Cambridgeshire Spotlight discover people , places , stories from across the county.

A new foot and cycle link between Orchard Park, Histon and Impington

Late-August has that honeyed light Cambridgeshire does so well.

Rowers ripple past Ditton Meadows at breakfast, Ely’s tower glows like warm stone at tea-time, and village greens put on their best “last hurrah” before school shoes and new timetables crash the party.

This week’s Spotlight is for making the most of it: small joys, big flavours, and people who make our county kinder.

Quick poll: Where’s your perfect end-of-summer picnic?

Holt Island (St Ives)
Wandlebury (Gog Magog)
Cherry Hinton Hall (Cambridge)
The Riverside Park (St Neots)

Reply with your pick and why — we’ll share the shout-outs next week.

Trivia Question❓

Trivia: Which Cambridgeshire spot is Britain’s oldest National Trust nature reserve? (Answer at the end of the issue!)?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

Calverley’s Brewery (Cambridge)

Walk down Hooper Street on a warm evening and you’ll hear it before you see it: the soft clink of glasses, a rumble of chat, then the lift of citrus and malt in the air.

Calverley’s started with a small, stubborn belief — brewing should feel personal — and somehow built a whole community around it.

In the taproom, strangers share benches and swap tasting notes; out by the river at The Engineer’s House, Calverley’s beers meet wood-fired pizza under an amber sky and suddenly Wednesday feels like a weekend.

Regulars will tell you to start pale and wander darker as the sun goes down.

Staff will tell you what’s just dropped bright on the taps, and they’ll do it with the kind of pride that comes from actually knowing the brewer who made it.

It’s the opposite of shiny and anonymous — and that’s exactly the point.

Got a favourite local brewery or taproom? Hit reply and we’ll feature it

Little updates with big heart

St Ives — Tom’s Cakes, market-day magic.

On Market Hill, the queue forms early for those glossy fruit tarts and that carrot cake.

Tom’s St Ives shop feels like a postcard: wooden counter, clatter of plates, and a stream of regulars who ask after each other’s week as much as the bakes.

If you’re lucky, you’ll catch still-warm slices hitting the stand.

St Neots — The Refill Shop’s gentle revolution.

Bring a clean jar, leave with laundry liquid, oats, or that posh dish soap you swore you’d only buy once.

St Neots’ indie refill store on St Mary’s Street turns errands into small acts of care for home and planet. Owner-chat at the till included.

Wisbech — A luxe night out (literally).

The Luxe Cinema makes date night feel like 1927 again: velvet seats, proper ushers, and a programme that swings from André Rieu concerts to modern classics.

Popcorn, yes — but also a glass of something cold if you’re making an evening of it.

Shepreth — Coffee, roasted at source.

Hot Numbers Roastery isn’t just for the caffeine faithful.

On Saturday mornings the roasters hum, the air smells like toasted hazelnut, and baristas talk you through single-origins without an ounce of snobbery.

It’s coffee education disguised as a lovely time.

Want your town’s hidden gem here? Send us a tip.

Cambridge Community Kitchen

Some heroes cook. Cambridge Community Kitchen has spent years turning donations and volunteer hours into hot, nourishing meals for anyone who needs one no questions, just welcome.

In a city of lab breakthroughs and busy streets, CCK is a bench to sit on and catch your breath.

If you’ve got a couple of hours (or a couple of onions to chop), they’ll show you how small acts add up to warmth you can feel.

Volunteer or donate via their site.

Nominate a neighbour, volunteer, or quiet champion for next week’s hero spotlight.”

Paws & Whiskers — Ready for a second chapter (Woodgreen)

A few faces we met on the Woodgreen listings this week:

Boris — big-hearted bull-breed gent who’s learning the art of the steady stroll.
Florence — a beagle with the world’s softest ears and a nose for adventure.
Evie & Ivy — Frenchie duo; twice the snores, twice the cuddles.
Cold Brew (cat) — handsome, thoughtful, would like your window ledge and a patch of sun.

As ever, matches are made thoughtfully at Woodgreen a proper chat, a meet-and-greet, and honest advice about what each animal needs.

Availability shifts fast; check live profiles before you visit.

“Thinking of adopting? Or want to sponsor a kennel for a month?

Woodgreen makes it easy.”

