Tag: Histon

  • Wake up and smell the coffee – Stir CB24 opens for business!

    As Stir’s brand new Histon outlet opens on School Hill, Amanda Borrill has been talking to owner, Judith Harrison, about the excitement of reaching opening day and what delights this family owned business has in store for us all…

    Friday 2nd July will see the doors opening at Stir’s first new outlet since its launch on Chesterton Road Cambridge in September 2015. The arrival of Stir in Histon has created quite a buzz locally and the ongoing work to transform School Hill into a stylish new plaza is proving to be a welcome sight on our vibrant High Street.

    Exciting times

    Having spoken to Judith back in April as contracts were first signed for this new venture, I have no doubt that it is a huge relief for the family to now be finally at the point of opening. I asked Judith to share how it feels to be throwing open the doors at 7.30am this Friday and what we can expect to find when we visit:

    “We cannot wait to show you our new cafe. As with any new opening, reaching this point has been pretty stressful but meeting so many of you along the way has made everything so much nicer. We are very much looking forward to getting to know you, and your coffee and brunch choices, better!

    “Stir in Histon will have exactly the same drinks and brunch menu as the Cambridge site but the big difference between the two is that we will also have all our own freshly baked bread, pastries, cakes and other goodies on display every day too. 

    “With the social distancing restrictions in place for now, we will need to continue to apply our COVID safe practices which have all been risk assessed by a Health & Safety consultant. There will need to be some partitions between tables but we will also have plenty of outdoor seating too. Our plans for more permanent outdoor seating area at the side of the property are currently going through Planning and hopefully we will be able to share news on progress soon. In the meantime, we will use the outdoor space with some tables and chairs but please excuse the appearance until we have our new planned seating area in place”.

    “We really hope that you love the space just as much as we do and look forward to meeting you all soon!”

    Stir Histon external sketch. Copyright Stir Histon.

    What’s on offer

    As reported in April, Stir Histon will be open seven days a week – starting from 7.30am on weekdays and from 8.00am at weekends. On offer daily will be a wide range of food to cater for all tastes; including their award winning brunches, Butterworth & Son coffee, smoothies and freshly baked bread from their bakery in CB4. In addition, as a weekend treat, they will be offering cinnamon knots, Babka and doughnuts!

    The new menu, along with full details of opening hours, can be found on their dedicated Stir Histon website here.


  • Feast Week 2021 : a celebration of our community

    Event organisation is well known for being stressful but organising an event in COVID times guarantees many difficult decisions. HI HUB shares the latest news on what’s on and what’s not during Feast Week from Steve Cox, Feast Chair:

    We’ve been on a rollercoaster ride since the Feast AGM in January!  A fabulous organising committee has put together a wealth of Feast Week events.  Until recently, we had planned some large scale gatherings and opportunities for the community to come together.  But for reasons we are all aware of, these have been cancelled..or have they? We highlight the difference between cancelled and postponed because the concerts, the indoor events, the market will all run again. Maybe in Feast Week 2022, maybe sooner?  We are looking at options and will keep the community informed.  Safety in these final weeks of lockdown is paramount, but there is an end in sight.

    So as in every other year before, Feast Week 2021 will celebrate the villages, the community and its businesses.

    Summer Feast loyalty card

    In these difficult times, loyalty is more important than ever. We’ve been trying to organise a few feel-good events, but local business has had to adapt beyond recognition in many ways this year. The Feast Loyalty Card asks you to shop and use local businesses in Feast Week to show your loyalty, with the chance to win prizes for completing the card – see http://hisimp.com/feast/feast-loyalty-card/ for full details.  We thank the 26 local businesses for getting involved and offering profits made on special products to Feast Funds and a range of prizes.  Due to the number of prizes available, the number of purchases needed on the Loyalty Card to enter the Prize Draw has also been reduced from ten to five!

    Our Feast Week local loyalty card partners

    HI Trees green canopy

    Feeding into a national initiative, this is a chance to plant new trees in our community. See the dedicated article on HI HUB this week for the full story.

    HI Doughnut Awards

    A chance to celebrate and recognise people who have altered the social foundation or environment of our villages, in collaboration with the Parish Council, Council of Churches and HI Friends –  see http://hisimp.com/feast/hi-doughnut-awards/ for more details.  All five group awards have been funded by our Beer Festival Committee  who unanimously voted to fund the awards and all group award winners will nominate Local charities or groups to receive the money they have won.

