Queen Edith’s news 2021 vol.08 – August

Queen Edith’s News

Issue 149 • Friday 6 August 2021
Emailed to over 1,500 local homes

Bringing super STEM activities to you!

On Monday (9 August), bring your 7–12 year old children to join us outside the shops on Wulfstan Way for PopUp Science. It’s free of charge – just swing by on the day! Our science communicators will guide you through – all you have to do is turn up, have fun, and make something cool to take home.
10am to 12pm – Make your own rainbow spinner and create a mini greenhouse;
1pm to 3pm – Put together a screeching cup and make a bird feeder.
There’s also our Science Rocks Treasure Hunt, free copies of the OpenUpScience magazine, and lots of fun and games from the Cambridge Science Centre with the Queen Edith’s Community Forum. Email us if you have any questions, or we’ll see you on Monday!

Have your say on ‘active travel’

If you cycle or walk regularly, the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) has 20 million to spend on improvements to the local ‘active travel network’ and is consulting on the priorities for investment. A study has identified 13 potential corridors that could help to join up the cycling network in Greater Cambridge. To have your say, you can complete the survey here.

Have your say on protecting biodiversity

Cambridge City Council’s draft Biodiversity Strategy sets out and explains its key aspirations, themes and projects for the next nine years. The council is now looking for our comments to ensure that it provides adequate resources to achieve, monitor and sustain its commitments. You can read the extensive Strategy Document here and then there’s a survey here.

Latest Coronavirus news

We are now on ‘Step 4’ of the government’s roadmap. Everyone should be cautious whilst managing the risks, as cases of COVID-19 remain high, but most legal restrictions have been lifted. Official government advice is that “Coronavirus remains a serious health risk. You should stay cautious to help protect yourself and others. Meet outside, or open windows and doors for indoor visitors.”

  • If you think you have symptoms stay at home and take a PCR test
  • Wear face coverings in crowded places and on public transport
  • Check in to venues when you go out
  • Wash your hands with soap regularly, and for at least 20 seconds
  • Get vaccinated

Links and data

The Wellcome Trust, which of course has sites on the Biomedical Campus, has been looking at how the world can adapt to COVID-19 in the long term. The world’s long-term anti-Covid-19 plan, it says, has to involve monitoring the virus; investing in vaccines and treatments; ensuring that everyone in the world can access vaccines, treatments and tests; and sharing and coordinating resources.

Cherries and plums at the Queen Edith’s fruit stands

Two fruit stands will be open this Saturday at both 253 Hills Road (from 10.30am) and 36 Kinnaird Way – off Nightingale Ave – (from 2pm) selling Penny cherries (the last of the season) and Sanctus and Opal plums. This is community effort to benefit local fruit farms with profits going to the Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub. £50 has also gone to buy a dishwasher for the Cambridge Community Kitchen which delivers to needy families throughout Cambridge – thank you!

Help needed at EACH Shop

The EACH (East Anglia Children’s Hospice) Charity Shop on Cherry Hinton Road is in need of volunteer helpers. New manager Terri Rolph tells us that the commitment can be anything from a couple of hours a week upwards. if you fancy a new volunteering project, just drop by at the shop and have a chat. There’s a job description here.

U3AC gears up for 2021/22

U3AC has published its Programme of Courses for the next year. The educational charity based in Cambridge now has over 2,200 members, including many in this part of the city. Aimed at residents who are no longer in full-time employment, U3AC offers over 340 courses covering traditional subjects, such as history, languages, sciences etc; leisure pursuits, such as bridge and board games; and physical activities such as walking, dance and table tennis. You can download the course list here and find out how to join here.

Pets in warm weather

Our friends at Cambridge Veterinary Group remind us that it’s important to remember that warm weather is a risk for heat stroke. Puppies, elderly dogs, and short-faced breeds (bulldogs, pugs, boxers etc) are all at increased risk. Ensure you exercise your dog when the temperature is cool, such as early morning. If the pavement is too hot for your bare feet, it will burn your dog’s paws. And never leave a dog in a car, as the temperature can rise extremely quickly to very dangerous levels.

Thank you Bronwen

The team here at the Queen Edith’s Community Forum would like to thank our treasurer Bronwen, who is handing over her job to another local volunteer, Fiona, this week. An astonishingly busy 18 months has included handling all the work which has arisen from the Community Food Hub, as well as all the payments involved with Queen Edith’s magazine, and more. Thank you so much for your ‘shift’ Bronwen, it really was beyond the call of duty!

