Cambridge early voting ‘busier than expected’

Voters have been able to head to the polls a week early across Cambridge, in a pilot scheme ahead of the local elections. As part of a Government-led trial, three ‘voting hubs’ were open from Thursday (30/04) to Saturday (01/05), to “allow even more people to get involved in important decisions affecting their lives”. Vicky Jenner, electoral services manager at Cambridge City Council, told CambridgeshireLive that the voting centres were “busier than expected”, with voters giving “very positive feedback.” The early voting pilot took place in addition to standard polling on Thursday (07/05), with one council seat up for election in most wards.

John’s festival to celebrate new organ

St John’s College will host a five-day festival of concerts, recitals and services to celebrate the installation of a new organ. The St John’s College Organ Festival will take place from Wednesday (06/05) to Friday (10/05), to mark the end of the years-long project to build and install the new instrument. Christopher Gray, Director of Music at John’s, described the organ as “a significant addition to the national organ landscape.” Some of the festival’s events will be broadcast on the BBC, including a recital by Olivier Latry, Titular Organist of Notre-Dame de Paris, as well a service for Radio 4′s Sunday Worship series.

Trinity student discovers unseen Shaffer play

A previously unseen play by renowned playwright and Trinity College alumnus Peter Shaffer has been discovered by a PhD student. James Critchley found the work in Trinity’s archives while researching Shaffer’s first play, Five Finger Exercise. Critchley described the play, titled Our Lady of the Volcano, as having a “steamy, tempestuous sensuality”, following two British travellers as they stay on Italy’s Amalfi coast. Shaffer wrote the work in the early 1960s, having graduated from Trinity with a degree in History in 1950. He went on to author plays including Equus and Amadeus, both of which won an Academy Award.

Peregrine falcon found with shotgun wounds put down

A well-known peregrine falcon has been put down after being found “sick and unable to fly” in Cambridge. The 17-year-old bird of prey was found to have a very low chance of survival, forcing a vet to euthanise it. An examination found that it had previously been hit with shotgun pellets. While its cause of death is not yet known, the Cambridge Independent reported that the National Wildlife Crime Unit has opened an investigation. The female peregrine had nested for years at the Cherry Hinton Chalk Pits, a nature reserve near Cambridge, and was seen by thousands of visitors over its lifetime. Matt Jackson, Wildlife Trust BCN Director of Conservation, said: “We will await the outcome of the National Wildlife Crime Unit investigation before commenting on what happened to her, but we do know that wild birds of prey are still at risk of persecution”.