28th June 2009

28th June 2009.

Dear All,

By popular demand I am beginning with photos of the new kitchen (which will be dull if you can’t open the pictures). A new cooker was also included in the transformation and we are still getting used to it.


There has been plenty of gardening this week to catch up from a week away. The rain has helped freshen things up and last Sunday’s lunch included new potatoes, peas, broad beans, cabbage, carrots and strawberries all from the garden. Next Sunday we have our first “Chapel Open Gardens” afternoon.
Our chapel projector has been playing up recently throwing excess green colouring but only intermittently. We have tried changing the bulb, tightening cables etc and contacted a few likely experts. It was OK today but it is difficult to trust it.
We attended a U3A BBQ for the Travel and Walking groups on Wednesday at Dry Drayton. It was a remarkable venue, a cattery on land formerly church owned, on which someone built three houses for his sons. The grandmother is still alive and a keen weaver so one shed is full of looms, one of the houses seems to be a sort of commune with 16 people on site and the grounds are massive including the croquet lawn. The food was cooked by an old Africa hand “bush style” and was excellent.
We had another Moldova planning meeting this week and decided to buy some more equipment, a pump, ride on mower, hand grinding tools and possibly a maize drill. We have found all but the drill so far and the next lorry is booked for early September.
Thursday’s walk was Icknield Way section 6 from Elmdon to Linton via the M11 and Great Chesterford. It was pleasant enough without being spectacular. 10 miles followed by cricket in the evening meant I was not too frisky that night! The chapel beat Cambridge Police and are unbeaten so far this season


Great Chesterford



Linton

The largest garden in Over, belonging to the Hooks next to the chapel, was open last Sunday. He is a venture capitalist and has invested substantial sums into the garden. It was very impressive.


Hook’s garden

Love


Mike & Kate

21st June 2009

21st June 2009.

Dear All,

We have just enjoyed a great week walking in the Yorkshire Dales with the U3A. There were 30 of us in total and our base was at Malham; most of us stayed in Beck Hall which dated back to 1701 with a stream running close to the front.
On Sunday we assembled at Bolton Abbey for a walk and conducted tour of the Abbey. It was heaving with folk most of whom seemed to be sitting by their cars watching the river. Did you know that Fred Trueman is buried at the Abbey?

Bolton Abbey

Monday we had a circular route from the Hall via Gardale Scar, Malham Tarn and Malham Cove. There was a family of Peregrine Falcons at the Cove and the RSPB had telescopes set up for easier observation.


View from the top of Malham Cove

On Tuesday we repeated a walk Kate and I had done previously in Wharfedale starting and finishing at Buckden. The weather was fine all day and the flowers were exceptional. We stopped at a church and pub in Hubberholme where J.B.Priestley’s ashes are scattered (in the churchyard not the pub!). We visited Grassington on the way back.


Wharfedale

Wednesday was a rest day and we had arranged a trip on the Settle to Carlisle railway. This was good planning as it rained all day. We had an enthusiastic guide and stopped at Appleby before returning to Settle. In the evening we had a posh meal in a country house arranged at a discount price by our Lieutenant Colonel.


Ribblehead Viaduct

Thursday was the longest walk 14 miles around Dentdale, a steepish climb, a long contour walk and return along the river.


Dentdale

Friday there was another walk south from Malham and we returned to the Cove afterwards where there were some Redstarts.


Friday walk

We visited the Bronte museum at Haworth on the way home Saturday and arrived. home in time to inspect the new kitchen and download the photos.

Love


Mike & Kate

8th June 2009

8th June 2009.

Dear All,

Late delivery this week, Kate has cleared the kitchen and the workmen arrived on time this morning to strip the old units and tiles and install the new.
We attended a U3A lecture on “A New Way to look at the Countryside” this week by Dr Peter Friend. His son is in my cricket team and Peter who was a geology lecturer at CU has just written a new book explaining why the scenery looks as it does.
On Friday we also went to a photographic exhibition in Longstanton church mainly by Jeff Harrison a native of Longstanton who is a semi professional wildlife photographer specialising in kingfishers and barn owls. He gave an illustrated talk as well as showing stills and it was excellent, have a look on his website if you are interested: http://www.jeffharrisonphotography.co.uk/
It was Icknield Way section 4 on Thursday from Baldock to Therfield. This was the best section so far with good views and over hung leafy lanes.

Therfield near Royston

Icknield Way section 4

As a rarity we won both chapel and village cricket matches this week only hospitalising one man on Wednesday (ball in the teeth) and felling two with blows to the body on Saturday (neither incident anything to do with me) I managed 30 runs and 2 wickets on Saturday so there is still some life in the old dog…..
I managed to break the drive belt on the cricket mower last week and had an anxious wait for a replacement which did not turn up until Friday so we had to prepare the wicket in the rain.
We hope to go walking in the Yorkshire Dales next week so no letter.

Love


Mike & Kate