New year, new issue! Have a read of our January magazine here and get inspired for the month ahead!
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EDITORIAL Editor in chief Nicola Foley 01223 499459
nicolafoley@bright-publishing.com Chief sub editor Beth Fletcher Senior sub editor Siobhan Godwood Sub editor Felicity Evans ADVERTISING Senior Sales executive Lee Fifield 01223 492240 leefifield@bright-publishing.com CONTRIBUTORS Alex Rushmer, Angelina Villa-Clarke, Cathy Moore, Cyrus Pundole, Charlotte Griffiths, Siobhan Godwood, Daisy Dickinson, Elodie Cameron, Jordan Worland, Ruthie Collins, Anna Taylor, Charlotte Phillips DESIGN & PRODUCTION Senior designer & Production Manager Flo Thomas 01223 492242 flothomas@bright-publishing.com Ad production Man-Wai Wong 01223 499468 manwaiwong@bright-publishing.com MANAGING DIRECTORS Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck 01223 499450 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK CAMBRIDGE EDITIONMAGAZINE • 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. FIND US @CAMBSEDITION
hh, January. A month-long festive hangover filled with penny pinching, calorie watching and self-flagellation by way of brutal new year’s resolutions. It doesn’t all have to be about forgoing things you enjoy though – as chef Alex Rushmer points out in his column inside the issue. Rallying against the most austere month of the year with a resolve to do something enjoyable rather than
sternly promising himself to abstain, he shares his food-based New Year’s resolutions over on page 61. I like his thinking: rather than subtracting something, perhaps a more positive, not to mention achievable, goal is to add something to our lives instead? One well-trodden stepping stone on the road to self-improvement is to take up an evening class. Whether to boost your career prospects, indulge an interest or hobby, learn a language or even gain a qualification, there are plenty of classes, workshops and courses on offer here in Cambridge, ranging from the practical or creative to the delightfully esoteric. Fancy a night class in forensic science? Training to be a florist? Knocking out a first draft of that novel you’ve always dreamed of penning at a creative writing retreat? Head to page 69 and get inspired. I’ve also been inspired this month by the hardworking and talented individuals in our ‘ones to watch’ feature over on page 52. A round-up of the foodie movers and shakers you need on your radar this year, it’s proof that the road ahead looks bright for the Cambridge food scene, with a crop of genuinely great looking restaurants, cafes, bars and bakeries opening their doors. As well as looking toward what’s to come, we also celebrate the successes of one of the most talked-about new openings of last year in this issue. Turn to page 46 to find out how a determined pair of foodies took the tired but well-loved Restaurant 22 and reinvented it for a new era, with phenomenally successful results. There’s also news on gigs to blast
away any post-Christmas blues in our After Hours section (page 28), art exhibitions and theatre shows to seek out for a new year culture fix (from page 11) plus ideas for thrifty family days out (page 25) and plenty more besides. I hope you enjoy the issue – see you next month! Nicola Foley EDITOR IN CHIEF
This month’s cover illustration was created by Flo Thomas . See more of Flo’s illustrations on Etsy at HeydayDesignsUK or at heydaydesigns.co.uk
Author illustrations by Louisa Taylor louisataylorillustration.blogspot.co.uk
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C ONTENTS
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l STARTERS Top things to do and see in the city, plus our favourite social media pics 9 l ARTS & CULTURE Exhibitions, art shows and theatre highlights to enjoy in January 19 l ART INSIDER Ruthie Collins, founder of Cambridge Art Salon, shares her arty picks of the month 21 l BOOK CLUB Book recommendations, special offers and author interviews 25 l FAMILY Thrifty family fun for the skintest month of the year 28 l AFTER HOURS Comedy, festivals, gigs and more nightlife fun to seek out this January 31 l LISTINGS Our at-a-glance guide to the top events and goings-on this month 35 l COMPETITION Win a year’s membership to the Glassworks Health Club 37 l FOOD NEWS All the latest news and gossip from the Cambridge scene 46 l TASTE OF SUCCESS The inside story on the rebirth of a Cambridge institution: Restaurant 22
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50 MAKE THE BEST Alex shares a recipe for a tempting treacle soda bread 52 l ONES TO WATCH The up-and-coming foodie enterprises to keep on your radar in 2019 61 l CHEF’S TABLE Chef Alex Rushmer on making a new year’s resolution you’ll want to stick to 63 l NATURE’S LARDER The Gog farm shop give an insight into making tasty food on a shoestring 64 l DRINKS TROLLEY Wine tips, cocktail recipes and our favourite hidden drinking dens 66 l INDIE OF THE MONTH We take a trip to the ADC: England’s oldest university playhouse l
69 l LIFE LESSONS Seize that new year feeling and take up an evening class or hobby this January 75 l BUSINESS We take a look at the best conferencing venues around the city 80 l BEAUTY Beauty aficionado Daisy on the top products on her wishlist this month 83 l FASHION We’re heading back to the 1970s on our fashion page this month 87 l GARDENING Anna Taylor, owner of Anna’s Flower Farm, on what’s going on in the garden this month 91 l INTERIORS Angelina shows you how to refresh your interiors without breaking the bank
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WORTH THE WEIGHT SALE
Give your wardrobe a makeover without breaking the bank at the Worth The Weight Vintage Sale, taking place on 26 January at St Paul’s Church on Hills Road. Find thousands of quality vintage garments and snap them up for just £15 per kilo. There will be men’s and women’s pre-loved clothing from the 1960s onwards, including many branded and designer items as well as a range of accessories, with items starting as low as 75p. Eager shoppers should snap up an early bird entry ticket, which ensures queue jump and fast-track entry to the sale (£3). Search Worth The Weight Vintage on Facebook for more information.
