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

3rd October 2010

3rd October 2010.

Dear All,

Kate and I were in Hutton yesterday helping Esther catch up with her garden: clearing and replanting the raised beds, tidying the greenhouse, digging the borders and filling holes in the lawn. The lawn is becoming like a petting zoo with rabbits, chickens and cats. Esther is off the Bulgaria in a couple of weeks to help with a project assessing people with learning difficulties.
On Friday John Law and myself travelled to St Pancras to meet up with Chris from Southampton who accompanied us on the last Moldova trip. It was my first good look at the refurbished St Pancras and I was very impressed.



St Pancras


John Betjeman and me

Kate joined the walkers on Thursday for a local trip from Elsworth via Knapwell, Childerley, Lolworth, Boxworth and Connington – only 9.5 miles this week! And fortunately the best weather of the week.
I visited an old NIAB colleague, Dick Knight on Wednesday as he wanted some onion data and examples for his gardening club at Bourne. He was with us when we visited W.E. Sherwell-Cooper’s garden at Arkley Manor many years ago. Sherwell-Cooper was gardening correspondent to the Christian Herald amongst many other journals and was used to accolades from admiring elderly ladies. Dick and I were a bit critical of a few aspects of his garden so he asked “What are your names?” Dick said “Knight” and I said “Day” so he turned on his heel and stalked off as he thought we were taking the mick!
Kate’s sister became a grandmother again this week as daughter Sue produced Alfie Thomas on Tuesday (as planned!) She is now converting to Catholisism to get here eldest into the local convent school!
Winter digging got underway this week and squash were all harvested for winter storage. Runner beans are still cropping and parsnips and carrots in full swing.
On Monday evening we had another meal out with some of the local walkers at the “George & Dragon” at Elsworth.
Ben has put some of his Madagascar photos onto Facebook, some examples are shown below.

Ben and local


Ben and wildlife



Local resident

Kate has just been heading up the catering for a post dedication lunch, last week’s dinner guests had Jonty dedicated this morning and brought about 30 guests with them.



Jonty

love

Mike & Kate