Queen Edith’s news 2020 vol.06: June

Chris Rand
3rd July 2020
28 min read

29 June issue

Tennis is back at Hills Road

Hills Road Sports and Tennis Centre will be re-opening its outdoor tennis courts from this Saturday, 4 July, including pay and play for non-members. Initial opening hours will be 8.00am to 8.00pm on weekdays and 8.00am to 4.00pm at weekends. As staff will not be returning to the centre until Saturday, please email booking requests for now. From Saturday, bookings will be taken by phoning the centre as usual. Members are able to book 7 days in advance, non-members 3 days.

Have your say on health and care services

Residents throughout Cambridge are being invited by Healthwatch Cambridgeshire to have our say on changes to health and care services since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. How have any changes affected you and those you care about? Please let them know. It took us about 3 minutes to do the survey online here.

Safer walking and cycling measures

The Greater Cambridge Partnership and Cambridgeshire County Council are introducing new measures aimed at make it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle around Cambridge during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have agreed to prioritise a range of short-term measures including those in Nightingale Avenue and Luard Road, which we’ve already mentioned. Their latest update bulletin can be read here.

Childrens clothing donations

Thanks to the many people who have donated food and toiletries to the Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub. As ever, donations can be dropped off at St James Church on Wednesday afternoons. We also welcome any donations of boys and girls clothes, but at present only for the 3–7 year-old age group. Full drop-off details here.

26 June issue

St James Church open for prayer

St James Church on Wulfstan Way is now open for prayer on Monday and Wednesday mornings between 10am and 12pm. Individuals are welcome to come to the church for a time of prayer and quiet reflection during these times. All visitors are asked to respect the guidelines of socially distancing and using the hand gel sanitisers.

Antibody Testing Service

Numark Pharmacy on Cherry Hinton Road is offering an in-pharmacy antibody testing service. Please note that until proven, the presence of COVID-19 antibodies does not mean that you have immunity against further infection of the virus. Read more about the antibody test here and more on the Government site here. Don’t forget that anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) can get a free NHS test to check if they have the virus. Some people without symptoms can have the test too. More details on the NHS site here.

Litter Picking

Cambridge City Council’s Streets & Open Spaces team are organising weekly litter picking events around the city on Thursdays – there’s more information here. If you want to just get on and do something closer to home, the Queen Edith’s Community Forum has some litter picking devices which anyone is welcome to borrow. Email us for details or we’ll have some available at the Saturday morning Community Food Hub (see below).

Community Food Hub: free children’s clothes

The Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub is running as usual tomorrow morning (Saturday) from 10.30am to 12.30pm, at St James Church on Wulfstan Way. Please do continue to spread the word to all local residents. More information here. Note that we now have a lot of free children’s clothes available, and any families are welcome to take these.

Restoring the full Citi 2 bus service

Users of the Citi 2 bus service will know that on weekdays, only every other bus goes through to Queen Edith’s and Addenbrooke’s. The Cambridge Area Bus Users group has been asking Stagecoach to consider running every bus the whole way, made possible by reduced congestion on Mill Road. There’s an article on it here, and any comments made there will be drawn to the attention of the bus company.

NHS Fundraising in July

Sunday 5th July will mark the 72nd Anniversary of the founding of the NHS, and to celebrate, why not join the Team Addenbrooke’s Virtual Challenge 2020? Run 7.2 km in one go perhaps, or increase your challenge by running, walking or cycling 72km over the course of a month? Raise a minimum of £100 in sponsorship for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals and you will also receive a customised medal. More details here.

EACH Shop reopening

The EACH Charity Shop on Cherry Hinton High Street will be reopening on Monday week, 6 July. There’s more information here. Please note that the Queen Edith’s shop on Cherry Hinton Road has not yet announced a reopening date.

Local Shops and Restaurants

Our list of Pharmacies, Post Offices, Banks, Supermarkets, Convenience Stores and Takeaways in the Queen Edith’s area can be found here. Please let us know if we’ve missed out anyone, or if any of the information needs updating!

…and finally…

These lovely pieces of artwork were sent to us by a local resident, Dina, who has been supported by our ‘Happy To Help’ volunteers recently. The new Red Cross Areas Residents Association is already using the images as cards.

