Queen Edith’s news 2020 vol.05: May

Friday 29 May

• Our Community Writing For All organiser Kay Blayney has been down to Joy’s Garden in Baldock Way this week. In her latest video, she shows you the public display of some of the writing people have done, and introduces the next topic. Watch the video here.
• The next Community Food Hub takes place tomorrow morning at the usual time and place. Among the people we have to thank this week are Morrisons (Royston branch) who donated to our dry store (cereal, rice, tinned veg, pasta, rice, UHT milk) and also Breckland Orchard for some great drinks! Details about the Food Hub are here.
• Cambridge Wine Merchants on Cherry Hinton Road is an ‘Official Ardbeg Embassy’, and this Saturday is celebrating the new Ardbeg Blaaack, a single malt matured in Pinot Noir casks. There’ll be an online celebration at 7pm, live from Islay, at Ardbeg’s Facebook page.
• Across Cambridgeshire, charities and community groups are working to help people and ensure they stay safe and well. A lovely video from Cambridge CVS shows what many are doing. Watch ‘Never More Needed’ here – it’s great.
• Local tutor Dr Chandra Mukherjee is now available provide online tuition for students learning science or chemistry, starting from KS2. Email Dr Mukherjee here.
• Those of you interested in statistics, models and decision-making might like to watch an hour-long online seminar from Cambridge University about COVID-19. It features Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, one of the world’s foremost biostatisticians, and Professor Mike Hulme, who examines the role of model-based knowledge in strategic and policy decision-making. Watch here.
• Have a great weekend everyone! Remember that although the government has announced that groups of up to six people will be able to meet outdoors, this does not begin until Monday (1 June). More here.

Thursday 28 May

• The Queen Edith’s magazine team here at the Queen Edith’s Community Forum have decided to publish their second issue of the year. If all goes well, this will be delivered to all 6000 homes in the area over the weekend of 13/14 June. However, the magazine could do with a few more advertisers to help fund the printing. If you’ve got a local business and want to see what the magazine can do – as well as support your neighbourhood – let us know straight away. We can promise you it works brilliantly, from small traders to household names, and we can even create your advertisement for you, free of charge. Advertising details are here. You can see the last edition of the magazine here.
• As we mentioned previously, The Coffee House on Wulfstan Way will re-open on Monday. Takeaway only of course, for the time being, from 8am to 2pm.
• The Queen Edith’s Community Forum is now asking for donations of children’s clothing (birth to 12 years) which we will make available at the Food Hub. With charity shops not open, this could be a lifeline for some families. Please put clean clothes into bags or boxes labelled by gender and by age. You can then drop these off at St James’s on Wednesdays between 2pm and 4pm or Fridays (e.g. tomorrow) between 3pm and 5pm. If you can’t drop them off, please call the Happy to Help line on 01223 641 012 and we may be able to collect from you.
• Cancer support charity Maggie’s, which has a base at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, runs a regular online quiz night. It’s just 15 minutes long, and has cash prizes. The next event is tonight (Thursday) at 8:30pm and you can enter here.
• The City Council has announced that doctors, dentists and other voluntary and community organisation key workers will continue to have free parking in Cambridge City Council’s multi-storey car parks. More details here.
• If you watched our Queen Edith’s Community Forum chair Sam Davies’ latest update video on Monday, you would have heard that our Community Food Hub appeal had, at the time, reached an amazing £2,500. We’re now able to announce that we’ve now doubled that amount to over £5000, thanks to the quite humbling generosity of local residents. Thank you! This should now ensure the Food Hub will be able to continue its work through the summer. Our volunteers would like to express their thanks to you all. More details on the appeal here.

