


They are stories about home and pride of place

About memories of the past and desires for the future

about family and community

gardens, kitchens, chicken and shops

worries and hopes

about day-to-day living and about change
Lives inSefton Close (off Scotsdowne Road)
Moved to Trumpington in1990
Type of housing4-bedroom detached house, built in the 1960s
Current market valuearound £420,000 (according to Zoopla)
Favourite place in Trumpington“Byron’s Pool is my number one spot. I like the wildlife and the peace and the water and the trees, and all that stuff, which is wonderful.I also have also a fondness for the railway crossing that goes across the fields to Addenbrooke’s Hospital. My husband Jimmy (then my boyfriend) and I walked down there one evening when we were commuting between London and Cambridge and had a conversation about our future. We decided there that we were going to stay together long term. A month later I was pregnant. It feels like that spot has a force field under the ground! There’s a bridge there now. I know this isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea but I love seeing Addenbrooke’s Hospital on the horizon. Partly because I worked there and partly because we had our wedding reception there, at the Frank Lee Centre.”
Lives inSpring Drive, Trumpington Meadows
Moved to Trumpington inDecember 2012
Type of housing3-bedroom terraced house, finished in the 2012, rented from housing association
Current market value2, 3 & 4 bedroom houses on the Trumpington Meadows are being advertised from £429,995 to £649,995 on Barratt’s website
Current council rent£165 per week
Favourite place in Trumpington"I love the parks because I love the fresh air I get when I’m out. The atmosphere helps me think up great ideas and I love playing with the kids or watching them play when I take my brother and sister out. It’s always full of excitement and laughter. Even in the horrible winter weather, it never loses its warmth – and I think there’s some beauty in that."
Lives inBishops Road
Moved to Trumpington in2008
Type of housing3-bedroom semi-detached house, built in 1937
Current market valueHouses on Bishops Road have a current average value of £432,257, according to Zoopla
Favourite place in Trumpington"My favourite place in Trumpington is the Cooke Curtis & Co office. Obviously. The reason we liked this location on Trumpington High Street was because everyone knew where the Hobby Shop was. It’s a bit of a shame it closed down, because it was such a landmark, which is why we’ve kept the sign… But we didn’t feel like we were taking away a valuable village resource that could have been something great for the community."
Lives inLingrey Court, behind Anstey Way
Moved to Trumpington inJanuary 2015 (left in January 2016)
Type of housingFour-bedroom, semi-detached eco-home, newly built
Current market valueAround £550,000
Favourite place in Trumpington“Our favourite place in Trumpington is the park and field in the Foster Road estate – the children also love it too!”
Lives inBishops Road
Moved to Trumpington in1974
Type of housing2-bedroom detached house, built in 2013
Current market valueHouses on Bishops Road have a current average value of £432,257, according to Zoopla
Favourite place in Trumpington"Shirley’s favourite place is her own garden, while Stephen’s is away from the city in the countryside."
Please note: some of the images included with this article were supplied by Stephen Brown. The image of the Plant Breeding Institute is supplied courtesy of the PBI. The black and white image is courtesy of Maurice Rayner.
Lives inConsort Avenue, Trumpington Meadows with her husband Derek, 48, and three children (Charlotte, 13; Alice, 10; James, 5)
Moved to Trumpington inOctober 2013
Type of housing4-bedroom terraced house, built in the 2013, rented from housing association
Current market value2, 3 & 4 bedroom houses on the Trumpington Meadows are being advertised from £429,995 to £649,995 on Barratt’s website
Current council rent£168 per week
Favourite place in Trumpington"Some of my fondest memories are of taking the children over to the park near the Pavilion. The children were relaxed and we’d pop into the Bun Shop [on Anstey Way] and get some treats.”
Lives inShelford Road
Moved to Trumpington inSteve and his wife Dee moved to Trumpington in 1972; they share their house with their youngest son Sam, his wife Fran and their two young daughters, Katie and Amy
Type of housing3-bedroom terraced house, built in 1902
Current market valueSimilar houses on Shelford Road have a current value of around £455,000, according to Zoopla
Favourite place in TrumpingtonSteve loves going along to the car boot sale at the Trumpington Park and Ride on Sunday mornings to pick up a bargain. Sam’s favourite spot is the newly named local pub, the Hudson’s Ale House.
Lives inCedar Road, Novo development
Moved to Trumpington inAugust 2013
Type of housing4-bedroom detached house, built in 2013
Current market valueCurrent value of around £583,000, according to Zoopla (the house cost £490,000 in 2013)
Favourite place in TrumpingtonJen: “My house. I love the sun rises and the sunset. It’s just different every day. It’s fantastic.”
