Cambridge’s busking bin breaks his silence

If you live, work, or study in Cambridge, you may have seen, heard, or wondered at Charles Cavey, who is fond of playing the guitar from inside a bin on the city’s streets. He has now spoken to the BBC to explain his antics, telling a reporter: “It is not comfortable inside a bin,” and perhaps more surprisingly, that he has been playing bin guitar for almost 25 years. He started after seeing a bin lorry emptying a bin and thinking, “I could fit in there”. He did not, however, believe that he could play the guitar while in the bin, until a friend pointed out that he could put the end of the guitar out of the bin’s opening while he played. He also had a warning for those walking past: “A lot of people think I can’t see out of the bin, but I can”. While the BBC’s reporter did finish her dispatch by getting inside the bin herself, Varsity is ashamed to report that we are yet to find a volunteer for this particular piece of public interest reporting.

UK’s first double lung transplant performed in Cambridge hospital

Daniel Evans-Smith has become the first person in the UK to receive a double lung transplant at a hospital in Cambridge. Evans-Smith received the transplant, which used the ex-vivo lung perfusion technique, at the Royal Papworth Hospital on the Cambridge biomedical campus. According to the Cambridge Independent, Evans-Smith said: “Without having a lung transplant soon, the likelihood was that I wouldn’t survive much longer.” Since having the transplant, Evans-Smith has said he can walk further, needs to rest less often, and has suffered less with chest infections than in the past. The pioneering technique involves taking lungs which are lower-quality, and might not usually be acceptable for transplant, and placing them in a “perfusion” machine which can improve the quality of the lungs prior to transplant. The idea is that this can increase the number of lungs available for transplant, reducing the amount of time patients spend waiting.

Highland Cow Experience granted controversial alcohol licence

Karl Lattion has successfully applied for a licence to sell alcohol at his Highland Cow Experience in Arrington, a village in South Cambridgeshire. Lattion said he applied for the licence because the experience involves stroking and interacting with Highland cattle for half an hour, before having afternoon tea, which he can now serve with “a glass of fizz”. Twelve people, however, objected to the licence being granted. Brian Murray worried about the risks of people drinking near the cattle, while others were concerned about the fact that a public footpath goes through the field where the cattle are kept. Meanwhile, Avril Taylor from the parish council worried about light and noise pollution. In the end, however, supporters of the application greatly outnumbered its opponents, with villagers seeming to value the business’s presence in the area. After all, as Lattion said in defence of his proposal: “There is nothing in the village.”

5G trials coming to the Corn Exchange

A live music experience with augmented reality (AR) is set to come to Cambridge’s Corn Exchange in the new year. The event, which also includes AR and gaming exhibitions, is part of the Cambridgeshire Open RAN Ecosystem (CORE) project – a project designed to test and demonstrate the potential of 5G internet. Running between February and March, the experiences showcased are set to include live-streamed gaming, a silent disco, a virtual car exhibition, and an art installation, which will be interactive. According to the CORE website, the project has received nearly ten million pounds of government and private sector funding, and is working with the University and Cambridge City Council.