22 June issue

Questions about Nightingale Avenue, Fendon Road roundabout and more

Tonight (Monday 22 June) should have seen the quarterly council South Area Committee meeting, open to the public. Unfortunately, tonight’s meeting has been cancelled, due to the health crisis, and we at the Queen Edith’s Community Forum thought it was important to find an alternative to the usual Open Forum session, where any member of the public can ask councillors about issues of concern. We used this newsletter to put out a call to local residents for the questions they would have asked, and offered to forward these to our councillors. Thanks for your response, Andrew, Ann, Arthur, Ayesha, Clare, Elizabeth, Fiona, Gavin, Ingrid, Joanne, John, Josephine, Karen, Olga, Paul, Peter, Rahee, Ruth, Steve and Vivien! It would have been a busy session. As soon as we get some replies back from councillors and officers, we will publish them for everyone to see. You can see the questions here.

Our local online arts festival!

This is amazing: an interactive festival, celebrating the fantastic talent and creativity at Netherhall School and Oakes College. Set aside a few minutes to browse around the work of students and staff in the Rainbow, Dance, Music, Art, Drama, Photography, DT and Media ‘tents’. Fabulous work from all involved.

Virtual Repair Café

Get your broken items seen by an experienced repairer, without even leaving home! The next Cambridgeshire Virtual Repair Café takes place this Wednesday lunchtime. You’ll be able to bring in battery powered electricals, household and garden items, bicycles, toys, jewellery, clothing and software problems for 1:1 advice. Everything’s done virtually using Zoom. Please go to Cambridge Carbon Footprint’s Circular Cambridge site to book in your item by midday tomorrow (Tuesday).

53 apartments proposed for Queen Edith’s Way

Planning applications are arriving as steadily as ever, and a major one just published is for a development of 53 serviced apartments on the site of the demolished ‘Hollies’ Care Home at 11 Queen Edith’s Way. You may like to take a look at the plans – visit the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning website here and click on the document symbol next to ‘Design and Access Statement’. Comments can be made on the website (click ‘comments’ – you will need to create an account if not already registered).

Classy home meals from Cambridge Cookery

This week’s menu from Cambridge Cookery is out – orders can be accepted until 3pm on Wednesday, to collect Friday to Sunday from 9am to 2pm. Please note that there is limited availability, so be quick! Full details here.

Steak & Honour returns

Cambridge’s favourite burger van will be back this Thursday at its Cherry Hinton Road pitch by Cambridge Wine Merchants, from 5pm to 8pm. However, you’ll need to order online beforehand, for collection at the van. Burgers are £7 to £13.50, with sides available. Order here.

Apologies to our volunteers…

Sorry if you’re one of our ‘Happy To Help’ volunteers and couldn’t get on the weekly Zoom call last night. Technical problems at Sam’s end! We’ll be back next week.

Food Hub donations

Thanks to the many people who have donated food and toiletries to the Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub. As ever, donations can be dropped off at St James Church on Wednesday afternoons. We welcome any produce from allotment holders, although we have sufficient potatoes at the moment. It seems that our regular visitors have taken as much clothing as they need too, so thanks to those who donated. More details here.

19 June issue

Pickwicks is back

Sandwich bar Pickwicks on Cherry Hinton Road is open again, from 9am to 2pm Monday to Friday. In the afternoon and evening it’s the home of Rock Of Virtue Eat Out, Tanisha Broady’s local home of fresh Caribbean food. Order online for delivery 3pm to 10pm. Full details here.

Cambridge ‘Open Windows’…

Over the four weekends in July around 140 members of Cambridge Open Studios will be displaying artwork in their windows or front gardens. There’s a map here showing the locations of artists in our area, and there’ll be the recognisable yellow flags at the houses of those taking part. More details here.

…and a local Art Walk?

Local artist Sasha Garrett is wondering if there’s interest from artists in the Queen Edith’s and Coleridge areas for a complementary Art Walk event, perhaps at the end of July or the start of August, where artists could display their work for a weekend, perhaps in their gardens. Sasha is hoping the event might be attractive to those artists whose work isn’t suitable for windows, or who aren’t part of the Cambridge Open Studios circuit …including first-time exhibitors! Sasha says it might be something of a magical mystery tour for local people to follow. If you’re interested in discussing the idea, you can email her here.