    Broaden your mind

    With a range of online talks including the HI Trees’ Green Canopy, the impacts of flooding, the excavation of a Spitfire in the Fens, guided walks and an open air quiz, there are many opportunities to get involved safely this year.  Our Feast website along with the What’s On pages on HI HUB are being kept up to date with events and links throughout the week so do remember to check in online over the coming days.

    Thank you!

    This year the committee has been amazing; bursting with ideas and pushing ahead with the organisation of events that have altered the shape of Feast Week.  This has allowed us to celebrate the community and reflect on the last 18 months.  The committee members deserve a huge thanks for having the vision to plan and the integrity to respect the current situation.

    We invite you, please, to join us in celebrating Feast Week 2021 – these events are for our villages, our businesses and our community.

    A dedicated JustGiving page has been established to aid fundraising for this year’s Feast. You can find full details of how to donate here.

  • Take a walk on the wild side – rediscovering our local wildlife

    The pandemic and its restrictions has had a huge impact on the lives of us all but spending more time at home has gifted us the opportunity to rediscover the beauty of our local area. Local resident and Senior Technical Officer in Conservation Science at the RSPB, Nigel Butcher, shares his observations on the thriving wildlife right here on our doorstep.

    Even in such a difficult year, there are always little things to cheer us. The great outdoors and open green spaces of our villages have been enjoyed by so many, and this has provided me with renewed optimism. Whether cycling, jogging, walking with your dog or the family, the tracks around the villages have never been so well trod. I even ventured to places that I had never been before; armed with my binoculars and a camera in case there was anything exciting to photograph.

    Since childhood, I have always had an interest in birds and wildlife and in my 20s this passion was reawakened following many wonderful days out in Norfolk and Suffolk with my wife Claire’s family. I was very fortunate to spot what was, to me, the perfect job opportunity within the RSPB and have worked in the Science department there now for more than 20 years.

    Many people have probably been surprised at how many species of wildlife you can find within Histon & Impington. Starting with the largest, there are many mammals around with muntjac and roe deer (below) being the most likely to be seen.

    Roe deer spotted on walks around Histon & Impington. Photo : Claire Butcher

    Add badgers, foxes, squirrels, rabbits and hares to the list then it shows just how much is about if you want to search. Hedgehog, seen by many across the village, was one mammal I didn’t see myself. With a little effort you may also find some reptiles like grass snakes or common lizards plus amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts. I have enjoyed the insects, plants and trees too but my primary focus is birds. I love the fact that they travel so far and their migration fascinates me.

    Linnet. Photo Claire Butcher

    Record keeping is so important and, however trivial it may seem at the time, it can often highlight some amazing consistencies in nature. Our first garden grey wagtail was seen on 20th October 2018 and, remarkably, the next visit happened on exactly the same day in 2019. Last year it arrived just a day earlier on 19th Oct, so the question is was it the same bird with immaculate timekeeping? Who knows, but look out locally for this species.

    Litte Egret : Photo Claire Butcher

    Having lived in the village since 1995 it has been very evident that some species have declined or have disappeared completely but there have been new arrivals too. It is  amazing that buzzards, red kites and little egrets (pictured right) have become species that you can easily observe around the villages.

    It was also superb to find that cuckoo were back too in 2020. Having not heard one from my garden for more than 10 years it was lovely to hear 3 individuals singing in the Spring.

    Our local bird ringing was clearly impacted by the pandemic last year and none was undertaken between March and June. However, even excluding this period, 300 birds were processed and this is indeed a record. What did we learn? Firstly some of the early resident breeders didn’t fare so well. Early dry weather meant many tit clutches failed partially or completely, with many fewer juveniles fledged and this appeared to be the case nationally.

    Our Spring/Summer migrant visitors had a bumper season though and 190 of our total were those born in 2020. The first village ringing of garden and reed warblers was a nice surprise, in addition to the regularly encountered blackcap, chiffchaff, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat and willow warblers. Finches also were numerous with bullfinch, chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch and linnet plus plenty of yellowhammers too. This year many of our migrating visitors have been held up somewhat by the not so seasonal Spring weather we have been having. It will be interesting to find out how many of our juveniles have survived and made it back to breed themselves this year.

