18th December 2011

18th December 2011.

Dear All,

Highlight for Kate this week has been presentations to mark her retirement – even though she has a week to go. Takeda were very generous donating an I-pad, a copy of “Rosetta Stone” for Spanish, some tokens and a smart flower arrangement. Those far eastern folk have a great respect for old age!



Presentation

Highlight of my week was having a load of manure delivered which amounted to 38 barrow loads and warmed me up on a cold day. We had our first snow on Friday which did not settle here but it was “white over” at Little Chesterford.


Manure delivery

Our Thursday walk was a relaxed circuit of Cambridge, STOPPING at places of interest and a mince pie and mulled wine halt at one of our member’s houses. We saw several historic buildings that I had not seen before.

Remains of Barnwell Priory

Chesterton Towers

I popped into NIAB on Tuesday to see how they are coping without me. The site is unrecognisable with houses springing up like mushrooms.
The Tuesday film was “The French Can Can” and Art Appreciation covered Van Eyck, Raphael and Cranach.
I fetched a Christmas tree yesterday from Fenwick’s plantation – still the best value for money at £1 per foot and this year complete with cones. Football watching was rather cool but 3 v 3 result helped keep the spectators interest.
Christmas plans seem to be firming up in that Kate, Ben and I have been invited to Esther’s for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Mary-Ann, Andy and Amélie hope to join us for Boxing Day and then Esther and Andy have to return to work so those who are able will come to Over with Esther joining for the weekend – at least I think that is what is planned!

love


Mike & Kate

11th December 2011

11th December 2011.

Dear All,

Well it cannot be delayed – Christmas draws on. This week we have shopped, posted parcels to far flung nieces and nephews, delivered the church cards and finalised (?) plans as to who will be where and when.
Kate and I travelled to Hutton yesterday to meet up with Esther, Mary-Ann and Amélie. Amélie was very bouncy and Esther had purchased a storage unit, table and filing cabinet from IKEA which needed assembling. Actually the construction was easier than expected, I guess they are improving all the time?







U3A film was “12 Angry Men” – reminiscent of my jury experiences!
U3A Art Appreciation was Leonardo, Venice and Florence
U3A walking was fairly local starting at Eltisley and visiting Caxton, Cambourne, Bourn and Great Gransden. 10.3 miles, firm underfoot but very windy.

love


Mike & Kate

4th December 2011

4th December 2011.

Dear All,

On Saturday Kate and I went to the Fitzwilliam Museum to see the two current exhibitions: “Vermeer’s Women – Secrets and Silence” and “Treasures of Vienna”. Not bad and good value as they were both free!



Vermeer, The Lacemaker

Fitzwilliam Museum

Our solar panels are producing electricity but registering them with the power company has proved far from straightforward and needed daily progress chasing phone calls.
We had a meal at Ely in the “Old Fire Engine House” with some of the walkers on Monday – it was very good. Kate had already been out at lunchtime to celebrate a success at work – a project she has been working on for 2 years has been upgraded to “drug discovery”.
The U3A film was “Of Gods and Men” 2010 based on a true story about some French monks in Algeria peacefully co existing with the local Muslims until a gang of militants became active and abducted them. It was well done but 30 mins longer than it needed to be.
Art Appreciation was on Michelangelo and after Kate joined me and we started Christmas shopping.
Walking started in Arkesden and visited Brent Pelham and Clavering, a mere 11 miles.

Clavering
I had lunch with some old NIAB colleagues on Friday and then finished digging in the mustard for green manure.


Digging complete

The Over match was abandoned after 20 mins yesterday as one of their players suffered a very bad broken leg and the ambulance took about 45 mins to arrive.
We have been out to lunch with the Whitfields, opposite today – first time in 40 years!


love


Mike & Kate

27th November 2011

27th November 2011.