Wednesday 27 May

• #LOCKJAM is a new online show featuring Cambridge musicians, every Wednesday night at 9pm, which they promise will leave us all feeling happier. Tickets to watch are £6. The setlist is a secret, but you’ll know most of the tracks! It sounds great. Read all about it here.
• Are you the parent of a primary school child? Kate Howlett, a PhD researcher at the University of Cambridge Museum of Zoology, is trying to understand the importance of green space for primary school children and how the lockdown restrictions are affecting the time spent by children outside. Could you complete her short online survey here?
• Two local favourite food venues are re-opening next week: The Coffee House on Wulfstan Way, and the Taj on Cherry Hinton Road. Watch this space for details!
• If you missed our weekly food donation time this afternoon, local resident Michael Fincham is still making his weekly delivery to the Cambridge City Foodbank on Fridays at 11am. Donations can be placed in the back of his car on the drive at 60 Glebe Road before that time. Here’s what they need!
• Cambridge Open Studios 2020 has become “Open Windows”, where artists will display work in their windows over the four weekends of July. Follow on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to find out more.
• And finally, we may all think we’ve seen every photo angle there is to be seen of Kings College, but this is something special. Photo by @acambridgediary on Twitter. Here’s the background story.

Tuesday 26 May

• Here’s some interesting news: The Greater Cambridge Partnership, which is the organisation in charge of transport developments for the area, has published a list of road changes to support and safeguard walking and cycling. They include two in Queen Edith’s, in Luard Road and Nightingale Avenue. It is looking to introduce these on an experimental basis this summer. The Luard Road plan is to “prohibit through traffic movements between Hills Road and Long Road”, and similarly, the Nightingale Avenue plan (subject to reopening of Fendon Road roundabout) is to prohibit through traffic movements between Queen Edith’s Way and Hills Road. There are no indications yet where the motor traffic blocks might be. Details are on pages 68 to 79 of this document, which is the agenda for the GCP meeting this Thursday. If you have any feedback, you may want to contact the County Councillor for Nightingale Avenue or the County Councillor for Luard Road.
• Cambridge Cookery in Purbeck Road is joining the city’s upmarket home meal services this week, with a Cordon Bleu designed and cooked menu which you can collect between 9am and 2pm on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Dishes that require heating come with full instructions. There’s also Inder Bull’s “sublime” takeaway curries and marinated BBQ ready meat, seafood and vegetarian meals ready to be cooked at home. Here’s all you need to know.
• Meanwhile, Mark Poynton’s mjp@home continues, for delivery on Thursday, Friday or Saturday. This week’s menu is now available here.
• Don’t forget that if you want to make any food donations to the Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub, you can drop them off tomorrow afternoon. Read more here.
• In her latest video for Queen Edith’s Writing For All, Kay Blayney reviews the second week of the initiative and introduces us to a new challenge. Watch ‘Chapter 3’ here.
• The Cambridge University Botanic Garden is running its 2020 ‘Festival of Plants’ this week. Each day has a different theme – Plant Science, Horticulture and Conservation – and there are online talks, tours and events every day. Full details here.
• And finally, this fabulous one-minute BBC News video has been posted showing the amazingly creative medical ‘scrubs’ being worn by staff at Royal Papworth Hospital, some of which have been made by Queen Edith’s volunteers. Do give it a watch!

Monday 25 May

• As it’s a bank holiday, Queen Edith’s Community Forum chair Sam Davies has made a video with some big news about our appeal for the Community Food Hub and lots more. Enjoy…

Friday 22 May

• Martial Arts Uniting Ladies is running ‘Fiercely Fragile’, an online martial arts class for women with joint issues and other chronic physical illness. To find out more, please contact Instructor Wendi on 07568 585 359 or email maulfiercelyfragile@gmail.com
• Our Community Food Hub can take food donations on Wednesday afternoons, but on a more general basis, Cambridge Sustainable Food is offering local growers the chance to support the community. If you have any surplus vegetables or can grow extra, they are looking for extra provisions which will be put to very good use. There’s an online form to show interest here.
• Don’t forget the third Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub runs tomorrow morning (Saturday) from 10:30am to 12:30pm. More information here.
• For anybody having to commute to London (or soon needing to do so) but not wanting to add to the public transport load, in line with government guidelines, Richmonds Coaches are looking at putting on ‘quarter full’ commuter coaches. If you’re interested, there’s a form to let them know here.
• Most National Trust properties remain closed, but Wicken Fen Nature Reserve car park has reopened. You will need to book in advance to secure a parking space; more availability is released each Friday. Here’s the latest information.
• Another reader-contributed idea for a place to stop on your walks is Cherry Hinton Brook, the other side of Oaks International School in Cherry Hinton Hall park. “Beautiful birds and a stream of water, I give it 5 stars …when less busy, a place to sit and unwind and relax!”, says our correspondent. Please take sensible precautions when out and about.
• Locally based takeaway delivery services we’ve got on our list for this week are Maharani Take Away, Palkee, Cyprus Kebab House, fishnchickn, Double Seven, New Golden Buddha and Cherry Box Pizza on Cherry Hinton Road; Gattuso’s Trattoria on Hills Road; Five Guys, Pizza 1899, Nando’s and Bella Italia at Cambridge Leisure; the Peking Restaurant in Homerton Street; and the Dumpling Tree on Perne Road. Have a great weekend.

