Road user charge to fund bus improvements?
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Much has been written and broadcast over the past few days about proposals from the local councils' Greater Cambridge Partnership ('GCP') organisation for a massive improvement to local bus services from next year, and the introduction of a road user charge to fund it starting in about five years' time. This eventual charge would affect most road users (including residents) in the city, and would include Queen Edith's. In exchange, more and better bus services are promised to have been established by then, with a flat fare of £1 within the city and £2 over a wider area. A report detailing the plans is due to be presented to the GCP’s Joint Assembly next week, where a public consultation on the proposals is likely to be recommended.
The public consultation will give us an opportunity to express our views, and we would encourage readers not to rush into 'for' and 'against' campaigns and petitions. Unfortunately some local politicians are already lining up on the proposals, seemingly aiming to make them as divisive as possible. If you do have any urgent opinions or questions at this stage, there are details on how to contact the GCP here, how to contact our local councillors here, and how to contact our MP here. Our MP Anthony Browne is also scheduled to be at A Greener Queen Edith's Day (see below).
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Police appeal after cyclist seriously injured
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Police are appealing for witnesses after a cyclist was left with serious injuries following a collision with a bus on Wulfstan Way at the junction with Godwin Way on Wednesday. The cyclist, a 16-year-old boy, suffered serious injuries and was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital where he remains in a stable condition.
Police would like to hear from witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage as soon as possible. Details of how to get in touch are here.
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Pop Up Fruit Stands tomorrow
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Both stands will be open this Saturday at 253 Hills Road (from 10.30am) and 36 Kinnaird Way (from 2pm). They will be selling greengages, Ct Althann gages, Victoria plums and damsons, plus eating and cooking apples and juice. All profits go to the Queen Edith's Community Food Hub.
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Hear what your council is doing
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Our City Council has one of its public 'area committee' meetings for the south of the city on Monday night. These are still held online only, but all residents are welcome to watch. There will be specific presentations on policing and safer neighbourhoods, and on Cambridge Biomedical Campus developments, as well as an 'open forum' to ask questions of councillors if you wish. Details of how to watch and participate are here.
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Autumn Wild Flowers in Wandlebury
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Want to learn more about wild flowers? Enjoy a gentle walk around the woods and meadows of Wandlebury next Tuesday (6 September) with one of the Wardens who will help you to identify autumn wild flowers. Free event. More information here.
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St James's Church on Wulfstan Way has a Friendship Café next Tuesday (6 September) at 2pm. Call in for a chat with a free cuppa! Everybody welcome.
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Learn a new skill or craft at Arthurs Shed
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Arthurs Shed is the beautiful studio in the grounds of the Arthur Rank Hospice in Shelford Bottom. It offers the chance to learn a new skill such as Astronomy or Mindfulness, or even get crafty with clay, card-making or paper-crafts. Sessions are open to the public (you do not need a connection to the Hospice) and are free of charge. The September calendar is out now and can be found here. It includes details of how to book.
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Make friends at afternoon tea
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You've Got A Friend In Me is a regular afternoon tea at TLC Cherry Hinton Care Home on Cherry Hinton Road. If you are feeling a little lonely or isolated, this is the perfect club for you – it's open to all and the next event is on Thursday (8 September) at 2.30pm. Email cdm@cherryhintoncarehome.co.uk to let the organisers know you're coming.
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More activities added to A Greener Queen Edith's Day
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This year's Greener Queen Edith's event is just a week away. In addition to the many organisations, stalls and activities already announced, more have been added. These include a second-hand uniform sale for Queen Edith Primary, and the chance to talk to Stagecoach and Cambridge Re-Use. Among the many regular features there will be recycling skips at the Queen Edith's Chapel car park for small quantities of household items, and the much-loved Take It Or Leave It stall. Full information on the event can be found here.
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Hatha Yoga Classes at Hills Road
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You can now join local Yoga Teacher Helen Pomeroy at The Hills Road Sport and Tennis Centre for classes on Monday evenings or Thursday mornings. Both classes are Hatha Yoga and are suitable for all levels of yoga experience, including beginners. The classes will help you improve your body awareness, movement, breathing patterns and sense of overall wellbeing. Helen is a British Wheel of Yoga qualified Teacher, a Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) and a Yoga Sports Coach. More details here.
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Dance and Yoga classes for kids begin
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Dance and KidsYoga teacher Jessica Morgado has classes starting for the new term on Saturday 10 September. The classes are for 5–11 year olds and take place at Queen Edith Primary School. Creative Dance is at 9am and Kids Yoga at 10:10am. There's more about Jessica here and direct booking forms for the dance classes here and the Kids Yoga here.
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Home energy improvements you can afford
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There's local involvement in the Cambridge-wide Open Eco Homes which starts on 12 September. The autumn season features 9 homeowner-led tours of houses in and around the city, and 5 expert talks which will describe and discuss how it’s done. Find out more here.
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Thriving through the menopause
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Are you a woman aged 40 years plus (or maybe even younger) who is finding it more difficult to find joy in day to day life? The Queen Edith's based Joyful Menopause programme will show you how to deal with this phase of your life, take charge of your health and wellness so that you thrive and not just survive. A new six-week course online begins on 14 September with a group no larger than 15 women to enable individuals to feel comfortable in sharing their experiences and create a community. Find out more about course organiser Emma and how to join at the Joyful Menopause website here.
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The Sick Children's Trust has a Quiz Night on Wednesday 14 September at the Perse School on Hills Road. Teams of up to 8 people can be entered, and it's £15/head, which includes a ploughman's supper. For an entry form, please email sctcambridge@gmail.com
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Grantchester run supports local charities
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The Grantchester Charity 10k and 3k Runs this year will be supporting Queen Edith's based charities Maggie’s Centre Cambridge and the ACT Surgical Robot Campaign. There's chip timing for all 10k participants, and to make it a family event, registration for the 3k for an accompanied under-12 is only £5.50! Find out much more here.