Dear All,

Highlight of this week has been becoming the proud? owners of 8 solar panels. It has been a rather tortuous process put they are installed if not finally registered as yet. They are photovoltaic panel which generate electricity not heat. Both sets of fitters (electricians [Albanian] and roofers) came from north London and both got lost in the rural wastelands of the Fens, so instillation started later than planned and was completed in the dark. The original plan was for 6 panels but there was clearly room for more so I had to scramble to the depot for 2 extra, and there could have been even more. I am not sure why they undersold but the whole process was fraught due to the Government changing the timetable.

Solar Panels

I had to miss the Thursday walk as I was at the Riverford Cropping Conference where I had to explain the variety proposals I had made to 45 of their growers and technical staff. It was quite enjoyable except that I was introduced as a “World Expert” This was followed by an organic lunch and farm walk.
The U3A Art Appreciation this week covered Bruegel, Masaccio, Rossellino and Verrocchio – all questions in writing with a good lead time please.
We had the Cricket AGM on Monday and I was given a £100 cheque for the charity of my choice (CEEM) for services rendered on the square. Tuesday we went to the Corn Exchange to an event by Rob Parsons “How to get your kids through church without them hating God”. Friday we had a Deacons & Wives meal and last night we came 2nd out of 13 in the C of E quiz.
Otherwise there have been extra church duties with David on sick leave and few bits of gardening: clamping the Dahlias, cutting the grass for the last (?) time this year, sawing logs etc.
The contrast in weather between 2010 and 2011 is remarkable as these pictures illustrate.



24th November 2011



24th November 2010


25th November 2010


love


Mike & Kate

20th November 2011

20th November 2011.

Dear All,

Highlight of the week was appearing at the “Carrot & Onion Conference” dinner at Peterborough on Wednesday night to present the NIAB Variety cup to a carrot breeder. The trophy is awarded to a variety that has impressed during the previous 12 months and covers all crops. Vegetable varieties have only been successful 3 times before in 25 years and this was the first carrot to triumph! Eskimo (the carrot) won because has the ability to be stored in the open ground for a long time without costly polythene and straw protection. I managed to work in a couple of Eskimo jokes and met a lot of people I know most of whom were cheerful due to an hours free bar!
Scaffold arrived on Wednesday for our solar panel instillation but the panels were postponed until next week. It did give me the chance to clear much of the moss off the roof which seemed to be much higher than I remember!
On Friday we had the cavity wall in the old part of the house filled which cost £99 due to a generous Government grant for pensioners – not right really is it?

Cavity Wall filling

The Garden Which book reviews were published this week (December issue) and I have received the draft for the “email plants” write up for January.
I have been swimming, walking and digging this week to stay grounded as we have a difficult problem to deal with at church.
The Thursday walk started at Ousden south of Newmarket and was very much in racing stud territory. Rich sheiks have brought up farms and built copy cat stud farms in the area.



Stud farm

Woods near Ouseden

The internet has been playing up this week but is now hopefully fixed by our Bulgarian friend – some instructions do come up in Russian but it works!
We had a church “Awayday” at St Neots yesterday led by Mike Kendall the local pastor and called in at the starling murmeration again on the way home.

St Neots Awayday

Our Nerines always flower very late, this year they have avoided frost so far and are this weeks star plant!



love


Mike & Kate

13th November 2011

13th November 2011.

Dear All,

The week started fairly busy – and did not change much later!
On Monday I was at Sacrewell near Peterborough doing an initial presentation for the Riverford Crop Management group on varieties for the 40 different crops they grow for their box delivery scheme. Once this has been knocked into shape there is a conference for their 30 growers later in the month.

Riverford Boxes

On the way back I was passing the Swavesey Pits in time to watch the starling “murmeration” which lasted for for over 30 minutes and was truly spectacular.