Thursday 21 May

• A quick request from our Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub, which is open again this Saturday morning from 10.30am to 12.30pm. The team is is need of empty egg boxes, as they’re buying eggs in large trays but need to distribute them in small boxes. They’d be delighted if you could leave them at the door of St James Church on Wulfstan Way tomorrow (Friday) if you’re passing by.
• If you missed our weekly food donation time yesterday, local resident Michael Fincham is still making his weekly delivery to the Cambridge City Foodbank on Fridays at 11am. Donations can be placed in the back of his car on the drive at 60 Glebe Road before that time. Here’s what they need!
• Greater Anglia, which operates the trains from Cambridge to London and Norwich, has developed a useful latest travel advice page for those who have to travel. The company is currently running a reduced service, which it describes as “similar to a Saturday service.”
• A reader addition to our list of nice benches to stop at if you’re out for a walk are those in the garden of St John’s church on Hills Road. Another reader reminds us, however, that vulnerable people should take precautions when using any public facility like this, or even avoid them altogether.
• A reminder that next Monday is Whitsun Bank Holiday, so bin collections next week will be one day later than usual. More information here.

Wednesday 20 May

• Arthur Rank Hospice Charity is delighted that celebrity supporter Cliff Parisi, known for playing Fred Buckle in ‘Call the Midwife’ and previously Minty in ‘EastEnders’, has lent his good-humoured support to their annual Star Shine Walk. Watch his video messages here! Now in its twelfth year, a new ‘lockdown friendly’ version of the event invites households to take on a 20,000 step challenge this coming weekend. On Friday, a team from the charity will be accumulating 20,000 steps together during the course of their socially-distanced working day – head to their sponsorship page. Or sign up to take part yourself! Full details here.
• Cambridge City Council has launched an email newsletter called Creative at Home, covering creative activities and events to engage with from home. It will include contributions from local organisations including the Cambridge Junction, Fitzwilliam Museum and Kettle’s Yard, as well as national ones. Join the free circulation here.
• The Perse Prep School holds open mornings twice a year, and this Friday’s event will still go ahead, but online with a ‘virtual tour’. The Head will be holding live video conferencing sessions at 9.30am, 10.30am and 11.30am, with a chance for questions and answers at the end of each session. More details here.
• Where are the best places for a break while out for a walk in the locality? Two readers have been in touch, recommending the bench in front of Rock Road Library, and our Queen Edith’s Community Forum-supported “Joy’s Garden” in Baldock Way. We’d love to hear about any other favourites!
• Our link to MJP@Home on Monday didn’t work, for which we apologise! You can see this week’s menu from the gourmet home-delivery ready meals service here.
• Magpies Love Mirrors is a “surreal comedy web-series that turns the TV sketch show format on its head”. It’s been written, directed, produced, acted, edited and scored by Cambridge students on a shoestring budget. You can watch the first episode online tonight at 9pm here.

Tuesday 19 May

• Boots on Cherry Hinton Road has extended its opening hours slightly by serving through the lunch break. Its hours are now 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 4pm on Sunday.
• Cherry Hinton Road-based Go Glass is open again, and is offering quick turnaround on cut glass and mirrors. An immediate fast seller has been its customised glass screens for shops, restaurants and other commercial premises, using ClearShield® coating. You can find out more about those here.
• If you run a Queen Edith’s based business and are re-starting, changing hours or even just in need of some free publicity, please let us know what you’re up to. Email us at hello@queen-ediths.info and we’ll pass on the information to readers. One business which hasn’t wasted its down-time is local café The Coffee House on Wulfstan Way, which has had a nice new paint job and more while closed. You can see what it looks like here.
• Thank you to everybody who made a financial donation to the Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub yesterday. The response was amazing, and so generous. For anyone else who would like to help out, the details on how to make a donation are here.
• Also, the Hub can now receive food contributions on Wednesday afternoons (including tomorrow!) at St James Church on Wulfstan Way. Full details of what can be accepted are on our website here.