A 5-mile walk from Fen Ditton to Horningsea

The next St Johns Walking Group event will be on Monday week (16 August) and will be a 5 mile circular walk from Fen Ditton via Horningsea. The group will meet at 10.00am at St Johns Church, or 10.30 at Fen Ditton Church, and should be back at St Johns by 1.30pm. If you would like to join in, please let Cathy Davies know by email to arrange transport together.

Get a new perspective on the city with charity walk

The Bridge the Gap Walk raises money for the Arthur Rank Hospice and Romsey Mill charities through entry fees for a self-guided, 3.5-mile walk of the city. Open to all from next Friday (13 August) for a month, the route offers the chance to see some stunning university colleges and their beautifully manicured gardens, iconic views of the city, and “some of the more unusual and often overlooked aspects which help to make Cambridge so unique.” If you’d like to do the walk at any time in the next month, you can register here for £8 per person. It’s an excellent opportunity.

This Week at The Light Cinema

Our multi-screen cinema’s films this week include Black Widow; Blackpink; In The Heights; Jungle Cruise; Moonbound; Old; Paw Patrol: The Movie; Space Jam: A New Legacy; Spirit Untamed; Stillwater; The Croods 2; The Last Letter from Your Lover; The Suicide Squad; Tom & Jerry: The Movie and Zola.

This week at Cambridge Junction

Shows at Cambridge Junction this week include Jess Fostekew: Hench; The Noise Next Door’s Comedy Lock-In; Olivia Dean; Figs In Wigs: Astrology Bingo; Pete Firman: Bag Of Tricks; and Smoove & Turrell.

Food Hub open this Saturday

The Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub, which offers free fresh and packaged food supplies and household goods for anyone experiencing hardship, is open again this Saturday, from 10.30am to 12.30, at St James Church in Wulfstan Way. Food donations may once again be brought to the church on Friday afternoons from 3pm to 4pm.

Traffic disruption

One.network is the website which shows current and forthcoming road works. You can see the map here.

Happy To Help scheme

The Queen Edith’s Community Forum’s ‘Happy To Help’ scheme has now closed, but the Patients Participation Group at the Queen Edith Medical Practice is providing prescription collections for local residents who find themselves unable to leave home – telephone 07968 538783 or email ppg@queen-ediths.info.

How to contact our local councillors

The Queen Edith’s Community Forum guide to our local councillors will ensure you contact the right one depending on your problem and the street where you live. Find it here.

Queen Edith’s city councillor Sam Davies writes a weekly email discussing what she’s been doing and what issues have come up in the area. You can add yourself to the circulation of Sam’s free email here. If our other councillors produce anything similar we will also highlight it here.

Have you been forwarded this email?
Click here to request your own copy each week. It’s free!

Anna releases album with a local story

Talented local musician Anna Hester launched her debut album Postcard Songs with a wonderful live performance last week, now available to watch on YouTube. The songs include some Queen Edith’s links, but you’ll have to wait until the forthcoming Queen Edith’s magazine to read that story! The album is available now to buy on CD or as a digital download here at Bandcamp. It’s also out on all major streaming platforms.

Want to help deliver Queen Edith’s magazine?

The next edition of Queen Edith’s magazine will be published on the last weekend of this month, and we’re hoping that our small army of local residents will once again be helping out with the delivery. We can’t do it without you! If you’d like to join our team and deliver a few copies to a road near you, please let us know using the form here. It’ll probably take you less than an hour, and can be a nice sociable stroll!

  • Deliverers from last time need not complete the form, we’ll contact you next week separately.

Latest Coronavirus news

We are now on ‘Step 4’ of the government’s roadmap. Everyone should be cautious whilst managing the risks, as cases of COVID-19 remain high, but most legal restrictions have been lifted. Official government advice is that “Coronavirus remains a serious health risk. You should stay cautious to help protect yourself and others. Meet outside, or open windows and doors for indoor visitors.”