A Kind of Magic

Cambridge Junction is hosting internationally acclaimed magician Magical Bones, fresh from his hugely successful Britain’s Got Talent appearance, as he invites you to not just watch but to take part in a unique show live via Zoom. It all happens next Friday and Saturday, and there are more details here.

Shop local for fruit, veg, meat and more

Cambridge Fruit Company’s switch from supplying businesses to supplying us all at home has been a rare success for a local business in recent times. Now they’ve expanded to offer next-day delivery of fruit, vegetables, meat, milk, eggs, bread, juice and cakes, all from top-class local producers. It’s encouraging a lot of local people to change the way they shop for food essentials. If you join their ‘Banana Bunch’ mailing list, you’ll get £5 off each of your first two deliveries. Take a look at the shop here.

Nightingale Yoga

Long-time Queen Edith’s area favourite Nightingale Yoga may be based in Burwell these days, but with classes currently online through Zoom, it’s a great chance to reconnect! Teacher Sally Lander runs several sessions a week, including Yoga for People Living with Cancer, in association with Maggie’s Cancer Care. You can find out more here (click “Classes” at the top for times).

Community Writing For All

A reminder that as the first block of our ‘Community Writing For All’ project ends, some of the contributions received over the last few weeks are now on the hoardings at Joy’s Garden on Baldock Way. It’s really brightened up the outside of our community space, as you can see in a new short video. Have a watch, and perhaps you might like to go back to some of the earlier themes, especially the “questions”. Remember, as organiser Kay Blayney says, community writing is for everybody, young and older. Find out more and watch the video here.

Community Food Hub

The Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub is running as usual tomorrow morning (Saturday) from 10.30am to 12.30pm, at St James Church on Wulfstan Way. Special thanks this week to Cambridge Central Mosque for its wonderful food donations. We also now also have a stock of children’s clothes available, which – like all of the food and household supplies we offer – is available free. Please do continue to spread the word to all local residents. More information here.

Malt Whisky offer for Fathers Day

Cambridge Wine Merchants on Cherry Hinton Road is offering a rare independent bottling of Speymalt from Macallan by Gordon & MacPhail – a 2019 bottling of a 2005 distillation, maturing it in sherry casks for 14 years! It’s £10 off in a Fathers Day special. The shop is open 7 days a week, or you can order online here.

Local Shops and Restaurants

Our list of Pharmacies, Post Offices, Banks, Supermarkets, Convenience Stores and Takeaways in the Queen Edith’s area can be found here. Please let us know if we’ve missed out anyone, or if any of the information needs updating!

Welcome new readers

Quite a few new readers have joined this mailing list in the past week, so a big welcome. If you want to see what you missed in the previous 74 issues in the last three months, you can find them here.

15 June issue

Cambridge Junction closed until September

Matt Burman, Artistic Director at Cambridge Junction, writes: “We have been continuing to work on rescheduling events to next year, and today are saying out loud for the first time that we will be definitely closed to the public until September. Closure for six months means that we will have lost half our income for the year. The continuing restrictions on activities and social distancing are having a devastating effect on the whole of the cultural sector, including all your local theatres, music venues, galleries and festivals. If you are able to donate the value of your refunded tickets we would be hugely thankful. You could also join us as a member, supporter or patron. Or you could support our #SaveOurVenues campaign. We and other venues, vital places to come together to share stories and good times when they return, could be lost forever. Please do write to anyone you think might have influence.” You can read Matt’s full update here.

Queen Edith’s magazine

In an amazing community effort, over 60 volunteers have been delivering the new Queen Edith’s magazine for the last few days, and copies should have arrived (or be about to arrive) in over 5,500 local homes. We hope you all enjoy it. Thank you so much to everyone who has joined in with the production and distribution. The magazine can also be read online here.

Discussions on the telephone

COPE (Cambridgeshire Older People’s Enterprise) is running ‘Talking Together’, an initiative which offers older adults engaging conversations via telephone. No special technology is required, just your own telephone to listen and join in. Upcoming sessions include Environment with Bruce Huett; Poet’s Corner with Liz Williams/Clare Crossman; Looking At Cambridge with Mike Petty; The Power Of Books with Leigh Chambers; Gardening with Pam Gatrell; and David Parr House with Tamsin Wimhurst. More details here.