Monday 18 May

• A reminder for any writers out there that our Queen Edith’s Community Writing Group is now in its second week. Over on our website in a new video, Kay Blayney introduces the next challenge.
• The menu of MJP@Home’s “upmarket ready meals” is out for this week. Available on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, main courses include leg of lamb, vegetable jalfrezi and chicken casserole. More details here.
• We’ve also heard that the Cambridge Cookery café will be offering gourmet take-away dinners from this Friday! The team will offer a menu of 3 starters, mains & desserts plus family roasting tin sized meals. Watch this space for more.

Food Hub Appeal

Friday 15 May

• Our Queen Edith’s Community Writing Group got off to a great start last week! Over on our website in a new video, Kay Blayney reviews the first week, and introduces a new challenge.
• Better news on green bins from Cambridge City Council, who tell us that during the first week of the resumed garden waste collections, under the new social distancing requirements, crews were tasked with emptying around 33,000 bins. Despite dealing with bins that were much heavier than usual, they managed to collect more than 48,000 bins. We’re therefore being encouraged to put out our green bins on ‘non-guaranteed’ collection days, as well as the ‘guaranteed’ collection days listed on the website here. So put them out whenever you’d have put them out in normal times, and they’ll do their best. More details here.
• Buyers and renters are allowed to move home and estate agents can now reopen, with strict social distancing guidelines in place. One of the first local estate agencies back in the office are our friends at Bush Sales on Mill Road, who will be available on Monday. Contact them at info@bushsales.co.uk or on 01223 246262.
• Cocks and Hens Cambridge Tennis is open again. The tennis club that’s “older than Wimbledon but with the newest courts and clubhouse in Cambridge” will be observing the latest guidelines and advice from the LTA. Full, junior and family memberships are available here.
• Chinese takeaway availability has been thin on the ground in recent weeks, but after yesterday’s news that New Golden Buddha on Cherry Hinton Road is open again, we’re pleased to learn that Double Seven on Cherry Hinton Road is re-opening tonight (Friday) and the Dumpling Tree on Perne Road is re-opening on Monday. All three have direct ordering on their websites for home delivery only, as does the Peking restaurant on Homerton Street, which has remained open continuously.
• Finally, don’t forget that the second-ever Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub opens its doors tomorrow morning (Saturday) from 10:30am to 12:30pm, at St James Church on Wulfstan Way. Access is open to all – the team thinks it’s important that anyone can just turn up with a shopping bag to fill, and nobody feels they have to ‘prove’ a need. Please do come along, and please spread the message to anyone you know who might be having difficulty keeping their cupboards stocked at this time. We’re here to help. More details here.

Thursday 14 May

• The Friends of Rock Road Library Queen Edith’s Tree Trail walk has been very popular, and the group has now updated its Brooklands Avenue Walk and ‘Just-for-fun’ Quiz for 2020. You can download the map and instructions here, and the quiz sheet here. The walk explores the areas to the north-west of Queen Edith’s, once dominated by the railway industry. Despite much new building development, there are still precious pockets of nature to discover. It should take about 2 hours.
• The ‘Universal’ (‘U’) bus service links Eddington with West Cambridge, the city centre, the railway station and (during the week) the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. It no longer comes down Hills Road, but the University is looking at options for a new contract in July 2021, and has produced an extensive consultation document which you can download here. Local residents and users (or potential users!) of the service are invited to complete an online survey here. Your opinions may make a difference.
• National Rail has announced that from Monday 18 May, rail companies will gradually start increasing services to the maximum possible with levels of staffing, while safely following public health guidance. However, capacity will still only be around 10% of the usual figure, so National Rail says “please cycle, walk or drive if you can – only travel by rail if you really have to.”
• Our local charity face mask maker Jenny has written to say: “I would like to thank all of the Lichfield Road and Queen Edith’s community for their amazing response to this charitable cause. It has been my absolute pleasure to be able to help the community in some way and also get to know you all. So far we have raised £460 for Severino and his siblings which has made a huge difference and has been greatly appreciated. As the demand for masks is growing I am continuing on with this project and I hope to update you again of the progress at a later date.”  Jenny’s facemasks are free, but a small donation in return for the orphans in Zimbabwe she supports would be gratefully received. For more information, email Jenny here.
• Missing your Chinese takeaway? Cherry Hinton Road takeaway New Golden Buddha has reopened for deliveries. Order at the restaurant’s website here for direct home delivery. Opening hours are 5pm to 10pm every day except Tuesday. A range of set meals are available.