  • If you think you have symptoms stay at home and take a PCR test
  • Wear face coverings in crowded places and on public transport
  • Check in to venues when you go out
  • Wash your hands with soap regularly, and for at least 20 seconds
  • Get vaccinated

Links and data

The Biostatistics Unit of the MRC at the Biomedical Campus has published its latest report on real-time tracking of COVID-19. Lead researchers Prof Daniela De Angelis and Dr Paul Birrell say that results show that, underlying the fall in reported positive cases and the initial hint of a decrease in hospital admissions, there is evidence of a downward trend in the number of new infections. This signal is clear at national level, they say, indicating that the peak of the third wave might have been reached in late July.

The first Covid-19 vaccines have been very effective, but there’s plenty of room for improvement, especially for dealing with new variants. In a new video, Charlie Weller of the Wellcome Trust talks about the potential benefits of new generations of Covid-19 vaccines.

Worts’ Causeway gas works from Monday…

Gas supplier Cadent reports that its current work in the Addenbrooke’s area is ahead of schedule, and the previously announced closure of Wort’s Causeway will begin on Monday (16 August) for up to 3 weeks. Motor vehicle access for residents and their visitors will be maintained from the Limekiln Road end, and the bus gate disabled for this period, but there will be no through route for motor vehicles. Pedestrian/cycle access will also be possible from the Hills Road end. Residents’ gas supply will not be affected. There are more details here (see the ‘Cambridge Reinforcement’ section) including details of how to contact the company with any questions.

…and electrical work…

Separately from the above, residents in Babraham Road/south Hills Road area have received a letter from the County Council in the last couple of days, explaining that there will be a further round of roadworks from 23 August to mid October to run a cable from the new solar car ports at Babraham P&R to Addenbrooke’s. The works will be carried out overnight (7pm–7am), with any noisy works done at the beginning of the shift. Indicative timings are:

  • Wort’s Causeway to Nightingale Ave 23 August to 3 September
  • Nightingale Ave crossing 30 Aug to 10 Sept
  • Nightingale Ave to Addenbrooke’s substation 6 to 17 Sept
  • Wort’s Causeway to Knightly Ave 13 to 17 Sept
  • Knightly Ave to Granham’s Road 13 Sept to 1 Oct
  • Granham’s Road to P&R bus entrance 4 Oct to 15 Oct

There’s more about the project here.

…and active travel paths work too!

In addition to all of the above, work to improve the active travel path along the A1307 is about to start, with “improvements to the Worts Causeway and Babraham Road junction, taking around four weeks to complete.” More information here.

StoryWalk at Cherry Hinton Hall

Our local libraries are running “a moo-vable outdoors storytime” next Tuesday (17 August) sharing stories featuring some of our favourite hoofed friends! Suitable for ages 4–11. Meet by the Cherry Hinton Village sign at 10am, but please reserve places here beforehand.

Special service at St John’s this Sunday

Services at St John The Evangelist church on Hills Road this Sunday are a little different to include, at 10am, a Café Church Discernment Service, with Holy Communion. The church will spend some time “discerning what we have discovered about worship during the pandemic and what it might mean for us moving forward as a congregation.” Have you realised how much you enjoy singing? Loved online worship? Liked being able to choose between different Sunday services? The church would love to gather up your thoughts on how we should move forward in worship. The service will be suitable for everyone, and will involve both individual reflection and group discussion.

This week’s pop-up fruit stands

The fruit stand will be open at 253 Hills Road from 10.30am this Saturday morning (14 August), but not at Kinnaird Way. It will be selling purple Sanctus plums, golden gages and the first of the season’s greengages. This is community effort to benefit local fruit farms with profits going to the Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub.

Tours around local energy-efficient homes

Open Eco Homes 2021 (13 September to 15 October) is now open for bookings! This year’s series of tours and talks about local energy-efficient homes will once again be online, although one or two tours may be able to be run in person. They include two new builds, six retrofits and five expert-led talks, with at least one home in Queen Edith’s. The focus this autumn will be on helping anyone get started with home eco projects, by providing expert advice to support you to plan a retrofit as well as support with ‘easy win’ actions such as draught-proofing or moving to a green energy tariff. See the full programme here.

Ideas wanted for improving open spaces

Residents are being asked to put forward proposals for improving open spaces and play areas via Cambridge City Council’s 2021 “S106 funding round”. This funding has been secured from developers in recent years to address the impact of new housing and other development in the city. You can read more here, and either apply directly as shown or talk to one of our local city councillors about your ideas.

