Author Archives: Cambridge Town Owl

I went to the opening of Stir Cafe’s new branch at the place where I used to get my work suits and ballroom dancing dinner suits dry-cleaned. A suitable location for Sunday informal community conversations? [Update – first one is on 12 Jan 2025] Speaking to one of the staff after a menu-mixup (it happensContinue reading “Future of Cambridge community conversations at the new Stir Cafe in 2025?”

One of the reasons I don’t get out much (apart from the heavy rain outside) is that so many reports are being produced by so many institutions that keeping up with who is recommending what is a task-and-a-half. “Where does the Government publish its reports and consultations?” Here -> https://www.gov.uk/search/policy-papers-and-consultations Also, the only ‘bot’ IContinue reading “***Lots*** of reports being published – how do we join up the dots?”

Close scrutiny of the maps – these should be printed out on A1 and displayed in libraries and on the bus stops outside the main railway stations so people can look at them while waiting I have previously written about Cambridge’s unbuilt eastern entrance before: You can also read about other unbuilt railway stations inContinue reading “East West Rail – where’s our eastern entrance to Cambridge Railway Station?”

A sobering statistic from Claire Stoneham of Cambridge University Hospitals Trust at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus forum of 03 Dec 2024 at the start of a major organisational overhaul. (See the slide pack here) It was a strangely intense gathering full of people mainly older than me in the audience (I think may have beenContinue reading “Addenbrooke’s Accident and Emergency deals with 4 times the volume of people it was designed for”

The Co-op Group (who have convenience stores dotted about all over Cambridge & beyond) recently appointed Naomh Campbell as their membership pioneer for our part of the world (Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire) in what could be the start of the re-emergence of the Co-operative Movement as a social force in local communities. I should declare anContinue reading “The Co-operative Movement’s Cambridgeshire Comeback?”

John Elledge asks: Why do so many British towns basically suck?. Shortly before the re-post of that article, the House of Lords Built Environment Committee published its report on the future of UK High Streets. And the scenario to avoid? Coming up in any future editions/volumes of Crap Towns UK. Because when the first editionContinue reading “Ensuring 21st Century New Towns do not become future entries into the next volume of Crap Towns UK”

…and have it based on non-fiction books about the world around us that are found in the children’s and young adults sections of bookshops The idea of a ‘general studies’ course for adults, or a series of informal talks on contemporary local issues was one I got from the old Adult School Union’s annual schemesContinue reading “An alternative book group for adults – on what the world has discovered since we left school…”

In a sort of reverse of this headline, Transport secretary resigns following media storm over spent conviction over a decade old as the Westminster media bubble goes into an orgasmic overdrive over ‘further information emerging’. On the face of it, this was a big and unexpected blow – and not just for Labour but forContinue reading “Lou Haigh fixed/repaired things and moved [on] fast”

“The Department for Transport is developing a strategy which will set the high-level direction for how transport should be designed, built and operated in England over the next 10 years.” (Image from Unite Ayrshire – public transport for everyone!) “Anything major?” One thing is. Regional Roadshow coming to a city near you! “[The consultation] willContinue reading “Transport Secretary asks for your input into new national transport strategy”

I missed this significant paragraph in a letter from the Minister for Local Government, Jim McMahon (Formerly Leader of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council in Gtr Manchester) to councils on the Oxford-Cambridge Partnership Also, a quick reminder of The Trials of Democracy: Who Gives a XXXX? the third of three workshops this weekend at the MillContinue reading “Minister for Local Government proposes regional councils”