CULTURE EDITION
THE SPITFIRE GIRLS TAKE FLIGHT Spitfire Girls , a play written by Katherine Senior, arrives at Cambridge Arts Theatre from 7 to 11 April as part of a second major UK tour. Reuniting on New Year’s Eve, 1959, decades after they answered the call, two women separated by the war meet as the rain hammers down on the windows of The Spitfire pub and recall a time when female pioneers defied expectations and soared through the skies. Inspired by the extraordinary true stories of the women who dared to fly during WWII and the incredible bond that tied them together, it tells a heartwarming story of strength, courage and loss – but above all else, hope. Find out more and book tickets at artstheatre.co.uk
HISTORIC TIMEPIECE JOINS CROMWELL MUSEUM COLLECTION The Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon has secured a small pocket watch that is believed to have belonged to Oliver Cromwell. It was displayed at the museum who lived on the same street as Cromwell in 1647. Cromwell is believed to have
given the watch to one of his officers, John Blackwell, while on campaign in 1650. It was then passed down until it was sold in 2019 to the owner who offered it for sale to the museum. It is one of only two watches with a reasonable provenance to have belonged to Cromwell, the other being at the British Museum. For more details and the museum’s upcoming programmes, visit cromwellmuseum.org
in 2024 and, after a public appeal along with grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund, now has a permanent home there. The watch is of a Puritan style, in a silver case, and would have indicated the date as well as the time using a clockwork mechanism wound daily. It was made by the London watchmaker William Clay,
A walk on the wild side Celebrating 40 years of television, presenter and BAFTA award-winning wildlife enthusiast Michaela Strachan will swap her binoculars for the spotlight this month as she brings her new live theatre show to The Apex in Bury St Edmunds. In Not Just a Wild Life , Michaela explores the highs and lows of a varied career that spans The Wide Awake Club , The Hitman and Her , The Really Wild Show , Countryfile , Springwatch and beyond. She recalls the risks she’s faced – from darting buffalo while four months pregnant and being bitten by a lemur in Madagascar, to discovering her fear of heights when recreating a giant spider’s web on Clifton Suspension Bridge! Book tickets to see Not Just a Wild Life on 27 April at theapex.co.uk
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