19th December 2010

19th December 2010.

Dear All,

I hope you are all well, there are plenty of casualties around here but Kate and I have escaped so far. Discussing Christmas this week I said I enjoyed the build up but Kate said she much prefers the aftermath when all the food has been prepared and she can relax!
Plenty of celebrations this week, a meal with some of the walkers on Monday, the Astronomy party on Tuesday, NIAB Christmas dinner Wednesday and Carols 60th birthday dinner on Friday.
On Monday I had an appointment with a new dentist as our old one had left the practice. Talk about thorough, X Rays, jaw check, gland check, mouth and tongue check not to mention actually looking at the teeth! The U3A class visited Kettles Yard which is an art gallery set up by a former director of the Tate Gallery.


Kettles Yard

It was interesting but not many of the exhibits matched my taste. Kate had a Takeda do on Monday so I went to the northern Cambridge walker’s dinner at “La Mimosa” an Italian Restaurant, myself to meet up with a dozen others. It is situated on the banks of the Cam – an excellent position in summer.
The Astronomy party was not the wildest event I have ever attended – we all took a little food and were shown round the observatory and the oldest books in the library.
It was the last session of the “Maps in the Digital Age” on Wednesday, this has been an excellent course and covered not only maps but the internet as well. The NIAB Christmas lunch was held at Girton College this year and was decent food in grand surroundings even if we did lower the tone.



Girton College

On Thursday the walk was rather damp and windy but not as cold as the other days of the week. We started at Arkesden and touched Wicken Bonhunt, Clavering and Rickling.

Damp Arkesden

In the evening we had a visit from David Stearn a missionary from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. He and his wife are working with AIDS/HIV victims and experiencing death every day – a really tough assignment.
On Friday I collected a Christmas tree from Richard Fenwick’s plantation – £1 per foot and still the best value for money hereabouts. I did a solitary walk round Swavesey Fen which was looking splendid in the frost and snow.

Swavesey Fen

We were joined by Jane Gregory (husband in N. Ireland) and Rebecca Smith (husband poorly) for Carol’s 60th dinner.
We have escaped the worst of the weather again with just a thin covering of snow but of course very chilly. I hope travelling does not prove too difficult and everyone gets to where they hope to be over the next week.
Happy Christmas to all our readers!

love


Mike & Kate

12th December 2010

12th December 2010.

Dear All,

So – how is your build up to Christmas? December always seems to need a brake applied somewhere to slow it down. This week routine tasks have been augmented with pre Christmas activities like card writing, shopping, wrapping and posting.
On Monday I went to the Whipple Science Museum which houses many teaching aides and early models of scientific breakthroughs such as Newton’s wooden telescope, Burbage’s first computer (or difference machine) and the first electronic microscope. There are also several biological exhibits including glass models of the important crop fungal pathogens.

Whipple museum Globes


Grand Orrery

Wooden Telescope

NIAB on Tuesday – I have finally handed in my notice for March and received my State Pension application forms – what does it feel like to have a younger brother/father of pensionable age? NIAB developments advance at a pace with the squash court being demolished this week. In the evening class we studied “Astronomy in Cambridge” including Newton and the early observatories set up by the University.
On Wednesday the “Digital Age” was on the big players in the web and internet age and likely future developments – stand by for actual buildings on your SatNav, building plans for street level programmes and the sensory web.
I have visited a couple of ex NIAB folk this week, Bill Chowings and Brian Tyrell. Bill had a Spanish lorry back into him as he sat at the wheel and Brian had a fire after his freezer overheated.
I did the short walk on Thursday testing out my joints but actually it turned out to take longer than the normal walk as the leader missed the way. We started at Cowlinge some way south of Newmarket and took in Wickhambrook and Kirtling. It was cold but interesting and the ground was hard rather than muddy which helps



Walk near Wickhambrook

I had my last garden club of the year at Girton and a couple of the Ramblers came along to barrack! This was my 15th talk of the year and it would have been 20 if I hadn’t cancelled 5 while in Ecuador and Costa Rica.
On Friday Kate and I were invited to dinner with Roger and Erica Salmon from Rambling. If you had asked me I would have said that he was the most difficult man in the group to talk to so it was a bit of a surprise. It actually went better than anticipated, he had worked for Rothschild’s and been bursar of Kings College and at one stage involved with the privatisation of the railways, and she is German and worked in education and industrial psychology. They have visited Ecuador and actually stayed in The Black Sheep Hut where David, Jen and us stayed on our first visit.
Yesterday it thawed enough to lay some Mypex and plant strawberries on our new fruit cage site – as it has now frozen solid I hope it was a wise decision. In the afternoon we went to St Ives as Kate wanted some Christmas fare from Waitrose. The chapel on the bridge was open for the first time when we have been passing so we had a look round that as well.