Pizza making added to wine and spirits offers

The Cambridge Wine Merchants offers which we’ve mentioned have been very popular, so here are a few more: the “#Stay at Home 6-Bottle Case”; the “#BYOBB ‘Solidarity’ Spirits Deal”; and a range of mixed cases. All are available online or at the Cherry Hinton Road store. Fired Up at Home Pizza making kits also look rather interesting!

Long Road Virtual Welcome Week

Long Road Sixth Form College is hosting a ‘Virtual Welcome Week’ for Year 11 applicants and Year 10 prospective students! The event will be a combination of videos and live sessions from both students and staff, giving you the opportunity to explore everything Long Road has to offer from the safety and comfort of your own home. It runs all next week and details are here.

Dine in style at home

Here’s another chance to dine in style at home with Cambridge Cookery’s gourmet meals. Their Cordon Bleu designed and cooked menu offers a choice of 3 starters, mains and desserts. Order by email, and pay on collection, Fri/Sat/Sun between 9am-2pm. More information and this week’s menu, including sea bass fillet and organic fillet of pork, is available here.

Supporting the Food Hub

Our Food Hub continues every Saturday morning, and has expanded to also offer children’s clothing (birth to 12 years). If you have any clean clothes to donate, please put them into bags or boxes labelled by gender and by age, and drop them off at St James Church on Wulfstan Way on Wednesdays between 2pm and 4pm or Fridays between 3pm and 5pm. You can support the Food Hub with financial or food donations too, of course: details of how to do so can be found here. The Food Hub team report being OK for beans, tomatoes and pasta but they’d really appreciate salt, oil, herbs/spices and toiletries, especially sanitary products, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

12 June issue

A new look City Centre

Cambridge City Centre reopens on Monday, and visitors can expect to see stewards offering advice and help, widened footways, vehicle restrictions, one way access to narrow passageways and many other measures to support social distancing. The central market will continue to be open with traders using perimeter pitches only. Here’s the full details from the City Council.

St John’s reopens

St John The Evangelist Church on Hills Road will reopen next week. It will be open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays from 10am to 12pm, and on Saturdays also from 10am to 12pm. All are welcome to come and enjoy some reflective space within the church interior, or outside in the gardens. Rev. James Shakespeare tells us: “I am delighted that Churches and other faith buildings are now reopening for prayer, and I hope this will provide a much needed space for reflection, prayer and quiet, in these challenging times.”  Online worship continues at the church website.

Coronavirus scams

Cambridgeshire County Council is promoting the upcoming Scams Awareness Fortnight through its ‘Against Scams Partnership’. If you want to learn more about how to spot scams, and how to protect yourself and others, there’s a really good 20-minute online slideshow and video now available here, and a useful Citizens Advice leaflet here. The partnership’s web page is here.

Queen Edith’s magazine

Queen Edith’s magazine is on its way from the printers, and our brilliant team of volunteers should be delivering it to all 5500 local homes in the next 2–3 days, so keep a look out for it. Our thanks to everyone who’s helping in this real community effort.

Community Writing For All – Chapter 6

This is lovely. Kay Blayney, the organiser of our ‘Community Writing For All’ project, has taken some of the contributions received over the last few weeks and posted them on the hoardings at Joy’s Garden on Baldock Way. It’s really brightened up the outside of our community space, as you can see in a new short video. To finish the first six-week block of ‘Community Writing For All’, Kay introduces one more challenge in the video. There will be more in the future though! For now, have a watch, and perhaps you might like to go back to some of the earlier themes, especially last week’s “questions”. Remember, community writing is for everybody, young and older. Find out more and watch the video here.

Community Food Hub

The Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub is running as usual tomorrow morning (Saturday) from 10.30am to 12.30pm, at St James Church on Wulfstan Way. We now also have a stock of children’s clothes available, which – like all of the food and household supplies we offer – is available free. Please do continue to spread the word to all local residents. More information here.

