Not for the faint-hearted, this hackleraising, fully immersive experience puts you at the centre of your very own horror film. It takes place at the (notoriously haunted) Hinchingbrooke House, near Huntingdon, and sees intrepid guests roving through dark rooms, forests and hedge mazes being stalked by axe-wielding freaks, chainsaw maniacs, killer clowns and various other demonic creatures. Extra fun is the addition of famous scary characters (think Jason from Friday the 13th, Norma/Norman Bates), who horror film fanatics will love spotting. Runs 21-28 October and tickets start at £19.50. enterifyoudare.co.uk

Take a Halloween walking tour of Cambridge and discover the terrifying tales that lurk in the city’s shadows.

Running daily from 27-31 October, the walks begin at the Guildhall and meander around ancient colleges and dark cobbled streets, including locations where ghostly sightings have been reported. Feel the chill in the air and let the guide spook you silly with their unsettling anecdotes – tickets are £10 for adults and £6 for under 16s. Each tour lasts for one hour and booking is essential. visitcambridge.org

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Food & drink.

G E T T H E I N S I D E T R AC K O N C A M B R I D G E ’S F O O D I E S C E N E W I T H E D I T I O N ’S M O N T H LY S U P P L E M E N T

33 A COFFEE E R ’S 34 LOV G U I D E TO HERO E ATS .

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39 R E S TAU R A N T 50 RHEOVNI EEWS T:

CAMBRIDGE' S BEST DUMPLINGS.

BURGERS.

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FOOD & DRINK

Afternoon Tease Choc Guinness Cake.

The well-laden counter at King Street’s Afternoon Tease is a mecca for Cambridge cake lovers – but few of its offerings are held in such high regard as the dense, dark beauty that is the Chocolate Guinness cake.

Velvety rich sponge, with a slight tang of stout, is topped with a blanket of thick sour cream frosting, making for an utterly magnificent eating experience. Team it with one of AT’s superb coffees and you’ve got yourself a pit stop fit for a prince.

Hero eats.

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SA L I S B U RY ARMS PIZZA. A favourite local watering hole, the Salisbury Arms on Tenison Road also serves mean pizzas, freshly made to order on their wood-fired oven. Think light and crispy bases, bubbling mozzarella and a to-diefor range of toppings (current fave is the Armin, with its tart, creamy goat’s cheese and lashings of sweet red onion chutney). I like to take my order to unnecessary and delicious new levels by throwing in a steaming pot of gooey mac ’n’ cheese with bacon.

I suggest you do the same…

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Urban Larder Toasties.

Thickly-sliced wedges of sourdough bread sourced from Linton’s excellent Jigsaw Bakery form the foundations of Urban Larder’s unfeasibly tasty toasties. A solid base on which to layer all sorts of scrummy toppings, from the (pictured) symphony of spinach, rosemary, goats cheese and beetroot, to the droolinducing three cheese medley or the winning combo of butternut squash teamed with crumbly blue cheese. Heaven, all of them.

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An essential stop-off on the city’s coffee trail, Hot Numbers revolutionised coffee drinking in the city when it opened on Gwydir Street in 2011. Fast forward to today and owner Simon and his team have expanded the original branch, opened a second on Trumpington Street and made the entire city fall for their next-level java.

Perfect coffee is a science at Hot Numbers, with owner Simon utilising his mechanical

engineering background to endlessly innovate and hone every single aspect of the coffeemaking process. Having set up his own roastery at Stapleford Granary, he’s free to tinker with temperatures, timings and airflow to his heart’s content, as well as hosting regular ‘cupping’ sessions to test new brews on the public, all to bring us the best coffee in town.

That’s dedication! Top tip is to try the creamy, super smooth nitro iced coffee, a recent-ish addition to the ever-expanding coffee menu.

Serving a side of town which was badly in need of a great little place to grab a good coffee, Stir quickly established itself as a favourite haunt for the Chesterton neighbourhood when it opened a few years back. The primary espresso is from Bury St Edmund’s Butterworth & Son, plus they also rotate single origin blends as filter coffees. Grab some beans (ground to your spec) to go, and be sure to stop into the Stir bakery next door for a treat while you’re there.

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Espresso Library is big on speciality coffee: where it comes from, how they prepare it (using their impressive, custom-built Slayer machine) and, most importantly, how it tastes. One of the cafes at the forefront of Cambridge’s coffee scene, they keep it local with their roaster The Coffee Officina, just the other side of the Cambridgeshire border in Essex. There is

also a delectable range of seasonal single origin filter coffees available at the cafe, and you can buy bags to recreate the magic at home, too, either in bean form or ground. That’s before we even get to EL’s tempting food menu, which serves up nutritious and indulgent in just the right measure.

A charming little slice of Italy, Limoncello serves up gorgeous fresh pesto, juicy olives, and great antipasti and cheeses. The punchy Italian coffee is well worth a try, especially when paired with a slice of bouncy panettone or bite of biscotti. Take it outside and enjoy while watching Mill Road go by…

Well known for its botanical cocktails and uber instagrammable décor - especially the new plantfIlled roof terrace)- Novi also take their coffee seriously. Using local suppliers Frank and Earnest, who roast their beans down the road in Bury St Edmunds, Honduras Altos De Erapuca is the current house espresso, a medium roasted beauty with chocolatey notes and a slight caramel sweetness. They also offer draught nitro cold brew for an icy cool coffee treat, plus lots of scrummy cakes to have on the side.

This King Street cafe is well-known for its competitionslaying cakes, but their coffee is equally worthy of plaudits. Using beans sourced from London’s celebrated Caravan Coffee Roastery, Afternoon Tease coffees are rich and full-bodied, with a hint of florals and a lingering sweetness – in fact, they make you realise just how bad the bland, milky slop served at many of the big chains is. AT’s baristas definitely know what they’re doing when it comes to milk texturing, too, and it would be sacrilege not to have a wedge of one of the cafe’s awesome homemade cakes while you’re there.

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A roaming cafe, Rural Coffee Project serve coffee from their shiny blue Land Rover 127, an ex-military vehicle affectionately known as Daisy. Their coffee is from a local micro-roastery called Sidewalk, who’ve helped them develop their own unique blend of Brazilian Arabica and Vietnamese Robusta, though you’ll sometimes see appearances from Bury St Edmunds-based Frank and Earnest, too. Track them down at foodPark and other events around the city, or hire them for your own event!

First-rate coffee is a source of pride at this friendly Mill Road hangout, which serves a four-bean blend roast by Butterworth & Son over in Bury St Edmunds (Caffeine Magazine Micro Roastery Espresso winner). For a treat that takes some beating, team your cup with one of the cafe’s dreamy doughnuts, currently available on Thursdays.

A Cambridge classic, Fitzbillies has been doing its thing since 1921.

Famously saved from closure by food writer Tim Hayward in 2011, it’s gone from strength to strength since then and you can always

guarantee a perfect cup of JOE. Whether at the Bridge Street or original Trumpington Street branch, there’s only one partner for a Fitzbillies coffee, and that is of course a syrupy, swirly Chelsea bun.

As well as being a cosy little haven of delightful sweet treats, Tom’s Cakes on Mill Road also serves up some of the tastiest coffee in the city. Their supplier is the famous Monmouth Coffee Company – widely regarded as one of the country’s leading roasters – who also train Tom’s baristas, which explains why, whether yours is a flat white, straight-up espresso, latte or cappuccino, you’re guaranteed a superior fix.

The newest cafe on our list, this hip, Round Church Street hangout is run by Max and Alex Bould, a pair of brothers with a combined ten years' worth of experience in coffee, and a passion for producing the perfect brew. Their establishment may only have been open since January this year, but it’s already beaten off stiff competition to become a city centre favourite. swing by for stunningly good coffees, served in a cool setting.

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Dumplings.

W O R D S & I M AG E S C H A R LOT T E G R I F F I T H S

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ough, wrapped around a filling: what’s not love about a dumpling? These parcels of deliciousness feature in most cuisines on our planet in various guises, but for the purposes of this article we’ve focused on those which draw their origins from Chinese and Japanese styles of cooking. Whether you’re delighted by dim sum or prefer a potsticker, our city is packed to the gunnels with dedicated dumpling eateries.

Dim sum is a style of Chinese cuisine comprised of a huge range of small, light dishes, of which dumplings are just one variety. Steamed jiaozi, or their fried ’n’ crispy cousins known as potstickers, are about the most comforting, delicious and speedy dish you can possibly hope to enjoy. If you’re dining solo, a plate of dumplings, a pot of green tea and a new magazine will cheer even the most miserable of afternoons – and if you’re in a group of eaters, your numbers mean you’re perfectly justified to over-order.

What could be better?

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ZHONGHUA TRADITIONAL S N AC KS .

The first stop for most people on a city-based dumpling rampage, Zhonghua Traditional Snacks has long held a special place in foodies’ hearts – and enjoyed a burst of publicity and a rush of new fans back in 2012, when it was featured in The Guardian as one of the top ten budget eateries in our city. A recent makeover has given the café a new lease of life and a cheery turquoise livery, though die-hard fans will be pleased to hear that Zhonghua retains its friendly staff, unusual wall art, enormous poster about Chinese horoscopes and – thank goodness – some of the best handmade dumplings our city has to offer.

A new menu includes an extensive vegetarian and vegan section, and if you’re reeeaaally done with dumplings, it also offers many alternative dishes (but when the dumplings are this good, why bother?). Nestle down alongside your fellow dumpling fans, pick your favourite flavour (pork and Chinese leaf or kimchi’s a good place to start), ask for them in hot and sour or chicken soup, douse the bowl in chilli oil and vinegar – and you’ll have a soul-warming dinner that’s hard to beat.

CAFE ORIENTAL DUMPLING BAR. Just up the road from Zhonghua is Cafe Oriental Dumpling Bar: purveyor of the curious combo of full English fry-ups and some really rather terrific dumplings. A neat dim sum menu offers classic dishes such as Ha Gua prawn dumplings or Char Sui pork buns, and further down the list you’ll find a small set of fried dumplings – which is where our server pointed us on our visit. If 15 dumplings of a single variety seems like too much to take on, you can split your order between fillings: a pork and chicken combo was recommended, and the golden rustling morsels which arrived were mouth-wateringly delicious – especially when dipped in the vinegar, spring onion and soy sauce combo which landed on the table ahead of their arrival. More ‘traditional’ drinks such as green tea and grass jelly are available – as is San Pellegrino Limonata for a trashy but unbeatable combo.

Cafe Oriental doesn’t take cards, but there are plenty of cash machines nearby – and it makes for splendid pre-cinema eats.

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CHARLIE CHAN .