This newsletter sponsor slot donated to

Winter Comfort Cambridge

Wintercomfort is a support hub, creating opportunities all year round for homeless individuals.

When mornings turn cooler, the first place many people feel it is their feet. Wintercomfort offers hot food, showers, clean clothes, employment support and a door that stays open when life feels shut.

If we don’t have a paid sponsor in a given week, we lend this space gladly to local charities like Wintercomfort.

Consider a small monthly gift or a workplace fundraiser; it lands exactly where it’s needed.

Free books & audiobooks from home. A Cambs library card gets you BorrowBox/Libby access to eBooks and eAudiobooks (21-day loans; multiple providers).
No subscriptions, no late fees, just stories.
Bus hack for family days. The Busway’s Small Group DayRider (up to 3 people) can be better value than singles; and the £3 single-fare cap (local £2.50 scheme running to 31 Oct 2025) still applies across Stagecoach East routes.
Market last-hour rule. St Ives & Ely traders often discount bread, berries and herbs after 2:30pm — take cash and a smile.
One-hour money tidy. Cancel a zombie app, haggle broadband to a web-offer price, set energy to actual usage. Tiny actions; big sigh of relief.

If you have some tips for Sally just drop us a message on Facebook

“Kerb-appeal without the chaos”

Buyers decide how they feel before they measure the box room. Give them a Sunday-morning picture:

Sound: oil the squeaky gate; pop a gentle radio station on low.
Scent: open windows for ten minutes; coffee grounds by the bin beats air-freshener.
Sight: one hero object per room (plant, lamp, a just-folded throw). Kitchens sell; bathrooms seal the deal.

We talk about front doors, but gardens often get overlooked.

Fiona in Ramsey: “We spent £12 on a hanging basket outside the porch. The buyer commented on it before they’d even crossed the threshold.”
Quick wins: Sweep paths, trim hedges, hide the bins. If you don’t have time, borrow a neighbour’s well-kept front for photos — cheeky, but it works!

Want the full local checklist (what photos win listings in Cambs this month, plus a pre-viewing 30-minute clean plan)?

Reply “SELLER PACK” and we’ll send the Home Seller Insider link.

Fed up of kids scribbling on walls? A St Ives mum turned one kitchen wall into a chalkboard with eco paint (£12 tin, Wickes).

“Now homework reminders, doodles, and meal plans live in one spot,” she told us.

It’s cheaper than a whiteboard, wipes clean, and makes the kitchen look fun not frantic.

✨ Pro tip: Mask the edges neatly, give it two coats, and keep chalk handy in a jam jar.

Seed Bombs for Autumn

Leila in Orton shared her eco-friendly weekend project:

Mix wildflower seeds with a little clay and compost.
Roll into marble-sized balls, let dry, and toss into bare patches of the garden (or verges, guerrilla-style).
Kids love the messy bit, and come spring, you’ll get surprise flowers.

If you want to share your crafy tip get in touch at hello@cambridgeshirespotlight.co.uk

We asked readers across the county what’s working for them right now:

Huntingdon (Sophie, 41): “I swapped my £28 salon shampoo for the £7 Aldi dupe and honestly… no regrets. My hairdresser hasn’t noticed either.”
Ely (Maya, 33): “The new Pilates class at The Hive is a lifesaver for my back. It feels like therapy without the sofa.”
St Neots (Carla, 48): “I tried the No7 Future Renew cream (£34.95) after seeing it all over Boots. Two weeks in and the compliments at work are real.”
Amira, Huntingdon: “I’ve switched to the Neal’s Yard calendula cream (from their St Ives stall) — my skin hasn’t flared once this summer.”
Jess, Cambridge: “Forget facials. It’s a £5 salt scrub from the market and a cold rinse — my hairdresser says my scalp is the healthiest it’s been.”
Little luxury: Nene Valley Soap Company (Oundle market) do a lavender & oat bar that people are buying in multiples.

💬 Got your own beauty hack or product tip? Reply and share — we’ll feature the best ones next week.

Skin (late-summer reset):

Neal’s Yard Remedies, Rose Crescent — chamomile & rosewater spritz lives in our fridge now; takes the heat-flush down without wrecking makeup.
Boots city-centre — vitamin C serums are restocked post-holiday; ask at Petty Cury for a texture that plays nicely under SPF.