World Gin Day

Cambridge Wine Merchants on Cherry Hinton Road is celebrating ‘World Gin Day’ tomorrow (Saturday) with a reduced price on Cambridge Distillery Gin… and they’ll give you 4 tonics on the house! Every single gin commercially released by Cambridge Distillery has been awarded at least a gold medal at international competition – and they still produce every bottle by hand in their distillery just outside Cambridge.

Local Shops and Restaurants

Our list of Pharmacies, Post Offices, Banks, Supermarkets, Convenience Stores and Takeaways in the Queen Edith’s area can be found here.

Less is more

The Queen Edith’s magazine team has produced these emails over the past three months on a daily basis. However, the local news is not coming in at such a frantic rate now, so we think it’s appropriate to reduce the frequency of this email to Mondays and Fridays only. Do continue to let us know about any events, initiatives or changes to services though, and we’ll continue to get them out to nearly 1200 readers!

8 June issue

Khangs returns

Good news for anyone in the south of Queen Edith’s – you no longer need to go all the way up to Cherry Hinton Road to get takeaway fish and chips or Chinese food. Khangs at Wulfstan Way Shops has reopened with a full counter service. Hours are 4pm to 9pm Monday, 11:30am to 1:45pm and 4:30pm to 10pm Tuesday to Saturday. Call 01223 248722 for more information.

Longer hours at Express

Express Convenience Store in Wulfstan Way is back to normal opening hours of 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sundays. In common with other retailers, the owners of the store ask that customers continue to follow social distancing guidelines and wear masks where possible when shopping.

Leather repairs

Cherry Hinton Road leather repairs specialist Michael’s is confirmed as reopened, 9am to 1pm Mon to Sat. Please queue outside if other customers are in the shop.

Queen Edith’s magazine

We’ve just sent this year’s second issue of Queen Edith’s magazine off to print, for distribution starting this weekend. As we don’t have the usual level of advertising, we’re having to deliver this issue using volunteer local residents. We’ve had loads of offers from our ‘Happy To Help’ team, but we still need a few more people to cover the eastern half of Cherry Hinton Road, in particular to deliver to Kelvin Close, Bullen Close, Missleton Court, Jasmine Court, Blenheim Close, Greystoke Court and Greystoke Road. If you live anywhere near this area and could help out for an hour or so next weekend, we’d be really grateful.

Will Writing

Inheritance Legal Services on Cherry Hinton Road is now able to offer office appointments again, under strict distancing procedures. The company is still offering telephone or video consultations. More details of services offered here.

Poetry for our Hospitals

Beyond The Mask is a new project from Cambridge University Hospital Arts which aims to let people express their thoughts towards our nurses and midwives through poetry. The acclaimed poet Sean Borodale explains more about the project on the CUH Arts web page here.

Are you an unpaid carer?

This week is Carer’s Week and comes at a time when many unpaid carers are feeling especially isolated and under pressure. We hope that our ‘Happy To Help‘ scheme is providing at least some assistance, but to learn more about support available for carers or how to mark the week you might look at the Carers’ Week website and especially the helpful guide for carers in the Resources and Guides section.

Local support for carers

The Patients Participation Group of the Queen Edith’s Medical Practice is hoping to produce a short guide to local support groups for carers. If you know of any such group or groups, or would like to be kept informed about such groups, please email David Bridges.

Footlights at home

The final Cambridge University Footlights ‘Smoker’ of this term will be broadcast at 9pm tomorrow (9 June). An hour of hilarious sketch, stand-up, musical and character comedy from some of Cambridge’s best comedians from the comfort of your own home! Visit the ADC Theatre’s YouTube channel to watch.

Supporting the Food Hub

Our Food Hub continues every Saturday morning, and has expanded to also offer children’s clothing (birth to 12 years). If you have any clean clothes to donate, please put them into bags or boxes labelled by gender and by age, and drop them off at St James Church on Wulfstan Way on Wednesdays between 2pm and 4pm or Fridays between 3pm and 5pm. You can support the Food Hub with financial or food donations too, of course: details of how to do so can be found here. Finally, if anyone can spare an hour or so to help sort clothes on a Wednesday afternoon, please contact Sam Davies.

