letter 28th September 08

19 Willingham Road
Over
Cambridge
CB24 5PD

28th September 2008.

Dear All,

Fairly busy week including 2 days at work, 2 on the cricket square, preparing a quiz, packing for Moldova and a bit of gardening.
Work consisted of grading, recording and assessing onions from sets for an open day on the 2nd October. NIAB have another new director (my 7th!) this time a lady who was the site manager and very sensible. Her predecessor was probably a good scientist but poor manager of people and spent most of his time globe trotting so won’t be greatly missed although he did take an interest in the Moldova project.
The cricket square winter maintenance went well. We hired a trailer of equipment from the County CC donated by Channel 4 when they had the Test Match coverage. It is based at March so was a 45 minute journey to collect and return. We scarified the wicket twice, aerated with spikes, fertilized, reseeded and loamed from a spreader barrow. The one serious error we made was to let the parish council obtain the loam from their budget as when spread it proved to be full of small stones so I spent the best part of a day raking them off.

a) Trailer

b)Scarifier and aerator



Friday I took Janet Burr to the doctors as she has just had heart surgery and the wound was seeping, picked up windfall apples for Kate to juice, pricked out winter lettuce, planted more onions and planted out spring cabbage. In the evening we hosted a quiz for the Day care Centre at the chapel. Kate had composed most of the questions and I printed answer sheets, composed a PowerPoint file and acted as question master. The room was packed and we raised £255.
Saturday morning was spent packing the contents of the next lorry for Moldova at NIAB. This one is meant to be mainly for Educational purposes but we have accumulated an enormous quantity of clothes as well. The authorities in Moldova are becoming very fussy as to what they will accept even though they are short of everything so we have to be very careful that the lorry contents match the paperwork. The draft list has already been turned down twice in an attempt to protect their own non-existent industries.
The early mists we have had a couple of mornings this week showed up a prodigious quantity of spiders webs which looked very attractive.


Dewey spider’s webs


We have booked a week in Cornwall starting next Saturday so no letter next week. We have a late booking (-20%) with the Fosters and Kitsons at Gorran Haven near Mevagissey.

Love


Mike & Kate