It’s seemingly impossible to mention this place without the suffix ‘Cambridge institution’: Charlie Chan has been serving up dim sum style treats to our city’s residents and tourists alike since the 1980s, and claims to be one of the oldest eateries in the city. The current incarnation is still owned by the family who originally founded the restaurant, and it underwent extensive renovations about seven years ago: the street-level daytime bistro is where you need to head for a lunchtime snack or a quick evening bite. Background jazz and some well-judged air conditioning made the venue extremely cool, in both senses of the word, and though the space was quiet when we visited, the mid-shopping diners who were tucking in alongside us seemed grateful for the peace. A short but perfectly formed menu lists several different styles of homemade dim sum, along with detailed descriptions explaining the ingredients and the history of these dishes. Served in individual steamers, it’s very easy to fill your table without meaning to: we stuck to the steamed dishes and were presented with some extremely neat Har Kau prawn dumplings and traditional pork and prawn gong zing Siu mai. A pot of Chinese tea makes the perfect accompaniment to this refined take on dim sum dining.

‘DIM SUM’ ON MARKET SQUARE.

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If you’re into dumplings, you must head here. Located on the northern side of Cambridge’s main Market Square, this bite-sized semi-secret eatery serves up dumplings and noodles to tourists, students and city-centre dwellers every day of the week except Sundays. You’re welcome to take the food away and scoff it solo, but if you want to eat ‘in’, a tiny steel-topped table and a few rickety stools is all the space on offer – but it’s also all you need to slurp down noodles or shovel up dumplings at the speed of light, while people-watching to one side or flicking through the Chinese magazines and books stacked high on the edge of the main table. Order fried Sichuan spicy pork dumplings or steamed pork and chive, hunker down in any space which opens up around the table and get a pool of sriracha sauce ready for dipping – you won’t regret it. Despite its city centre location, its exposed seating means it’s not as handy a hideaway from the shops as you might think – but this tiny eatery will fill you up and send you on your way in minutes, so it’s a perfect quick break from shopping-based cardio.

THE DUMPLING TREE. Slightly further afield from its fellow eateries, The Dumpling Tree is hidden on Homerton Street off Hills Road bridge, serving up dim sum and noodle feasts from the Yunnan area of China. Take your feast away or settle down in the cheerful café-style restaurant and choose from their short but sweet menu listing wontons, fried or boiled dumplings. If you can’t decide and are open to all options, then we’d send you straight to the Dirty Dozen: 12 mixed dumplings that make an ideal post-delayed-train recovery meal.

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Picnicking with altitude.

A L E X RU S H M E R E N J OYS A M O U N TA I N TO P P I C N I C A N D FA L L S D E E P E R I N LOV E W I T H T H E S W I S S WAY O F E AT I N G

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ac Des Vaux is a freshwater mountaintop lake that sits, nestled, high in the Alps above Verbier at an altitude of 2,500m, about a kilometre above the town centre.

I’d heard about it within 24 hours of arriving in Switzerland and immediately became obsessed with the idea of running (or trekking) up the mountain to enjoy a bracing swim in the cool waters. From Patier, where I am currently living, the route snakes a full 17km up the side of the mountain.

An ambitious attempt to reach the top was nobbled by fairly extreme heat, not to mention the fact that I’ve spent the last ten years running through the big-skyed flatlands of the Fens and my legs were not mountain ready.

A second, and less arduous, opportunity presented itself when my wife, Charlotte, came out to visit last week. Instead of taking the long route up from Patier, we chose to take the ski lift to a halfway point and finish the rest of the hike on foot. During my first attempt to get to the lake on foot, I’d taken along a small bag of Haribo to provide necessary sustenance.

This time, a bag of gummies just wasn’t going to cut it, and we stopped at a couple of local shops en route to put together a hearty picnic.

Having now been here a month, I’ve come to realise that the whilst the scope of Swiss cuisine isn’t particularly broad, what it does offer is very good indeed – providing, of course, you are a fan of bread, cheese and cured meats. Thankfully this happy trio is ideal for packing into a rucksack and carrying to the top of a mountain.

We picked a still warm, but satisfyingly crusty, wholemeal sourdough from the bakery’s shelf and then chose a Tomme de Chevre and a bloomy cured sausage with which to supplement it. Dessert was to be fresh fruit, as the local apricots and nectarines are bang in season at the moment and the region is rightfully very proud of them. A large bag of paprika crisps, a new-found and deep-seated obsession, completed the haul and we were set to make the ascent.

The heat was the first surprise. The second was the vaguely otherworldly, almost lunar landscape that greeted us above the treeline. It wasn’t quite the romantic hike I had planned and having landed only 12 hours previously, the change in altitude hit Charlotte relatively hard. Even so, we pressed CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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What Swiss cuisine does offer is very good indeed – providing, of course, you are a fan of bread, cheese and cured meats on. And I’m delighted we did. The sight of the lake was a welcome one, partly because it is staggeringly beautiful, but mainly because it meant we had truly earned our lunch and it was now time to eat.

Three hours out of the fridge had left us with a cheese that wasn’t merely spreadable but yearning to find its own level. The sausage, too, had developed a texture and set of flavours that simply aren’t present when fridge cold. It was a meal to eat without cutlery, without inhibition and without a table. The rocky shoreline provided a satisfyingly ad hoc dining area and allowed for the dipping of sore feet into the cool fresh water. It was a picnic that will live long in the memory and offered further proof that the best meals are almost always the simplest, the satisfaction and happiness coming not just from the food, but the people and places that give it context. n C A M B R I D G E E D I T I O N | O C T O B E R 2 017

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Food news.

GLOBAL FOOD SAFARI. Enjoy a whistle-stop tour of the gastro highlights of North Africa and the Middle East this month at Cambridge Cookery School, who invite you to join in their Global Food Safari on 12 October. No budget airline misery here, you’ll enjoy your culinary adventure in the CCS’s sleek kitchens and café, creating vibrant dishes using authentic ingredients.

As well as cooking and learning loads from the pros, you’ll get to taste the fruits of your labour with plenty of delicious eats to sample, and there will be beers and fizz available or you can BYO. Takes place 7 to 10pm and tickets are £78.12 with booking fee. cambridgecookery.com

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CO. FIFTEEN .

Cherry Hinton eatery Co. Fifteen has recently welcomed a new chef and unveiled a delectable new menu. Manning the stoves now is Emma Evans (previously at Stem & Glory), who hails from New Zealand, and has introduced a menu brimming with gorgeous dishes created with locally sourced, sustainable ingredients. Expect goodness-filled treats like smoothie bowls, four grain porridge (made with quinoa and coconut milk, topped with poached seasonal fruit), and toast made with ‘life changing loaf’ (a mixed nut and seed recipe which you can slather in homemade Nutella or chia jam). Elsewhere on the menu you can enjoy eats inspired by all corners of the globe, with avocado tacos or the Mexican breakfast of kings, Huevos Rancheros, a steaming bowl of ‘plant pad Thai’, pesto soup with gnocchi, or a creamy dhal served with homemade flat bread. cofifteen.co.uk

NEW OPENING!

T H E LO C K E R .

Cambridge’s café culture continues to blossom with the arrival of another new opening, this time on King Street. The Locker, located at the site previously home to Clowns (RIP), is a family business run by father-son team John and Adam Hodges which opened at the tail end of August. A bright, plant and art filled space, The Locker will be serving up homemade cakes, breakfast pastries and light bites like sausage rolls, sourdough cheese toasties and a range of ciabattas.

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THE CAMBRIDGE VEGAN MARKET. According to recent stats from the Vegan Society, the number of vegans in the UK has risen 350% over the past decade – a trend that shows no signs of slowing. If you’re local and among the ever-rising number of vegans and v-curious, or just keen to learn more about a plant-based diet and lifestyle, check out this month’s Cambridge Vegan Market, which takes place at the Guildhall on 1 October. Swing by between 10.30am and 4.30pm and enjoy a huge showcase of vegan food and drink from all corners of the globe. The market is sponsored by vegan café Stem & Glory, so you can expect delicious eats from them, plus plenty more stalls serving up everything from Indian to Greek cuisine; vegan steaks to sweet treats including milkshakes, pastries, cookies, and donuts. There’ll be plenty to try and buy, and you’ll also be able to pick up loads of great new recipe ideas to try out at home.

It’s not just food on offer; there’ll be all sorts of vegan products to browse including luxury cosmetics and ethical clothing, plus a chance to learn more about various charities. If you fancy a tipple afterwards, pop along to the Pint Shop over the road, which will be hosting a mini vegan beer fest, with seven different vegan beers available at the pub on the day of the market.

Get in quick on the day as the first 100 through the door get treated to a free goodie bag packed with vegan goodies. Entry is £2 or free for kids under 12 years. veganmarkets.co.uk

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NEW LOOK & MENU AT PINT SHOP. After a brief closure for a lick of paint in September, Peas Hill’s Pint Shop has reopened its doors refreshed, reinvigorated and with some brand-new treats in store. The garden has been given a spruce, there are two fancy new private dining rooms upstairs, and there are now an extra seven lines on the beer board – meaning even more killer brews to sample your way through, plus a constant keg of cider running. Most exciting of all though, is the new food menu, which features an all-new scotch egg (be still, our hearts) with black pudding and cider mayonnaise, and puddings including a cockle-warming blackberry and apple crumble cake with lashings of custard. New mains, meanwhile, include a new veggie coal-baked kebab, loaded with north African squash, leeks and crispy chickpea, plus a hearty wood-grilled chicken or prawn curry with charred naan and peanut chutney. pintshop.co.uk

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WORDS IN THE SKY. The sky’s normally the limit, but a Cambridge foodie haven is providing the chance to look to the heavens and be inspired by the cosmos beyond what you can see. Words in the Sky takes place on 8 October at the rooftop bar at The Varsity Hotel, with stunning views across the city centre. Dr Vid Simoniti of Churchill College has curated a series of readings that will delve into the world of astrology and the seasons, featuring works from Ludwig Wittgenstein, one of the city’s most famous philosophers, as well as other influential writers. Afterwards, guests will have a two-course meal with a glass of prosecco in the hotel’s bar and brasserie, Six. Tickets are £49 and you need to be at Six at 5.15pm. varsityhotel.co.uk

Pizza & Prosecco Festival.

We can barely imagine a more perfect pairing around which to build a festival than pizza and prosecco, which is why we’re already drooling at the prospect of the event that Cambridge Junction’s laying on for Friday 24 November. The Cambridge Pizza and Prosecco Festival is promising a straight-up dream outing for fans of fabulous fizz and perfect pizzas, with a crop of artisan food and drinks traders, plus live music. From 6pm until midnight, you’ll be able to pick up a piping hot slices of melty goodness from traders including Doughboys, Ffwrnes and The Original Goodfillas amongst others, plus drinks galore from the impossibly cute Tiny Tipple Van, and a dazzling array of prosecco (more than twenty kinds, in fact). There’ll also be other types of street food on offer, plus music and plenty of space to chill out and snuggle up under blankets by the outdoor heaters. Tickets are £15.99. fatsoma.com

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ESPRESSO L I B R A RY L AU N C H E S EVENING MENU. In the almost three years since Espresso Library opened its gleaming doors, this bicycle-loving café has become an essential stop-off on the city’s foodie trail – well-loved for its cool design, next-level coffee and great menu. They’ve recently added another string to their impressive bow in the shape of a tempting new evening menu, which features a small but perfectly-formed range of well-thought-out, nutritious but indulgent dishes. Feast on treats like the ‘tummy loving burger’, with smoky tempeh, grilled Portobello mushroom, sunblushed tomato and pistachio pesto, served in an organic bap with a side of homemade coleslaw; or juicy steaks with herby roast potatoes, vegan burgers and colourful superfood salads. There’s also gorgeous charcuterie and cheeseboards, not to mention impossible-to-resist desserts such as a gooey white chocolate and raspberry brownie with a scoop of vanilla gelato. Espresso Library is open for dinner and drinks every Wednesday through to Saturday, serving food from 5pm onwards. espressolibrary.com

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

Honest Burgers.

