Both have some lovely independent shops, but one has lots of shops that locals have no reason to visit
Two hometowns, both alike in dignity, in East Anglia where we lay our scene… It’s no Capulet vs Montague rivalry, but there is fierce competition in my heart for the two places where I’ve lived for most of the last 17 years: Cambridge and Stamford.
In many ways, they are quite similar, with historic centres and associations with poshness. Stamford may even have been a contender for academic rivalry among Cambridge and Oxford, had an attempt by Oxford students to establish a university in the town succeeded.
However, it feels to me like Stamford is a place for people to live, but Cambridge is a place for people to visit – whether that’s for a few years as a student, or for a day trip as a tourist. Nowhere is that more clear than the shopping on offer.
Stamford has lots of lovely independents mixed in with the classic British fare of charity shops and coffee chains. There’s antiques shop Hoptroff and Lee, cheese shop Rennet & Rind, family jeweller Dawsons, and The Stamford Fabric Company – which is run by my mum.
Cambridge has its share of independents, like Iris & Violet (which also has a Stamford branch), gift shop Ark, clothing shop Bowns, Tea Apothecary, and Cambridge Contemporary Art. But overwhelmingly it feels as though the city centre is a hub of fast food chains and tourist tat.
There are some shops in Stamford that sell items that could be seen as touristy – I’m mainly thinking of postcards in the Walkers bookshop – but it’s not on the scale of tourist offerings in Cambridge. For many locals, there is no reason to go into lots of Cambridge’s shops, since we don’t need or want mugs or hoodies or tote bags emblazoned with the university’s name.
Particularly baffling is the trend of Harry Potter-themed shops opening in Cambridge, a city which has absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter. It wasn’t filmed or set here, nor do any of the actors have a link with the city. And yet it seems as though having a vaguely historic and studious vibe is all that it takes for someone to make the link to Harry Potter. Fortunately, that link has not yet been made in Stamford – and I hope it never is.
Every time I see a new version sprouting up in Cambridge, I wonder what other business it might have edged out. There must be a greater demand for wizarding wares and pieces of plastic than I had thought.
It’s a good thing Cambridge wins out for me in terms of things to do, with plenty of museums, pubs, and places to explore. But when I need to escape from the parade of plastic and torrents of tourist shops, Stamford is a much more pleasant place to spend a lazy weekend.
