2013-2014
Partners Handbook
Charlotte and Brian
Wescott House
2013-2014
Hello and welcome to Westcott House. The following is a brief guide to being a
partner at Westcott House.
This year’s partners’ reps are: Charlotte Humble and Brian Jemmett.
A bit about us Partner Reps and our contact details
Charlotte: My husband (Reid) and I moved here from Sheffield and have been at
Westcott for one year but in total will be here four years as Reid is doing a Phd. I’m
26 with no children, live off site and work full time in Cambridge for the County
Council. You can contact me at 07883271661 or e-mail
charlotte.humble87@gmail.com
Brian: I’ve been here for a year and we have one to go. Mell (my wife) is doing a 2
year BTh and we have 2 children Arwen(10) and Arthur(6) both at St. Pauls primary
school. I’m taking a two year career break to look after our kids so Mell can focus on
study without too many unnecessary distractions. I’m usually a Police Officer in the
Met, but you wouldn’t think that to look at me at the moment, as my appearance has
temporarily changed a little whilst here in Cambridge. We also live offsite right on the
outskirts of Cambridge and I can be contacted on 07790836254 or e-mail
jemmettb@gmail.com
You can also contact us using the partners’ e-mail address
partnersofwestcotthouse@gmail.com
or through our facebook page Partners of Westcott (POWs) (search Partners of
Westcott House)
Please feel free to contact us with any queries, concerns or even if you just want a
chat over a drink! If we can’t help we probably know someone who can
.
Involvement in Westcott House
Life at Westcott House can be a huge change for many, especially those who have
not been at university for a while or at all. As a partner to an ordinand, you can be
as involved in Westcott life as much or as little as you would like. Some partners
attend morning and evening prayer and take part in almost everything Westcott has
to offer while others rarely visit the college and might only attend the larger events
such as formal dinners. Most partners are somewhere in between and you’ll find
that how involved you are at Westcott will often depends on your personal
circumstances.
Here is a list of what is available for partners in the Westcott community:
Community night – every Thursday evening the whole community is welcome to
attend a Eucharist at 6pm in All Saints Church. There is a children’s groups during
the service and a crèche area in the south side of the Nave for babies and toddlers.
The service is followed by a soup supper where notices are given out by staff and
common room post holders. The bar is then a popular destination before Compline
at 9pm which is then followed by the Greater Silence in all shared House spaces
(often offset by a trip to the local pub).
Daily Office – morning and evening prayer is normative (compulsory)
for ordinands and takes place in the chapel every weekday (evening
prayer on Friday is not normative).
Federation worship – Fortnightly on Tuesday evening prayer is
replaced with Federation Worship. Each theological college within the
federation takes it in turn to hold an evening service in one of the churches around
Cambridge. This is normative for ordinands.
Tutor Group – On Wednesday morning tutor groups meet at 8am for breakfast.
Venues vary and often tutor group members who live at college or very close by take
it in turn to host.
Gardening – There are various gardening days throughout the year when the
community is encouraged to maintain the Westcott grounds.
Singing – The chapel choir meet weekly to rehearse and contribute to the Thursday
evening community Eucharist and other services. Rehearsals are organised by the
chapel musicians.
Sports –Helena Mayles is the current sport rep. Various sports activities are
arranged by the Sports Rep, in the past we have had Zumba Fitness classes,
running groups, football and cricket. There is a dart board and a collection of sports
equipment stored in the common room including, equipment for croquet, tennis,
squash, football and cricket, all available for use by Westcott members.
There are free tennis courts on Jesus Green and Christ’s Pieces, for information
about squash courts please see the Sports Rep. There are also many local gyms in
Cambridge with a variety of membership costs.
For further information on sports in Westcott and gym facilities in Cambridge please
contact the Sports Rep Helena Mayless at h.mayles@googlemail.com.
Partners ‘cooking master class’ – A group of us
meet a few times a year in the Common Room kitchen
to learn to cook various dishes, led by our very own
resident chef Dean. We cook and eat various dishes
washed down with a glass of wine (or two).
Lectures – Partners can audit course within the
federation. These applications have to be submitted by
9th October 2013, there is a fee of £30 per module
audited and you can audit up to a total of 4 modules. The list of modules to audit
should be available during the induction week, together with the application forms.
Meals – Families have 12 meals to use during the week at Westcott (Thursday
evening soup night does not count against your meal allowance).