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Art class place available
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Local artist Susan Abbs has one place available on her Monday morning art class. Susan says: "If you would like to step out of your comfort zone and experiment with different media such as oils, inks and acrylics, this is the class for you. All materials are provided so all you have to do is come and play. The class is small to enable social distancing and to allow you to follow your own interests while receiving lots of one to one support." To sign up and for more information, email susanabbs_art@yahoo.com
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Cheap bus season tickets for September
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Stagecoach buses have a special adult Megarider ticket promotion this month, offering adult 7 and 28 day 'Megarider' bus tickets at Youth prices on the Stagecoach Bus app and website. This means that adults can save 33% and travel by bus from £1.40 per day. For 7-day tickets use code EASTCTBM7 and for 28-day ones use EASTCTBM28.
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Queen Edith's magazine supporter of the week
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All your health and well-being practitioners under one roof
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Our refurbished and renovated clinic hosts qualified, experienced practitioners offering treatments in Podiatry/Chiropody; Physiotherapy; Osteopathy; Sports Massage; Psychiatry; Clinical Psychology; Non-Surgical Cosmetic Treatments; Plastic Surgery Consultations, including skin lesion assessments; Consultant Dermatology; Microsuction Ear Wax Removal; Clinical Hypnotherapy; Thread Vein Removal using Veinwave; Medical Aesthetics; and Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery. Find out more at coachhousehealthcare.co.uk
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This Week at The Light Cinema
★ Our multi-screen cinema's incredible lineup of films this week include André Rieu’s 2022 Maastricht Concert: Happy Days are Here Again!; Beast; Brian and Charles; Bullet Train; DC League of Super-Pets; E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; Elvis; End to End + George Ezra; Everything Everywhere All At Once; Fall; Fire of Love; Fisherman’s Friends: One And All; Good Luck To You Leo Grande; Hit The Road; Jurassic World: Dominion; Laal Singh Chaddha; Lightyear; Minions: The Rise of Gru; Nope; NT Live: Prima Facie; Official Competition; Orphan: First Kill; Spider-Man: No Way Home; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (40th Anniversary); Star Trek: The Motion Picture (The Director’s Edition); Tad the Lost Explorer and the Mummy's Curse; The Forgiven; The Invitation; The Railway Children Return; Thor: Love and Thunder; Three Thousand Years Of Longing; Top Gun: Maverick; Where Is Anne Frank; and Where The Crawdads Sing
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This week at Cambridge Junction
★ The Cambridge Junction lineup this week includes Tom Lumley And The Brave Liaison; Sally Anne Hayward: Ever So Nice; Community Climate Talk With A Scientist; Vir Das: Wanted; and Rowan Rheingans: Dispatches On The Red Dress
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Coronavirus Update
The government's recommended steps to reduce the risk of catching and spreading COVID-19 are as follows: get vaccinated; let fresh air in if meeting indoors, or meet outside; and consider wearing a face covering in crowded, enclosed spaces.
You can find more information here on:
- Staying safe;
- Testing and staying at home;
- International travel;
- Long COVID; and
- Work, self-employment and business support.
For details of how to book first, second or booster vaccinations, please visit The Vaccinators website and click on your age group.
This week's government data on COVID-19 for this area can be found here.
- The chief medical officers of the UK nations and the national medical director of the NHS in England have jointly recommended that the Covid alert level be moved down from level 3 amid falling cases. They said the Covid-19 wave of the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 was “subsiding”. The UK’s new Covid-19 alert level 2 means the virus is in “general circulation” but healthcare pressures and transmission are “declining or stable”. However, they said further Covid surges were “likely” as they urged people to take up the offer of vaccination. The autumn booster campaign is due to start within days. The move brings the UK to the lowest alert level it has been at since the system was introduced in May 2020. (Guardian)
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Food Hub news
The Queen Edith's Community Food Hub would like to thank the organisers and customers of the Pop-up Fruit Stands (see above), who have now raised £550 for our community-led initiative. Thank you!
The Food Hub is open tomorrow (Saturday) as usual, from 10.30am to 12noon at St James Church on Wulfstan Way. All in need are welcome, no questions asked. The Coffee Chat is open too.
Food donations may be brought to the church on Saturday mornings from 10.00am to 10.30am. The team tells us it's usually particularly in need of tinned beans (not baked beans) and tinned fish, but all contributions are welcome.
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Local police and crime information
Find out data and information from Cambridgeshire Constabulary's City south and east team here.
If you haven't already, please take just five minutes to fill out the police's online survey to help them understand what crime is happening in your area.
You are then invited to attend an online meeting on 6 September at 7pm where there'll be a presentation on recent policing activity from the team, who will listen to concerns, present the results of the survey and allow you to have an influence. Register your attendance in advance here if you wish to attend.
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Health and Education job vacancies
Links to the jobs and careers pages at all of our local hospitals, schools and colleges can be found here.
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Adult Learning and Evening Classes
There's a wide range of educational and recreational classes and courses for adults available locally, this autumn and into next year. Find out more details here:
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Traffic disruption
One.network is the website which shows current and forthcoming road works. You can see the map here. Click the 'Today' box and select 'Next two weeks' for future works.
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Help with cost of living
Cambridge City Council maintains a web page listing various forms of help that are available to anyone struggling to cope with the rising cost of living. These range from additional payments from the council or discounts on things like your Council Tax, to support from partners such as food vouchers, energy grants and help managing debt. The page can be found here.
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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 issue 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.
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Have you been forwarded this email?
Click here to request your own copy each week. It's free!
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