Illustrations by Alice Thomson: www.alicethomson.co.uk
From 17 February to 20 March, Cambridge History Festival is back for its second year
For its 80th anniversary the Museum of Cambridge is presenting a jam-packed series of live entertainment, hands-on workshops and mouth-watering feasts for the second Cambridge History Festival.
Wash down your slice of history with a pint at Beer and Brewing in Cambridge with CAMRA on 26 February, a tour which will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about pubs and brewing in Cambridge. Beginning at 7pm in Castle Street Methodist Church, the tour concludes with a tipple at the Museum of Cambridge – formerly the White Horse Inn. Tickets are £7-£9.50 and places are limited.
Or, join BBC Radio 4’s Dr Annie Gray on 25 February, who’ll be talking Fenland feasts and fasts. Tickets start at £5 and include a glass of wine. On 5 March meanwhile, there’ll be a special event in which head chef Byron Franklin will present Historical Dining at Clare College. Starting at 7pm, he’s plundered the college archives to create a three-course menu that draws from the past, with a modern twist. Tickets are £70 per person and group discounts are available. Fitzbillies owner Tim Hayward will also be giving a talk towards the end of the evening.
“An evening of comedy madness starring historians, researchers and curators”
If you don’t fancy dining, there’s plenty more to make and do, especially for families. On 21 February the Museum of Technology is hosting STEAM’s Family FunDay, a free day of creative thinking and activities between 1pm and 5pm. Activities (directed toward older children and young adults), include coding robotic crocodiles, building rockets and creative newspaper engineering. Volunteers from Makespace and CamCreatives will be on hand too, showcasing robots and prototypes for new inventions. Littler historians can go to the Museum of Cambridge on 27 February between 10.30am and 2.30pm, where Matthew and Gill of HistoryNeedsYou.com will be bringing you Meet Dr John Dee the tale of a Cambridge wizard. They’ll also help families make magic spells and potions to treat diseases. If you like the messy side of history, Walk the Really Horrible History of Cambridge with Prof. Helen Weinstein and Allan Brigham to learn the grizzly tale of Industrial Cambridge on 21 February. It starts at 11am and tickets cost £5.
On 22 February, 100 Years of Coconuts will tell the story of Cambridge United Supporters Club for free from 7pm. The next day, MC Steve Cross is masterminding an evening of comedy madness starring archaeologists, historians, researchers, curators and archivists. History Showoff kicks off at 7.30pm at the Portland Arms, from £6. All profits will go to local charities Wintercomfort and Jimmy’s Night Shelter.
Finally, on 12 March at Great St Mary’s there’ll be a full day of activities, punctuated by a Singing History Concert at 3pm. Music includes a new piece by children’s writer Michael Rosen, rounds and anthems co-written by Cambridge composers, and songs by Dave Cohen, chief songwriter for CBBC’s Horrible Histories. Primary school singers will lead the music, but lyrics will be projected so everybody can join in. From football to foot-tapping, feasting to farce, the second Cambridge History Festival is set to be a real humdinger