Wednesday 13 May

• Scotsdales Garden Centre re-opens tomorrow (Thursday 14th May) with revised opening times of 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 5pm on Sundays. The company is asking visitors to keep to a maximum of 2 people per visit, and no dogs. Staff will be available for advice as normal, while maintaining strict social distancing rules. More information here. The Horningsea store is also re-opening tomorrow.
• Coton Orchard Garden Centre is also open again, from 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 10.30am to 4.30pm on Sundays. The company says that it will be limiting the number of customers at any one time in line with government guidance on social distancing. More information here.
• The National Trust has issued this statement on re-opening. It says that from today: “We will start opening some car parks in England, in line with government advice. All opening decisions will be guided by local judgement. For the moment our pay-for-entry places including houses and gardens, remain closed. In order to maintain social distancing when they reopen, we plan to introduce a pre-booking system.” Our closest National Trust sites are Wimpole Estate, Anglesey Abbey & Gardens, and Wicken Fen Nature Reserve. We’ll let you know of any news about these as we get it.
• This week’s menu from MJP@Home, the “upmarket ready meal” home delivery service from chef Mark Poynton, includes a choice of loin of pork, mixed vegetable tagine or duck cassoulet. As ever, order by email and pay by bank transfer: delivery can be on Thursday, Friday or Saturday. More details here.
• Our new Community Food Hub has announced that it will be taking food donations on Wednesday afternoons, so if you think you might be able to help in this respect, please read the information sheet here and have a think about what you might be able to donate next week. We’ll remind you again in this email, don’t worry!
• In the meantime, or if it’s easier for you, local resident Michael Fincham is still making his weekly delivery to the Cambridge City Foodbank on Fridays at 11am. Donations can be placed in the back of his car on the drive at 60 Glebe Road before that time. Here’s what they need!
• Several readers have already asked if they can make financial donations to support the Community Food Hub. The answer is yes, we’re just working out the best ways to do this, so watch this space …and thank you!

Tuesday 12 May

• Boots, the chemist on Cherry Hinton Road, has new, longer opening hours: 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 5pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 12pm and 12.30pm to 4pm Saturday. Numark on Cherry Hinton Road remains the only local pharmacy open on Sundays (9am to 5pm).
• Cherry Hinton Mini Market, the newsagent and convenience store on Cherry Hinton Road, is now open from 6.00am to 4pm. The telephone number to arrange newspaper deliveries is 01223 247598.
• A forum to support businesses through lockdown and on the road to economic recovery has been launched by South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council. The Greater Cambridge Business Forum aims to find ways to ‘plug any support gaps and build business confidence’. The City Council’s information for businesses can be found here.
• Nando’s at Cambridge Leisure is serving again, through Deliveroo. The popular chicken restaurant says: “You might notice there are a few dishes missing from the menu, but we are working hard to return to our normal menu.” It’s open until 9pm.
• A reminder that upmarket Malloy’s Craft Butchery near the railway station also has a wide range of meat available for delivery in 20 minutes through Deliveroo. There’s a wide range of steak, pork, lamb, chicken and more.
• Garden centres in England are allowed to reopen from tomorrow. This was sprung on the businesses at fairly short notice, so neither Scotsdale’s or Coton Orchard garden centres had announced any details about reopening at the time of writing, but you can keep an eye on announcements here and here.
• Don’t forget our Queen Edith’s Community Writing Group. Writer-In-Residence at Rock Road Library, Kay Blayney, is coming up with a series of ideas to inspire you. Kay says: “Your writing could be a list, a poem, a diary entry, a letter, whatever you want it to be! Share it with us if you like, or just keep it for yourself.” Kay explains more in this video and reveals the first subject to write about. Enjoy!