CHARLOT TE GRIFFITHS CHECKS O U T T H E L AT E S T A D D I T I O N T O M E AT S T R E E T

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lot can happen in seven years. 2010 is when Cambridge was infamously branded “the worst clone town in Britain”, causing outrage on all sides – and though there are undoubtedly still many branches of popular chain stores in our city centre, these days you’ll also stumble on no end of independent shops and eateries doing a roaring trade to residents and tourists alike. We’re a discerning bunch, us Cambridgeites: we’ll no longer just accept a flat-pack roll out. It has to be something special to earn (and keep) a place on our high street.

It was also back in 2010 that Phil Eeles and Tom Barton, two friends based in Brighton, started dreaming about a burger restaurant that would keep it simple and focus on two things: quality ingredients and quality burgers. The pair called themselves Honest Burgers, and started testing their concept at local festivals before taking the plunge with a permanent home in London’s Brixton Market. The rave reviews poured in and other outposts quickly followed around the city, building a small and successful empire of meat-based burger goodness.

Flash forward to 2017, and the chain has come of age with its 21st site (and first outside our capital) at 1 Corn Exchange Street, slap bang in the centre of Cambridge.

Fans of “Meat Street”, aka the Bene’t Street area, will remember Reys, a relatively short-lived friedchicken restaurant backed by Pizza Express, who took ownership of and renovated 1 Corn Exchange after the legendary Red Cow pub closed its doors. Honest moved in during the spring of 2017, and has kept much of the interior look and feel of its predecessor, while still bringing their own contemporary and welcoming style to the space. If you look around the restaurant, you can find a single survivor of Reys’ branding that’s been kept for posterity – but we’re not giving away the secret: you’ll have to visit Honest to uncover that particular Easter Egg for yourself.

All of Honest’s restaurants have a small but perfectly formed menu of around seven classic burgers which appear in every one of the chain’s

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locations, but it’s definitely not a rubber-stamp exercise: there are subtle variations between establishments which – for the Cambridge branch – comes in the form of a burger that takes our city’s name. The Cambridge Special consists of one of Honest’s beef patties served medium pink with a melting slab of Baron Bigod Brie, crisp smoked bacon, apple and onion chutney plus pickles and mixed leaves, all served up in a lightlytoasted brioche-ish bun. As well as being delicious, it’s also a great example of the group’s desire to celebrate local produce and suppliers: the brie and the chutney comes from the Cambridge Cheese Company and is fetched weekly from the store on All Saints Passage, then walked back across the city to Honest’s kitchens. The chutney is made to a secret recipe, specially and exclusively for Honest: if you want to try it, you’ll need to order this burger.

The drinks we chose continued the Cambridgeshire theme: I had a Local G&T made with gin crafted for Honest by The Cambridge Distillery using six locally foraged botanicals including rosemary and lemon verbena. This was served with Fever Tree tonic, plus a slice of pink grapefruit and aromatic mint: perfectly refreshing and a great counter to the juicy burgers.

My friend had one of Honest’s milkshakes, which are designed by Jack’s Gelato from further up the road – she went for the salted caramel version and after she’d got over her brain freeze, declared it like “drinking ice cream”. No bad thing at all.

Alongside her milkshake, my veggie pal was enjoying Honest’s cauliflower-based Market Vegetable Fritter, which was lightly spiced with a cumin-type flavour, drizzled with cooling yoghurt and served in the same toasted bun as its meaty cousins. Though the star of the show is definitely the beef-based burgers which made them such a success, Honest are accommodating of dietary requirements: gluten-free buns are available and there’s a kids’ menu which consists of the same food as the adults’ menu, just half-sized and half priced accordingly.

Every burger on the menu comes with chips as standard, and while you can now pick up skin-on rosemary-salted fries at various different burger

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The chutney is made to a secret recipe, specially and exclusively for Honest: if you want to try it, you’ll need to order this burger

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© CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS

joints, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that it was actually Honest’s early restaurant in Brixton that helped propel this side into the spotlight. They’re part squidgy, part crispy – a halfway house between a roast potato and a classic fry, and designed well for dipping in errant burger juice or a sploodge of sauce.

Restaurant manager Rocci was also quick to point out that the legendary finger-lickin’ side is created fresh by their kitchen team every day, and not frozen or shuttled around the country from a central base.

In the interest of research we added even more sides to the table: a nest of onion rings plus a refreshing apple, beetroot and red cabbage coleslaw – which was a nice balance to the meatilicious burger – and a bacon gravy for chip dippage. “I find you can only really have one onion ring,” my friend declared, while picking up what would be her third of the evening from the rustling stack. These were good: chunkily cut, just the right amount of greasiness, with well-cooked onion enclosed in crisp batter – everything you want if you’re hungry enough to need sides.

These days you’re spoiled for choice on Meat Street, so a place has got to be worth it to draw you in. Although Honest might have more than one branch, calling them a chain feels like a misnomer: they’ve embedded nicely by working with exceptional local suppliers and still have that commitment to quality which earned them their reputation. A visit is well worth the time, money and calories involved. n honestburgers.co.uk CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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THE GROVE CROMER. L UXU R I O U S AC C O M M O DAT I O N , A N AWA R D - W I N N I N G R E S TAU R A N T A N D A B E AU T I F U L S E T T I N G AWA I T AT T H I S N O R F O L K H O T E L OFFERING A PERFECT MINIBREAK destination on the Norfolk Coast, the family-run Grove Cromer has been providing guests with the highest quality accommodation for the past 81 years. With en-suite bedrooms in the beautiful Georgian house, the selection of contemporary Orchard Rooms overlooking landscaped gardens, a range of heated yurts plus six self-catering cottages in the adjacent barn conversions, there’s something available to suit all needs and tastes.

More recently, The Grove has become known for fine dining, earning two AA Rosettes for culinary excellence in 2013 and retaining them in 2016. The menu celebrates seasonality and fantastic local produce, which Norfolk has in abundance. Crabs and lobsters come from local fishermen, while meats are sourced from local butchers, farmed at the likes of Gunton, Heavingham and Gressingham, all just a few miles away, not to mention fruit, vegetables and herbs picked directly from he Grove’s gardens.

There’s breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea on offer – plus an excellent Sunday roast, which is ideal for sharing with friends in the oak-panelled study or the original Georgian dining room.

The Grove has only ever been owned by five families, three of which were cousins. It was rebuilt as a family bolthole by the Gurney family in 1797, and then the Graveling family took it over in 1936. Ever since then, the Gravelings have striven to maintain a welcoming, family feel to the house, taking pride in offering each and every guest an enjoyable and relaxing time.

Now, three generations on, The Grove has converted the aisled barns into self-catering cottages, and created five oak-framed, cedar-clad rooms in a quiet corner of the garden – made with such outstanding craftsmanship that they won an architects’ award on completion. Two years ago, The Grove added another string to its bow with the launch of The Grove Glamping: five heated yurts in the top field which allow you to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying creature comforts like comfy beds, a wood-burning stove and solar powered electricity points. The Grove also boasts an indoor pool and private entrance into Warren Woods leading onto Cromer’s cliffs and beaches.

With four acres of glorious Norfolk countryside, nestled within acres of green woodland, The Grove also serves as a picturesque and romantic wedding venue, providing all you need for the celebration, from the ceremony itself through to wedding breakfast and accommodation for wedding party and guests.

Whether you’re planning an adventure-packed family holiday, indulgent romantic getaway, wonderful meal out or a private celebration, The Grove in Cromer has it all. n

The Grove, 95 Overstrand Road, Cromer, Norfolk NR27 0DJ | 01263 512412 | enquiries@ thegrovecromer.co.uk | thegrovecromer.co.uk

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What the biodynamics?

E L O D I E C A M E RO N F RO M T H I R S T Y L O O K S I N T O T H E S O RC E RO U S WO R L D O F B I O DY N A M I C W I N E S

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ll sorts of phrases are bandied around about wine; organic, old vines, natural, terroir to name a few, and of course, probably strangest of all to decipher: biodynamics.

All of us who enjoy wine like a story, and also want to feel we are getting value for our money. But on occasion, some of these terms – which should help to explain what we are paying for – are in fact having the absolute opposite effect. For many, these words and phrases complicate choice and make wine appear ever more stuffy and unapproachable unless you are ‘in the trade’ (as those who are dedicated professionally to the business refer to themselves).

The question is: should we just ignore these terms and continue to focus on the names and wines we already know? In fact, there is plenty in this kind of terminology that really does offer us customers an answer to quality and choice, but sometimes those ‘in the trade’ do get overexcited, perhaps so much so that we forget to go back and explain what we are talking about.

Back to biodynamics. The wine critic Jamie Goode summed it up nicely when he described it as a ‘super-charged system of organic farming’, but this is a philosophy and approach to farming that necessitates everything being in balance. Each element works together for the benefit of the plant and therefore the fruit, with the centre of this system being soil health.

All aspects of the ‘system’ or farm must be taken into account.

Some raise an eyebrow on first exposure to biodynamic practices and see it as mumbo jumbo that hints at witchery. Why would you make mixes and powders made from animal horns to scatter on the soil and pick by the phases of the moon? But is it so ridiculous? The moon clearly has a huge impact on the earth; its magnetic pull affects water, plants and animals.

Equally it is clear that mixes scattered onto vineyards are full of minerals and nutrients beneficial to the soil. Biodynamics seeks to help us get closer to these natural phases, understand and use them to maintain balance in our farming techniques, allowing us to live in better harmony with our surroundings. The result being better quality fruit (with character and flavour) and greater sustainability of farmland and our relationship with the earth.

In effect, a totally holistic system.

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But does it work and can we see a difference?

Essentially, does this have a positive effect on wine and is it worth the time and energies of our dedicated and passionate winemakers? It is clear winemakers are extraordinary people; biologists, ecologists, chemists, farmers and often totally focused, passionate people who love making wine. They don’t make wine by mistake. They are rigorous in their approach to many aspects of their grape growing and winemaking (even the bits where they let nature do its thing). Great winemakers consistently push boundaries and do not rest on their laurels. Back in 1924 Rudolf Steiner gave a series of agricultural lectures about his concept of ‘spiritual agriculture’, and so biodynamics was born. Later, in 1997, AnneClaude Leflaive, of renowned Burgundian wine estate Domaine Leflaive, showed two wines blind to a group of 13 members of the trade and 12 favoured the same one – and the preferred variety was biodynamic wine. This was only one of many such observations. It appears that when the soil is in good health and the agricultural system is in balance, this creates grapes with a ripeness and sugar content which means that the resulting wine has the correct balance between flavour and alcohol content.