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men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, plus accessories. Another new addition is Pure Gym, a fitness club found on the second floor of the former BHS unit. It’s located next to the existing Vue cinema, which boasts reclining luxury seats throughout. Food-wise, in addition to the recently opened new branch of Krispy Kreme, there’s Amélie upstairs, which serves tasty flammekueche from a vintage Airstream van, and plans for the centre to roll out a new Food Social concept over the coming months (more on page 56). The Grafton’s Debenhams, one of only two department stores in the city, has also had a makeover, and now includes the Beauty Hall of the Future. Just five stores TOP OF THE SHOPS
in the UK include this new concept, which has been designed to create a modern, interactive space where customers can experiment with and find out more about products from breakthrough brands and established beauty houses. Explore zones including the Skincare Lab and the Colour Lab, plus you can enjoy the pick-and-mix ‘minibar’, which is packed with travel-sized beauty treats. There’s also a Beauty Club House area with refreshments on offer – perfect for when you’re in need of a refuel mid shopping spree. In addition to counters from the likes of Kat Von D and Make Up Forever, a host of beauty services are available in store including manicures, blow dries, brow treatments and makeovers.
The Grafton’s £28.5 million facelift is now complete, offering shoppers a host of new retailers and eateries to check out, plus a sleek new look throughout the centre. The famously leaky roof is a thing of the past, with visitors now greeted by bright, open spaces, a new skylight and timber ceiling in the Great Court, stylish feature lighting and slick new flooring. Six new shops have opened since the start of the refurbishment, which began in the summer of 2016, including the double-storey Decathlon, H&M Home and The Entertainer. The Grafton is upping the fashion stakes with a new 9000 square foot River Island, an anchor store that showcases the brand’s latest look-and-feel concept, and offers
CHRISTMAS LEFTOVERS If you’re lamenting the end of the Christmas season – there are a few opportunities to eke out the festivities for a little longer this January. The North Pole on Parker’s Piece remains open until 6 January, so if you get in quick you can still enjoy a glide around on the ice rink and a steaming cup of mulled wine at the Alpine-themed bar. The ritzy Cambridge Arts Theatre pantomime also continues until 6 January – snap up a ticket for feel-good singalong tunes, energetic dance routines, dazzling costumes and laugh-out-loud jokes guaranteed to bust the January blues.
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Culture Club
ART EXHIBITIONS • THEATRE • BOOK CLUB • CONCERTS
Still Life Jelly Bean Bottle by C J Green, an artist showing work at Byard Art ’ s new exhibition
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ARTS & CULTURE
NEW YEAR, NEW ARTWORK?
Looking for an arty new addition to your home? Head to Byard Art on King’s Parade this January for a showcase of contemporary artwork from a selection of the gallery’s artists. Running from 2 to 27 January, the exhibition features paintings, original prints and mixed media artworks plus unique ceramics,
craftworks and fine jewellery in a range of styles and prices. Explore stunning works by Sam Hewitt such as Wild Man’s Hair pictured above; intricate illustrated cityscapes by Laura Jordan; figurative mixed media pieces by Louise Dear and vibrant handmade prints by Maria Rivans.
If something catches your eye, you might like to take advantage of Byard’s Own Art scheme: an initiative designed to help make buying art affordable – you can spread the cost of your chosen piece with an interest-free loan supported by Arts Council England. Entry to the exhibition is free. byardart.co.uk
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ARTS & CULTURE
IN SI TU:
Want to push yourself a little and perhaps find talents you never realised you had? Trying acting, whether for the very first time, or after a long break, can lead to a wide range of benefits. What briefly may seem to be a test can lead to a sense of accomplishment in many ways, as Richard Spaul, artistic director at Cambridge theatre company in situ:, explains. “We’ve been helping people learn to act for 20 years and have worked with hundreds of people; some absolute beginners, some aspiring professionals and some experienced performers looking to learn new techniques. “This termwe’re working on Shakespeare and focusing in particular on his drama of political intrigue: Julius Caesar . We’re welcoming anyone who wants to work with us to the project – whether they have any previous experience or not. And for anyone who gets the bug, there will be opportunity to perform in one of in situ:’s high-quality and professionally- directed ensemble productions in the summer.” Working with in situ: is fun, stimulating and involves plenty of enjoyable challenges, in a supportive environment. Richard has been acting, directing and teaching for more than 30 years and recently performed a solo performance of Hamlet . The course is on Mondays at 8pm, from 21 January to 18 March, at St Andrew’s Hall in Chesterton. Richard will also be running a storytelling weekend on 16 and 17 March at the same venue. It’s ideal for actors and storytellers of any level of experience but equally anyone who simply wants to learn how to tell stories grippingly and well; so teachers, parents and those who have to present as part of their job. Anyone looking for a more intensive course might try the Theatre and Landscape residential week in early September, led by Bella Stewart, in situ:’s other artistic director. insitutheatre.co.uk
LIVING DANGEROUSLY The master of extreme adventure (before it became ‘a thing’ for so many others), Sir Ranulph Fiennes is used to risking everything on some of the most ambitious expeditions ever. In Living Dangerously, he offers a personal journey, from his early years to the present, including the Global Reach Challenge, with the goal to be the first to cross both polar ice caps and climb the highest peak on every continent. Catch him before his next escapade on 28 January at the Corn Exchange, tickets from £28. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