Monday 11 May

• We’re devoting today’s email to reporting on the first ever Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub, which had a smooth and successful launch on Saturday morning. Making this happen was a fantastic achievement, which shows what the community can do when it comes together, and the intention is that it becomes something that continues for as long as there’s a need. There’s a short video clip below where you can see what it looked like
• Most Queen Edith’s residents will be surprised to learn just how many people in the neighbourhood stretch to make ends meet, even in normal times. At the moment, however, it’s clear that many more are ‘going without’. The Community Food Hub is a local effort to support our neighbours.
• The Food Hub has been organised by the Queen Edith’s ‘Happy To Help’ team, which includes the Queen Edith’s Community Forum, our local parish churches of St James and St John, and many, many local volunteers. The Hub will run every Saturday morning from 10:30am to 12:30am, at St James Church on Wulfstan Way. Access is open to all – the team thinks it’s important that anyone can just turn up with a shopping bag to fill, and nobody feels they have to ‘prove’ a need.
• The grocery items available are a combination of staples funded by a Cambridge City Council grant, and generous donations from local retailers. This week the organisers were bowled over with an amazing contribution from the amazing New Winfield Oriental Supermarket on Wulfstan Way, and help from the excellent Cambridge Fruit Co. In all, there was over 250kg of food available, and our visitors took away over 100kg, with nearly all the rest being stored for next week or passed on to the Cherry Hinton Food Hub taking place that afternoon. Indeed, the team were really pleased that it was almost a ‘zero waste’ operation!
• There’s a large team of volunteers ready to staff the Food Hub in the coming weeks, and other local food businesses are stepping up to contribute to the cause. This week’s team were Risa, Laura, Emily, Hilary, Jane, Leila, Anna, and Gisela. Thank you so much for all your efforts!
• The Food Hub is now able to take food donations: please see this sheet for further information. The team are also developing a scheme whereby people will be able to ‘donate’ specific items (24 cans of beans, trays of long life milk cartons, etc) through financial donations; this will give us much more predictability when it comes to providing staple items. Please watch this space for details later in the week.
• Otherwise, please just spread the message to anyone you know who might be having difficulty keeping their cupboards stocked at this difficult time. Just come along with a shopping bag next Saturday morning.

Friday 8 May

• We’re really delighted today to be launching the Queen Edith’s Community Writing Group. From the youngest members of the community to the oldest, many people have been using time at home to write. Kay Blayney, former and future Writer-In-Residence at Rock Road Library, is going to come up with a series of ideas that might inspire you. Kay says: “Your writing could be a list, a poem, a diary entry, a letter, whatever you want it to be! Share it with us if you like, or just keep it for yourself.” Kay explains more in this video and reveals the first subject to write about. Enjoy!
• Two local children are doing a twelve-hour sponsored “silence is golden” challenge today to raise money for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust. If you know any 9 and 11 year olds, you’ll know what an achievement twelve hours of silence will be! Find out more and make a donation to acknowledge their efforts here.
• The Cambridge Cycling Campaign is co-ordinating an initiative called “Spaces To Breathe”, which is encouraging local decision-makers to work with communities on ideas to provide more space for those walking, cycling or using mobility aids. See what you think here.
• Gift cards are available to use at our local Co-op stores, which could make it easier if somebody else is doing your shopping for you. The cards are available by post and can be topped up over the phone. More details here.
• Finally don’t forget to let others know that the Queen Edith’s Food Hub is open for the first time on Saturday morning, as part of our “Happy To Help” initiative. Offering free food and groceries for anyone having difficulty accessing food at the moment, the Food Hub is being hosted at St James Church in Wulfstan Way from 10.30am to 12.30pm. More details on our A4 poster here.
• Have a great weekend everyone!