Hair (hard-water helper):

Swap in a weekly chelating shampoo, then a light conditioner so roots don’t flop by lunch. If your ends feel like straw, a few drops of hair oil smoothed on dry hair before bed works wonders.
Swimmers: rinse hair before you get in — it soaks up less chlorine.

Family & Kids – Back-to-School Wins

September doesn’t just mean school shoes and pencil cases it often means receipts that make you wince.

, Cambridgeshire parents are finding clever ways to soften the blow:

March (Holly): “I buy a plain 5-pack of white polos for £6 and let the kids tie-dye one each. They wear them on Fridays — suddenly school uniform feels fun.”
St Ives (Daniel): “Second-hand uniform sales are gold. We saved £70 last year and met three new families at the same time.”

Tip: Check your school’s PTA Facebook page — most have “swap & sell” groups buzzing right now.

Pia, Eye : Wait until mid-September to buy school shoes. “Queues are gone, and most shops slash prices,” said a mum in St Neots.

Marta, Huntingdon: Batch-bake flapjacks on Sunday night (£5 for 30 slices). Wrap and freeze — no weekday panic.

Daniel , Histon: A Cambridge dad swears by iron-on name stamps: “No more lost cardigans in the cloakroom jungle.”

Claire, March: “I do a uniform swap in our WhatsApp group every year. Blazers get passed down, and no one minds a bit of wear. Saved me £80 last term.”
Mark, Ely: “Packed lunches? Aldi bread, supermarket-brand cereal bars, and I bulk-make wraps. Works out £1.20 per day instead of £3+.”
Tip: Check local charity shops — some have “school rails” this week, with jumpers and trousers barely worn.

Local freebie : Ely Library is running a ‘Back to School Book Swap’ next Saturday. Bring a book your child’s outgrown, take one home for free.

The £10 Adventure

Not everything has to be soft play.

The Bell family, Cottenham set themselves a “£10 family day” challenge: bus into Cambridge, picnic from home, free Fitzwilliam Museum, bus back. “The kids loved it more than the £40 trampoline park trip,” mum Hannah said.
Want ideas?
Ferry Meadows has a free sculpture trail, and Ely Museum’s family pass is £8 for the whole year.

Mini adventures you’ll actually do

Wicken Fen boardwalk — buggy-friendly loops, dragonflies like stained glass, and a breeze that smells of meadow after rain.
Nature feels easy here; 40 minutes and you’ve reset the whole house.
Hinchingbrooke Country Park — lake paths, dens to build, café for bribery hot chocolates. A classic “everyone slept well” afternoon.
Shepreth Wildlife Park — small enough for little legs, big enough for gasp-moments (otters! lynx!). Combine with a coffee at Hot Numbers Roastery five minutes away for the grown-ups.

What’s On the Box – Something New, Not Just Bake Off

📺 The Cambridgeshire Pick

“The Cambridgeshire Kitchen” (BBC Look East special, Sunday 6pm): local chefs cooking with Fenland produce — filmed at Ely Market Square.
“Race Across the World: Teens” (BBC1, Tue 9pm): two Cambs sixth formers are among the pairs heading across South America. One family in St Neots already planning a watch party!
Netflix’s One Day (new series) — filmed partly in Cambridge. Social media’s buzzing with “spot the backdrop” screenshots.

Council Corner – What’s on the Agenda

Cambridge Market Square revamp: Consultation continues on redesigns to make it greener and more pedestrian-friendly. Traders are split some welcome the footfall boost, others fear disruption.
March town centre masterplan: Council workshops extended after hundreds turned up to voice strong (and sometimes heated) opinions.
Bin changes in Huntingdonshire: New food-waste collections roll out from October. Council says it could cut black-bin waste by 40%.
Ely riverside toilets upgrade: Funding approved — work to start before winter.

👉 Want us to dig into a specific council decision in your town? Reply with “COUNCIL” and we’ll chase it up for a future issue.

Property Roundup — What Locals Are Seeing

If you’ve been house-hunting around Cambridgeshire lately, you’ll know it’s a tale of two markets.

In Huntingdon & St Ives, three-bed terraces are still flying — one in Hartford sold in under two weeks after 20 viewings. A local agent told us:

“Families love the schools, and buyers are less spooked by interest rates than they were in spring.”

Over in Cambourne and Northstowe, shiny new-builds are proving harder to shift.