Less is more

The Queen Edith’s magazine team has produced these emails over the past three months on a daily basis. However, the local news is not coming in at such a frantic rate now, so we think it’s appropriate to reduce the frequency of this email to Mondays and Fridays only. Do continue to let us know about any events, initiatives or changes to services though, and we’ll continue to get them out to nearly 1200 readers!

 

Friday 5 June

  • Our Community Food Hub will take place as usual tomorrow (Saturday) morning, welcoming any local resident who might otherwise be going without at the moment. This week thanks go out to Trinity Hall College, Cambscuisine, the Co-op at The Marque, Wood Green Animals Charity and of course – as ever – our many generous benefactors. More details here.
  • Community Writing For All reaches Chapter 5 this week, and in her latest update, Kay Blayney reviews last week’s contributions and introduces some questions for you all. Listen to Kay here.
  • With our listings of takeaway restaurants having been quite long, it came as a surprise to discover one that we’ve been missing out completely! Al Pomodoro is a new Italian and pizza restaurant in Homerton Street, opposite Cambridge Leisure, which opened just before Christmas but had to close during the health crisis. It reopened for takeaway and delivery a couple of weeks ago. It’s already number 2 in the TripAdvisor rankings for Cambridge, giving Queen Edith’s two of the top three places. Order through Just Eat or direct – details at the restaurant’s Facebook page.
  • In happier times it would have been Strawberry Fair in the city centre this weekend. Instead we have “It’s Virtually Strawberry Fair 2020”, with the wonderful Cambridge 105 Radio. The city’s community radio station is to broadcast a 12-hour show tomorrow (Saturday) that will reflect the music, poetry and drama of the Midsummer Common event alongside additional material for children. Listen in from via the station’s FM or DAB broadcast or online here.
  • Last week the government launched its Test and Trace service, aimed at notifying those who may have come into contact with someone with coronavirus symptoms. Some people are concerned that they’d want to confirm that any call from the service is genuine. This article from Full Fact lists some things to look out for. You can always ask for an email or a text that will invite you to use the Test and Trace web site instead.

Thursday 4 June

  • The Cambridge University Botanic Garden will be reopening to the public from Tuesday 16 June, after a few days just for its supporters (‘Friends’) next week. Entry will be by pre-booked tickets only, even for Friends, to control visitor numbers. Book tickets online on the Garden website from 10am next Thursday (11 June) for the week after (Tuesday 16 to Sunday 21 June). Tickets will be released each Thursday at 10am for the following week.
  • Cambridge-based theatre company New International Encounter is now sharing its acclaimed production ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ for two weeks only on YouTube. The show premiered at Cambridge Junction for a five-week Christmas run in 2014 and has since toured across the UK. A great family show. Watch it here.
  • The annual Summer Reading Challenge which takes place in conjunction with public libraries encourages children aged 4 to 11 to set themselves a reading challenge to help prevent the summer reading ‘dip’. This year it’ll be online, but children can take part by joining the ‘Silly Squad’ from tomorrow. More details here.
  • The Portland Arms is the other side of the city from us, but Cambridge Folk Festival fans will want to know that festival legend Frank Turner will be doing a live-streamed concert tonight, exclusively for the venue, with all proceeds going to its crowdfunder. Frank is a great supporter of grass-roots venues and has spent lockdown helping independents the length and breadth of the country. Watch the livestream at 8:30pm tonight at his website and chip in to the Portland Arms fundraiser here.
  • Cambridge City Council has renewed its call for us all to keep to social distancing in parks and open spaces. Cllr Katie Thornburrow says: “I would ask people having get-togethers in their garden to consider their neighbours. Social distancing needs to be followed and we must remember there are still very vulnerable people who are shielding or following tighter restrictions than the majority of us.” There’s more information here.