Thursday 7 May

• In case you missed yesterday’s announcement, the Queen Edith’s Food Hub launches this Saturday, as part of our “Happy To Help” initiative. Offering free food and groceries for anyone having difficulty accessing food at the moment, the Food Hub is being hosted at St James Church in Wulfstan Way. We will be open for two hours each Saturday morning, from 10.30am to 12.30pm. More details on our A4 poster here. You’re very welcome to print it out and display or distribute it.
• Here are some photos of the Food Hub started by our friends in Cherry Hinton this week.
• Tomorrow morning The Royal British Legion is calling on the nation to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day from home. The organisation says: “At 11am, we’re encouraging people across all generations and communities to take part in a national moment of Remembrance and pause for a Two Minute Silence to honour the service and sacrifice of the Second World War generation and reflect on the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on so many lives across the world. There is no right or wrong way to take part in the Silence, some may wish to stand at their windows, step outside their homes while remaining distanced from others, watch the broadcast on television, or simply sit in a quiet moment of reflection.” We know that a number of groups in the area are planning to stand outside their homes at 11am. You can read about other VE Day 75 events and activities at the British Legion website here and there’s more at the official VE Day 75 website here.
• Cambridge City Council is working on a project called the i-Tree Eco Cambridge study “to help describe and quantify the significant benefits that Cambridge’s 300,000-plus trees give to residents, visitors and wildlife.” Don’t ask to join though: for the study to work, households will be chosen at random across the city and invited to participate in the project, contributing data about trees in their area. Participants will be thanked for taking part by being given a free tree for planting and will be acknowledged in the final project report. More details here.
• Finally, here’s a photo posted on Facebook by local historian Mike Petty which is thought to be a VE Day celebration in 1945 on Cherry Hinton Road…

Wednesday 6 May

• If the name Inder’s Kitchen rings a bell, here’s some welcome news of its return! Tine at Cambridge Cookery tells us that now the café has reopened for takeouts, many regular customers have asked for good ready meals. So as of tomorrow (Thursday), Inder Bull will be joining Tine in the big teaching kitchen, cooking fresh curries for takeaway, as well as marinated uncooked dishes ready for the barbecue. Cambridge Cookery is open from 9am to 1pm, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• After a huge amount of work from volunteers, the Queen Edith’s Food Hub launches this Saturday, as part of our “Happy To Help” initiative. Offering free food and groceries for anyone having difficulty accessing food at the moment, the Food Hub is being hosted at St James Church in Wulfstan Way. We will be open for two hours each Saturday morning, from 10.30am to 12.30pm. Please let people who would benefit from this know about it. One thing you could do would be to print out and display a poster somewhere, especially if you live in flats or shared housing. You can get our A4 poster here. Contact us through the Happy To Help line (see the big red button below!) if you’re a Queen Edith’s resident in need of a delivery.
• We will be able to accept grocery donations from local residents starting next week, so watch this space for details.
• A local resident is making some lovely facemasks for the community to help reduce the spread of Coronavirus. They are free, but a small donation in return, to support orphans in Zimbabwe, would be gratefully received. For more information, email Jenny here.
• The Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease broadcasts a weekly webinar every Thursday at 2pm hosted by Dr Nicholas Matheson, CITIID PI and consultant in Infectious Diseases. Each episode includes an update on the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, and a review of the latest developments in SARS-CoV-2 biomedical research and experimental medicine. Please ensure your mic is muted and video turned off when you join.
• Local councillor Colin McGerty has been continuing with his laptop recycling scheme to provide Chromebooks for home learning. There are currently a few in stock, so if you need one for a local student just email Colin here. Also, if you have an old laptop on a shelf, past the point that it runs well with Windows, please email Colin to donate it. All data will be securely removed and then it can be repurposed and passed to a deserving student.
• Cambridge Footlights are taking their famous “Smokers” shows online! The next hour of sketch, stand-up, musical and character comedy from some of Cambridge University’s best comedians is next Monday (12 May) at 9pm on the ADC Theatre’s YouTube channel. Book a free ticket here and you’ll get an email reminder of the show.