St Ives Chapel on the Bridge

Kate had managed to sell Ben’s old exercise gym to someone from her work and they came to collect it in the morning – I had more exercise than I needed carrying it down the stairs, perhaps we should have reduced it to smaller parts?
In the evening we attended Over Pantomime “Aladdin” this year. It was written by one of my ex vet football companions and very good.


love


Mike & Kate

5th December 2010

5th December 2010.

Dear All,

We have escaped the worst of the snow and only accumulated about an inch all told. Rather different for most of you I guess, we have been down to Hutton this afternoon as Mary-Ann has been staying with Esther this weekend, and that part of Essex has been blessed with about 8”. Esther has been working from home for most of the week.


Daughters


Over’s weedy snow

Esther’s more impressive snow

Not too much to report this week, I went to work Monday as I had an RHS meeting in Vincent Square, London, on Tuesday. It snowed for much of the day but being London it did not settle (too much heat or pollution?).

RHS wood panelled conference room

I managed to get back in time for “Astronomy” and on Wednesday the “Digital Age” covered the World Wide Web which incredibly has only been running since 1999. In the evening it was a Proust discussion which is still leaving me a bit cool.
I missed the U3A walk on Thursday as my lift cried off not liking the look of the weather so I had be satisfied with a stroll round the Fens with Kate as she came home early in the afternoon. It was probably just as well as my knee has been playing up most of the week.

Overcote

We did a little more Christmas shopping on Friday and on Saturday I cleared the greenhouses and we were out for dinner with Rachel and Will a new young couple who have recently been attending chapel. They were both slightly under the weather with coughs and aches so we are crossing our fingers that they were not infectious!

love

Mike & Kate

28th November 2010

28th November 2010.

Dear All,

Have seen the starling acrobatic swarming at Fen Drayton twice this week and it is quite spectacular. There are thousands of birds which must accumulate from miles away. The early arrivals circulate waiting for the later ones to turn up then all of a sudden flop down into the reeds. Even later comers seem to not mess around and descend straight away.

Starling Cloud

On Monday I visited the Museum of Classical Archaeology in Cambridge (which I had never heard of!) – it is a massive display of cast copies of Greek and Roman statues and reasonably interesting as we had a guided tour.

Museum of Classical Archaeology

Astronomy was on the Terrestrial Planets: Mercury, Venus and Mars. At present you need to get up at 6.30am to see Venus – the brightest star in the sky.
For “Maps” we studied the history of The World Wide Web which incredibly only started in 1999.
My ankle, toe and knee have been playing up gout wise this week so I missed the walk this Thursday. I was able to dig the area planned for our fruit cage so didn’t waste the time.
I was taken for lunch by a seed company wanting me to do some consultancy on Wednesday but it remains to be seen whether it works out.
This morning we looked out of the window and a buzzard was tearing a small bird to pieces on the log pile. They really seem large close to.


Buzzard

(all bird pictures from net)
We have been entertaining today with the Whitfieds and Twiss’s (latest occupants of Pitt’s old bungalow opposite) here for lunch.
Tonight is the village Carol Service at St Mary’s so Christmas is getting seriously closer.

love

Mike & Kate

21st November 2010

21st November 2010.

Dear All,

Ben returned to Streatham on Monday in better weather than he arrived. Esther had a day in Cambridge with us on Monday before returning to Hutton in the evening. It is early for us to begin Christmas shopping but Esther acted like an enzyme – a stimulus to activate a dormant activity! We were also privileged to sample her personalised range of exclusive free range slug enhanced hens eggs.

Ben Departing for a Quick 75 miles

I left them in the afternoon for a conducted tour of the Folk Museum. This was started in 1935 to preserve mainly non University local history and artefacts. It is housed in an old pub at the bottom of Castle Hill and severely under funded.



Folk Museum Apple Peeler & Corer


Folk Museum Hat Making Kit

Next months Garden Column for “Over News” is, of course, on Brussels sprouts and is available as usual for syndication.
Tuesday was work, including a trip to our leek trial which is 2.3 miles off the beaten track in the middle of the fens. Part of the NIAB site (nearest the road) is being rapidly developed for housing and really is like working on a building site at present.