The result – wines with clearer, more vibrant flavours that drink for longer. It seems simple after all. Meticulous attention to detail and care do matter and whether you believe in this spirituality or not, one thing is clear: the wines taste good. n

DOMAINE DES P OT H I E R S , RÉFÉRENCE 2 015 , LO I R E £13.70

Made from the Gamay grape this wine shows an abundance of red fruits; strawberry, cherry, raspberry and blackcurrant. This light red wine has a soft and rounded mouthfeel with gentle tannins.

Minerality comes through from the granitic soils giving the wine grace and elegance.

DOMAINE ROUGE-BLEU, M I S T R A L , 2 014 RHÔNE

£18 This CÔtes du RhÔne Villages offers black fruits and warm spices. Blackberries evolve into roasted coffee notes and the well-structured tannins make this a wine that is both full bodied and sophisticated.

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What’s on.

A RO U N D - U P O F E V E N T S I N A N D A RO U N D CAMBRIDGESHIRE THIS MONTH

2 O C TO B E R Z.E.N TRIO

Comprising current and former BBC New Generation artists Zhang Zuo (piano), Esther Yoo (violin) and Narek Hakhnazaryan (cello), this is the trio’s opening date on a UK tour before concerts in China.

7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £20.50, U16s £12.50 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

3- 7 O C TO B E R RULES FOR LIVING

What happens when an extended family gathers for Christmas dinner,

and each one follows their own coping strategies? There’s a chance it won’t end well!

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

manners have earned him rave reviews.

7pm | Portland Arms | £10.13 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk/cornex

4 O C TO B E R A N D R E W O ’ N E I L L ’S H I S TO RY O F H E AV Y M E TA L

The annual festival features a new selection of the world’s most amazing films dedicated to the ocean. A celebration of divers, paddlers, surfers and oceanographers.

7.30pm | Corn Exchange | £15.75 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

Comedy with a slant on the decline of British industry, Andrew’s combination of sci-fi twists on real life, long hair and impeccable

6 O C TO B E R O C E A N F I L M F E S T I VA L W O R L D TO U R

7 O C TO B E R J O H N H E G L E Y: P E AC E , LOV E A N D P OTATO E S

With verses both spoken and sung, Hegley’s autobiographical poetry is joyful, fun and mundane, often all at once.

8pm | Cambridge Junction | £14.50 | junction.co.uk

8 O C TO B E R YO U R TOYS

Recommended for ages five to nine, grown-ups and children are encouraged to bring along their own soft toys, which will be used on stage by Slot Machine Theatre to create a story with their unique style of puppetry, music and humour too.

11.30am, 2.30pm | Cambridge Junction | £10 adults, £6 children | junction.co.uk

8 O C TO B E R S O U N D S OF SCIENCE

Bringing together history, knowledge, science, technology and the arts, author Christopher Lloyd introduces key moments in the history of science, before a 21-minute soundscape performed

by Dame Evelyn Glennie.

4.30pm| Corn Exchange | £22, U16s £15 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

11 O C TO B E R R OYA L PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 4, and Dvorak’s Symphony No 7 played by one of the finest orchestras on the planet.

7.30pm| Corn Exchange | from £17 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

14 October Apple Day.

A fabulous annual countryside celebration with the apple at its core. Eat tasty food, have a go at pulping and juicing and enjoy rides and entertainment.

10am-4pm, £3 per adult, kids go free. facebook.com/burwashmanor/events

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13 O C TO B E R M AT T RICHARDSON

Returning to the Junction with his new show, Richardson’s brash, confident, slick and mildly laddish style of comedy is winning fans at a fast rate.

8pm | Cambridge Junction | £13.50 | junction.co.uk CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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W H AT ' S O N 13 O C TO B E R DIZZEE RASCAL

Expect tracks from Dizzee’s sixth album, Raskit, released this year.

7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £27.75 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

14 O C TO B E R B O O HEWERDINE

Renowned Cambridgeshire singersongwriter Boo released Swimming in Mercury, his first album of new material since 2009, earlier this year. Support from We Were Strangers.

7.30pm | Waterbeach Baptist Chapel | £12.94 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

15 O C TO B E R C E L E B R AT I N G B L U E N OT E J A Z Z .

Cambridge-based saxophonist Dan Forshaw returns with his sextet for an evening of jazz inspired by the Blue Note Era. 7.45pm | Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £19 | cambridgeartstheatre.co.uk

15 O C TO B E R H A N D A’S SURPRISE

Handa visits her friend Akeyo in the next village, taking seven fruits… but seven animals have seven different ideas. Physical performance, puppetry and music for all ages.

11am, 12.30pm, 2pm | Cambridge Junction | £12 adults, £6 children | junction.co.uk

8 October Clare Teal.

16 - 21 O C TO B E R THE BEST MAN

Vocalist and Radio 2 presenter – with her ‘mini big band’ – explores the many facets of Ella Fitzgerald, 100 years since the jazz icon’s birth.

7.45pm | Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £19 | cambridgeartstheatre.co.uk

Martin Shaw leads the cast of this award-winning play about opposing presidential candidates in a battle for their party’s nomination.

Where does compromise end and corruption begin?

7.45pm, 2.30pm Thursday and Saturday | Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £23 | Cambridgeartstheatre.co.uk

22 - 2 3 O C TO B E R B A L L E T B OY Z : F O U RT E E N D AYS

For the first half of this show, four choreographers and four composers were given 14 days to create their pieces. Fallen forms the second half of the show.

7.45pm, 2.30pm Thursdays and Saturdays | Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £23 | cambridgeartstheatre.co.uk

2 5 - 2 9 O C TO B E R AW F U L AU N T I E

From the award-winning producers of Gangsta Granny comes the world premiere of David Walliams’ CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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rip-roaring tale of frights, fights and friendship.

2.30pm, 7pm Wednesday to Friday, 11am, 3pm Saturday/ Sunday | Cambridge Arts Theatre | children £19, adults £25 | cambridgeartstheatre.co.uk

2 8 O C TO B E R M AG I C O F M OTOW N

Seen by over a million Motown fans, this is your chance to join the biggest party of the year, with 40 back-to-back classic hits, numerous

costume changes and the very best dance moves.

7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £28.75 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

and Ruby Truelove. Let your imagination fly with your outfit.

8pm | Cambridge Junction | from £27 | junction.co.uk

2 8 O C TO B E R N E O N 3 0 O C TO B E R T H E MOON GRAND LOV E LY E G G S H A L LOW E E N B A L L : Oddball lyrics we can all relate HELLFIRE to are the hook for this duo…

One of the hottest nights around, ignite your passion and celebrate this spooky night in a multiroom extravaganza of fire artists, burlesque, cabaret and circus, featuring Shade Flamewater

obsessive worrying, crappy jobs and agreeing to another pint even though it’s late and you’re up early for work the next day.

7pm| Portland Arms | £11.25 | theportlandarms.co.uk

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FINDING THE PERFECT VENUE. WHEN IT comes to choosing a venue for your wedding service and reception, there are so many to choose from in Cambridge and the surrounding area that it can be difficult to know where to start.

That’s where Meet Cambridge can help with its free venue-finding service, which offers a one-stop shop for enquiries – simply contact the team with your requirements and they will liaise with more than 70 venues in their portfolio and come back to you with availability.

Venues include historic and contemporary Cambridge colleges, hotels, stately homes – and much more.

UNIQUE LOCATIONS A number of University of Cambridge colleges can host civil ceremonies and wedding receptions during the University vacation periods, with unique settings from small intimate rooms to grand halls, with beautifully manicured gardens and, in some cases, access to the River Cam, perfect if you plan to arrive by punt.

Colleges available for weddings have civil licences and host civil ceremonies for both college members and non-college members, whilst weddings in the chapels are available for college members.

All college venues have in-house catering teams so whether you would like a traditional wedding breakfast, a barbecue, hog roast or maybe a simple afternoon tea, the catering teams will meet with you and talk through the options.

TRADITIONAL, QUIRKY AND CONTEMPORARY VENUES If you are looking for something different, Meet Cambridge has a diverse range of other venues that could fit the bill – from city centre properties with accommodation, to boutique hotels, country houses and barns.

Here are a few to look at: BARRINGTON HALL is an exclusive country house which can be yours for the day, providing an intimate setting to create the perfect ambience for your wedding.

HOTEL FELIX is a beautiful Victorian mansion with stylish interiors, Graffiti restaurant and landscaped gardens and is ideal for a wedding – or even an anniversary or christening.

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STURMER HALL HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE is a country house located on the borders of Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk and only one hour from central London. It offers a wealth of features including a 12th century church, lakeside pavilion, hotel with beautifully designed, romantic bedrooms, acres of lovely gardens and even a lake and moat.

MAGDALENE COLLEGE, right in the centre of historic Cambridge on the banks of the River Cam, is an impressive location. The Pepys Building, with its beautiful cloisters, is ideal for a civil ceremony, whilst the immaculate grounds are a perfect setting for champagne receptions and wedding photographs. The magnificent 16th century College Hall, where the wedding party dines by candlelight, offers a truly unique atmosphere.

LUCY CAVENDISH COLLEGE’S Warburton Hall offers several different spaces. For example, start with drinks in the upper reception rooms where wedding guests can spill out onto the balcony and into the beautiful gardens which are perfect for photographs, before heading downstairs to the main hall for the wedding breakfast. n

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S TO R I E S I N T H E DA R K .

Tales from the dark side (with a light touch too) suitable for two to seven year olds come to The Junction on 1 October. Storyteller Marion Leeper creates Stories in the Dark, a charming family experience inside a story tent, where children can discover who stole the darkness, why the sun and the moon are high and dry in the sky and how three monkeys came to be in a canoe. The story tent is one of the smallest theatres, with room for 15 people including grown-ups. Children will have the chance to join in with the stories, to talk and to play.

Shows last 30 minutes with time to explore the tent afterwards. Times are 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm and a relaxed, autism-friendly performance at 2.30pm, that will be suitable for wheelchair-users too. Tickets are £10 adults, £6 children. junction.co.uk

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Tales of Birbal.

How can you survive a night in a freezing lake? How many crows are there in a kingdom? Only Birbal knows... as puppetry, humour, music and the occasional fake beard are used by Mashi and Bhanji in Tales of Birbal.

The enchanting, mythical world of King Akbar and witty advisor Birbal is brought to life by Mashi Theatre at The Junction on 22 October. It’s part of the India Unboxed series of events this year in the city, supported

by University of Cambridge Museums.

Suitable for ages six and above, shows are 11.30am and 2.30pm. Tickets cost £10 for adults and £6 for children. junction.co.uk

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FA M I LY

H A L LOW E E N W I T H T H E K I D S !

Things are getting spooky over at Wandlebury Country Park on 28 October, when you can join in with a fancy dress candlelit walk, hear stories and have a go at pumpkin carving. Round it all off with hot drinks and marshmallow toasting by the fire. Runs 4-7pm.