    Turtle doves…captured on a camera trap and a joy to see given their decline throughout Europe. Photo Nigel Butcher.

    Many of you will have noticed the returning swallows/swifts and may be lucky enough to have seen the turtle dove too. A fantastic spot, given their catastrophic declines throughout Europe over the last few decades, and I recently recorded 3 on a camera trap (left) in the village where I am providing supplementary food which is amazing. Hopefully 2021 will prove to be as productive for our local wildlife as last year.  

    If you are passionate about nature and want to become more involved with local wildlife, please take a look at local Facebook group – Histon and Impington Wildlife where you can share photos, ask questions or comment on sightings. The group now has 270 members and new members are always welcome.

    With the latest Government COVID roadmap announcement this week, it is looking unlikely that the Feast week RSPB supported bird ringing breakfast at the Histon & Impington Community Orchard, scheduled for 3 July, will be able to take place. There are, however, plans for a later Summer edition and also some talks over the Autumn/Winter too, so look out for news of these events here on HI HUB and local community Facebook groups.

  • Station House on track for new lease of life this summer

    Station House on track for new lease of life this summer

    The recently renovated Station House on Histon Busway will soon be reopening its doors in the form of a funky new brunch venue. Amanda Borrill has been chatting to founder, David Harrison, to find out more.

    Histon Station House Cafe logo. Graphic courtesy of David Harrison.

    The community of Histon & Impington has a deep affection for its station and the renovation of the area around what is now the Guided Busway, including a stylish revamp of the derelict Station House building, has been watched by many with great interest. This summer, local entrepreneur David Harrison is set to breathe new life into the neighbourhood with Histon Station House – a brand new independent brunch stop. I asked David what led him down this road and how he sees his new venture fitting in amid our existing abundant cafe scene.

    How it all began

    “I grew up in Girton but now live here in Histon. I was a student at IVC too so my connection to the area goes back all the way. In fact I used to cross the fields back to Girton using the train line long before the guided busway was built. Having also opened The Boot for White Brasserie and been part of the street coordinator scheme this last year, I feel a very strong connection to the village! 

    Mila’s vision. Photo David Harrison.

    “I was out walking with my five year old daughter, Mila, while homeschooling in January and she asked me what the building site was going to be by the busway. I replied it would be a cafe, to which her immediate response was ‘can it be our cafe?’ Later that day she decided her art work for the day would be designing a cafe for me. That night it was mounted on the wall by her bed where it still sits today”.


    From childhood imaginings to reality

    “On a whim, I emailed the agent, Bidwells, to find out who was going to be running the cafe. A few days later I was having a meeting with the landlord. The former owner of the site, Ken Hart, had passed away and the family wanted the building to continue as a cafe, as he had intended. I had happened to email at precisely the right moment thanks to my daughter’s imagination! She is insisting that she has a job at weekends washing dishes as it is most certainly “our” cafe to her and she wants to be fully involved”.

    What’s in store

    Open seven days a week, the cafe will be a table service brunch cafe. There will be a variety of healthy brunch dishes, sweet treats in the form of waffles, Hot Numbers coffee and homemade cakes. There will also be smoothies and milkshakes, a kids menu and plenty of vegan options. From Monday to Saturday they will be open from 8:30am – 4:30pm with food finishing at 3:30. Laid back Sundays will see them open a little bit later at 9:30am – with the same 4:30pm closing time.

    David’s new venue will bring the total number of cafes within the community of Histon and Impington to six – all of which are independently owned. I asked him whether he thinks there is sufficient demand for another coffee stop and, from his response, it is clear he has no intention to throw neighbouring business owners under any busway buses:

    “I think this end of the village will easily support a wider offering. I will be steering clear of the retail side of things as well as the sandwich trade to limit crossover with the The Geographer and d:licious. The guided busway provides passing trade from a wide range of people including cyclists, walkers, business commuters and students. Added to that we have around 100 new flats being built around the Station House. I believe Station House Cafe will be a positive addition to this end of the village and bring a little vibrancy”.

    David hopes to open in mid-July. Keep an eye out here on HI HUB and on local social media for up-to-date news. You can also read more about his venture on the Station House Cafe Facebook page, here.