Grants to support nature-based projects 

Natural Cambridgeshire wants to double the amount of land in the county that’s managed for nature from 8% to 16%, which is the national average. Applications are being sought for grants supporting “local nature-based projects that enable greater community engagement with nature and public green space.” That might simply be enhancing habitats for wildlife in school grounds, setting up a Friends group for a local park, or accessing training and advice to help develop a project further. More details here.

In need of disability or repair work? 

Cambridgeshire Home Improvement Agency, as part of Cambridge City Council, is keen to raise awareness of means-tested grants available to make disability or repair adaptations in local properties. The organisation can help with work to make it easier to get in and out of your home, help you bathe more easily, heat or light your home, adapt your kitchen or provide specialist equipment. More information here.

Assistant Village Hall Manager needed 

There’s a job vacancy down the road in Trumpington, as Assistant Manager of the Village Hall and Pavilion. The ideal person will need to be highly flexible and with computer experience, working a number of weekday mornings and be flexible at other times. The job is 10 hours a week, to start as soon as possible, and pays £10.83 per hour. For details and an application form, contact Sue-Ellen Beadle via email here.

This Week at The Light Cinema

Our multi-screen cinema’s films this week include Black Widow; Don’t Breathe 2; Free Guy; In The Heights; Jungle Cruise; Moonbound; Old; Paw Patrol: The Movie; People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan; Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway; Snake Eyes; Space Jam: A New Legacy; Spirit Untamed; Stillwater; The Courier; The Croods 2; The Little Mermaid; and The Suicide Squad

This week at Cambridge Junction

Shows at Cambridge Junction this week include one of the UK’s most popular magicians, Pete Firman, back on the road – laugh-out-loud comedy and jaw-dropping magic live on stage. On Tuesday, comedian Bill Bailey tries out new material in advance of UK Arena tour, and next Friday Smoove & Turrell return to support “Stratos Bleu”, their 6th studio album.

Food Hub open this Saturday

The Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub, which offers free fresh and packaged food supplies and household goods for anyone experiencing hardship, is open again this Saturday, from 10.30am to 12.30, at St James Church in Wulfstan Way. Food donations may once again be brought to the church on Friday afternoons from 3pm to 4pm.

Traffic disruption

One.network is the website which shows current and forthcoming road works. You can see the map here.

Happy To Help scheme

The Queen Edith’s Community Forum’s ‘Happy To Help’ scheme has now closed, but the Patients Participation Group at the Queen Edith Medical Practice is providing prescription collections for local residents who find themselves unable to leave home – telephone 07968 538783 or email ppg@queen-ediths.info.

How to contact our local councillors

The Queen Edith’s Community Forum guide to our local councillors will ensure you contact the right one depending on your problem and the street where you live. Find it here.

Queen Edith’s city councillor Sam Davies writes a weekly email discussing what she’s been doing and what issues have come up in the area. You can add yourself to the circulation of Sam’s free email here. If our other councillors produce anything similar we will also highlight it here.

Have you been forwarded this email?
Click here to request your own copy each week. It’s free!

Queen Edith’s News

Issue 151 • Friday 20 August 2021
Emailed to over 1,500 local homes

Reopening of Arthur’s Shed

Arthur’s Shed is a community hub based in the grounds of the Arthur Rank Hospice, situated next to the Babraham Road Park & Ride. The activities are open to the public and include a range of sessions led by volunteers including Mixed Media Art, Card Making, Paper Crafts and Astronomy. The Shed is re-opening on Monday (23 August) and sessions are free of charge although a suggested donation of £5 is welcomed. Sessions can be booked onto by calling 01223 675871. More information here.

Motorbike Noise

Excessive motorbike noise and racing has become a significant issue for many residents in recent months. Cambridgeshire Police says that its Cambs City neighbourhood team has a dedicated operation to tackle antisocial behaviour, including bike noise. Please report incidents to them, including times/dates/places (numberplates if possible) so they know best where to focus their efforts. The best method is to use the online web chat function here. Include as much detail as possible, and ask for your report to be sent to the Cambs City neighbourhood team for them to note. Video evidence is also welcomed.

Latest Coronavirus news

Official government advice is that “Coronavirus remains a serious health risk. You should stay cautious to help protect yourself and others.”