Go on a gruesome tour of some of history’s most grisly bits this month at Audley End House and Gardens, where you’ll travel back in time and discover some of the most painful punishments through the ages (which your history teacher

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was too timid to tell you about!). Expect ghastly gallows and terrifying torture aplenty. Gruesome Goings On runs 23-29 October from 11am-4pm and costs £10.50 per child (5-15 years), and £17.50 per adult.

The Skylark Maize Maze and Funyard will host a whole week of wickedness in honour of Halloween. Pick pumpkins and carve them suitably ghoulish faces, catch a comedy and magic show, and most excitingly of all, explore the Dark Side Maze: a special Halloween edition

of the maize maze. Entry is £9 per child and £10 per adult.

Create your own spooky masterpiece by carving a pumpkin at Wimpole Home Farm from 21-29 October (11am-4pm). Normal farm admission applies plus minimum £2 charge for the pumpkin (prices vary dependent on the size of each pumpkin).

Your Toys.

Slot Machine Theatre present Your Toys at The Junction, an adventure created by real toys brought along by the audience. Kids can bring along their favourite toy – a teddy, doll, dinosaur or something else – and watch as they’re brought to life using an innovative blend of puppetry, music and humour. The show takes place on 8 October at 11.30am and 2.30pm and tickets are £10 per adult and £6 per child. junction.co.uk

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FA M I LY

C A M B R I D G E P U M P K I N F E S T I VA L .

The annual Cambridge Pumpkin Festival returns 20-28 October, bringing with it a huge range of fun events for the whole family over the course of the October half term holiday. Organised by Cambridge Sustainable Food in collaboration with local charities, community groups and businesses, there are more than 14 events in total, including Kids’ Disco Soup on 23 October, where you and your little people can dance along to DJs and enjoy some scrummy pumpkin soup. Another highlight will be the Feed the 1000 launch event, where you’re invited to help reach a goal of feeding one thousand people using food which would have otherwise gone to waste. Expect a nutritious free feast and plenty of food saving tips. There’s also a pumpkin decorating workshop for kids at Co. 15, plus a pumpkin picnic at St James’s Church, complete with face-painting, baking, pumpkin carving and more. Bring along some food to share and join the fun. There’s plenty more happening throughout the course of the festival, check out the website for the full programme. cambridgepumpkinfestival.org.uk

Apple Day.

Burwash Manor in Barton is gearing up to host its fabulous annual countryside celebration, which puts apples at its core (sorry). A fun-packed family event taking place on 14 October, there will be yummy treats to eat, rides on a miniature steam train, traditional fairground rides, and displays of many traditional activities like basket weaving and chainsaw sculpting.

You can bring along your own apples to get them identified, as well as getting them juiced and pulped. All the fun is in aid of an excellent cause too, with the Apple Day helping to raise money for Sick Children’s Trust.

Over £5,500 was raised for this wonderful charity at last year’s event, and they’re hoping to make even more this year. Entry is £3 per adult; children under 12 are free. burwashlarder.com

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WEDDINGS

Here comes the bride!

P L A N N I N G A W E D D I N G? D O N ’ T D O A N Y T H I N G U N T I L YO U ’ V E R E A D OUR GUIDE TO GET TING M ARRIED IN CA MBRIDGESHIRE

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The perfect venue.

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Downing College.

Hotel du Vin. Hotel du Vin can’t be beaten as a stylish, city centre Cambridge location. The beautiful building used to be part of the University and has a wonderfully traditional ambience. There’s a range of packages available, all with a wedding coordinator to help you plan, a sommelier to guide you through choosing wine, and a wedding host to ensure all goes smoothly on the day. hotelduvin.com/locations/cambridge/weddings

Fancy a wedding in a beautiful Cambridge college?

You don’t always have to be a Cambridge graduate; Downing College, with its city-centre location and striking 19th Century neo-classical buildings, is available to hire for weddings all through the long summer break in July and August. The college is set within 20 acres of elegant gardens, making it the perfect location for gorgeous wedding photos and drinks, and there’s a fantastic selection of versatile rooms that are licensed to hold civil ceremonies. downing-conferencescambridge.com

M U R R AY E D WA R D S C O L L E G E .

Murray Edwards is one of the more contemporary Cambridge Colleges, dating from 1954 and designed

by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon who also designed The Barbican in London. It’s available to hire as a wedding venue, and has the space and flexibility to create the day you want, with scope to use both indoor and outdoor spaces. There’s the space to cater for up to 270 in The Dome, or for more intimate gatherings, up to 70 in the Fellows’ Dining Room which has its own private garden. The college offers on-site car parking and is just a five-minute walk from Shire Hall Registry Office. The wedding team can help you plan your own unique day and can also advise on incorporating special cultural or religious elements into the day. murrayedwardsevents.co.uk/fine-dining/ cambridge-wedding-venue

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The Old Hall, Ely. This privately-owned house in the Cambridgeshire countryside overlooks ornamental lakes and has a fabulous view of Ely cathedral. The venue offers both indoor and outdoor wedding options; for a summer wedding, the Garden Pavilion is the perfect outdoor location, and when the sun sets the garden and lakes can be beautifully lit for the perfect ambience.

Indoors, the imposing Great Hall makes a stunning setting for an indoor wedding. You get exclusive use of the house and grounds for your big day, plus a honeymoon suite and nine bedrooms for your guests. theoldhallely.co.uk CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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Holiday Inn. Proving that wedding venues don’t have to break the bank is the Holiday Inn, Impington, set in spacious grounds by a lake, just two miles from Cambridge.

For 2018 the hotel is offering a refreshed range of wedding packages, or there’s the option to create something completely bespoke. There are also great offers on accommodation for you and your guests, plus leisure facilities including a pool, gym, sauna and steam room to take advantage of before or after the big day. hicambridgehotel.co.uk

B E D F O R D LO D G E .

Bedford Lodge Hotel in Newmarket is one of Suffolk’s most stunning wedding venues. Its beautiful white stucco buildings date back to the 17th century, and the gorgeous rose gardens make the perfect location for drinks and photographs after the ceremony. The hotel is fully licensed for civil ceremonies and has three self-contained banqueting suites, meaning it can accommodate any size of wedding party. The hotel also has a fabulous spa, perfect for pre-wedding pampering and beauty treatments, or for your hen party. bedfordlodgehotel.co.uk

Swynford Manor.

It can be difficult to find outdoor venues that are licensed for weddings; couples who want to go al fresco often have to have a civil ceremony somewhere else first. There are no such worries at Swynford Manor.

This 18th Century manor house is surrounded by seven acres of stunning gardens, and you can make the most of them by having your wedding ceremony in the beautiful pergola, which is licensed for civil ceremonies, and can be draped with flowers to make it the perfect outdoor wedding location. If you don’t want to take a chance on the British weather, Swynford Manor’s indoor options are equally stunning. swynfordmanor.com/weddings

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Cambridge Tipi Company.

Those who already have the perfect garden or field for their big day often hire a marquee to turn it into their dream venue. Cambridge Tipi Company offer something a tiny bit different; think if it as a tent with a twist! Airy in summer and cosy in winter, they have a range of accessories and furnishings to create the perfect setting. The tipis can be used individually or connected to cater for all sizes of party, and can be used to extend the indoor space of almost any venue. cambridgetipi.com

S O M E T H I N G D I F F E R E N T. R U R A L C O F F E E P R O J E C T. For brides and grooms with a bit of a coffee habit, the Rural Coffee Project can offer the perfect additional touch for your wedding. Their packages are totally unique to each couple, whether you’re looking for quality local baristastyle coffee for after the meal, personalised cups and decorations or alcoholic coffees for guests in the evening!

They can also provide couples with a fully-licensed rustic tow bar Land Rover which can be a great addition to any festival-style outdoor wedding. ruralcoffeeproject.co.uk

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The dress.

The Tailor’s Cat has been dressing Cambridge brides for over 20 years now, and has a huge range of more than 200 dresses, as well as bridesmaids’ dresses and beautiful accessories. They offer a boutique-style service, so although you’re welcome to pop in for a peek, it’s best to book an appointment so the experienced team can help find the perfect dress for you. cambridge-bridalwear.co.uk

T H E F I N I S H I N G TO U C H E S …

H A R R I E T K E L SA L L .

Harriet Kelsall and her team have been making bespoke jewellery since 1998 and have won numerous awards, including ‘Bridal Jewellery Retailer of the Year’ in 2016. Harriet started her wedding jewellery company from her kitchen table in Hertfordshire. Her studio and shop on Green Street is the perfect spot to find unique, bespoke engagement and wedding rings. hkjewellery.co.uk CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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Thomas Sabo.

Thomas Sabo has a dedicated wedding and engagement jewellery section, including gorgeous gifts for bridesmaids, best men and even the youngest members of your wedding party. thomassabo.com

W I N S O R B I S H O P. Winsor Bishop is fairly new to Cambridge, but has a jaw-dropping selection of engagement and wedding rings, and specialises in creating beautiful bespoke jewellery. They have even had marriage proposals in the Norwich store, and several generations coming back to them to maintain the family tradition of a Winsor Bishop wedding ring! winsorbishop.co.uk

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Stag & hen weekend.

© LEANNE JADE

C A M B R I D G E I S , Q U I T E R I G H T F U L LY, A P O P U L A R D E S T I N AT I O N F O R H E N PA R T I E S , A N D I F YO U ’R E LU C K Y E N O U G H TO L I V E I N O U R B E AU T I F U L C I T Y A L R E A DY, W H Y WO U L D YO U WA N T TO G O A N Y W H E R E E L S E? W H E T H E R YO U FA N C Y P U N T I N G, P I C N I C K I N G O R PA M P E R I N G, T H E R E ’S S O M E T H I N G F O R YO U; A N D I F YO U ’R E U P F O R S O M E T H I N G S L I G H T LY M O R E E N E RG E T I C , C H E C K O U T O U R OT H E R A DV E N T U RO U S I D E A S . . .

Pampering.

© BEN BULL

Finn Jordan’s gorgeous salon, tucked away on Sussex Street, is rightly famous for its bridal prep packages, which are booked up years in advance. As well as offering a whole range of hair and skincare treats in the run-up to the wedding and on the day itself, they also do fab pampering parties which make a great addition to your hen weekend. finnjordan.co.uk

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Punting.

A punt on down the river Cam is pretty much the most ‘Cambridge’ experience you can have, and Scudamore’s offers a whole range of special touches to turn this into the perfect hen experience.

There’s a range of different experiences available, from a cocktail party punting day, with your very own mixologist on board to get the party started, to a treasure hunt punt if you fancy a hen party with a competitive twist! Get in touch to discuss what you want from your special day with your friends and Scudamore’s will help tailor the perfect event. scudamores.com/henparty-punting

Completely off piste.

If you’d really rather get out of Cambridge to somewhere a bit more, well, snowy, why not book a skiing getaway?

Hanski specialises in tailor-made skiing weekends and short breaks, so is the perfect choice to help you organise your hen or stag celebration. They offer trips to a wide range of resorts and can create a bespoke trip based around your plans, whether you want a luxury catered break or something more at the budget end. hanski.co.uk

Off the beaten track.

