30 May 2026

 Walking to the Petersfield pub tonight I stopped to appreciate the familiar sights in the small streets off Mill Road. 

Here the Kingston Arms with the houses opposite reflected in its windows -

These were mostly homes built in the 19th century for Cambridge's working class, especially rail workers and traders. One of the reasons that Labour has had such a strong presence here.

 But this sign to Vote Green is a signifier of the change we saw in this month's local elections, where Labour lost its safe seat here (alongside nation-wide losses). Thankfully to the Greens, not Reform, in this case. 

It was quieter than usual at the Petersfield. I'm not sure why but it feels a distinctively Cambridge kind of pleasure to sit outside on a summer's evening in a basic, unpretentious pub garden.