NIAB Site November 2010

After work I had my weekly Astronomy fix – this week on the outer gas giant planets and in the evening yet another Garden Club (5th in 5 weeks) at Swaffham Prior.
The map course on Wednesday covered “Using Geographic Information”.
Thursday’s walk was tough as it was muddy starting at Stansfield, 10.1 miles via Hawkedon, Scoles Gate, Purton Green and Denston. I was struggling a bit with gout like symptoms in knee and toe which has since settled in my ankle.


Approaching Stansfield

We have invested in a fruit cage for the garden so I have been clearing where it is planned to go. It was time to lift dahlias and gladiolas this week and plant a few lettuce in the greenhouse.
Fen Drayton Pits are deemed a great place to observe the starling murmerations at dusk but it has been rather foggy most evenings this week so it has spoilt it so far.


love

Mike & Kate

14th November 2010

14th November 2010.

Dear All,

Ben cycled up from Stretham with a friend Tim on Friday, 75 miles in 7 hours with a lively wind accompaniment. Tim returned today but Ben is returning tomorrow. Esther came up for lunch today having been singing in a concert last night. She too is staying overnight to begin Christmas shopping with Kate tomorrow.
We had a chapel away day yesterday at Perry next to Graffham Water again (where Graham led last time); this time we had a lawyer, Andrew Kean discussing when it is right for Christians to disobey the law. It was a very interesting topic.

Away Day at Perry

Graffham Water at Perry

Otherwise business as usual – a visit to the Sedgewick Museum on Monday which houses 1 million fossils, 160,000 rock samples and 40,000 mineral exhibits. The collection was started in the 17th century by a man called Woodward; Sedgewick was one of his students who ended up getting the museum named after himself.

Sedgewick Ammonites

Sedgewick Archaeopteryx

A busy day at work on Tuesday as my colleague is in NZ visiting his parents for the first time – they emigrated in 1991!
Another Garden club this week – this time at Histon. After the maps course on Wednesday I had to go to work to meet folk from Gardening Which and then cut the grass for what might be the last time and dug in the runner beans. In the evening our church group had a meal out at the “Wok ‘n Grill” eat too much diner!
The Thursday walk was a bit serious with wind, rain and mud but our leader was absent convalescing injured heels so no extra miles! We started at Therfield above Royston and walked to Buckland and Reed crossing the A10.
The Royal British Legion have joined our evening service tonight, after ageing for sometime they seem to have recruited some younger blood.

Last Nights Sunset

love

Mike & Kate

7th November 2010

7th November 2010.

Dear All,

No walk this week as it was the annual NIAB Onion Open Day on Thursday. It is an all day event as the Steering Group meet in the morning to review the year’s results and plan next years trials, then the samples are on display for everyone in the afternoon. This was a bit poignant as it is likely to my last as a NIAB employee as I plan to stop next March on my 65th after 41.5 years at NIAB!

Onion Display

My Monday class took us to the Cambridge University Zoology Museum which was interesting but there was no one free to show us round so I guess you do not get so much out of it (like walking in the jungle without a guide?). They have an impressive collection of mammal skeletons, UK birds and some of Darwin’s specimens.

Zoology Museum


In the evening a group of us travelled to Peterborough to hear Jeff Lucas and Adrian Plass speaking on their “Seriously Funny Tour” It was sold out with over 1000 there and an experience to be in the vast Kingsgate Church which is a new building on an industrial estate.
Tuesday was work, Astronomy – the moon this week, followed by groups.
Wednesday “Maps in the Digital Age”, a church events committee at lunchtime so I fed them afterwards followed by a Garden Club talk at Barley. This was held in the Town House, their village meeting room which was the first venue to be licensed for non church or registry office weddings.

Barley Town House

Kate was off on Friday but had a scan so I went with her to St Ives and afterwards we visited the Norris Museum (museum overload?) and the market.
Saturday I gardened in the am: clearing tomatoes and runner beans and some digging. In the afternoon I watched Hardwick 1 v 3 Over (slightly against the run of play) and in the evening we helped Gordon celebrate his 58th birthday.
Today Isaac, the youngest Kean child was dedicated so we have just returned from a meal at chapel again masterminded by Kate.

Isaac Kean

Haven’t the autumn colours been brilliant this year? These photos were taken in Dry Drayton.




Autumn Colours at Dry Drayton
love

Mike & Kate

31st October 2010

31st October 2010.