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ARTS & CULTURE
ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC
Recorder player Lucie Horsch, with a critically-acclaimed solo album behind her despite being only 19, features in the latest concert from the Academy of Ancient Music (AAM). The concert, at West Road Concert Hall on 26 February, includes works by Vivaldi and Bach, with AAMmusic director Richard Egarr also featuring on harpsichord. Lucie is from the Netherlands and has represented her country at the Eurovision Young Musician contest and is now sought after internationally, both by baroque ensembles and modern orchestras. Catch them on 26 February at 7.30pm, tickets from £15. aam.co.uk
My Fair Lady , one of the most iconic musicals, comes to the Arts Theatre from 16 to 19 January. The tale of flower seller Eliza Doolittle’s rise from feisty cockney to sophisticated woman, under professor Henry Higgins’ guidance, has captivated audiences for decades. Cambridge Operatic Society brings its award-winning sparkle to the show, which features the classic With a Little Bit of Luck and I Could Have Danced All Night . Tickets from £18, with matinees on the Thursday and Saturday. cambridgeartstheatre.com MY FA IR L ADY
GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA
The big band that effectively started pop graces the Saffron Hall stage on 27 January.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra transports audiences to the 1940s, with harmonies from the Moonlight Serenaders. Expect to hear In the Mood , Moonlight Serenade , Little Brown Jug and pop’s first gold disc Chattanooga Choo Choo . The show starts at 3pm and tickets start at £16. saffronhall.com
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ARTS & CULTURE
WORDS BY RUTHIE COLLINS
NEW CHAPTER FOR MUSEUM OF TECHNOLOGY
Othersyde, at the Engineer’s House, turns from café by day into a bar by night, with an open call for ideas from the community. So far the venue has seen poetry readings and film screenings, and there are plans for board game nights, wine tasting and so much more. Plus there will be a theatre in the garden available for performances and music, too. “We are proud of the amazing commitment of our volunteers who have allowed the Museum to grow steadily for almost 50 years. We are excited about this project as it will help us to transform ourselves through greater involvement with our local communities and make us ready for the next 50 years!” says Pam Halls, curator at the Museum of Technology. The Museum’s much-loved steam days will return in spring, partly thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign to repair the boiler, plus Steampunk in Cambridge will appear at the Museum in May, too. ‘The Floating Museum’ will also be restarting in the spring, offering cruises on the Cam in historic Camboats as well. “For centuries the River Cam was a bustling trade route serving Cambridge’s industries. The City’s coat of arms even includes ships and mythical sea creatures. The businesses which grew up along the river banks are remembered in the Museum’s new displays and are included in our outreach tours,” comments Pam. This will make a fantastic day (or night) out for people of all ages. “It is so exciting to see this project coming to fruition after years of hard work,” says Pam. “We can’t wait to welcome visitors to our transformed site to explore the industrial heritage of Cambridge.” museumoftechnology.com
“Your mission is to hunt the ghosts of the house and to free them,” Matthew Taylor, creative director of Othersyde, tells us, face half in shadow, in the top room of the recently restored old Engineer’s House at the Museum of Technology. ‘Escape The Haunted House’ is a new escape game coming to the Engineer’s House this spring, comprising three rooms of mystery, fun and puzzles to solve, drawing on much of the Museum’s fascinating history. “The ghosts are all troubled: your job is to find out what is troubling them, so they can be freed. Once you’ve solved the three rooms, you’ll be able to play the whole house at midnight.” If successful, you can even escape the house on a mysterious boat down the River Cam. The games will be part of a series of major developments to the Museum of Technology, supported by £1.6 million of National Lottery heritage funding, plus support from other grant providers, including Historic England. The developments relaunch the Museum of Technology as a multipurpose venue for the city, while maintaining the site as a centre for industrial heritage with a new exhibition space, meeting room space and an on-site café and tea room, serving from 9am until 5pm. It’s difficult to imagine Cambridge in the 19th century, when the streets were filthy, there was no clear sewage system and outbreaks of disease were frequent. The Pumping Station was built as a solution, in 1894, to deal with problems of waste. It burnt the town’s rubbish in furnaces called destructors, which heated water in boilers to make steam that powered engines to pump the city’s sewage to Milton. The station was at the cutting edge of
technology – the Engineer’s House was the first house in the city to be powered by electricity. The Museum relaunches with a major opening exhibition this April, which will stay on as a permanent feature for the public to visit. With improved disabled access, the Museum’s developments build on its historic building and magnificent working engines, promising atmospheric lighting, sounds and audiovisual displays. There will also be dressing up and hands-on fun for younger visitors, with the escape games offering a great interactive experience for people of all ages, and specially designed sessions for school children. “The games offer a great chance to educate children on the history of the Museum,” Matthew says. The drive to improve the Museum of Technology and its Engineer’s House has been led by a team of dedicated volunteers and is a real success story. “We’ve been restoring the House since June 2018,” says Cambridge artist Katy Bailey, trustee at the Museum of Technology, whose great grandfather was engineer at the Engineer’s House from 1902-1936. “People don’t want to see it being turned into flats. They want it to be a success.”