Tuesday 5 May

• Cambridgeshire County Council is working plans to re-open the county’s Household Recycling Centres from next Monday, 11 May. Details are here. The re-opening will include the Milton and Thriplow centres.
• Bookish Cambridge, the secondhand bookstall based on Cambridge market, is delivering by bicycle all over the city! See what’s available here. Payment can be made online and delivery is contact free at no charge, although we hope you’ll be generous with the number of books you order to make the delivery trip worth their while!
• A reader has asked where she can get a bicycle fixed at the moment, and our friends at the Cambridge Cycling Campaign have come up with this list. It includes a few shops on Mill Road, Rutland Cycling at the station, The Bikeman at Addenbrooke’s and The Kurser in Cherry Hinton.
• The excellent Cambridgeshire Repair Café is now operating online! On a Wednesday lunchtime you’ll be able to “bring in” battery-powered electrical items, household and garden items, bicycles, toys, jewellery and clothing for 1:1 repair advice, using Zoom. You can find out more and book your free appointment here.
• The latest update from Cambridge Junction‘s Artistic Director Matt Burman has some ideas for inspiring creativity in young people, including a free guide to making your own movie at home. Read what Matt has to say here.
• The Cambridge Summer Music Festival had 30 fantastic concerts lined up this year. While for now we can’t hear them live, the festival has compiled links to performances by the musicians to enjoy at home. Performances are as diverse as Maria Wloszczowska & Dinis Sousa, Classico Latino, Roger McGough and Little Machine and Evelyn Glennie.
• Well-known local RNLI fundraiser Geoff Heathcock has pointed us to the online RNLI Shop, a practical way to support the organisation from your armchair. You can browse their lifesaving gifts here.
• Chef Mark Poynton’s MJP@Home has released this week’s menu for delivery on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Dishes are now being sent out from the Green Dragon at Chesterton rather than Cambridge Cookery, so Queen Edith’s residents will presumably opt for the free delivery rather than collection!

Monday 4 May

• Newsagent and general store Megha Traders, next to The Coffee House at Wulfstan Way Shops, is now opening from 5.30pm to 8pm daily, in addition to its morning opening of 8am to 1pm Monday to Saturday, and 8am to 11.30am on Sunday. The store also stocks greetings cards, hardware and more.
• QuickWash same-day laundry service is also operating in conjunction with Megha Traders, with free collection and delivery, and free laundry bags. Call 01223 503823 for more details.
• We now have a Queen Edith’s online gardening club, on the NextDoor site started by one of our volunteers, Chermayne. It’s described as “a place to share our gardens with one another – pictures, issues, successes, and local knowledge.” You’ll find it here – if you’re not a NextDoor member you’ll be prompted to join first, which is very quick.
• Production at Go Glass on Cherry Hinton Road re-opened fully today. Customers can order for a next day collection service for all cut size glass and mirrors. Order online or call on 01223 211041.
• The Perse School is marking 60 years on its Hills Road site today. To mark the occasion, past pupils have been given access to sample the remote lessons today’s Perse pupils are being taught at home during the lockdown.
• Several readers have suggested that we encourage smartphone owners to download and use the COVID-19 Symptom Tracker app from King’s College London and healthcare science company, ZOE. This tracks the number of people with symptoms nationwide, and has over 2 million users. You answer some medical questions when first setting it up, then report in on the app daily.
• We’ve been told that the car park is open again at Wandlebury Country Park which has always been open for people to take their outdoor exercise. However, note that some facilities such as the toilets remain closed, and there’s only a limited warden service.

Friday 1 May

• We can announce that next week we’ll be announcing details of the opening of the Queen Edith’s Food Hub, distributing food supplies to local residents who need it. Meanwhile, our neighbours in Cherry Hinton are opening their equivalent tomorrow, and you can find out more about what they’re doing here. We know that the Cherry Hinton volunteers are in need of help; if you live in that side of Queen Edith’s, you can offer here.
• There was a really generous response to last night’s request for accommodation from an ambulance worker and she now has somewhere to stay in the area for nights after her shift. Thank you!
• We know that a lot of people have been looking forward to Scotsdales Garden Centre taking orders for delivery again, and it’s now doing just that. There’s a limited range of products to begin with, but plants and compost are both included. You can see what’s available here and there’s details of how to order.
• Those of you who are on the Nextdoor chat system might like to know that there’s a group created for plant swapping. You can join Nextdoor here using just Google or Facebook credentials.
• Homerton Early Years Centre is part of the Cambridge Early Years Teaching School Alliance, which is posting some interesting material on its website. Those with younger children might like to watch their “How To Make” videos on how to make play dough, how to make a paint table and how to make a bubble snake!
• Have a good weekend everyone! Stay safe, and we’ll be back on Sunday with our weekly roundup.