One developer quietly started offering “free flooring and £5,000 John Lewis vouchers” just to tempt buyers over the line.

Rentals? The squeeze is real.

A young couple in Ely shared that they lost out on four flats in a row before securing one at £875pcm — “and we signed within 24 hours, or it would’ve gone.”

Meanwhile, in the villages — places like Buckden, Willingham, and Burwell homes with a bit of garden are commanding a premium.

“People want space and a slower pace,” said one local surveyor.

👉 Are you buying, selling, or renting right now?

Hit reply and share your experience we’ll feature real reader stories in next week’s Spotlight.

Cambridge Home Seller Insider (Special Feature From Our Sister Newsletter)

Selling in Cambridge isn’t like selling anywhere else buyers here are choosy, and homes can move quickly if staged right.

This summer, three local sellers shared their success stories:

Trumpington: A four-bed family home sold in 3 weeks, £25k over asking, thanks to garden staging and weekday evening viewings.
Cherry Hinton: A young couple’s semi went under offer in under a month with nothing more than professional photos and a clear de-clutter.
Castle Hill: Facing a job relocation, one family priced realistically and prepared paperwork early and still achieved near asking in just 16 days.

The takeaway? Quick doesn’t have to mean cheap, if you prepare with the buyer in mind.

👉 Want the full Cambridge Home Seller Insider weekly newsletter?

A14 upgrades near Bar Hill – overnight closures run from Monday to Friday next week. Diversions via Swavesey could add 20 minutes to commutes. Hauliers already voicing frustration.
March town centre revamp – consultation sessions extended after over 500 locals turned up to have their say. Split between “long overdue” and “don’t ruin our town’s character.”
Cambridge University open days – thousands of visitors expected. Hotels full, punting companies doubling staff, and yes… traffic will be a nightmare.
Ely Market traders – pushing the council for more covered stalls. “Rain wipes out trade in minutes,” one said. Council reviewing ahead of winter.

👉 Got a local headline we missed? Reply and we’ll include it next week.

Blackberry Crumble with a Twist

It’s bramble season, and hedgerows across Cambs are heavy with blackberries.

My neighbour swears the juiciest ones grow along the guided busway (careful of passing cyclists!).

Here’s the version I made last weekend — with a cheeky handful of oats and nuts for crunch.

You’ll need:

500g blackberries (shop-bought fine if your kids ate the foraged ones)
100g caster sugar
150g plain flour
75g cold butter
50g oats + 50g chopped nuts (optional, but worth it)

How to:

Toss berries with half the sugar and pop in a baking dish.
Rub butter into flour till it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in oats, nuts, rest of sugar.
Sprinkle over the berries. Bake at 180°C for 30–35 mins till bubbling and golden.

Serve with cream, custard, or straight from the dish with spoons if no one’s watching.

Cambridge Shakespeare Festival (last weekend!) – Open-air theatre in college gardens. Bring a blanket, catch the Bard under the stars.
Ely Cathedral Green Fair (Sat, 30 Aug) – Crafts, eco-stalls, children’s activities under the soaring spires. Expect local honey, recycled jewellery, and plenty of chat.
Ramsey 1940s Weekend (Sat–Sun) – The High Street transforms with swing music, vintage stalls, and even a Spitfire flypast if weather allows. Proper time-travel.
Histon Handmade Market (Sun, 31 Aug) – Pottery, prints, textiles from local makers in the heart of the village. A calmer end to the week.

Easy September Swaps

The “back-to-school” feeling isn’t just for kids — September always makes us want a reset. A few Cambridgeshire readers shared their go-to tweaks:

Denim jacket in the tote – Anna from Ely says hers “goes over everything” when the sun ducks behind a cloud.
Charity shop tweeds – A Huntingdon reader scored a £6 Harris Tweed blazer in Oxfam last week. “It’s like wearing autumn.”
Boots not sandals – St Ives mums are swapping Birkenstocks for sturdy ankle boots — practical for soggy sideline football mornings.

Small changes, big seasonal mood shift.

Summer’s nearly slipped through our fingers, but that doesn’t mean the joy has to. Cambridgeshire shines in small moments: a neighbour handing you plums from their tree, a stolen hour in a riverside café, a laugh with someone you only half know.

That’s why we write this newsletter — to remind ourselves, and each other, that the little things are the big things.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for caring about this county as much as we do.

See you next week. 💙