25th July 2010

Dear All,

It has been a quieter week with much wicket repairing and garden watering. Three matches on the Green this week following the carnival so plenty of filling and rolling.
On Monday we met at Clare College where the bursar gave us an interesting talk about the management of "the Backs". The six colleges which share the area try and manage the development collectively to maintain vistas, replanting and felling.
Question: what is the most common tree species on the Backs?
Answer: Limes 30%
Clare gardens next to the river are also fairly special with colour co-ordinated planting.

Clare College

Clare Gardens

Chapel cricket was successful again this week beating St Neots Methodists in a close finish reaching 140 in the llast over.

Our walk started at Ashdon on Thursday and unusually our esteemed leader lost the way a few times. It was a good walk via Radwinter with a few fields of barley and rape having been harvested.

Ashdon

We finished the Alpha course last week and held a celebration meal this week with several guests and possible future attendees present.

It was Rene Sanders funeral on Friday, the chief pallbearer was Wally Ambrose who was our goal keeper when I first played for Over. He is not naturally suited for his present occupation as he is immensely cheerful and tends to wave at people he knows in the congregation.

Rene


We have a holiday club starting Monday so there has been a bit of preparation this week on the theme of "Pirates finding Treasure". Kate and I are in charge of the 7 to 11s.

Yesterday we visited Fowlmere Nature Reserve which is owned by the RSPB. Highlights were spotting Water rail and trout in a clear stream.

Fowlmere Nature Reserve

love

Mike & Kate

18th July 2010

18th July

Dear All,

We have had Henry Olonga the former Zimbabwean test cricketer here for a "Tea & Talk" this evening.He was excellent and over 70 turned up. He told his life story, signed copies of his new book, sang and answered questions.

Henry & Jim

Going backwards it was Over Carnival and Produce Show yesterday, attendance was down a bit due to the blustery weather. The chapel stand with a local quiz and game went well again. We held a BBQ for helpers afterwards and we cleaned up the Green this morning as a public service.

Chapel stand

Clean up squad

I was second in the veg again with 6 x 1st, 7 x 2nd and 7 x 3rds - it saves the bother of polishing the cup.

This morning I was interviewd by BBC Radio Cambridge about last weeks award. It went OK until the interviewer signed off by saying "congratulations on your MBE"

On Friday Kate and I had a meal in the travelling field kitchen of the Riverford box scheme that I am doing some work for at Sacrewell, Peterborough. The meal was excellent and served in a yurt. The Lord Mayor of Peterborough was in attendance demonsrating his £11,000 gold chain of office.

Yurt Restaurant

For those who know her Rene Saunders from Longstanton died Friday am. She had been in Addenbrookes for a couple of weeks.

Our Thursday walk started at Ashwell near Baldock, it was rather blustery and included a field of newly shorn alpacas which resembled cuddly toys.

The college garden visit was to Pembroke the third oldest college in Cambridge with some excellent plants.

Pembroke College

love

Mike & Kate

11th July 2010

11th July 2010.

Dear All,

Highlight of this week has been Monday’s trip to Hampden Court Flower Show where I was presented the award of “Associate of Honour” from the RHS for life time services to horticulture by Sophie, Countess of Wessex. It was baking hot and I had to wear a suit but fortunately was able to ditch it soon after the lunch. Kate and I sat on a table with The Lord Lieutenant of Surrey and his wife and Vince Cable’s wife. The show was very good especially the Home Produce garden where they had transplanted a huge area of vegetables, flowers, cereals and sunflowers and kept them alive during the hot weather.

Sophie, me and the new RHS President




Hamden Court exhibits

The garden has needed some serious watering this week to keep things alive, it reached 118°F in the greenhouse.
Our walk this week started at Dalham near Newmarket and was a circuit via Barrow and Gazeley including the remains of a castle and the grounds of an estate. After we were invited to nearby Kirtling to the home of one of our number Roger Gilmour, this turned out to be a mansion with 26 acres! He was once director of Porton Down germ warfare unit - so it was Pimm’s for the second time in a week!

Dalham cottage

Roger’s place

On Friday I thought it would be a good chance to burn a small bonfire as it was very dry, I watered the ashes to make sure they were out and we changed to go to Sutton for a BBQ to celebrate Adrian Hart’s birthday. The start of the BBQ was delayed for 45 mins and Kate looked out of the window and saw the hedge and log pile alight. It took 45 minutes and 2 hoses to put it out! It was a good job we had not left at the original time.


Fire site

I was judging Little Paxton Produce Show yesterday but the entries were a bit weedy so it was not a very long job.
Kate has joined Esther at the Albert Hall today where they are practicing and singing “Gloria” by Karl Jenkins. It is the first time it has been performed and in Latin so I hope it goes well.

love

Mike & Kate

4th July 2010

4th July 2010.

Dear All,


It has been a fairly busy week. On Monday morning some of us went to Eden, Cambridge to hear an American, Wayne Gruden talk about “Christianity and Politics”. In the afternoon the college visit was to Selwyn where they spend more time planting annual borders than any previous college we encountered.

Selwyn Gardens

In the evening we joined some of the U3A walkers for a meal at the Golden Ball at Boxworth where we had recently dined with the cousins.
On Tuesday I was surprisingly in charge of the NIAB Salads open day at Shippea Hill (I thought I was just helping but my colleague opted for a training course). In the evening the chapel cricket team were performing on Parkers Piece but I did not get there in time to play.

Salads in Fen flat fields

On Wednesday I patched the wicket and tidied the garden before attending our old NIAB director John MacLeod’s funeral in Over church. There was a huge turnout as he was very personable and kept involvement with several organisations including RHS after retirement. There were 5 eulogies at the service. Afterwards I was picked up by Rob Haward to drive down to Devon via Norton (one of their bases) to help his company Riverford Organics with some consultancy on vegetable varieties. They are the largest box scheme in the country with a turnover of £35m. They operate from 5 sites including Sacrewell near Peterborough with HQ at Buckfastleigh near Newton Abbot. Growing vegetables in Devon with steep fields and narrow lanes is a challenge, so is growing 40 different vegetable crops and maintaining continuity and diversity throughout the season. Highlight was eating in their Field Kitchen where they show off the quality of their produce. They currently have a similar operation touring the country feeding people in a yurt.


Rhubarb in not so flat Devon

The journey back on Friday afternoon was painful as there seemed to be an accident or traffic jam every 50 miles.
Yesterday I was speaking at a farm walk in Willingham where a Christian farmer opens his operation for inspection every year with a guest speaker, farm tour, rare breed inspection and BBQ. I was due to speak in a barn using Powerpoint and Kate had collected the chapel laptop as we were leading the Family Service today. When I arrived I had picked up the wrong laptop! - but fortunately it was close enough to zip home and swap.

Farm walk in Willingham

Kate’s cough is much better but has not completely disappeared.
Love

Mike & Kate