Cambridge secrets?

villaneme

Addy wrote:

Oooh, now you've reminded me - they have sales at their warehouse on Cherry Hinton Road once a month on a Saturday morning - books around £1.

Check their website (includes a map)
http://www.gallowayandporter.co.uk/

Books: £1 each

GALLOWAY & PORTER LTD
THE PADDOCKS, 347 CHERRY HINTON ROAD
CAMBRIDGE CB1 8DH

crana999

I know they have bus stops.. but the thing is by the time I've paid a return bus fare, I'd have to buy quite a bit of stuff to make it worthwhile over sainsburys & the market, as I don't buy much stuff every week - I've got a reasonable stock of storecupboard stuff so I mainly only need to get perishables, and there's a limit to how much of that one person can eat before it goes off... I don't have a freezer to stash things in either

I think it's probably just easier for me to "shop smart" at Sainsburys / market from a time point of view as well.

I don't think I get a discount on buses although I can travel free on Citi 4.

Actually, that reminds me, do you all know about the free shuttle bus? It doesn't seem to go anywhere particularly amazing - it goes up to the Grafton centre but the other side to Asda. (Fair St) but is free, lol, and goes every 15 minutes from oiutside Corpus Christi on Trumpington St, Drummer St, Kings parade by the market i think, on a circular route, can't remember where else it stops!

rotate

Take your life in your hands and get a bike,you can be in and out of town before the car park queues have moved a few metres.Get a cheap bike from the boot sale at Cowley rd on Sunday mornings(Also good for learning Russian)
Always lock yr bike even for a minute.
Read books and mags in comfortable arm chairs in Borders book shop.
Lots of good charity shops in Burleigh St,I think the council is trying to close them as they attract the wrong sort of people(the less well off)
There is also a v good butchers down there,not cheap but v good meat.Strange town Cambridge,there is always people around any time of day and night,all the roads around the city can be empty and the centre will be one giant traffic jam as usual.I moved here around 30 yrs ago and it's still good fun.

VickyA_2

Have you considered going to Newmarket Races for a day out? Cheapest tickets there are £6 each. Not bad, I thought. Over the summer they have "Newmarket Nights" where they have racing, followed by a band (all for your £6). In the past I've seen 10cc, Human League (who were AMAZING!), the Bootleg Beatles and "Voulez Vous" - an Abba tribute. Okay, so I'm not tempting you at the moment? This year, they've already got signed up Jools Holland, Ronan Keating and Status Quo.

You watch the racing - Frankie Detorri has been racing when I've been there - then they take the barriers down in between the cheap seats/grassy knoll and the expensive members' area so that you can get as close to the stage as you wish. It's a great, cheap night out. Maybe you could arrange a minibus of friends from Cambridge, or get the train?

Have a look on Newmarket Nights website. Don't worry about the threat of Girls Aloud and Darius, they were on last year (didn't go to see THEM!). Click on the "events" tab and it'll give you all the details for this year so far.

crana999

rotate wrote:

Take your life in your hands and get a bike,you can be in and out of town before the car park queues have moved a few metres.

Since I don't have a car, the car park queues don't normally bother me!!(except since they closed most of lion yard it is insane how far back peple queue for it!)

I think I would rather walk! I am quite scared just walking around and crossing the road can be a real nightmare, let alone being on a bike :S

I dont think id actually use it that much. It takes me literally 60 seconds to get to lectures, and only a few minutes to get to the town centre. It might make it easier to get out of town but im not sure the hassle is worth it. I dont have a bike, mine got stolen years ago, so id have to buy one.

Addy

I got a couple of tickets to see Blue (not my choice I hasten to add!!) at Newmarket Nights for a present for a friend last year - turned out she'd already got some for herself. Good value though.

Sometimes worth listening to Q103, they do on the spot ring-in competitions. Last year I won tickets to a play at the Arts, it was a good production and a friend and I had great seats, so a top night out at my favourite price (ie free!). It was the first time I'd ever rung in - only happened to hear it on the radio in the car and thought I'd give it a go once I'd got to Sainsbury's carpark. Never thought I'd get the tickets as it was probably a good couple of minutes after it was announced.

crana999

Addy wrote:

I got a couple of tickets to see Blue (not my choice I hasten to add!!) at Newmarket Nights for a present for a friend last year - turned out she'd already got some for herself. Good value though.

Sometimes worth listening to Q103, they do on the spot ring-in competitions. Last year I won tickets to a play at the Arts, it was a good production and a friend and I had great seats, so a top night out at my favourite price (ie free!). It was the first time I'd ever rung in - only happened to hear it on the radio in the car and thought I'd give it a go once I'd got to Sainsbury's carpark. Never thought I'd get the tickets as it was probably a good couple of minutes after it was announced.

lol, I don't have a phone either, only a mobile, so it would probably end up costing me quite a bit in phone calls just to enter good idea though!

Pukeko

Wish I'd found this thread before I got my bargain tenner a night at the Cambridge Travelodge a month ago! I could have done with a few tips. I have to say I thought that the Cambridge TL was very good and even better for the price I paid. Unless they have the same deal on again when I have some free holiday I doubt I'd be able to afford to stay again.

I discovered that next to Domino's Pizza on the road between the town centre and the TL (I think is called Hills Road??) is a dark blue minimart kind of place which sells reduced-price baguettes and sandwiches at the end of the day which are at a very good price (much much better than in Sainsburys - where actually I couldn't find any end of day specials).

And speaking of Sainsburys, while I was in there at the end of one day I searched the discount shelf (next to the wine aisle) for a bargain and found a can of vanilla coke and took it, along with a few other bits and bobs I was going to buy, up to the check-out. The (nice) check-out girl couldn't find a price sticker on it so she asked a lurking supervisor type who then had to ask an officious-looking young woman - presumably a supervisor of supervisors. This woman looked at me like I was about to steal from her and told me that they could only be sold as part of a multipack and couldn't have been on discount beause they didn't have a price sticker on them.
Yes, at this Sainsburys belittling your customers and making no sale is indeed worth the price of a discounted can of vanilla coke!

Addy

Pukeko, I live probably only about 10 minutes from the shop with the baguettes - never knew about it, lol! Will have to check it out, thanks!!!

Stupid woman at Sainsburys was either lying through her teeth or unaware of her selling policies, they regularly have masses of split multipack cokes on that shelf - and I can tell you they're always 30p! The supervisors in there can be a bit up 'emselves!! Mostly we're fairly friendly over here in the Bridge of Cam, though

Didn't realise the town centre TL was included in the tenner deal - good spot, it's brand new so shouldn't have been too shabby!!

Pukeko

Hi Addy,

I love Cambridge! It was brilliant to be able to stay a whole week (for cheaper than the price of one night even!!!)! The Travelodge is very good and as you say it is brand new so everything in the room is Nice. To save money I bought my washing up bowl, and dishes and cutlery etc, and ate in my room - noodles or stuff I'd bought from the supermarket at discount (actually mostly noodles because until I found the blue minimart I could't find anything dicounted at Sainsburys - too many bargain-hunters got in there before I did I think! )

I can't remember exactly what price the baguettes were but I think they were something like reduced to 80p sort of price (bargain!).

Lucky you, living in Cambridge! *whistful sigh* One day when I've made my MSE-inspired fortune!...