  • Meet outside, or open windows and doors for indoor visitors
  • If you think you have symptoms stay at home and take a PCR test
  • Wear face coverings in crowded places and on public transport
  • Check in to venues when you go out
  • Wash your hands with soap regularly, and for at least 20 seconds
  • Get vaccinated

Recent changes

  • If you’re fully vaccinated or under 18 you no longer need to self-isolate after close contact with someone who has COVID-19. If you have symptoms, you should still isolate and take a PCR test. Find out when to self-isolate and what to do on the NHS website.
  • 16 and 17 year olds can now get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. They’ll be contacted and invited by the NHS but cannot book online.
  • If you’ve been fully vaccinated in the UK, US or most of Europe you do not need to quarantine or take a day 8 test when returning from ‘amber list’ countries.

Links and data

In this week’s further reading, The Wellcome Trust has looked at how the global community should prioritise the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines to give us the best chance of ending the pandemic and saving lives. And in latest news, the MHRA has approved use of the first drug designed specifically for coronavirus in this country.

Science for kids next week

There are some great sessions on next week as part of Cambridge Science Centre’s brilliant summer holiday programme. On Tuesday it’s Satellites and Space Junk, an extra special session with a guest presenter; Wednesday is #STEMclub Taster Day; on Thursday it’s Discovering Dogs with a guest presenter and friends; Friday sees Built for Speed and on Saturday it’s Discovering DNA. Book today and use the code SUMMER21 for a 10% discount! Cambridge Science Centre is at 44 Clifton Road (the business estate behind Cambridge Leisure).

This week’s pop-up fruit stands

Both of the fruit stands will be open this Saturday (21 August) at 253 Hills Road from 10.30am and 36 Kinnaird Way from 2pm. The stands will be selling greengages and a variety of plums, including the first Victorias, plus Bramley and Discovery apples. This is community effort to benefit local fruit farms with profits donated to the Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub, so do give them your support.

Coffee shops are taking a break

Want to help deliver Queen Edith’s magazine?

The next edition of Queen Edith’s magazine will be published next weekend, and we’re hoping that our small army of local residents will once again be helping out with the delivery. If you’d like to join our team and deliver a few copies to a road near you, please let us know using the form here. It’ll probably take you less than an hour, and can be a nice sociable stroll!

  • Deliverers from last time need not complete the form, we’ll contact you separately tomorrow.

Help with COVID-19 testing needed in Coleridge

Coleridge Community College needs a small voluntary workforce to help organise its student testing on 2/3 and 6/7 September. If you think you can help, please email Milly Diggons, Business Support Officer at the United Learning Cambridge Cluster.

Transport options for older residents

Campaign group Smarter Cambridge Transport recently produced a list of local transport options for a COPE (Cambridge Older People’s Enterprise) presentation, and they’ve kindly allowed us to reproduce it. The guide covers how to access services such as Taxicards, Community Transport, Shopmobility, Club Cars, Buses and even E-Scooters. You can see the guide here.

Get your will written or updated for free

A gift in your will has the power to change many people’s lives. Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust is a member of the National Free Wills Network, which means you could write or update simple wills for free. There are more details here.

This Week at The Light Cinema

Our multi-screen cinema’s films this week include Around the World in 80 Days; Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams; Censor; Conni & The Cat; Free Guy; Jungle Cruise; Lilo and Stitch; Our Ladies; Paw Patrol: The Movie; People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan; Pig; Reminiscence; Snake Eyes; Space Jam: A New Legacy; Spirit Untamed; The Courier; The Croods 2; The Night House; and The Suicide Squad

This week at Cambridge Junction

Shows at Cambridge Junction this week include British soul and funk band Smoove & Turrell returning to support “Stratos Bleu”, their 6th studio album, as well as Christian Smith, the Americana singer-songwriter with a rocky edge, and singer, songwriter and music producer Declan McKenna.

Food Hub open this Saturday

The Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub, which offers free fresh and packaged food supplies and household goods for anyone experiencing hardship, is open again this Saturday, from 10.30am to 12.30, at St James Church in Wulfstan Way. Food donations may once again be brought to the church on Friday afternoons from 3pm to 4pm.

Traffic disruption

One.network is the website which shows current and forthcoming road works. You can see the map here.

Prescription collection

The Queen Edith’s Community Forum’s ‘Happy To Help’ scheme has now closed, but the Patients Participation Group at the Queen Edith Medical Practice is providing prescription collections for local residents who find themselves unable to leave home – telephone 07968 538783 or email ppg@queen-ediths.info.

How to contact our local councillors

The Queen Edith’s Community Forum guide to our local councillors will ensure you contact the right one depending on your problem and the street where you live. Find it here.

