LOVE LOCAL
Since relocating here for grandparent duties, Jennifer Robinson has immersed herself in the beauty, diversity and culture that Cambridge has to offer
I’ve lived in Cambridge for 16 years now, after moving here when my first grandchild was born. I love it here because the town and countryside are so close to each other, and everyone is friendly. You need never be short of somewhere to go or something to do – with families always welcomed. The place that means the most to me is probably the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. It never fails to raise my spirits when I visit, with its magnificent ancient trees and everywhere new delights like a kaleidoscope of magic. If it rains, I take shelter in the tropical glasshouses. Then across the road are Coe Fen, the river and Lammas Land, all free to visit. Traffic roars down Trumpington Road, yet
there are unperturbed cows and waterfowl on either side. The most memorable event I have been to is the advent candle-lit service in King’s College Chapel. I felt like a medieval peasant in the dark antechapel as the choristers in their long robes processed out of sight, the sounds of their footfall on the paved floor. When people ask me for local recommendations, I point them to John Lewis and Grand Arcade for shopping; Kettle’s Yard for a different art experience; any of the town churches for history and a moment’s rest and reflection; and the Pepys Library at Magdalene College to enjoy an up-close-and-personal portrait. Due to reopen this year, it houses 3,000
SHARE YOUR LOVE STORY If you’ve been a Cambridge
resident for a year or more and would like to appear on this page as one of our next interviewees, drop the editor a line at louisehoffman@bright.uk.com
books in bookcases he designed, from Newton’s Principia to an almanac possibly owned by Sir Francis Drake and Robert Hooke’s detailed drawings of insects as seen through a microscope. I think Pepys would have enjoyed the convivial monthly lectures at the Ancient India and Iran Trust that have opened my eyes to new cultures. Two places I’ve never visited and are still on my list are Cambridge Central Mosque on Mill Road, which I saw being built, and the Museum of Classical Archaeology.
You need never be short of somewhere to go or something to do , with families always welcomed
82 MARCH 2026 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
Powered by FlippingBook