Enjoy the ultimate day of rest with food, drink, talks and entertainment at Sunday Papers Live
How do you build the perfect Sunday? There would be tasty food, of course, and a couple of drinks – perhaps a Bloody Mary or a large glass of red. There would be slippers, sofas, strolling and leisurely leafing through piles of Sunday supplements. Sound like heaven? Turn your feet to Cambridge Wine Merchants’ bar at the University Centre on 24 March for Sunday Papers Live: a totally indulgent day filled with feasting, fascinating talks and fabulous performances.
The event, which started life in London, comes our way courtesy of My Little Festival, the first-class local event hosts known for Wild Wood Disco and family festival Rumpus, as part of this year’s Science Festival. The big idea is to bring the Sunday newspapers to life, section by section, performance by performance, while you relax and enjoy some quality downtime.
“A day filled with feasting, talks and performances”
“Programming the Cambridge Science Festival edition of Sunday Papers Live is always a joy,” says Alex Ruczaj, marketing director for My Little Festival. “There is such a wealth of talented and fascinating speakers, it’s hard to narrow down the list so it fits into one day! But we have, once again, got an incredible line-up. It will be such a varied day and there will be plenty of mimosas, Bloody Marys and beanbags to help you relax and soak up all the fascinating information.”
Holding court will be some of the city’s most engaging speakers, including Emma Liu, research fellow in volcanology at the University of Cambridge, who’ll be discussing her pioneering drone-based work in Papua New Guinea, which is helping scientists predict the timing of future eruptions. Viren Swami, psychology professor, will be on the stage too, recounting his experience of post-natal depression in Dad’s Get Sad, Too, while biological anthropologist Sarah-Louise Decrausaz invites you on a tour of the human skeleton, looking at what it can teach us about people living in the past and today.
Foodies should seek out Charlotte Payne’s talk, where she’ll discuss how insects could be on their way to becoming a staple part of our diets, plus how and why groups of people living in central rural Japan get together to hunt down nests of giant hornets – the deadliest creature in the country – and how they cook (and drink!) them afterwards. There’s more creepy crawlies chat with Ed Turner, curator of insects at the Museum of Zoology, who’ll be considering why wildlife has declined dramatically in the UK countryside, but thrives in pockets of urban green space. He’ll also be arming you with the know-how to turn your garden into an outstanding miniature nature reserve.
There’s travel, too, with writer Tim Moore, bringing tales of globetrotting on bike, foot and, most recently, a 93-year-old Ford Model T – his bone-shaking steed on a journey across the Trump heartland. His route took him exclusively through Donald-voting counties, meeting the everyday folk who voted red along the way. The culture pages are taken care of by Ross Sutherland, award-winning performance poet, who’ll be regaling the audience with his highly entertaining, ‘slightly’ scientific poems. Plus, you can make spring wreaths with Cambridge Edition columnist Anna Taylor, who runs Anna’s Flower Farm in Audley End. An ideal Sunday needs a good walk, and you’ll be able to join in a guided amble with Cambridge on Foot, learning where key scientific discoveries were made and by whom.
The all-important food will be provided by local burger legends Steak & Honour, who’ll be opening the hatch of their vintage Citroën van to serve perfect patties. To drink, Cambridge Wine Merchants is serving a range of top-notch wines, craft beers and spirits. If you fancy really indulging, you can also choose to go bottomless on Bloody Marys or prosecco. Bottoms up!
What? A chance to see the Sunday papers brought to life while you relax and enjoy geat food, drink and hands-on activities.
When? 24 March
Where? Cambridge Wine Merchants Wine Bar, University Centre, Granta Place
How Much? £15 per adult, £5 for ages 12-18, free for under 12s (but the event is geared towards older ages). Tickets can be purchased online at via Ticket Tailor and sciencefestival.cam.ac.uk
