Foals keyboardist quits band to study at Cambridge

Edwin Congreave, the keyboardist of the popular indie rock band, Foals, has announced his departure from the band to study a postgraduate Economics degree at the University of Cambridge. 

After 15 years of success with the band,  Congreave has decided to pursue other avenues, stating that he wants to help tackle the “imminent climate catastrophe.”

Foals initially met as “techno-obsessed drop outs” in an Oxford cocktail bar.

Cambridge winter wonderland will return to Parker’s Piece

After Christmas in Cambridge was pretty much cancelled last year, it is back with a vengeance with a new and improved winter-wonderland-esque attraction on Parker’s Piece. 

From November 19th 2021 through to January 3rd 2022, Cambridge residents will be able to enjoy the festive fun of the North Pole. 

The North Pole will be armed with the UK’s longest ice slide, with a whopping three lanes made of real ice. It will also have an ice rink and, more importantly, an ice bar! 

The ice bar will serve essential winter beverages including mulled wine, cider and hot chocolate.

Cambridge student shortlisted once again for BBC Young Writers’ Award

Tabitha Rubens has been shortlisted for the 2021 BBC Young Writers’ Award, having also made the cut in 2018. The 19-year-old two-time finalist has been described as “one of the country’s brightest writing talents” and is currently studying Chinese and Gonville and Caius.

Rubens is one of five finalists, each of whom was required to write a short story of under 1000 words. Rubens’ provocative piece is titled ‘Super-powder’  and explores the topic of human insecurity in a “highly original and experimental” way. 

Rubens has also enjoyed success outside of this competition as the winner of the HG Wells International Short Story Competition in 2020. She aspires to become an author and illustrator. 

Rubens told Varsity that “this award in particular is unique as it amplifies the voices of young people, whose opinions often go unheard, illustrating the importance and power of stories.”

The winner will be announced on Radio 4’s Front Row on the 19th of October.

‘Udderly fantastic’ Cambridge cow auction raises over £250,000

The Cows about Cambridge project saw a herd of cow sculptures exhibited in public places around the city for ten weeks. 

The 45 cows have since gone under the hammer at the Graduate hotel to raise a total of £257,100, which has all gone to the charity Break. The MooMoo-O-Tron III raked in the largest sum, after someone bid a staggering £16,000 for the robotically designed model. 

Rachel Cowdry, chief executive officer of Break, said: "Every penny of this phenomenal total means we can raise aspirations, provide safe and stable homes and remove all limits on what children on the edge of care, in care and leaving care are able to achieve in Cambridgeshire."

The event organisers commented that the auction was “udderly fantastic”.