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ARTS & CULTURE
LOUISE BOURGEOIS AT KET TLE’ S YARD
Kettle’s Yard’s latest exhibition highlights Louise Bourgeois’ exploration of autobiography and identity from 22 January. Born in Paris in 1911, she attended the Sorbonne and had an early association with Surrealism, before moving to New York, where she lived and worked from 1938. The work featured in the exhibition is drawn from the Artist Rooms and Tate collections, and includes paintings from the 1940s and 60s, hanging fabric sculptures from the 90s and more, capturing her experimentation across media. Alongside Bourgeois’ work in the Sackler Gallery will be a solo display of new drawings by Julie Mehretu in Gallery 2 and a series a sculptural interventions in Kettle’s Yard House by Anthea Hamilton. Bourgeois’ Spider I is set to be installed outside Gallery 2, providing the possibility for these solo exhibitions to be seen, potentially, for their contrasts
and comparisons. kettlesyard.co.uk
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ARTS & CULTURE
PHILHARMONI A ORCHESTR A
Acclaimed Spanish violinist Leticia Moreno performs Mendelssohn’s ravishingly lyrical violin concerto during the Philharmonia Orchestra’s Corn Exchange concert on 1 February. It's paired with Beethoven’s dramatic Coriolan Overture – inspired by the same story as Shakespeare’s Coriolanus – and Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony , which builds from low strings and haunting woodwinds to a triumphant final movement featuring one of the most irresistible melodies. Tickets from £32. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
Images The exhibition at Kettle’s Yard will feature Louise Bourgeois’ wall-mounted sculpture Spider I, which will be installed outside Gallery 2, as well as a solo display of new drawings by Julie Mehretu
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ARTS & CULTURE
The Art Insider RUTHIE COLLINS, FOUNDER OF CAMBRIDGE ART SALON, GIVES HER ARTY PICKS OF THE MONTH
‘‘T
he tree rustled. It had made music before they were born and would continue after their deaths, but its song was of the moment.”
met him,” Rosemary, Syd’s sister says. The novel is set in the England of 1968, ‘uneasy with itself’, backdrop to an imagined – or perhaps real, who knows? – conversation between Syd and EM Forster on the complexities on being an artist. Syd was an artist first and foremost, and studied at Cambridge School of Art (now Anglia Ruskin). His glittering foray into pop, and subsequent departure, is narrated here – the rambling, sometimes poignant brightness of a ‘child far from home’. Check out Propolis Books for more info. It’s easy to doubt the brightness that art can inspire as 2019 looms, for many, in the shadow of heavier issues. Yet if any action is to be taken on these issues at all, this sense of the positive is essential. I’ve been taking gutsy inspiration from CK Williams, the late Pulitzer prize- winning poet, whose thoughts on the artist’s ability to see and share beauty in nature, even in the midst of panic around climate breakdown, are a real remedy for our times. If you’re ever in need of an intellectual reminder of why making art and seeing beauty continues to be important, have a read of his essay Nature and Panic . Cambridge continues to be a vital launchpad for both art and humanitarian activism, with artist Elizabeth Eade, who took her BA in Fine Art at Cambridge School of Art in 2012, one to watch this year. Her work Die Liste , which explores the human cost of the refugee crisis, won the HIX Award last year – a £10,000 art prize. Die Liste is a handwritten note detailing the names of 33,305 people who died trying to access Europe as refugees.
Work like this shows that you can make a difference. You can speak out on issues important to you. Art continues to be an essential vehicle to make that happen. One of the first young artists to work in the pop-up studios on Newmarket Road that went on to become Cambridge Art Salon was Charlie Chappers, who now runs Mobile Refugee Support doing incredible work, sustaining the lives of displaced refugees in France. You can follow and support their work by searching Mobile Refugee Support on Facebook. Girl Talk is an exhibition coming to Murray Edwards College this month, loosely themed around women ‘taking back the narrative’: placing the work of female artists at the University of Cambridge alongside the New Hall art collection – which holds the biggest collection of women’s art in Europe. Gems in the collection include works by Tracey Emin, Bridget Riley, Leonora Carrington and the Guerilla Girls – and there’s an impressive range of talks on offer at the college, too. The exhibition itself takes place at the Murray Edwards bar, curated by Alina Khakoo and Kitty Grady, who are behind Cambridge Girl Talk itself, a multimedia space for women to share stories and spark change. So in 2019, let’s not forget what Noam Chomsky describes as the ‘benign’ side of humanity. Asked if he was optimistic on the future of humanity in his book, Optimism Over Despair , he replies, “We have two choices. We can be pessimistic, give up and help ensure that the worst will happen. Or we can grasp the opportunities that
This beautiful line is quoted at the start of The Ballad of Syd and Morgan , a new Cambridge-set novel by Haydn Middleton, published by Propolis Books. Starring two bohemian English legends, Syd Barrett and EM Forster, the line is by Forster himself (Morgan). But did the two ever really meet in Cambridge? “I’ve been a huge Barrett and Forster fan since my mid-teens,” says Middleton. “But no, I’m afraid they never did actually meet, as far as we know!” Most imagine Syd Barrett as that forever-young legendary artist whose genius helped launch Pink Floyd to stardom. Middleton captures Syd’s foppish, Byronic charisma, in his native Cambridge, where he was happiest. A mishmash of psychedelic, Peter Pan sparkle and dandy charm throughout, it’s a portrait with real craft that instantly evokes why Syd attracted fans across the world – an almost acolyte-like following – who still adore him today. Conjuring Cambridge’s own bohemian heart, The Ballad of Syd and Morgan is full of crisp prose that’s both light- fantastic in effect, but rich in references. King’s Chapel becomes ‘a meringue’, King’s College ‘a great raffish ice cream’, Middleton’s artistry reflecting Syd’s own whimsical world, a world full of childlike, Arcadian wonder. “Uncannily, the book is a very, very good representation of Syd… I couldn’t believe Haydn hadn’t actually
