Old Henry vacuums sport herby hairdos in uni garden

A who's who of the Henry world sport fancy new herby hairdos

Creative staff at a Cambridge University college have found an innovative way of saving their old vacuum cleaners from the scrapheap - and feeding their students at the same time.

The old Henry cleaners have been repurposed and planted with a variety of herbs for students at Fitzwilliam College to use in their communal kitchens.

Lined up on a sunny wall and planted with parsley, chives, mint, and coriander among others, the smiling faces of the vacuums sport a sign saying "please help yourself".

Senior college porter Dominic Luff described it as "the mythical Henry the hoover graveyard at Fitzwilliam College".

Posting a photo of the herb garden on local Facebook group Odd Things Around Cambridge, Mr Luff wrote: "We don't retire, we repurpose!"

College fellow Dr Nicola Jones said: "The gardens of Fitzwiliam College have a few secrets.

"Led by head gardener Steve Kidger, the gardening team has been cultivating a small battalion of retired 'Henry Hoovers', ready to offer culinary supplies and an amusing boost to students and staff alike during a busy exam term."

Smiley faces invite students to help themselves to the Henry herbs

She said the college had "a well-established tradition of making the green space fun and functional".

In 2018, one of the college’s courtyards - New Court - was transformed into vegetable patches full of pumpkins, tomatoes, squash and chillies.

"Now, throughout the year, students and staff are treated to free vegetable harvests," said Dr Jones.

"The students enjoy shared kitchens with full cooking facilities, and so there’s always a queue - although some are still working out how to make best use of the artichokes."

Students have their pick of fresh produce from the college gardens