As if juggling wasn’t tricky enough a skill to master, the Cambridge University Jugglers’ Association (CUJA) has found the perfect way to up the ante: combining it with surely the most Cambridge of all pastimes.

Juggle Punting, which takes place in Easter Term after exams have finished, sees CUJA members passing clubs or other props between moving punts as they make their way up and down the Cam. “The fun of it is just the chaos if someone drops a club and you have to navigate around to fish it out,” says CUJA secretary and former president James Cozens (Selwyn 2018). “You have several people juggling and the whole thing’s moving around, so the person punting along has to be really careful. We’ve had some very funny moments of people nearly falling in.” The event is a great way of showcasing what CUJA is all about: silliness, fun and, if you’re ready to put the time and effort in, some truly impressive circus skills. But, stresses Cozens, the society is very much open to all.

“There is a huge range of skill level,” he says. “We run three-ball workshops, where maybe 60 per cent of people have never juggled before. Three balls is very accessible.” One highlight of the year is the annual Camvention, one of the UK’s biggest juggling conventions, held in collaboration with the Cambridge Community Circus. The group also performs at May Balls, runs welfare workshops across the university and hosts a ‘fire night’ featuring – you guessed it – fire spinning and juggling. But it’s not just juggling. CUJA’s weekly sessions – held outdoors in the charming environs of Jesus Green in good weather – are an extravaganza of plate spinning, unicycling, poi, diablo and more. Cozens, who holds the Guinness World Record for the most objects juggled while riding a unicycle (seven balls, for 16.77 seconds, in case you’re wondering), along with some of the other more experienced members of the society, enjoys sharing tips and tricks with newbies through a variety of weekly workshops.

“It’s a very fun and relaxed atmosphere,” he says. While juggling and circus skills are currently a fairly niche pastime, that might not be the case for much longer, with potential inclusion in the Olympics on the horizon, following a long campaign from the World Juggling Federation. Today, juggling on Jesus Green… tomorrow, possible Olympic Gold.