Street Wine Tasting

Chairman of Cambridge Wine Merchants Brett Turner organised a street wine tasting for the residents of his street.

He told Varsity it involved him “walking up and down the street” and “standing in front of each house,” to make the tasting event compatible with social distancing measures.

He feels grateful to live in a “very sociable street,” adding that “everyone had a good time”.

Emmanuel porter plays the flute during ‘clap for carers’

Emmanuel College porter, Stephen Montgomery, has been playing the flute for his street every week during Thursday night’s ‘clap for carers’.

Stephen has played the flute as he feels “music is a good way to lift people’s spirits in these uncertain times”.

Some of his ‘concerts’ have included tunes such as ‘Over the Rainbow’ and ‘Amarillo’.

As a musician while in the army, Montgomery was encouraged to play the flute during ‘clap for carers’ by his family and friends.

Cambridge Creatives organises talks by professionals in film, TV and theatre

Cambridge Creatives is a “student-run creative collective” set up by Hannah Collins, a first-year undergraduate from Murray Edwards, Fabienne Marshall, an MPhil student at Murray Edwards and Ele Forsdyke, first-year undergraduate at Homerton. The collective is curating a virtual series of talks with professionals in film, tv and theatre.

The collective was set up to fill the “creative vacuum” that had been left as many productions have been cancelled and postponed due to lockdown.

The Co-Presidents want the collective to “inspire people to be creative” and to “provide hope for the future” at this uncertain time.

Collins, one of the Co-Presidents, has been excited with the professionals “sharing their knowledge and experience in the strangely intimate environment of a Zoom webinar”.

Talks have already been given by Sarah Brocklehurst, a BAFTA-nominated producer, OI Parker, most known for his film ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again!’ and ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, and production designer Joel Collins.

Upcoming talks include a question and answer session with Lenny Abrahamson, director of the lockdown favourite ‘Normal People’.

Cambridge Botanic Garden hosts first online ‘Festival of Plants’

The Cambridge Botanic Garden’s ‘Festival of Plants’ took place between the 26th-28th May, with each day following a different theme: plant science, horticulture and conservation.

Each day entailed a live interactive event, including a Facebook live stream about plants, bees and pollination, and a Twitter ‘takeover’ where horticulture experts were asked questions about gardening.

Throughout the festival, there were also talks by plant researchers from the University, who spoke on topics including sustainable food systems and food science, such as ‘Why don’t bananas have seeds?’.

The festival also included virtual tours around the Cambridge Botanic Gardens, exploring the Glasshouse Range and seasonal highlights of the gardens by the Head of Horticulture.

University Sports staff climb the equivalent of Mount Everest in humourous sportswear

Last week’s Virtual Climbing Challenge saw University of Cambridge Sport staff climb the distance equivalent to Mount Everest.

The challenge was intended to raise funds for PPE equipment, answering the University's call for the collection of protective gear. Staff accomplished the challenge in a variety of costumes, some dressed with mountain gear while others brightened the lockdown gloom with a panda outfit.

This challenge was one of the many events Cambridge University Sport held for Mental Health Awareness Week.