Wednesday 3 June

  • Cherry Hinton Road-based restaurant Taj re-opens tonight as a takeaway, with a brand new menu. Home delivery service starts at 5.45pm each night, or you can collect directly from 5.25pm. Closed Tuesdays. Order online at the website.
  • Cambridgeshire Constabulary is urging people to stay vigilant and keep an eye on vulnerable relatives after a number of suspected rogue trading incidents across Cambridge, including one in Queen Edith’s. A vulnerable man in his 50s was conned out of £400 after fraudsters said they needed to replace his toilet. He handed over the cash but the works were never carried out. Community Safety Officer Kate Thwaites tells us: “Rogue traders often offer gardening work or maintenance services at attractive rates but the quality of work is substandard, unnecessary or overpriced. Doorstep selling is not illegal, but legitimate callers won’t mind if you ask them to come back later while you verify that they are genuine. Ask them to leave their details and a quote and you can call them back once you’ve had time to decide whether you would like them to carry out the work.” Information on reporting them is available here.
  • We haven’t been able to confirm this yet, and there’s no indication at the shop, but our spies tell us that shoe and bag repair shop Michael’s on Cherry Hinton Road may be open again, in the mornings at least. The shop’s telephone number is 01223 415267.
  • Last week’s photo of King’s College was shared a lot, and we see that a similar one is on the front page of this week’s Cambridge Independent newspaper. For more photos of King’s College Chapel, a fabulous set can be found at an online exhibition called “Focused” by Sara Rawlinson Photography. Well worth a browse.

Tuesday 2 June

  • The quarterly Cambridge City Council Area Committee meetings are the only chance the public gets to interact with all of our councillors and council officers together on a range of everyday topics. We have discovered that the City Council has cancelled our South Area meeting for June, and while that’s understandable, it means that we may end up having just two meetings this year. Here at the Queen Edith’s Community Forum, we’re all about promoting public engagement with the authorities, so we’re proposing the following to make up for this. If you have any questions about local issues, send them to us, and we will put them to the appropriate councillors and council officers. We will then publish their responses, so that everyone can see them, as would happen at the meeting. Your questions might be to do with current issues like the Fendon Road roundabout, the plans for the housing developments on Wort’s Causeway, the proposed blocking of Luard Road and Nightingale Road to through traffic, local policing, environmental services …all the things that come up frequently at South Area committee meetings. Email your questions to us here, and we’ll chase the answers.
  • Local theatre company Menagerie has written 4 short radio plays for people to perform and record at home. Whether you’re 8, 18, 108 or anything in between, this is a great way of being creative. Even if you live alone, there’s a play for you! Have a go, send the Menagerie group your recording and they’ll release it on their website. Full information here.
  • On 16 June, Camcycle celebrates 25 years of work for cycling in and around Cambridge, and an online meeting tonight (Tuesday) aims to “capture the spirit of celebration.” Hear stories from the early days of the organisation and find out about Camcycle’s current work. The meeting will be held live on Facebook at 7pm and will be on the Camcycle website after the meeting.
  • Inder’s Kitchen is back at Cambridge Cookery this weekend with its traditionally made curries! Place your order by tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday) and collect on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Here’s the menu – call 01223 247620 to order.

Monday 1 June

  • Netherhall School Principal Chris Tooley has announced an appeal to help get computers to some 80 students who don’t currently have access to them at home. It’s not exaggerating to say that this could change some young people’s lives. The school is already well over halfway to its target, and it really is a brilliant cause. Read what Chris has to say and find out how to donate here.
  • The National Trust is reopening many venues from Wednesday, and these include local favourites Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill and Wimpole Estate. However, advanced booking is in place to help manage visitor numbers and maintain social distancing, and both sites are already sold out for this week. New booking slots are released on Fridays.
  • The Coffee House on Wulfstan Way is back! Great Bacon sandwiches, yummy cakes ice creams and obviously great coffee, frappes and ice coffee. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 2pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm. Takeaways only of course, one customer in at a time and contactless or card payments.
  • Cherry Hinton Road Bengali and Indian takeaway Palkee is offering a free meal to all NHS staff in Cambridge next Sunday! To take up the offer, send a message via WhatsApp to +44 7551078337 giving your name and job title, and the time you’d like to pick up the meal from 5pm to 9pm on Sunday, 7th June. Orders should be received by Saturday lunchtime. Let them know if you are vegetarian.
  • In an update to our list of food delivery services, Bella Italia at Cambridge Leisure has closed for the time being. Anyone after a pizza fix can still get deliveries from Cherry Box Pizza, Cyprus Kebab House, Gattuso’s Trattoria or Pizza 1899.

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