Queen Edith’s city councillor Sam Davies writes a weekly email discussing what she’s been doing and what issues have come up in the area. You can add yourself to the circulation of Sam’s free email here. If our other councillors produce anything similar we will also highlight it here.

Have you been forwarded this email?
Click here to request your own copy each week. It’s free!

Queen Edith’s News

Issue 152 • Friday 27 August 2021
Emailed to over 1,500 local homes

More Citi 2 buses

From next week, the Citi 2 bus service will return to serving Coldham’s Lane Sainsbury’s and Addenbrooke’s, via Wulfstan Way, on a 15-minute basis during the day (and every 30 minutes in the evening). You can see the brand new timetable here.

Addenbrooke’s to Worts’ Causeway resurfacing

The Greater Cambridge Partnership reports that work is on schedule at the Worts’ Causeway/A1307 junction as part of the Linton Greenway project. The current closure of the Wort’s Causeway junction will be lifted from Monday week (6 September) and replaced by temporary traffic lights. From Wednesday week (8 September) Hills Road will be resurfaced from the Worts’ Causeway junction to the Addenbrooke’s Roundabout, and the road will be closed to general motor traffic between Addenbrooke’s Roundabout and Granham’s Road overnight (8pm to 6am) for four weekday nights. Access to properties, for emergency services, buses and active travel path users will be maintained at all times. A (long!) official diversion route will be signposted. Background to the project can be found here.

Queen Edith’s magazine is on the way

6000 copies of the latest issue of Queen Edith’s magazine were heading over to us in a van at the time of writing, and we’re all eager to see it! You should get a copy through your door in the next few days. Thank you once again to over 100 local residents who’ve stepped up to deliver it – we love you all. For more information about any of the items mentioned, just visit the online version here.

Bin collections a day later

It’s a bank holiday Monday, so bin collections will be a day later next week. Check which bin, and when it’ll be collected, here.

Helping with refugees

Cambridge City Council has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting refugees and “exploring every route available to ensure it plays a full part” in the call to resettle 20,000 refugees from Afghanistan. Find out what the council is doing here. There’s also a chance to offer support to refugees in the form of community activities, goods, housing, jobs, childcare, settling in, tutoring and more. If you might be able to help, please visit the government website here and you’ll find Cambridge under ‘East of England’.

Latest Coronavirus news

Official government advice remains that “Coronavirus remains a serious health risk. You should stay cautious to help protect yourself and others.”

  • Meet outside, or open windows and doors for indoor visitors
  • If you think you have symptoms stay at home and take a PCR test
  • Wear face coverings in crowded places and on public transport
  • Check in to venues when you go out
  • Wash your hands with soap regularly, and for at least 20 seconds
  • Get vaccinated

Recent changes

  • If you’re fully vaccinated or under 18 you no longer need to self-isolate after close contact with someone who has COVID-19. If you have symptoms, you should still isolate and take a PCR test. Find out when to self-isolate and what to do on the NHS website.
  • 16 and 17 year olds can now get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. They’ll be contacted and invited by the NHS but cannot book online.
  • If you’ve been fully vaccinated in the UK, US or most of Europe you do not need to quarantine or take a day 8 test when returning from ‘amber list’ countries.

Links and data

In this week’s further reading, a new tracking report from the MRC Biostatistics Unit here says: “Our results show that underlying the fairly stable number of reported positive cases and hospital admissions there is a continuing downward trend in the number of new infections. This signal is clear at national level indicating that the peak of the third wave might have been reached around mid-July. The same pattern is observed in most regions and all age-groups. The estimated number of infections, however, remains high, compared to the estimated incidence in summer 2020 and the ONS survey indicates that prevalence still remains high in many regions. This highlights the continuing importance of immunisation to limit any increases in infection levels when the schools reopen in September.”

Pop-up Fruit Stands

Both fruit stands will be open this Saturday at 253 Hills Road (from 10.30am) and 36 Kinnaird Way (from 2pm). The stands will be selling both green and golden gages, Victoria and Pershore plums, the first damsons plus Bramley, Discovery and new Laxton apples. If you would like to pre-order, to help with quantities and avoid disappointment, please email martin.roach1@outlook.com advising quantities and collection point. This is a community effort to benefit local fruit farms with profits donated to the Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub.

