If so, Frankie’s got some cultural observations on left-wing academics. Also, how this links to Cambridge’s growing pains! Above – did you come to the conference for the free drinks reception with canapes at the end? Actually, it reflects something that has been troubling me about the public policy processes ever since I joined theContinue reading “Have you ever been to an academic conference? This might be about you”
Author Archives: Cambridge Town Owl
Can we have our library back please?
The saga of what should happen with council-owned buildings in an era of austerity continues – as ministers continue to hold back on granting greater revenue powers for local government The latest attempt to sell off Mill Road Library (against the wishes of local residents) has fallen through. [Updated to add:] By Jonathan Giblett toContinue reading “Can we have our library back please?”
Now that the waterworks won’t be moving, where will 8,000+ new homes be built?
Central Government’s decision to pull funding for the relocation of Anglian Water’s sewage works at Milton, just north of Cambridge to a new site at Honey Hill means that some very expensively-produced plans are going to need revamping It’s worth highlighting that The Government has since stated that the additional funding requirements needed to relocateContinue reading “Now that the waterworks won’t be moving, where will 8,000+ new homes be built?”
How much money, time, and work has been wasted over the Cambridge Sewage Works?
Earlier today, Cambridge City Council confirmed that ministers had pulled the funding for the relocation of the Milton sewage works on the northern edge of Cambridge You can read the press release here. One group breathing a sigh of relief are the Save Honey Hill campaigners who spent years opposing the proposals – and spendingContinue reading “How much money, time, and work has been wasted over the Cambridge Sewage Works?”
First informal gathering of Cambridge’s Corbyn/Sultana party branch
I lost count of the number of stalls and causes outside the guildhall on Saturday (09 Aug) and it seems that local activists want to move faster than what’s happening nationally “Tomorrow, Sunday 10th August, there is a coming together of our supporters. Why not join us at 1900 Jesus Green by the ice creamContinue reading “First informal gathering of Cambridge’s Corbyn/Sultana party branch”
When is a Labour think tank not a Labour think tank?
On the latest lobbying scandal that UK Politics can ill-afford Some of you may have picked up on the reports about the Labour Infrastructure Forum. That article dated 05 Aug 2025 has what read as damage limitation quotations that seem ‘inconsistent’ with events and branding. “The Labour party said it had no connection to [LabourContinue reading “When is a Labour think tank not a Labour think tank?”
Cambridge councillor quits Labour as activists establish a branch of Jeremy Corbyn’s & Zarah Sultana’s Your Party
Cllr Dave Baigent (now Ind, Romsey) resigned from Cambridge Labour Party today in order to sign up and support the new left movement alongside two former Labour councillors in Cambridge You can see https://yourpartycambridge.uk/ and also Cllr Baigent’s press release (with contact details) here. I’m not going to go into the national politics of itContinue reading “Cambridge councillor quits Labour as activists establish a branch of Jeremy Corbyn’s & Zarah Sultana’s Your Party”
I still think Cambridge needs an annual societies’ fair
How does it all link to the latest research from the Government on Local Civil Society Infrastructure, and opinion polls for the 2029 General Election? I won’t repeat what I wrote at the start of the year here, which looks at the diversity of students’ groups, and the collective benefits to city and county ofContinue reading “I still think Cambridge needs an annual societies’ fair”
Crowds flock to Cambridge’s Folk in the Park at Cherry Hinton Hall
This year’s free replacement for the cancelled Cambridge Folk Festival attracted far more people than the council anticipated – as the extended queues to the beer and cider kiosk reflected! It’s worth noting that the Cambridge Folk Festival will be back in 2026. I hope by then the wealthy sci-tech sector will have re-appraised itsContinue reading “Crowds flock to Cambridge’s Folk in the Park at Cherry Hinton Hall”
Revamping old designs for new buildings in an expanding Cambridge
What happens when you put sketches and drawings of old through AI-tools? Image – John Belcher’s guildhall line-drawn design of the late 1890s put through a generator and turned into a photograph You can see the old guildhall designs that I’ve put through in this Lost Cambridge blogpost As mentioned, the aim is to tryContinue reading “Revamping old designs for new buildings in an expanding Cambridge”