PICNICKING.

For lovers of food and drink – which is everyone, surely – you can’t beat a hen party at Cambridge Cookery School.

The kitchen is stunning, and the all-female team are pros when it comes to keeping everyone on track and having fun, while stepping back enough to let you have relax and enjoy yourselves. Plus, they know how to keep the prosecco flowing; always a bonus. If you want to make the day even more ‘Cambridge’, they can organize a punting trip with the delicious food you’ve prepared as a very special picnic. cambridgecookery.com CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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For a hen or stag party with a difference, head for Wild Tracks in Newmarket.

You can indulge your competitive side and work off that pre-wedding stress with karting, archery, motorcross and something called ‘battlefield live’ which sounds truly terrifying. There’s a range of stag and hen party packages available, or they can create one just for you. wildtracksltd.co.uk C A M B R I D G E E D I T I O N | O C T O B E R 2 017

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Ghoulishly Good.

DA I S Y D I C K I N S O N S H OWS YO U H OW TO C R E AT E T WO D E V I L I S H LY D E L I G H T F U L H A L LOW E E N M A K E - U P LO O K S

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VAIN VAMP.

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Such an easy look to create, and works well with a number of outfits, be that vampire, witch, or all-round spooky sass-pot. You’ll want to start with a washed out base, so use the lightest (winter) foundation you have.

The Kat Von D Lock It crème concealer in White Out (£20, Debenhams.com) 1 is a gem for blowing out highlights for a ghoulish appearance. Apply as you would a highlight, over cheekbones, nose, chin and forehead (or full face!) and blend in. Contour yourself some hollow cheek bones the lost boys would be proud of, and really go over the top. Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil (£25, Debenhams) or the new PUR Contour Diaries palette (£28, Marks & Spencer) work well here. Next you want to create some super-tired, worse-thanMonday-morning eye bags. Any eyeshadow with red and pink tones will be perfect: the new Urban Decay Naked Heat palette (£39.50, John Lewis) for example, or if you’re stuck, use blusher! Take a fluffy brush and blend out the colour over eyes, and under – unlike a daytime look, you can really go to town here and enjoy a slightly haphazard approach.

As a general rule though keep the darker shades closest to the eye, and work outwards.

Use a black khol and shadow to really add depth to the under eyes. I painted on cat flicks for a vampy finish using PUR On Point Liquid Eyeliner (£16, Marks & Spencer) , exaggerating the tail – if you’re struggling with liquid eyeliner though, check my Instagram for some how-to videos @thedayseyesuk.

Eyebrows can also be accentuated with a dark pomade like Freedom Pro Brow Pomade in Chocolate (£5, Superdrug). For lips, a deep Morticia plum like Sleek Matte Me liquid lipstick in Vino Tinto (£4.99, Superdrug) 2 will look great, or to add a little sparkle, Glitter Lips (£12.50, Lash & Glo Salon, Newmarket Road) 3 provides water and smudge proof wear, in tons of colours, like the vampy Forbidden. A little dab of this glitter can also be used in the centre of the eyelid, and – if you want to go all out – as veins/ blood trails from the eyes. Either use balm, or dedicated product like NYX Glitter Primer (£8, Boots) 4 to carefully trace lines away from the eyes, tapping the glitter into place. In my opinion, no look is complete (Halloween or otherwise) without a good pair of falsies, and the new KISS Lash Couture Faux Mink collection (£5.32, Superdrug) 5 is just stunning.

Perfectly fluffy, fluttery lashes. Here, I doubled up using Midnight and Gala.

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Just the right mix of cute and creepy, this demon dolly look works well paired with collared dresses, long socks and pig tails. Start with your usual base, then get ready to contour for exaggerated cheeks and a sunken jaw. I used the Smashbox Contour Stick Trio (£29.50, Boots) to easily carve my outline, and buffed into the skin using a damp Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (£5.99, Boots) 1 .

Bold blusher is a must for mannequin-like cheeks, the pinker the better. Charlotte Tilbury's Cheek to Chic in Love is the Drug (£30, John Lewis) 2 is a cool-toned pink just perfect for this, swirled into the apples of the cheeks with a small brush like the new Real Techniques Powder Bleu B02 Soft Finishing Brush (£22, Boots) 3 . Next up you’ll need a white kohl pencil for the waterline, and a liquid for painting under the eye to create the illusion of bigger dolly eyes; I like NYX white liquid liner (£6, Boots) 4 . After applying, carefully trace the edge with a black eyeliner – I prefer the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner (£16, Debenhams.com) 5 for precision work like this. Finish with a smoky eye, then add lashes upside down to the bottom of the white painted “eye”. Eylure’s Enchanted After Dark range is perfect for bat-able lashes this spooky season, try #I Need my Beauty Sleep (£5.95, Boots) for bottom lashes. For a bargain flutter run to Primark and fill your boots with the Girls With Attitude lashes for just £3 6 a pop! Check out Mermazing for the fluffiest length.

For lips, go for a deep red or berry shade, in a dainty, condensed pout, exaggerating the Cupid's bow. I used Sleek Matte Me liquid lipstick in Fired Up (£4.99, Superdrug) 7 , before carefully tracing the edges of the mouth and down each side of the jaw with an eyeliner. To finish, take a brown eye or brow pencil and twist a few freckles over the nose and cheeks.

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Education Edition.

W I T H O P E N DAY S E A S O N U P O N U S , W E C O N S I D E R H OW T O L O O K PA S T THE BELLS AND WHISTLES AND GET A TRUE SNAPSHOT OF POTENTIAL SCHOOLS

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL. A D I V E R S E A N D E N R I C H I N G E D U C AT I O N A L E X P E R I E N C E

CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, now part of the International Schools Partnership, was founded in 2006 and offers a progressive and stimulating learning experience for children aged two to 16 years. The school combines traditional values with a modern, ambitious and internationally focused approach to learning. Class sizes are small and teaching is personalised to the individual. A particular feature of the school is the commitment to providing an unpressurised learning environment based around each child’s readiness to learn. CIS believes learning can and should be fun, challenging each child to achieve the highest educational standards in a nurturing and supportive environment. CIS students not only graduate with excellent GCSE results (54% of grades were A/A* and 88% of all grades A*-C in 2017), but also with a set of skills for the future, creating independent thinkers, who have the ability and desire to contribute to the wider world.

Cambridge International School has students from 23 countries, speaking many different languages, and we celebrate the diversity of having students from around the globe. Our unique Mother Tongue programme ensures students continue to study in their own language through small group tuition by native speakers in at least 12 different languages.

The school is split between two sites: the Junior School and Senior School. The Junior School is home to the younger

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students, aged two to 11 years old and is conveniently located at Cherry Hinton Hall on the edge of central Cambridge, making excellent use of the surrounding Cherry Hinton Park. This site is currently undergoing a ÂŁ3.5 million refurbishment which, once completed in the late autumn of 2017, will provide a light, modern and spacious environment for children to pursue their individual intellectual curiosities.

This refurbishment will also allow CIS to extend the nursery provision to accept children from age 24 months for 50 weeks a year. When completed, the refurbishment will bring the Junior School buildings and facilities into the 21st century, whilst sympathetically retaining the traditional and much-loved historic look of the iconic 19th century hall and park.

The Senior School is located in Abington, just off the A11 in the picturesque countryside close to Cambridge. The location of the Senior School includes a 40-acre site which allows students access to quality sports and playing fields. Our Senior School educates students from year 7 up to and including year 11 (ages 11 to 16) and each class has up to 16 students. n

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Open door policy.

G O I N G T O A N O P E N DAY I S T H E B E S T WAY T O G E T I N T O A S C H O O L’S P S YC H E , S AYS C H A R L O T T E P H I L L I P S . B U T H OW T O G E T T H E M O S T O U T O F AT T E N D I N G?

chools in our area are currently putting the final touches to their open days. Many have achieved yet another set of outstanding GCSE and A level results. Add their awe-inspiring facilities and it’s no surprise that they are expecting families to flock through the doors in their droves as part of their quest for the perfect education.

Though open day season is an exciting time, it can also be an anxious one, particularly if the popular, high achieving schools parents have set their heart on prove to be fearsomely oversubscribed.

Headteachers, who have heard it all before, urge parents to take a step back when thinking about schools and start by looking at what would best suit their child. “Parents should try to understand that it’s different strokes for different folks. Different children are going to thrive in a variety of schools,” says Richard Settle, headteacher at Sancton Wood School.

Putting the child at the centre of the process is key, agrees Sophy

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Aitken, head of marketing at Felsted School.

“Take your time to find the right school for your child. What is right for someone else might not be the perfect one for your child,” she stresses.

A performing arts fanatic who’s ambivalent about team sports, for example, could well be captivated by an establishment with an amazing drama studio and left cold by acres of playing fields, no matter how well manicured.

Similarly, a bright but reserved child may prefer a smaller, gentler school in contrast to an outgoing sibling who might flourish in a larger-scale environment. It’s not unknown for parents to send each of their children to a different school to ensure a perfect match for their personalities.

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The key to working out which school might be the best fit is to use open days as a contrast and compare exercise.

Most families start their research online, where the focus is often on the glittering prizes, from scholarships achieved by prep schools to Oxbridge places secured by senior school pupils. For all schools, recent inspection reports – all now available online – are an essential read.

But though websites can tell you a lot about a school, says Sophy Aitken, and “they’re a really good place to choose your shortlist from,” there are limits to what they can do.

No dropdown menu, for example, can show parents the quality of relationships within the school community. “A site can’t tell you how warm teachers are, how as a group the kids get on, how the older kids interact with younger kids. You have to feel and see it,” says Richard Settle. And that’s why open days remain enduringly popular as a way of getting real-time, real-life insights into a school’s psyche.

“You’ll get so much from the behaviour of the children – the way that they interact with the teachers, and how they react to visitors,” says David Shah, the director of studies at Mander Portman Woodward (MPW). When it comes to deciding how many schools to see, the

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official advice is the more the merrier.

“Do your research, visit as many as you can. You will soon get a feeling as to what will work for your child and your family,” says Sophy Aitken.

Going back to the classroom can, admittedly, feel like a daunting process, especially for parents whose own schooldays in the dim (and happily distant) past weren’t necessarily the happiest days of their lives.

Things have changed substantially, however. Schools these days bend over backwards to make open days welcoming, enjoyable events where the aim is to put parents and prospective pupils at their ease. Felsted School, for example, puts on taster sessions in science, sports, arts and drama for the children to try.

At St Mary’s School, Cambridge, meanwhile, open days take place on a Saturday morning. While lessons aren’t normally held then, the school goes to great pains to give visitors an entirely authentic representation of life there, offering subject-led activities in classrooms, extraand co-curricular activities, from Duke of Edinburgh students putting up tents to the chance to see budding musicians, actors and engineers putting their talents to work. It gives a real sense of what day-to-day life is like at the school.