Coffee morning – Partners meet every Thursday morning
from10.30 onwards to enjoy coffee and cakes. This is very
popular with partners with pre-school children, but all are
welcome.
Keys – You are entitled to a key to open the front and back gates of Westcott and
various doors within. If you do not have a key please let Charlotte or Brian know and
we will make sure to get it for you.
Common room – You are welcome to use the common room at any time. To
become a member of the common room you need to pay a fee (it was £15 but is
subject to change). This entitles you to vote in common room election and stand for
common rooms positions.
Other events – there will be various partners events throughout the year. We will
announce these at community night soup night and on facebook (search Partners of
Westcott or e-mail Brian or Charlotte for the link). If you have any ideas for partners
events please let Brian or Charlotte know and we will try to arrange.
Wheelchair and pram access – access to new court flats, chapel and library is via
the car park gate on Manor Street. There is a ramp that accesses D-block where
there is a toilet. Access to the common room and dining room is via the main door
on Jesus Lane.
Children at Westcott and Cambridge
The number and age ranges for children vary year on year.
Below are some ideas for involvement in life at Westcott
and in Cambridge
Food and changing – as with most places in the UK most
cafes, restaurants, shopping centres and large shops (John
Lewis etc) have baby changing facilities and high chairs etc.
Playgrounds – there are many green spaces and parks all
around Cambridge. A particular favourite due to its
paddling pool is Lammas Land in Newnham.
Cambridge City Library – has a great children’s department with activities during
the week. Please visit their website for the latest information
http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/directory/cambridge_central_librar
y.htm
Children’s Groups - Bounce-A-Round , St Andrew the Great, St Andrew's St,
Cambridge, CB2 3AX , is a weekly group for babies, pre-school toddlers and their
parents and carers to take part in craft activities, story time, music time and other
activities. It meets every Wednesdays during school term and runs between
10.00am-12.15pm. Tea, coffee, squash, milk and biscuits are available.
Cinema - The Picture House on Regent Street holds The Big Scream (you are
required to join the Big Scream Club) every Wednesday 11am for parents and
babies under 1 it shows new and classic movies.
There is also a Kid’s club every Saturday for a family only matinee, Toddler time and
Autism friendly screenings. Please see their website for details:
http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Arts_Picturehouse_Cambridge/Whats_On/Cl
ubs_Groups/
Sports - There is a wide variety of sports and swimming pools available for adults
and children alike. For information on the variety of opportunities please visit:
https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/sport-and-fitness
Mid week children’s church, Westcott House - is held Friday at 11am in the
chapel for pre-school children. Last year this involved Godly play and is followed by
refreshments in the Common Room.
The Ark at Great St Mary’s, Senate House Hill, Cambridge, CB2 3PQ – is a relaxed
service of Holy Communion for everyone and, in particular, for parents and carers,
and their pre-school children. It happens in the Chancel in an enclosed space with
the children sitting on mats playing with interactive toys, materials and books chosen
to help them engage with what’s going on. The aim is to allow adults to worship
without worrying about keeping their children still and quiet, and to help children feel
at home and included in the service. The service is followed by tea, coffee and
biscuits and, more often than not, cake. It meets every Tuesday at 10.30
For more information on children’s activities at Westcott contact this year’s children’s
representative Heather Leppard hl415@cam.ac.uk
Health and Dental
To find your nearest GP office please visit:
http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/GP/LocationSearch/4
Many families who live in Westcott use the Bridge Street Medical Practice:
http://www.bridgestreetmedicalcentre.com/ or call 0844 477 3939
Addenbrookes Hospital is the nearest A+E located at Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2
0QQ
For more information: http://www.cuh.org.uk/cms/addenbrookes-hospital
To find your nearest dentist please visit:
http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Dentists/LocationSearch/3
Life in Cambridge
Cambridge is a very transient city and can take a little time to get use to. Cambridge
has history and cultural activities in abundance but also has all the conveniences of
modern day life with plenty of restaurants, shops and supermarkets close to hand.
Cambridge is quite a safe city with crime quite low, except bike crime – make sure
you buy a good lock! During term time it is very busy with students and out of term
time it is very popular with tourists.
Cambridge Churches - There are many churches of different denominations in
Cambridge and many colleges have chapels with regular Sunday services. The best
way to find a Church of England near to where you will live is to ask around and visit
the Church of England website:http://www.churchofengland.org/
King’s College Residents Card - If you are a resident of Cambridge you can get a
Kings College Residents card that allows you to enter Kings College and chapel free.