surely exist, and maybe help make the world a better place. Not much of a choice.” Wise words indeed – I know which choice I’m making. Happy 2019, all! l
“Syd’s own whimsical world, a world full of wonder”
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BOOK CLUB
CAMBRIDGE EDI T ION Boo k Clu b BRINGING YOU TOP NEW FICTION PICKS, AUTHOR INTERVIEWS, DISCOUNTS AND LOTS MORE BOOK CHAT, THE EDITION BOOK CLUB IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH CAMBRIDGE LITERARY FESTIVAL AND HEFFERS
THE LIGHT IN THE DARK INTERVIEW BY CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS THIS MONTH’S BOOK CHOICE IS A HYMN TO THE DARKNESS OF WINTER AND TO THE POWER OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT TO OVERCOME IT, WRITTEN BY HORATIO CLARE
T he Light in the Dark takes the in on him every couple of days or so to check in – as you might do with a friend who’s struggling. Following a professionally challenging year, including a hard winter in which he went “mad with depression”, we join Horatio at the end of the summer of 2017, where he has resolved to write this book as a torch raised against the darkness and form of a diary, following writer Horatio Clare’s progress through the winter months, dropping
“embrace this winter like a summer.” He writes: “Depression kills your power of vision, but I will practise looking and looking outwards like an exercise, as though I am training for an expedition… I will not lose touch with nature… This diary is a refuge, a thing to do, something to put work and time into, a defence against the hopelessness.” Following the great tradition of British nature writing, The Light in the Dark ’s chapters include passages of meditative, heartfelt prose describing the effects of
the passing seasons that tips on the edge of a stream of consciousness: “It does not do to romanticise drizzle, rain on motorways, months of strip- lighting, office windows black at four o’clock, concrete skies, sock-damp, rain- prickle, mould-steam, deadbeaten fields, sodden livestock and the chilly tug like food-sucking mud that winter can exert upon the spirit.” Passages seamlessly slip from lyrical observation of the natural world to recording the humdrum of the daily u
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grind: Horatio’s days are divided between his workplace at the University of Liverpool, where he spends a few days each week teaching writing and mentoring students, and his home’s attic in Hebden Bridge, where the majority of his writing takes place. We follow him riding ancient trains across the Pennines, spending the occasional evening stuck in the somewhat grim-sounding Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool, preparing for and celebrating Christmas with his family, then head-on facing the raw bleakness of the first few months of the year. Recording an incident involving his mother’s beloved sheep leads Horatio to reflect on his childhood growing up on a hill farm in Wales and being cut off by snow for weeks: which his inner younger self recalls as the “greatest adventure for small boys”. Horatio continually draws out references to the past – reflecting on paleolithic porridge consumption or the supposed experiences of the Brontës, growing up in nearby Haworth – or examining vignettes of his own adventures, his actions and choices, which he alludes to in a later passage: “Our minds filter and tint the past, turning it so it catches the light,” he writes. “Most involuntary memories are happy ones... and so we are granted forwardness and direction. Depression, seasonal and otherwise, turns all this upside down: the past is a guilty place, the future a hanging threat, the present is a humiliation. Stop it, you want to shout. Just stop it. Let me be.” One of the reactions to the book which surprised the writer most was the outpouring of concern for his own wellbeing, especially as the UK is very much in the grip of winter once more. “People keep asking ‘Are you ok?’ – and I’m fine,” he says, adding that an extraordinary number of people also battling seasonal depression have reached out to him since the book’s publication; not for any solution, but simply to be heard. “The ‘winter blues’ affect around 15% of people, and then 6% of those have actual Seasonal Affective “Horatio continually draws out references to the past”
Disorder (SAD),” he says, “but taking winter on like this – with a diary or other endeavour – is something that can help you feel better.” The Light In The Dark is a small book, but a physically beautiful one: the cover of the hardback edition, illustrated by Dan Mogford, is speckled with tiny silver stars which sparkle as they catch the light – a little like Horatio’s reflections on happier times. It is a hopeful, reassuring read that’s obviously a must-have for lovers of wild writing, or followers of Horatio’s extensive work, but would also make a thoughtful gift for those finding this winter a little full on: either as inspiration to start their own writing projects or simply to underline that – as someone kindly reminds Horatio towards the end of the book – we can all go up and down. “It is late this year,” Horatio writes, “but spring will come. It will come.” l
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BOOK CLUB
CATHY MOORE , DI RECTOR OF CAMBRIDGE L I TERARY FEST IVAL , ON THE L IGHT IN THE DARK THE LIGHT IN THE DARK: A WINTER JOURNAL The month’s choice is both a hymn to the winter season we find ourselves in and an acknowledgement of how many of us struggle with lower moods throughout the dark winter months. The Light in the Dark is written by nature writer Horatio Clare and is a moving winter diary which, as the title suggests, encourages us to look outwards and embrace winter with all of its shadows and lights. Clare suffers from depression and this beautifully written book is all the more powerful and moving because of that.