Dear All,

Kate and I took part in the “Wallaby Walks” last weekend which are arranged each year to raise money for local children’s charities. We stayed in Leek and walked on Saturday pm round Titteswell Reservoir, Sunday the Goyt Valley and Monday through Ilam Country Park. Saturday was damp but the other days were frosty, clear and bright – ideal for walking (and photography!). We called in at Bolehill on the way back.

Near the Cat & Fiddle

Errwood Reservoir

The Roaches


Ilam




Tuesday was busy with work, 2 U3A classes and church groups. One of the classes was visiting the University museum of Anthropology and the other Astronomy. Wednesday it was “Maps in the Digital Age” which so far looks to be the most promising class.

Anthropology Museum


On Thursday we began our walk at Furneux Pelham and circled via Hare Street, it was sticky under foot and fairly strenuous. One of the ladies is an expert on Proust so a few of us have been trying to read “The Way by Swann’s” to discuss in the pub over lunch. It is tough going and I cannot quite see why it is so famous so far.
It has been good digging weather so I have broken the back of it and been incorporating mustard this week. Runner beans are incredibly still cropping and we have picked more raspberries this week than all through the year. Kate is continuing to juice windfall apples on an industrial scale as the trees have cropped so heavily this year.

Digging in Mustard

Friday I had to fill in a load of RHS forms justifying trials in 2012 and then had a Garden Club talk in Cottenham.
On Saturday we delivered the annual fund raising quiz at the Day Care Centre. Kate made up all the questions and I was quiz master. It takes a long time composing the questions, printing all the question sheets for the picture rounds and the answer sheets but it is quite good fun.

Quiz

Apart from the above it has been a quiet week!

love
Mike & Kate

17th October 2010

17th October 2010.

Dear All,

I started the new U3a term this week with two new classes (another starts next week) together with the continuation of the walking. On Monday it was “Cambridge Past, Present and Future”, we met at the Scott Polar Museum and had a talk about the 8 University Museums and a look round the SPM.

Capt Oates Sleeping Bag

The Discovery

On Wednesday it was “Maps in the Digital Age” which was very interesting with so many new developments and exciting sites on the web. Try www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk/ to see how your ancestors have spread out.
Thursdays walk started in Hildersham and included Linton, Hadstock and Abington. The weather was not great as it was misty and drizzly but being the first of a new term there were 48 participants. It always starts like this until our leader burns off the softies!
After the class on Wednesday I travelled up to Lincolnshire for the seed trade brassica open days around Boston and Spalding. There were seven in total but I only managed three.

Cabbage plot at Elsoms

Kale plots

On Friday we had a new fridge delivered, the car MOTed, cut the grass (again) dug some more garden, sowed over wintered broad beans, wrote a garden column and distributed 6 CDs of the College Gardens.
Yesyerday it was Chapel Cleaning Day with much dumping of “stuff” which inevitably accumulates. In the afternoon I watched Waterbeach 0 v 4 Over.
Sam Foster got engaged last weekend (what odds would you have got on that a few months ago?)
Esther should have flown out to Bulgaria this morning. They land in Sofia but have a 300 km journey after to reach their destination.
love

Mike & Kate

11th October 2010

11th October 2010.

Dear All,

Serious entertaining this weekend with Mandy and Natasha visiting from Derbyshire. When it comes to parenting skills Phil and Mandy are definitely more Ann Widdicombe rather than Pamela Stephenson in Strictly Come Dancing terms! It takes Kate some time to recover and you seriously wonder how things will work out!
On Saturday we travelled to Heybridge Basin near Maldon, to view Alfie, the new arrival in Kate’s sister’s family. He seems promising material as he went all day without crying.

Alfie

Sister Emma

Heybridge Basin

More digging this week and planting of over-wintered onions, shallots and garlic. Another talk this time to Cambridge Geranium Society who were aged but appreciative.
I missed the Thursday walk this week as I went to the National Carrot Demonstration at Papplewick near Nottingham. We drill the plots for the demonstration and there are also machinery and chemical exhibits. Last time we were in this area a huge hole opened up in the middle of the field as a mine gave way.

Carrot Plots

Kate and I did a walk round the Swavesey Pits on Thursday evening and we also walked Mandy and Natasha round Wicken Fen on Sunday afternoon.

Wicken Fen

We helped with a new Youth Group on Friday organising “Mini Olympics”. It was like rolling back the years but we both felt rather aged!
love

Mike & Kate