The card costs £10 and lasts three years. You can apply online at
http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/visit/residents.html
General Information
Cinemas - There are three main cinemas in and around the centre of Cambridge.
Vue cinema Cambridge Leisure Park, Clifton Way, Cambridge CB1 7DY
Cineworld The Grafton Centre, E Rd, Cambridge CB1 1PS
Arts Picture House 38-39 St Andrew's St, Cambridge, CB2 3AR
Theatres - There are several theatres around Cambridge, including:
ADC Theatre Park St, Cambridge CB5 8AS
Cambridge Arts Theatre 6 St Edward's Passage, Cambridge, CB2 3PJ
Cambridge Corn Exchange 2 Wheeler St, Cambridge CB2 3QB
The Junction Clifton Way, Cambridge, CB1 7GX
Shopping – The centre of Cambridge has most of the usual high street shops plus a
market. There are two shopping centres both a short walk from Westcott House:
The Grand Arcade (in the centre of town) and The Grafton Centre. There are a
multitude of charity shops around the Grafton Centre. Cambridge has two retail
parks across the road from each other: The Beehive Centre (just off A1134
Newmarket Road) and Cambridge Retail Park (A1134 Newmarket Road). Both have
free parking (but it is limited and has large fines if you exceed the time) and include
shops such as:
Cambridge Retail Park: Homebase, Dunelm Mill, Dorothy Perkins, Sports Direct,
Argos, Halfords and others
Beehive Centre: TK Maxx, Toys R Us, Asda, M&S Food, Next Home and others
B&Q, PC World and Staples are also on Newmarket Road
Supermarkets
Cambridge has the usual supermarkets but most are not 24 hour.
Tesco Newmarket Road Superstore CB5 8HE, opening times 7.30-22.00 Monday to
Saturday, Sunday 11.00-17.00. No petrol station
Tesco Cambridge Milton Superstore CB24 6AY (just off A14) – 24 hour, Sunday
10.00-16.00. 24 hour Petrol Station
Tesco Cambridge Fulbourn Cherry Hinton Superstore – 24 hour, Sunday 10.0016.00. No petrol station
Sainsburys Coldhams Lane Superstore CB1 3HP – opening times 7.30-22.00,
Sunday 10.00-16.00. Petrol Station 24 hour
Sainsburys Sidney Street CB2 3HX (nearest supermarket to Westcott House) – in
the middle of town it is more like a very large Sainsburys Local. No parking.
Opening times Monday – Saturday 8.00-23.30, Sunday 11.00-17.00. No petrol
station.
Asda Cambridge Superstore CB1 3ER (In the Beehive Centre) – Opening times
Mon-Fri 6.00-24.00, Sat 6.00-22.00, Sun 10.00-16.00. No petrol station
Waitrose Cambridge CB2 9FT. Opening times Mon-Fri 7.30 -21.00, Sat 7.30-20.00,
Sun 10.00-16.00. No petrol station.
There are many convenient smaller supermarkets (Tesco Metro, The Co-op etc) all
over Cambridge.
Pharmacy - Like every UK town there are pharmacies in most supermarkets and
Boots in town along with those near doctors’ offices. The only midnight pharmacy is
Boots Cambridge Retail Park
Restaurants
Cambridge has all the chains you would expect in any city and quite a few
independent restaurants and bars; there are even a couple of Michelin star
restaurants if you are feeling extra fancy! The best way to find restaurants is to ask
people but there is also a handy restaurant finder below
http://www.visitcambridge.org/food-and-drink/restaurants
Transport
On the whole public transport is not cheap and if possible for your circumstance I
would advise purchasing a bicycle as Cambridge is very flat and has many bike
lanes. However, especially if you are living a bit further out of town, using the buses
might be necessary for you. Please visit the following website to find out all bus
information for wherever you will be living:
http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/around/buses/
Cambridge Train station CB1 2JW- Has very frequent trains to London and is not too
far from Westcott House. The ‘Citi’ bus no 1 goes to the station from Jesus Lane.
Taxis –are quite expensive in Cambridge compared to other cities in England. There
are a variety of taxi companies but Panther Taxis (01223 715715) and Cam Cab
(01223 704704) are reliable.