That’s equally true at MPW. With a small student

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Visits can be so revealing. Itʼs vital to see how a school will support individual children – looking not just at their ability but their personality and interests as well

body of just 220 pupils or so, the goal on open days – always held in normal working hours – is a very clear demonstration of just how beautiful small can be.

David Shah describes open days as the ‘full Oliver Cromwell’ – warts and all. “It’s a fully functioning thing and it’s brilliant how often, and utterly spontaneously, our existing students will be very receptive to answering questions, giving the narrative about themselves which is so important for the sons and daughters who are visiting because suddenly it’s an environment in which they can potentially identify.”

Sancton Wood School, similarly, offers a range of enticing activities, chosen not just for their visitor appeal but because they reflect day-to-day life there. “We try not just to do things that are fun but that reflect what goes on in lessons, so it’s a nice way of seeing how a classroom feels and what the teachers are like,” says Richard Settle.

And that’s why visits can be so revealing, say our area’s school leaders. It’s vital to see how a school will support each

individual child – looking not just at their ability but their personality and interests as well.

“Whether your child is an art aficionado, a linguist, a scientist or musician the same questions should be asked: ‘What do you have to offer my child in terms of expertise, facilities, role models, peers and encouragement, to provide them with the support they need to achieve their potential?”’ says Charlotte Avery, headmistress of St Mary’s School, Cambridge. Tour the school and listen to the head, she says, but look at everything else as well. “Focus on the educational and extra-curricular aspects most suited to your child, taking their passions into account.

Speak to staff members representing these areas to ensure the school offers relevant opportunities for your child.”

Visiting also gives you the opportunity to get under the skin of a school. Take exam results. You’d expect super selective schools in our area to ensure that children continue to achieve at the highest levels throughout their school career – as indeed they do. But what happens to children who aren’t at the very top of the tree when they arrive – and what do schools do to ensure that they maximise their potential?

Exam grades won’t tell parents what a child’s learning journey has been like.

“As a parent, I’d be less interested in how many got A*s and Bs. I’d be much more interested in how they achieved the best. It’s those kids who are getting a B who were told that they wouldn’t be

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able to get GCSEs,” says Richard Settle at Sancton Wood School.

Grades aren’t in any case the sole purpose of an education. “It is vital to think beyond results,” stresses Sophy Aitken at Felsted. “Of course they are important but schools offer so much more than passing exams”.

The key is for families to be clear about what matters to them, listen to the headteacher’s presentation and ensure that the school’s ethos matches theirs. “Listen for a steer on the school’s values – do these meet your expectations and needs; is the focus on the students’ attainment, well-being, or extra-curricular achievements – or hopefully a healthy combination of these and much more besides?” says Charlotte Avery at St Mary’s School, Cambridge.

And however brilliant a school, it’s important to ensure that you don’t neglect the basics – like travel times. Even for older children, the journey to school shouldn’t exceed an hour. For younger children who, like fine wines, rarely travel well, the shorter the journey, the less stress all round.

It’s also far easier to arrange playdates for this age group – a vital part of the school experience as children start to expand their circle of friends.

With so much to look out for, it can be easy to think broad brushstrokes. But schools stress that it’s also worth picking up on the small details.

Sometimes this can be what clinches the deal – like paying attention to the way that students and teachers talk to each other and not just what’s said.

“It’s a collection of small things that will give visitors an overall feel for the college from a very human perspective,” says David Shah at MPW. “As we go round, I’ll be exchanging a few words with my own students and the staff I work with.

What they’ll pick up on is not so much what’s been said but the tenor of it. It’s friendly, its constructive and it’s very open and honest.

It’s all about getting that snapshot of the life of the college.” b

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Boarding: for busy families.

DAV E WAT K I N , A SS IS TA N T H E A D AT C U LFO RD SC H O O L I N SU F FO LK , L O O K S AT T H E C H A N G I N G FAC E O F B OA R D I N G

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he UK boarding population has changed significantly in recent years and many parents have expectations that differ from those in the past. In many schools, the majority of boarders are the first in their family to board.

Modern boarding is uniquely placed to provide support to modern family life in order to facilitate the increasingly busy schedules of children and parents alike.

Busy working parents want to be more involved in their children’s often hectic lives. Mum and dad want to attend their child’s music concert, sporting fixture or parents’ evening whilst their son or daughter wants to explore their many interests, be they academic, sporting or performance, that can span an entire week. Once academic pressure’s thrown in for good measure, it can create a perfect storm, placing a burden on family life.

While boarding remains a proven way to help build self-reliance and independence, it has transformed to be a more flexible and inclusive experience that helps the child develop as an individual but also can extend much-needed support to parents.

Although boarding is evolving, perceptions always take time to catch up. I have met many families who, when I ask if they’ve considered full or part boarding, say they’re not interested and want to remain a family group. However, when explained that boarding can mean an extended day where you can drop off for breakfast club at 7.30am and pick up at 8pm after their homework is completed, it can be seen as a way to get more from life as a family.

Why choose a boarding school over a day school?

Because your child can enjoy all the benefits afforded to a boarder, whether they are day, part or full boarding. They enjoy a wraparound provision, a wide range of activity and an extended day that provides a simple answer to the question of childcare, which can be a massive burden for families.

Further, boarding provides much-needed continuity for a child who can experience a fantastic educational programme that is integrated into their day. Importantly, they have the benefit of deep pastoral support, an individual approach afforded to every child and their ultimate well-being.

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We are all well aware of the challenges faced by children today, especially in an increasingly pressurised, technological and fast-paced world.

When a child joins a boarding school they join an educational community where a school will take a holistic view of every child. This includes not only their academic life but also their mental and social well-being as well as their integration into their peer group. Every staff member will be acutely aware of the pressures every child faces and will be there to provide support.

For the time the child remains at the school, in partnership with parents, the school becomes their point of contact where they may identify the small but telling issues that might start to unravel a child and provide the support that allows them to feel secure.

At Culford, we are a small school and deliberately so. This means we can provide that essential family environment where we can support every child, giving them the individualised provision they deserve.

If we wish to achieve two things for the children, it’s for them to feel secure and happy. And if they are secure and happy, then we have the building blocks for them to be successful – whether that success is academic, in sport, music or drama. We challenge

Modern boarding is uniquely placed to provide support to modern family life them, we want them to be ambitious, and we direct and lead them to that success.

So what are the next steps in finding the right school?

Explore with an open mind. There’s a right school for every child, but it’s not the case that every child is right for every school.

Start your investigation and consider how you can narrow down your shortlist: What geographic region would you consider? What type of school would you prefer, eg. single sex or co-educational, religious or secular? Its location – town or country? And its size.

I recommend you draw up a shortlist of at least three schools and you should visit each one so you can compare them. This will help you clarify what you really want in a school and what you like about a school. But remember: put your child first. Don’t try to fit the child to the school that you like; make sure the school is offering everything your child wants and needs. b C A M B R I D G E E D I T I O N | O C T O B E R 2 017

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HOT houses F RO M RO S E - G O L D T O M A R B L E AC C E N T S , T H E L AT E S T FA S H I O N S I N T H E I N T E R I O R S WO R L D A R E A L L A B O U T A D D I N G A L AY E R O F L UXU RY T O YO U R S PAC E . H E R E ’S O U R R E P O R T O N H OW T O I N C O R P O R AT E T H E S E L AT E S T D E S I G N T R E N D S F O R A N E W, I M P ROV E D H O M E

©GALERIE WALLCOVERINGS

WORDS ANGELINA VILL A-CL ARKE

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MARVELLOUS MARBLE. The natural, clean look of marble has been gaining ground in recent years when it comes to kitchen design. When matched with more modern materials, such as brass or industrialstyle fittings, the stone gives a grand, glamourous feel with a contemporary twist.

If your budget doesn’t quite stretch to the real thing, however, then look to Cambridge-based Granite Transformations, which has a range of Trascenda stones, based on Italian marbles.

“Like Italian marble, they have a timeless beauty, but are not prone to scratches or staining and can be readily used for worktops, splashbacks, seamless wall panels and even hard flooring,” advises the company.

You can also give a nod to the trend with textiles and prints in a marble pattern. Delcor’s luxury sofas and chairs can be made in a wide choice of fabrics, and the brand recommends the striking ‘Marble’ fabric from Swaffer, or the multi-coloured ‘Marble Swirl’ from Kate Spade.

The latest wallpapers, such as those from Galerie Wallcoverings, also provide choices that reflect the swirling patterns found in the stone.

“Marble has always been a material synonymous with luxury and style,” says Poppy GodleyMiller, design manager at Galerie Wallcoverings.

“However, the latest interior trends have allowed us to be much more experimental with marble in our homes, whether that is introducing marble in smaller ways, such as vases and shelving, or in a statement wallpaper with a grand marble pattern.”

For smaller pieces made from the material, Sainsbury’s new winter collection of homeware includes chic marble coasters and plant pots, while Mood Collections ‘Selham’ range of chic vases and pitchers are just the thing for adding a stylish accent into any scheme. ➥

Top right Delcor’s Prezzo Ige sofa in Swaffer Marble, £2,611 Above Source marble and metal accessories from Sainsbury’s glamorous Renaissance Boutique range, from £10 Right Mood Collection’s Selham Set of three marble vases and jug, £53

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The latest interior trends have allowed us to be much more experimental with marble in our homes, whether that is introducing marble in smaller ways or in a statement wallpaper with a grand marble pattern

IN THE VEIN. B A RT E K O S TO J S K I , C O - OW N E R O F A R B O L H O U S E , G I V E S H I S T I P S O N H OW TO U S E M A R B L E

1 2 3 Combine marble with brass for a stylish, modern take on the material.

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Marble comes in different shades; we love dark green for an on-trend effect.

Use white marble as your countertop and splashback in the kitchen for a sumptuous look.

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INTERIORS

THE NEW PALETTE. Say goodbye to grey, because the new neutral is officially pink. The dusty, plaster shade (think putty rather than candy) is warm, versatile and subtle. The trick is finding just the right hue so that it looks grown-up rather than girlie.

Part of Crown Paints’ new ‘Considered Collection’ – a range of sophisticated, muted tones that are soft and elegant – is Tea Gown, the perfect pared-back pink. Judy Smith, Crown Colour consultant, comments: “I love the simplicity of Considered – the shades are warm and confident and reflect a streamlined way of living.”

This blush shade works beautifully with rosegold and copper so seek out accessories that marry the two for an on-trend vibe. Smallable, for example, has an impressive collection of dusty pink quilts, copper lighting and pink shelving, while Swoon Editions’ Ritz Chair is available in the perfect shade of velvet blush.

Andrew Tanner, design manager at Sainsbury’s Home, says: “Rose-coloured hues are incredibly popular and copper is always a seasonal favourite for autumn. A few well-chosen pieces can create a sleek, contemporary feel.” ➥ CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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Top The Considered palette of paints from Crown is made up of sophisticated, faded hues Above Swoon Editions’ Ritz chair, shown here in Blush Velvet, from £549 Right Z Copper Table Lamp, £36.98,

by Present Time at Smallable

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SEA WORLD. Indigo paint, fish-scale tiling and sea motifs combine to give an oceanic feel which looks beautifully of-the-moment. Midnight blue on a statement wall works wonderfully well with gold accessories for a glamourous scheme. You can also combine the jewel-like tones of the ocean – turquoise, peacock blue and emerald green – for a dramatic yet cosy palette: ideal for the winter months.