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NEW BOOKS FOR JANUARY
WABI SABI BY BETH KEMPTON The perfect book for a brand new year: Wabi Sabi is Beth Kempton’s exploration of an elusive Japanese concept that, once grasped, promises contentment and joy despite our “perfectly imperfect” lives.
THE LOST WORDS BY ROBERT MACFARLANE & JACKIE MORRIS
Another meditation on the beauty of the natural world by Cambridge resident Robert MacFarlane: this stunning, enormous book uses acrostics to celebrate wild words in danger of vanishing frommodern lexicons, and is beautifully illustrated with drawings of nature by Jackie Morris.
UP NEXT MONTH A PERFECT MOTHER BY KATR I SKAL A
Next month’s book is A Perfect Mother , the first novel from writer Katri Skala. During a trip to Trieste in Northern Italy to research his long-lost great grandfather, Jacob meets Charlotte and Jane, and the three of them are forced to confront their individual and shared histories and piece together a future that none of them saw coming. A Perfect Mother asks big questions about what we inherit from the histories of our parents and grandparents, and about what it takes to be a good parent. It combines a plot-driven narrative with insightful commentary on motherhood, mental illness, identity and love. Born in France to an American mother and Austrian father, Katri has lived all over America and Europe and holds graduate and undergraduate degrees from Vassar, Cardiff and the University of East Anglia. A PERFECT MOTHER CAN BE PURCHASED FOR £15 IN HARDBACK. READ ALONG AND TWEET US YOUR THOUGHTS @CAMBSEDITION, WITH THE HASHTAG #EDITIONBOOKCLUB FOR A CHANCE TO FEATURE IN THE NEXT ISSUE.
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FAMI LY DAYS OUT
FAMILY DAYS OUT
THR IFT Y FAMILY FUN
There’s a wide range of wallet-friendly things to try for all ages this month. First up, following all the calories you may have consumed over the Christmas period, the great outdoors offers a chance to stretch out away from the sofa and festive TV. A New Year’s Day Walk, from 11am to 1pm, takes the form of a sociable stroll through Coton Countryside Reserve to blow off the cobwebs. Meet outside The Plough pub in Coton for this free event. The reserve is run by Cambridge Past, Present and Future, who offer another walk later in the month, on 16 January, at Wandlebury. The Winter Tree Walk, from 10am to 12pm, is led by a warden who will help you identify native trees using bark, buds and leaves. Meet at the car park for this free walk. Donations are welcome for both walks. For something on the big screen, Saturdays at 11am is time for Kids’ Club at the Arts Picturehouse. Each week, a family-friendly movie, from fairly new ones to all-time classics, gets an airing. Tickets are just £2 each, for both children and grown-ups – though grown-ups without children are not allowed in. The cinema also screens Toddler Time short films, for preschool children and their parents or carers, at either 10am or 10.30am on most days. Children’s tickets are £3, adults go free. For a bit of culture, a visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum is also completely free. You could easily spend a day exploring the impressive permanent collection and the latest exhibitions, which includes Sampled Lives (running until 13 Jan), which showcases beautifully embroidered and stitched samplers illuminating the lives of girls and women frommid-17th century English Quakers to early 20th century school pupils. Also free to explore is the Museum of Zoology, which reopened last year with a stunning new look. Dating back to 1814, the museum is home to one of the largest and most important natural history collections in the country, holding some two million objects and showcasing an awe-inspiring diversity of specimens from across the animal kingdom.
WOOD GREEN FAMILY DOG WORKSHOP Everything you need to know about looking after a dog – with tips for all family members to ensure a healthy and happy pet – takes place at a family workshop at Wood Green, Godmanchester, on 13 January at 10.30am. Explore basic needs, how to stay safe and making feeding time fun. You can even have a go at dog training. Suitable for dog owners, or those thinking about having a dog. It’s free, but booking is essential. woodgreen.org.uk WORST WI TCH Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch series of books comes to life at Cambridge Arts Theatre next month. Join Mildred Hubble, an ordinary girl who finds herself in a school for witches, jealous Ethel Hallow, and Miss Hardbroom, who is against all fun, in this action-packed stage adaptation. Featuring original songs, and suitable for ages seven and up, catch The Worst Witch at Cambridge Arts Theatre from 6 to 10 February, with tickets starting at £17. cambridgeartstheatre.com
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After Hours
NOW BOOKING
THE NIGHTLIFE EVENTS NOT TO MISS THIS MONTH
SPICE STAGE SHOW 8 MARCH, CORN EX, £28 Missed out on tickets to the Spice Girls reunion tour this summer? See the next best thing at this live stage show dedicated to the feisty fivesome.
THE BRASS FUNKEYS Bringing the spirit of New Orleans to town this January are London eight-piece The Brass Funkeys, who return to Cambridge for a gig at the Junction on the 25th. Part of the new wave of contemporary brass bands, the Funkeys flit between genres and styles, putting their own spin on everything from Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine to more recent hits like Clean Bandit’s Rather Be . Expect an eclectic, high-energy miscellany of genres, rabble rousing anthems and a whole lot of dancing. Tickets are £11. junction.co.uk
GENTLEMAN ' S DUB CLUB 29 MARCH, JUNCTION, £19.50 Blending elements of dub, reggae, ska, bass culture and jazz, Gentleman’s Dub Club are back with a new album, Lost In Space, and a tour.
