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What’s Happening Locally (or is about to!)

As Government Coronavirus restrictions are gradually eased some places have re-opened to the public or are planning to do so by the time you read this. Please check carefully before you visit - the situation is a changing one and more facilities may be opened as the weeks go by. NB the latest government guidelines with regard to social distancing and hygiene apply in all cases.

Shepreth Wildlife Park

The Park will hopefully be opening before July. Visitors will need to purchase a pre-paid ticket. For up to date information please visit https://sheprethwildlifepark.co.uk/your-visit.

National Trust properties such as Wimpole Hall, Anglesey Abbey and Ickworth have re-opened their parkland and Wimpole now has a very good multi-use trail for walkers and cyclists. You need to pre-book your visit - members included - or you will be turned away. Tickets are released each Friday for the following week and sell out quickly. Toilet facilities are available but cafés and shops remain closed, as do the historic buildings themselves. See www.nationaltrust.org.uk for directions, further details and booking arrangements. Audley End House and Gardens, Saffron Walden CB 11 4JF will be open again from 4th July. As with the National Trust, you need to book in advance (including members) and the house will re-open as well as the grounds. There will be a limit on the numbers allowed to visit. See www.english-heritage.org.uk for further details. Other English Heritage properties are opening in early July; all remaining ones from 1st August.

Wandlebury Country Park, Gog Magog, Cambridge CB22 3AE

remains open to visitors, with car parking facilities (cashless payment options available). All events and volunteer work parties have been cancelled until further notice but before you go why not take a guided online tree and wild flower walk so you can see what to look out for? Visit www.cambridgeppf.org for further details. Gog Magog Down. Just across the A1307 road from Wandlebury - a rare Cambridgeshire hill with great views, fine walking paths and the sound of skylarks! See www.magogtrust.org.uk.

Coton Reserve, Grantchester Road, Cambridge CB23 7PZ has lovely flowers in summer and is a a very pleasant place to stroll around. For directions visit www.cambridgeppf.org or try Trumpington Meadows Reserve, Grantchester Road, Cambridge CB2 9LH - details on the same website. Children love the wooden animal sculptures! It’s a short walk from here to Byron’s Pool too. Ely Cathedral, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4DL is open again for private prayer and you can still explore 1000 years of history from the comfort of your home with a video tour and selection of striking photos. Just go online at www.elycathedral.org. Cambridgeshire Libraries may re-open on a limited basis from 4th July as part of Phase 3 of the national recovery plan. This will not be a full re-opening and is likely to mean restricted hours, a click and collect book service and time-limited access to IT facilities. In the meantime, you can read more than 7000 eBooks online, plus audio books, eMagazines and eNewspapers. See www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk for details and further announcements.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden, 1 Brookside , Cambridge CB2

1JE opened again to the general public on 16th June with pre-booked tickets to control visitor numbers. These are released each Thursday at 10.00am. The café will operate a takeaway service and indoor areas such as the glasshouses will remain closed. Picnics are allowed. See www.botanic.cam.ac.uk for more details.

And if you’ve missed going out for a little something ... La Pergola, Cambridge Road, Harlton CB23 1HA is closed for bookings but offers a takeaway collection or delivery service from Wednesday - Sunday 5.30pm to 8.30pm and on Saturdays and Sundays 12.00pm to 2.00pm. See www.lapergolacambridge.co.uk for their menu and call (01223) 26005 to book. The Chequers, 22 Town Green Road, Orwell SG8 5QL also runs a takeaway service on Wednesday to Saturday evenings from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. For their menu and booking arrangements visit www.chequersoforwell.co.uk or call (01223) 207840 or 07889 548239 before 4.00pm - the chef will be busy cooking after that! Hot Numbers Roastery, Dunsbridge Turnpike, Shepreth SG8 6RB has takeaway hot drinks, pastries and sourdough loaves daily from 8.00am4.00pm and pizza on Fridays and Saturdays, 11.00am-9.00pm.

Cambridge Open Windows

camopenstudios.co.uk/open-windows

Although the dreaded COVID-19 virus has seen an end to this year's annual art extravaganza we've grown to love, all is not lost. A group of budding members have stepped up to the mark and are organising a treasure trail of art for the public to enjoy whilst out on their daily walks.

#Openwindows2020 is a national campaign that is celebrating art in its many forms, displayed in as the name would suggest, a window or perhaps front garden. For all four weekends of July, artists will display their artwork for local residents to enjoy. Treasure trail maps have been created with spots to indicate the location of participating artists. The maps are available to download from the Cambridge Open Studios website: camopenstudios.co.uk/open -windows.

Each participating artist will display their name and the Cambridge Open Studios website address alongside their art in their window and each artist has their own page on our website, so people can find out more about each artist they have visited. If the lockdown is still in place, we will encourage people to adhere to social distancing rules and remind them to only travel locally as part of their daily exercise. There is actually a handful of artist members who have already been doing this independently, to various degrees, since the lockdown began. We now have 100+ artists signed up to take part in this initiative during the month of July. We look forward to bringing you #COSart2020 this July. More information can be found at: camopenstudios.co.uk/openwindows.