Repair Cafe combats carbon crisis

Last week, in conjunction with Cambridge Carbon Footprint, the West Hub hosted a Repair Cafe community event. People were invited to bring in broken items to have them fixed free of charge by University Technicians and Cambridge Repair Network repairers. Among the 44 items that were fixed were coffee grinders, coats, clocks and jewellery. Clients also had the opportunity to learn how to fix such items in the future. The event was well-received, with clients saying that it was “such a great experience” and that they are “looking forward to less going to landfill.” The event’s success is expected to lead to more workshops.

Artists highlight tree-rific power of nature

Thrive Cafe in Cambridge is hosting an art exhibition to highlight the importance of the city’s trees. A group of local artists have collaborated to create the installation, which features a range of photographs and drawings. One image of a dead Cypress tree, taken by Charlotte du Blois, is displayed in a coffin frame, a comment on the tree’s unauthorised removal by a developer. She said: “All artists trade in emotion, hope and often political commitment, which is why Unit 13 artists decided to put the exhibition together, to strike against too much concrete in defence of our green lungs.” The exhibition will remain at Thrive until the 12th of May.

Victorian bottle sends message about the past

Archaeologists have uncovered an unopened 120-year old soft drinks bottle in a Cambridge car park. The glass bottle, inscribed with ‘Wadsworth’s Cambridge,’ was found whilst archaeologists were excavating a car park as part of the project to turn the Grafton shopping centre into labs and offices. Alongside the glass bottle, workers for AOC Archaeology found evidence of a forge and anvil and they believe the site to be a Victorian blacksmith’s workshop.’ Les Capon, project manager, said that the pristine find was rare, as children would often smash the bottles to release a small marble used to stop fizz escaping. He said: “A lot of the broken things you see in museums come from the rubbish pits of the past… they tell us what life was like, the status of the people living there, how rich they were and what they were consuming or throwing away.”

Starry swim set for solstice

Jesus Green Lido will host a 12 hour swimming relay race on the night of the Summer Solstice (21/6). Lasting from 7pm on the 21st to 7am on the 22nd, the event will be raising money for Level Water, a charity that provides swimming lessons to children with disabilities. So far, ten teams have registered for the event, but its organisers are hoping to reach fifty. Ian Thwaites, the founder of Level Water, said that “Every stroke swum will help us give children with disabilities the opportunity to learn a life-changing skill. It’s more than a relay - it’s a ripple effect of support, inclusion and joy.”