Cookery class
Relive those childhood days spent in the kitchen together making crispie cakes with this grown-up cookery day at the lovely Cambridge Cookery School. At their chic, contemporary kitchen off Hills Road, an expert chef will teach the secrets of good Italian cooking. Learn how to make fresh pasta and bread, plus a range of dishes and desserts, then sit down to a delicious lunch to sample the fruits of your labour. Takes place 14 March, 10am-2pm. Tickets £125 per person.
www.cambridgecookeryschool.com
Wine tasting
Beat the Mother’s Day rush and get together on Wednesday 11 March when wine wizard Matthew Jukes will be hosting a tasting event at Cambridge Wine Merchants’ Bridge Street premises. One of the world’s leading wine experts, especially in Australian wine, he will be showcasing 50 fabulous examples in this informal drop- in session running from 6pm until 9pm. It’s part of his current 100 Best Australian Wines Roadshow and a great opportunity to discover the star wines of the New World. Tickets £15.
Spa day
Treat your mum (and yourself!) to a day at The Spa at Bedford Lodge Hotel and enjoy some quality time together. The spa, which opened in 2013, is one of the plushest in the area, situated just outside Newmarket town centre. Their Mother’s Day Treat costs £105 for an ESPA personalised facial, massage or dry flotation experience; cream tea for two; use of the heat and hydrotherapy facilities, and a lavender plant gift to take home. Fluffy robes and slippers are provided, naturally. The offer is available 1-31 March.
www.bedfordlodgehotelspa.co.uk
Afternoon Tea
We’re pleased to report that after the huge success of last year’s event, King Street’s Afternoon Tease will be hosting another Mother’s Day afternoon tea on 15 March. Pick up a ticket for you and your mum and you’ll be treated to sweet and savoury homemade treats aplenty at this gorgeous little café, known for its fabulous cakes and excellent coffee. Keep an eye on Twitter @afternoontease and the Afternoon Tease Facebook page, more details will be revealed soon!
Orchid Festival
See the glasshouse at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden transformed for their annual Orchid Festival, in situ until 22 March. Colourful, strange and alluring, orchids have evolved in all sorts of ways to attract the insects that pollinate them. Alex Summers, glasshouse supervisor, explains: “We’ll be creating a magnificent display of popular orchid species and hybrids, including suspended globes of Oncidium and pedestals of slipper orchids, Paphiopedilum, floating over open water. Throughout the tropical rainforest displays we will focus on wild orchid species. These will be grouped to show particular adaptations, and we’ll be using some new and fun ways to engage our visitors with the ingenious biology of orchids.”
Soak up some culture
This month, the Fitzwilliam Museum is hosting Moonstrips: Eduardo Paolozzi and the printed collage 1965- 72 – a colourful exhibition of work by one of the forefathers of Pop Art. Paolozzi used images and words cut from popular magazines and journals to create his vibrant collages. His work echoes the popular culture of the day – featuring lots of space-age references – and played a huge role in the development of British art in the 1950s and 60s.
A flavour of France at Hotel du Vin
Enjoy a flavour of France at Hotel du Vin this Mother’s Day. The smart city- centre hotel will be transforming its bistro into a French table market – with a touch of Hotel du Vin luxury – on Sunday 15 March. Come along to enjoy a choice of fresh seafood, freshly baked artisan bread, pates, rillettes and salads to start, followed by a traditional Sunday roast and a selection of desserts to finish. Plus get an exclusive gift and glass of bubbles for mum. And best of all, you can leave the washing up to someone else! The offer is priced at £34.95 pp for four courses (children under 12 dine for £9.95).