Perfectly reflecting this is Fired Earth’s scalloped Paris Cabaret tiles, available in oceanic colours. The company has a shop in Cambridge and its brand ambassador Laura James gives her view: “Look for tiles in eye-catching shapes for added visual interest and a welcome sense of texture. The sweeping, wave-like curves of Fired Earth’s Paris Cabaret tiles are ideal, and they’re also in keeping with the trend for using geometric patterns in the home.”

For a subtle touch of blue, add artworks with inky tones, such as those at Lola Design: “The colour indigo is such a gorgeous and versatile hue for the home,” says Amanda Mountain, co-founder. “If you’re looking to explore this trend, both our ‘Red Tailed Cockatoo’ and our ‘Perky Peacock’ fine art prints fit perfectly, while also adding a touch of fun to your walls.” ➥

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Opposite top left Fired Earth’s Carbon Blue Matt Emulsion, £39.50 for 2.5 litres Opposite bottom left Red Tailed Cockatoo Art Print, from £25,from Lola Design Left Fired Earth’s handmade Cabaret tiles, £9.95 each This picture Fired Earth’s Storm Matt Emulsion, £39.50 for 2.5 litres

INTO THE DEEP. F I R E D E A RT H O N H OW TO U S E D E E P B L U E I N YO U R H O M E

Inky blues can actually be restful choices: try Carbon Blue and Mariana Blue for bedrooms.

Far from being austere, dramatic blues exude warmth and sophistication.

Layer colours and textures, perhaps pairing two subtly different dark blue paints with a luxurious midnight-blue velvet.

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INTERIORS

URBAN THRILLS. Concrete floors, exposed brick and industrial furniture continue to be popular in the most stylish homes. Mix and match with metallic accessories and geometric prints for a thoroughly modern look.

Source zinc-topped dining tables and concrete side-tables at Arbol House, while Swoon Edition’s ‘Ancona’ wood and iron shelving units are perfect for keeping clutter at bay. Graham & Brown’s ‘Red Brick’ wallpaper reflects the trend (without the mess of exposing the real thing), while Flock’s geometric wallpapers are also of the moment.

Jenny Wingfield, founder and creative director at Flock, comments: “Geometric patterns can be bold and playful yet still very restful. Elegantly simple geometric forms and repeating lines have a rhythm that is satisfying and soothing to the eye.”

Finally, Eve Waldron, a Cambridge-based interior designer, gives her take on the trend: “We recently installed a brick-effect wall in a new-build house. Careful consideration around the window reveals helped make it look authentic. It’s all in the detail! We are also seeing lots of furniture made from metal. Black or raw metal has an industrial edge, and brass adds a sparkle to the room.” n

S TO C K I S TS .

Arbol House 01244 329643, ovohome.com Beldi Rugs 07768 352190, beldirugs.com Crown Paints crownpaints.co.uk Delcor 0191 237 1303, delcor.co.uk Eve Waldron 01223 470370, evewaldron.com Fired Earth 01223 300941, firedearth.com Flock flock.org.uk Galerie Wallcoverings 01892 700730, galeriehome.co.uk Granite Transformations 01223 853913, granitetransformations.co.uk Harveys Furniture 0344 847 2626, harveysfurniture.co.uk Lola Design 01904 675514, loladesignltd.com Mood Collections moodcollections.co.uk Sainsbury’s 0800 636 262, sainsburys.co.uk

Top Atlas Wallpaper, £120 per roll from Flock Above Hay New Order Shelving, available from Eve Waldron Design, pricing on request Top right Dining Table with Zinc Top and Brass Legs by House Doctor, £899, from Arbol House

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Lisa Broad, head of buying at Harveys Furniture, reveals her top buys The Connie sofa in Quinn Jade perfectly complements fiery copper or rose gold accessories.

The Kimberley coffee table has chic, silver angular features.

The circular Firbank mirror has a stylish bronze finish and faux-leather hanging strap.

Smallable 020 3445 0146, smallable.com Swoon Editions 020 3319 6332, swooneditions.com

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URBAN BUYS.

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INTERIORS

NORDIC CIRCULAR ROSE GOLD BASKET

sainsburys.co.uk

CRUZ PARAISO CUSHION

£75, andrewmartin.co.uk

NATURAL PALM SOUK POT

£36, yonderliving.com

IMPERIAL GLASS BOTTLE VASE

£38.95, miafleur.com

MARBLED PEBBLE ROSE GOLD WALLPAPER

£20 per roll, grahambrown.com

INDIGO POLKA DOT DINNER PLATE

£22.95, countrytraditionals.co.uk

Edition loves.

DURRINGTON BRONZE TABLE LAMP

£63, moodcollections.co.uk

GUBI BEETLE CHAIR

£858, evewaldron.com

TAMTAM WHITE MARBLE TABLE, BY HONORÉ

£266.60, smallable.com

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BLUE MARBLE PATTERN BOX

£32, nataliawillmott.co.uk

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INTERIORS

Profi le Designs.

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f you are on the search for furniture with a difference, then look no further than Cambridgeshire-based Profi le Designs. Offering a diverse collection of contemporary coffee tables, mirrors and occasional pieces, on a made-toorder basis, the companyí s USP is that everything is made from the solid surface material, KRION. Recognising a gap in the market for modern furniture made from the unique material and realising their respective experiences within solid surface materials and the furniture design industry were complementary spurred Joseph Boyne and Kirsti Sturgess-Dawson on to set up Profi le Designs.

Kirsti reveals more: ì After meeting and chatting about our common interest in furniture, we decided to collaborate and create some designs working with the solid surface KRION. Joeí s background consists of eight years working with solid surface materials, by creating worktops for kitchens, for example, and commercial applications, such as large reception desks for hospitals. While I have a degree in furniture design and craftsmanship, and also worked as a designer for a ceramics company and for a childrení s bed company. It made sense to pool our experience, technical know-how and creativity. ìKR ION was being used widely on a commercial scale but not so much within a living room environment,î says Kirsti. ì We wanted to create a collection of furniture, which demonstrated the design and structural capabilities of this innovative material.î KRION is available in a wide range of colours and the fact that it is thermoforming (so once heated it can be bent into many ways)means that it gives designers huge potential to create interesting pieces. It is also resistant to sunlight so is perfectly suited to making outdoor furniture. ì The opportunities to create designs are endless,î agrees Kirsti. ì It is also non-porous, therefore it is antibacterial and easy to clean.î When it comes to design inspiration, the pair check in with trade shows and social media to see what is popular and on trend, but they also place an importance on being original. ì Ití s great to see what is going on in the world of interior design but if you have a passion for something specifi c you need to act on that, too,î she says.

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ì I think customisation will play a big part within the furniture world. People are looking for pieces of furniture that are personal to them,î she continues. ì The geometrics trend is also still in vogue and we have started to refl ect this by incorporating surface pattern onto our new designs. Marble, too, has a strong presence and KRION offers a colour which has a marble effect. ì The best thing about being a small independent company, however, is that we have complete creative control over what we make – there are no limitations to what we can create with this material.î From offering pieces for the home – such as the curvy, avant-garde Ripple table (above) – to creating two tables for Porcelanosaí s London head office – the demand for Profi le Designs pieces is steadily growing. ì We hope to build our client list within the retail and commercial sectors,î continues Kirsti. ì We are also keen to build on our collection, with designs aimed for the living room environment, and experiment with surface pattern. There are so many design opportunities, we are excited at what the future brings! ì Most of all, being in Cambridgeshire is very important to us as we have both grown up and lived in the area for many years. We are proud to be bringing something fresh and new to the British furniture market.î n Profi le Designs | 07488 337665 | profi ledesigns.co.uk C A M B R I D G E E D I T I O N | O C T O B E R 2 017 !

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P R O P E RT Y N E W S

Is timing really everything?

S A M C O O K E , PA R T N E R AT C O O K E C U R T I S & C O, C O N S I D E R S T H E R E C E I V E D W I S D O M O N W H AT T I M E O F Y E A R T O P U T YO U R H O M E O N T H E M A R K E T

R

ubbish wasn’t it? The summer, I mean. In particular those with school-age children will know what I mean. Pretty much from the day they broke up until the day they went back it was cold, rainy and sad. We had a decent June and early July but the whole of August was disappointing. Luckily I went on a sunny holiday to a house in the Andalusian mountains that we borrowed off a friend in exchange for promising to keep half an eye on their daughter during her three-year art degree at ARU. Nice deal for us I’d say; I think they’re overestimating how much supervision a 20-year-old student will want. It was great. Ten days of perfect sunshine, the only variable was where between 32° and 36° the temperature would be by 2pm. An ideal holiday climate for sure, but actually, I think I’d soon get bored of that sort of weather day in, day out. I really like the changing of the seasons.

As does the housing market (if you’ll forgive the tenuous segue…)

It follows exactly the same, straightforward pattern each year, but, snubbing Vivaldi and pizzerias everywhere, it follows three seasons rather than four, basically in line with our holiday periods. December is always quieter and we panic that the world’s ending, but by mid-January we’re run off our feet and wishing we’d relaxed and enjoyed the quieter time. Good Friday weekend, which customers often think will be busy, is really quiet for viewings, then as soon as the Easter break is over it gets hectic again. Same again from August into September.

The best analysis I can give is that this is driven by simple distraction – there’s too much happening for most people over Christmas to think about moving.

There’s an accepted wisdom that spring is the best time to sell a house and that’s sort of true – the post-Easter surge is usually the surgiest of the surges, but actually, that can be bad as well as good. A surge in buyers is good, but a surge in sellers means more competition. If you’re buying on then more houses for sale is good, as you have more choice once you’re sold, but if you’re just selling then it actually can make sense to market your house at a quieter time when there is little else available. Buyers get a bit distracted over the holidays but not completely, they do keep looking, and if your house is the only one of its type for sale, they’ll buy it. Anecdotally I’d say the ratio of active buyers to active sellers is pretty consistent through the year.

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The post-Easter surge is usually the surgiest of the surges, but actually that can be bad as well as good…

Some agents have an obsession with houses being photographed with blue skies, to the point that they add in perfect blue skies on otherwise dull, or even rainy, pictures. It’s just not necessary. A good photo on a grey day is miles better than a botched Photoshop job that leaves buyers wondering what else the agent is faking.

That said, for certain types of house it is worth waiting until the better weather comes round. If you’re in a picture-perfect cottage down a winding country lane next to the village duck pond, it could be worth hanging on, but with a period terrace with an open fireplace in the city centre, the winter is just as good.

Truth is, there are just so many variables that it’s impossible to be sure of the optimum time to sell, so our advice is to just do it when you feel ready. Don’t rush it or hold off because you think the market will improve or worsen, do what suits you and your timescales. n CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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