PAMA INTERNAT IONAL Formed in 2001 and the first new band to sign to Trojan Records in 30 years, Pama International play reggae, ska and venture into soul on their new record The Altruistic Soul Sound Of … which is released on 18 January. The line-up has featured members of Madness, The Specials and The Style Council, and they play Cambridge Junction on 31 January, with tickets £15.50. junction.co.uk
MEGSON Four-time BBC Folk Award nominees Megson return to
THE SPECIALS 12 MAY, CORN EX, £43 Makers of hits including A Message to You Rudy , Ghost Town and Too Much Too Young , the legendary ska band are on the road in honour of their 40th anniversary.
Cambridge with their intelligent songwriting, musicianship and humour. Debs Hanna sings and plays whistle and accordion, while husband Stu plays guitar, mandola and banjo. Catch them at Cambridge Junction on 19 January for £16. junction.co.uk
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C A M B S E D I T I O N . C O . U K
NIGHT L I F E
PAUL CARRACK Best known for singing the 70s hit How Long , Paul Carrack has also played with numerous acts, including Squeeze (he sang Tempted ) and Mike and the Mechanics ( The Living Years ). He’s also played keyboards for Elton John, Van Morrison, Roger Waters, BB King and Eric Clapton. He brings his band to the Corn Exchange on 3 February, with tickets from £37.50. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
Ready to get out and indulging in music again after the fatigue of the festive period? Yes? Good. Below are our tips for the best shows to take in this January. One of the standout shows of the month goes down on the 30th at The Portland when Wales’ finest new export, Estrons, bring their debut album to Cambridge. The band have been honing their sound for the last couple of years, creating quite the hype, which they have more than lived up to with their loud, fierce and dominant debut full-length album, You say I’m too much, I say you’re not enough , which they released last year. Elsewhere at the same venue in January is the ever-popular The Wave Pictures, who return on the 24th. Expect literate, self-deprecating English blues crossed with garage-rock. Tipped as the voice of punk’s next generation, Louise Distras plays on the 17th, while the Bella Union-signed Liela Moss brings her elemental power and expansive melodies on the 29th. The big Cambridge musical success story of recent years has been Lonely The Brave, playing the Junction 2 on the 12th. They are now one of Britain’s most successful rock bands. 2018 was a tumultuous year for the band with co-founder and instantly recognisable vocalist David Jakes departing the band. Charged with filling his boots is Jack Bennett, a name more than familiar to the rock world for his solo work under the name Grumble Bee. This month, we get to witness Bennett’s transition into the band as LTB return for an intimate home town show. The J2 venue also hosts the New Orleans-infused brass- driven funk of The Brass Funkeys on the 25th, the unique folk stylings of duo Megson (19th), and the vibrant sounds of The East Pointers (28th) as they gear up to release their new record. Another Brass-led funk show worth your time this month is from Colonel Spanky’s Love Ensemble, playing the Blue Moon on the 19th. Formed by a band of funk-obsessed students at Cambridge University, the Love Ensemble comprises ten of Cambridge’s premier funk-mongers, who will twist anything from New Orleans riot jazz to smooth soul into the unique Colonel Spanky’s sound. Known for their relentless touring Gig Guide JORDAN WORLAND FROM LOCAL MUSIC WEBSITE SLATE THE DISCO GIVES HIS TOP LIVE MUSIC PICKS FOR THE MONTH AHEAD
THE CLASSIC ROCK SHOW From AC/DC to Dire Straits and everything in between, The Classic Rock Show promises the ultimate jukebox of hits at the Corn Exchange on 21 January. Think Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Eagles, ZZ Top, Meatloaf and more. Tickets from £27.50. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
and high-octane shows, Enter Shikari play the Junction on the 30th as do Rudimental, performing as Rudimental Soundsystem & Friends, as they preview their new record on the 12th.
NISH KUMAR A new show from the star of The Mash Report takes its name from a Terminator 2 quote: It’s in Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves . Appearing at the Corn Exchange on 27 January, expect jokes about politics and our ability to self-destruct. Tickets are £25.50. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
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WHAT ’ S ON
What’s On YOUR AT-A-GLANCE GUIDE TO EVENTS AROUND CAMBRIDGE THIS MONTH
29 DECEMBER-1 JANUARY THE NUTCRACKER/ SWAN LAKE
8-12 JANUARY LITTLE WOMEN
16-19 JANUARY MY FAIR LADY
Cambridge Theatre Company presents the timeless and captivating tale of Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy in this brilliant musical. Aspiring writer Jo is given advice by her professor to make her writing more personal to improve her storytelling, which spurs her on to tell the story of growing up in Civil War America. 7.45pm | ADC theatre | from £9 adctheatre.com 11 JANUARY FLO AND JOAN: ALIVE ON STAGE Following the sell-out run of their critically acclaimed show The Kindness of Stranglers in 2017, the musical comedy duo – who are also sisters – return with a fresh hour of dark and witty songs. 8pm | Cambridge Junction | £14 junction.co.uk
From flower seller to sophisticated woman under the tutelage of professor Henry Higgins, the tale of Eliza Doolittle is a stage and screen classic, and will be performed by Cambridge Operatic Society. 7.30pmWednesday to Saturday; 2.30pm Thursday and Saturday Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £18 cambridgeartstheatre.com 16 JANUARY WINTER TREE WALK Learn how to identify native trees using bark, buds, shape and form, on a guided walk with one of Wandlebury’s wardens. Meet at the car park noticeboard. 10am-12pm | Wandlebury Country Park free (donations appreciated) cambridgeppf.org 17 JANUARY WINTER GARDEN 40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR Join Pete Kerley, who has worked at Cambridge University Botanic Garden since 1977, for a tour around the winter garden, which first opened in 1979. 10.30am | Cambridge University Botanic Garden | £10 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 18 JANUARY SAM AVERY: THE LEARNER PARENT Stand-up comedian, blogger and author, Sam Avery, started a blog when his twins were born. A million nappies and Peppa Pig episodes later, he shares the lows, highs and in-betweens. 8pm | Cambridge Junction | £19 junction.co.uk
Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet returns to Cambridge for what’s become a new year tradition. Catch Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker at the end of December and Swan Lake on 1 January. Various times | Corn Exchange | from £18 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
8-12 JANUARY CRIMES
AGAINST CHRISTMAS A grown-up antidote to the traditional pantomime, the team from Bawds takes Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and recasts it in a 12 Days of Christmas mould as strangers are mysteriously invited to spend the holiday on a remote island. 7.45pm | Corpus Playroom | from £6 adctheatre.com
1 JANUARY NEW YEAR ’ S DAY WALK A sociable stroll to start the new year through the Coton Countryside Reserve and surrounding countryside to blow off the
19 JANUARY THE BIG SING: FAURÉ’S REQUIEM
Singers can join the New Cambridge Singers for a rehearsal and performance on the same day, or you can go and watch the show, with proceeds going to CPSL Mind. 1.15pm for rehearsal, 6pm show | Great St Mary’s Church | £20 to take part, £10 to watch | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
cobwebs. Meet at The Plough pub in Coton. 11am-1pm | Coton Countryside Reserve free (donations appreciated) | cambridgeppf.org
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WHAT ' S ON
21 JANUARY THE CLASSIC ROCK SHOW Multiple guitarists in electric harmony conjure rockin’ riffs to transform the Corn Exchange back to the glory days of rock. 7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £27.50 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 23 JANUARY NEW YEAR, NEW WINES What will be top of the pops for wine in 2019? Discover the latest trends and tastes in all things grape with The Cambridge Wine Academy’s knowledge to help you. 7.30pm | Cambridge Wine Merchants, 24 JANUARY THE WAVE PICTURES The three-piece band create a new sound based on classic influences from the songbook of pop, rock and country, honed by years of gigging across the country. 7pm | The Portland Arms | £13.75 greenmind.co.uk Cherry Hinton Road | £22.50 cambridgewineacademy.com
29 JANUARY STEPHEN K AMOS
Feel-good comedy entertainment from a comic renowned for his warmth and first-rate ad-libbing. As seen on QI and Live at the Apollo among other TV shows. 8pm | Cambridge Junction | £19.50 | junction.co.uk
25 JANUARY SWEET CAROLINE: THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE TO NEIL DIAMOND Featuring Gary Ryan, as seen on Stars in Their Eyes , enjoy all the hits, including Sweet Caroline , Forever in Blue Jeans , Love on the Rocks and Red Red Wine. 7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £19 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA – THE MOUSE WHO JUMPED Brought to you by award-winning composer, Stephen Deazley, and BAFTA-nominated writer Martin Riley, this one-hour concert is for those aged five and up, with presenter, musician and singer, Matthew Sharp, adding extra colour to this work. 2pm and 4pm | West Road Concert Hall from £13.50 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 26 JANUARY CAMBRIDGE
27 JANUARY NISH KUMAR A familiar face from Have I Got News For You , Kumar takes his new show on a UK tour. 7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £25.50 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
30 JANUARY ENTER SHIKARI
Discover these alt-rock rising stars, who won Best Album at the Kerrang! Awards 2018. 7pm | Cambridge Junction | £27.50 junction.co.uk
25 JANUARY THE BRASS FUNKEYS
30 JANUARY ENDELLION QUARTET One of the best string quartets in the world will play works by Haydn, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven. 7.30pm | West Road Concert Hall
Trailblazers in the new generation of brass bands, The Brass Funkeys play their own compositions, drawn from New Orleans and Latin influences, plus energetic covers of tracks
including Dirty Harry by Gorillaz. 7pm | Cambridge Junction | £11 junction.co.uk
£28, £6 students/under-16s cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
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COMPET I T ION
Win amembership for The Glassworks Health Club!
WORTH £695!
T&Cs: Memberships are available to persons 16 years and over. Closing date: 31 January 2019
T he Glassworks Health Club is offering one lucky Cambridge Edition reader the chance to get fit for free in 2019 by giving away a 12-month membership worth £695. The Glassworks is located in the heart of the city centre on Thompson ’ s Lane and features a stylish, state-of-the-art gym, steam room, sauna, spa treatment rooms and a jacuzzi overlooking the River Cam. Inside the fully-equipped gym you’ll find
the latest cardiovascular and weights machines – including resistance training equipment and a stretching zone – plus high-tech, media-interfaced treadmills, resistance bikes and cross trainers, which allow you to watch all the latest TV channels, YouTube videos and more while you work out. The membership includes unlimited use of the free weights, functional training suites and cardio gym, towels, the spa
(incorporating steam room, sauna and jacuzzi), luxury products in the changing rooms and a choice of 34 weekly studio classes, plus member discounts at the Elemis spa and Aveda hair salon. Head to cambsedition.co.uk and hit the Competition tab to be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize. l
The Glassworks Gym and Spa, Thompson's Lane, Cambridge theglassworksgym.co.uk
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