David: “I love the house but I also particularly like the walk down by the River Cam. It’s beautiful down there, it really is."
Age81
Lives inByron Square
Moved to Trumpington in1966
Type of housingThree-bedroom, end of terrace council house, built in 1947
Current market valueCurrent market value of around £260,000 (according to Zoopla)
Current council rentApprox £120 per week
Favourite place in TrumpingtonSitting on a chair in her dining room looking out over the recreation ground
Age36
Lives inChaplen Street
Moved to Trumpington inMarch 2013
Type of housingFour-bedroom, three storey, private house, built in 2013
Current market valueCurrent value Around £534,000 (according to Zoopla)
Age72
Lives inTrumpington Hall
Moved to Trumpington inThe Pemberton family have been resident in Trumpington since 1715. They originally came from Pemberton in Lancashire.
Type of housingManor house first built circa 1600, with 600 acres of land
Current market valueundisclosed
Favourite place in TrumpingtonTrumpington Hall
Age31/ 46
Lives inChaplen Street
Moved to Trumpington inMay 2013
Type of housingTwo-bedroom apartment rented from housing association
Current market valueAround £299,000
Current council rent£150 per week
Favourite place in TrumpingtonApart from their home, their favourite place in Trumpington is the beer garden at the Lord Byron, where they like to stop off for a refreshing pint after a Sunday walk to Grantchester.
Age63
Lives inFoster Road
Moved to Trumpington in2003
Type of housingThree-bedroom terraced former council house, built in 1947
Current market valueAround £310,000 (according to Zoopla)
Favourite place in TrumpingtonNine Wells – a nature reserve with several chalk springs that form the source of Hobson’s Conduit, which carries water along Hobson’s Brook into the heart of Cambridge.
Age18
Lives inPaget Road
Moved to Trumpington in2003
Type of housingThree-bedroom terraced council house, built in 1946
Current market valueAround £250,000 (according to Zoopla)
Favourite place in TrumpingtonCommunity Orchard
Age41
Lives inPartridge Close
Moved to Trumpington inJuly 2013
Type of housingThree-bedroom end of terrace house, rented from housing association
Current council rentAround £154 per week
Favourite place in Trumpington“I love my house”
Elyssa and Britt have lived on opposite sides of the country for more than a decade. They have
been saving up for a deposit while they’ve been renting separate homes in London and Liverpool, but the thirty-somethings haven’t been able to decide where to buy a more permanent home together. It’s a big decision to make, especially for first time buyers. “For many years we have been umming and aahing about whether we should,” explains performance artist Elyssa. “Everything is so expensive in London and I am not necessarily tied down by my work in the City. We have been looking at lots of houses in different places, but it
is just such a big step and we could never quite make ourselves put
an offer in.”
Over the last few years, Britt and Elyssa have been regularly invited to teach in Cambridge and they often wondered if this city might be the place for them. Elyssa sometimes has to travel abroad for her work, so the proximity to the M11 and to Stansted Airport would suit her perfectly.
When they first read about the Residents in Residence scheme, they were immediately intrigued by the
idea. “Britt showed me the ad and I immediately thought: ‘This is for us!
We have to try this.’ So we went through the application process and it was surprisingly uncomplicated,” says Elyssa. “I haven’t given up my flat in London yet, of course. That would be too scary.”
“It is really remarkable how fast this area is changing,” says artist and event organiser Britt, looking out of the floor-to-ceiling window over the ever- expanding development of Great Kneighton, “even just in the last three months since our application was submitted. On the one hand I am so excited to be part of something new and on the other hand I am aware that these changes bring a lot of upheaval for other people.”
Britt, who grew up in rural Germany is interested in gardening. She is not quite sure what will grow here, but she is very excited about the proposed community gardens. “We are so excited to try out this house and neighbourhood,” she says. “I have been walking into Trumpington and on my way I
saw some fantastic allotments and chicken plots. I can’t wait to find
out more and hopefully get involved. And of course to get involved with the community gardens, if they are ready soon.”
Britt and Elyssa both like cycling and they hope to still be on the Residents in Residence scheme in the summer, so they can explore the various cycle routes around Great Kneighton and Trumpington. They are also thinking about borrowing a friend’s dog from time to time so they can practise keeping a pet.
And when asked how they are planning to get to know their neighbours, they look at each other and share a cheeky smile. “We love hosting!” says Britt. “We are looking forward to getting to know people in the area. We plan to have lots of neighbours over during our stay.”
We love hosting! We are looking forward to getting to know people in the area. We plan to have lots of neighbours over during our stay.