Watercolour workshops are here

Well-known local watercolour artist Denise Schoenberg has a series of Painting Workshops coming up, starting next Tuesday (31 August), with more right through September. All take place at at St John’s Church, Hills Road. There’ll be demonstrations given with individual feedback and encouragement, and it’s a great opportunity to meet other local watercolour enthusiasts. There’s more information here.

Toddlers’ group restarts

The local ‘Toddle Along’ group at St John’s Church on Hills Road recommences on 6 September after the enforced break due to lockdown. Toddle Along is a group for parents/carers and their children under 5 and includes free play, a short service, craft, snacks and song time. It runs during term time on a Monday morning from 10am–11.30 am. Just come along on the day. For more information please email Anne Rigby.

Volunteers needed for recycling event

On Saturday 25 September, the RedCross Areas Residents Association (RARA) and the City Council Streets and Open Spaces Team are coming together for a recycling event at the Bell School. The association is looking for volunteers, so if you’d like to help, please email RARA here.

Your chance to quiz our local council

The next City Council South Area Committee meeting is on 6 September, online, and all of our local councillors should be present to take questions in the Open Forum section. Any member of the public can speak in this section or submit questions by email – contact the council’s Democratic Services department by next Thursday morning (2 September) to do so. Full details on the meeting can be found here.

Cherry Hinton Road Wine Bar is back

Cambridge Wine Merchants’ in-store Cherry Hinton Road Wine Bar is open again at full capacity. Just pop in for a lovely glass or two of your favourite tipple! As usual, Steak & Honour vans pop up on Thursday evenings from 5pm–8pm, and you can bring your food into the Wine Bar …and Guerrilla Kitchen is visiting on 24 September, 16 October and 27 November. The Wine Bar is open Monday to Friday 11am–8pm, Saturday 10am–8pm and Sunday 11am–7pm.

Coffee shops reopening next week

Name that Cherry Hinton Café

Our friends in Cherry Hinton are progressing with their project to create a Community Café in the village, and they’re currently running a poll to name it, which is rather fun. You can see how it’s going here.

Funding options for long term care

The new Heathlands House care home is now open in Bullen Close, and it’s organised a free online seminar about funding care on 14 September. Learn about how the care funding system works, what state assistance might be available, even for self-funders, whether a property has to be sold to pay for care, and how you might be able to put your own cap on care costs. Look for details at the care home website.

This Week at The Light Cinema

Our multi-screen cinema’s films this week include Ainbo: Spirit Of The Amazon; Aladdin; Andre Rieu 2021 Concert: Together Again; Around the World in 80 Days; Black Widow; Candyman; Free Guy; Here Today; Halsey presents If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power; Jungle Cruise; NT Live: Follies; Our Ladies; Paw Patrol: The Movie; People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan; Reminiscence; Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins; Space Jam: A New Legacy; The Courier; The Croods 2; and The Suicide Squad

This week at Cambridge Junction

Shows at Cambridge Junction this week include the spellbinding Afrobeat-funk-groove hybrid of The Afrocentrics; Ed Byrne presenting his brand-new masterclass in observational comedy; and Grimsby’s favourite (for now, anyway) comedian/choirboy Lloyd Griffith, back on the road for his third UK stand up tour.

Food Hub open this Saturday

The Queen Edith’s Community Food Hub, which offers free fresh and packaged food supplies and household goods for anyone experiencing hardship, is open again this Saturday, from 10.30am to 12.30, at St James Church in Wulfstan Way. Food donations may once again be brought to the church on Friday afternoons from 3pm to 4pm.

Traffic disruption

One.network is the website which shows current and forthcoming road works. You can see the map here.

Prescription collection

The Queen Edith’s Community Forum’s ‘Happy To Help’ scheme has now closed, but the Patients Participation Group at the Queen Edith Medical Practice is providing prescription collections for local residents who find themselves unable to leave home – telephone 07968 538783 or email ppg@queen-ediths.info.

How to contact our local councillors

The Queen Edith’s Community Forum guide to our local councillors will ensure you contact the right one depending on your problem and the street where you live. Find it here.

Queen Edith’s city councillor Sam Davies writes a weekly email discussing what she’s been doing and what issues have come up in the area. You can add yourself to the circulation of Sam’s free email here. If our other councillors produce anything similar we will also highlight it here.

Have you been forwarded this email?
Click here to request your own copy each week. It’s free!