Welcome to our March newsletter! This is going out a little early as there is important information you need to know now if you want to see our Cambridge Festival talk live. Plus we have details of our next talk - in just a little over a week.

Cambridge Festival: Best foot forward

From Arbury to Romsey with many stops along the way

Our event for the Cambridge Festival is coming up on Tuesday 29 March and will be at 7:30pm in the Mill Road Baptist Church.

Join Kay Blayney who will be your tour guide through an evening of entertainment that focuses on Cambridge through her eyes and experiences from the 1960’s to the present day. Kay from the town meets Kay in the gown.

This live performance piece will feature imagery, props, monologues and maps. Kay is well known in Cambridge both as an educationalist and creative writer and performer. Kay says “My passion is life writing and my inspiration is drawn from an array of hidden and forgotten characters, events and places that are waiting to be revived.”

As it is part of the Festival then we expect it to be popular and so entry is by free ticket which you must book on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/best-foot-forward-from-arbury-to-romsey-with-many-stops-along-the-way-tickets-266728049777

Booking opens generally at 10am tomorrow, Monday 28 February but, to give our members a better chance of being able to get a ticket, we will only make half the tickets available then - the rest will become bookable at 7pm tomorrow evening.

Talk: Military Town and Gown of Mill Road

Two wartime veterans of the Cambridgeshire Regiment

Before the Festival however, our next talk is by Robin James, on Tuesday 8 March at 7:30pm.

The Cambridgeshire Regiment recruited local men from all walks of life, and many served side by side on the field of battle. John Mansfield, and George Bowes were two such men, from different walks of life but both from the Mill Road area. John, decorated for gallantry, was Elsie Palmer’s father and thus connected to David Parr House, and George was a member of the Bowes family who owned the historic publishing company and bookshop now owned by the Cambridge University Press.

This presentation by Robin James hopes to introduce you to both men and tell you a little bit more about their interesting lives.

This talk will be on Zoom, the link will be sent to everyone on this mailing list next weekend.

April Talk: 'Secrets Never to be Told'

Our April talk will be at 7:30pm on Tuesday 12 April and will be at Ross Street Community Centre.

Fiona Chesterton’s recently published book, Secrets Never to be Told, tells an extraordinary story of two women, herself and a cousin, that takes us from Victorian Cambridge to Vancouver as family secrets are revealed. More information will be included in our April newsletter.

George Brewster Blue Plaque

This isn't a Society project but some of you may be interested in this project to raise funds for a blue plaque for a local chimney sweep 'climbing boy'.

George Brewstler died on the job, aged 11, but his death led to a change in British law about child labour. Joanna Hudson who is leading the project previously gave a talk at our 2019 Mill Road Winter Fair event.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/george-brewster