Starling Murmeration

In the evening we had a tricky Deacons meeting trying to resolve an on going problem.
Tuesday I was at Wisley for the annual trials planning meeting – nothing like getting on the M25 and message coming up “Long delays between junctions 4 and 7!” I got home in time for a Garden Club talk at Houghton Conquest between Bedford and Luton, not ideal planning and it was a miserable dark, drizzly journey. They were a decent crowd however and it was much clearer on the return journey, but my car radio had packed up so all journeys seem longer at present.
I tried to get the foresaid radio mended on Wednesday so left my car at the garage and biked to the Guided bus stop at Swavesey. A bus came in 30 seconds and dropped me in town 50 yards from my destination at U3A HQ. So far the Guided bus gets my vote and it seems to be well supported albeit with a fair number of freeloading pensioners like myself!
This weeks Art Appreciation was on Botticelli and Bruegel amongst others. The lecturer ain’t great but it is a question of getting what you can from the pictures.
We had a good walk on Thursday taking in all the “Ends” near Thaxted: Howletts End, Cole End, Sewards End and Wimbish.


Sewards End

Wimbish Hall

After I popped into NIAB with a couple of the walkers who are keen gardeners to look at the annual Onion Open Day display.

NIAB Onion Display 2011

I managed to fit in a bit more digging on Friday and in the evening we ran an area youth quiz at the chapel standing for the normal leader whose daughter was 21 the next day. Kate prepared the questions and it went very well. Very poor scores on “Identifying the Cola round!”
We had a men’s breakfast at the Anglican Hall yesterday and in the afternoon I watched Over struggling to beat lower division Girton 3 v 1 AET in the cup. Afterwards I had a really good bonfire to get rid of garden rubbish – without setting fire to anything else!

love


Mike & Kate

6th November 2011

6th November 2011.

Dear All,

I have been to London once and Cambridge three times this week. The London trip was RHS consultation at Vincent Square as their shake up of all the plant committees continues. I arrived early on Tuesday and walked from Victoria to Westminster Abbey and Parliament Square. Afterwards it was still sunny so I caught the lift to the top of Westminster Cathedral for a panoramic view from the top of the campanile (276’).

Pub in Victoria Road

Westminster Cathedral

Views from the Cathedral

Wednesday was Art Appreciation which was mainly German artists including Hans Holbein and Grunewald. Before this I popped into a gallery showing the miniature engravings of Graham Short, he has perfected a technique of engraving on pin heads, razor blade edges, coin edges, staples etc by working in-between heart beats, in the quite of the night, wearing a medical stethoscope and through a very powerful microscope. Why? I hear you ask; well he has just sold his last piece for £50,000.

Graham Short

Thursdays walk was reasonably local starting at Gt Eversden and taking in Toft and Bourn golf course.


Little Eversden

In the evening I attended a talk in the Round Church by Krish Kandiah about Christians attitude to the digital age and social media, he is clearly a fan and has embraced blogs, Twitter, Facebook, I pads etc wholeheartedly. It was an interesting presentation with more places dropped into conversation than I have heard recently. He asked to be remembered to Graham and Mary but hopes to see you shortly at his birthday party.
On Friday we had a visit from a Solar panel salesman which we nearly cancelled because of the Government changing the goal posts and reducing the rates of payment in early December. However he came and they still have a few slots guaranteed to be fixed and registered before the cut off date so we have signed up. At the same time another man came offering heavily subsidised cavity wall insulation and we signed up for that too – an expensive day that was not planned at breakfast time!
In the evening we went to the Corn Exchange to see Milton Jones (a comedian Mary). It was the first time we have been to a live comedy show and he was brilliant.
Saturday was gardening, preparing a presentation for Riverford and the village firework display. The fireworks were spectacular and seem to get better every year.
We stood with the Ramsbottoms so caught up a bit on Tom etc.
Burrs and Julia O’Neil for lunch today.

love


Mike & Kate

30th October 2011

30th October 2011.

Dear All,

I had a visit to West Dean gardens near Chichester on Monday, they were hosting an RHS celeriac trial and a couple of us missed the Panel visit earlier so were given a personalised conducted tour by Sarah Wain the Gardens Manager. They started dedicated pepper, tomato and apple days which have been copied throughout the land – there were 16 pepper days in the UK this year. West Dean had 280 varieties of peppers and attracted 20,000 visitors over 3 days. The estate was funded by the Dodge Foundation and covers 6,000 acres, a college as well as the gardens.

West Dean

The U3A film this week was all 4 hours and 3 minutes of “Cleopatra” the length reduced the audience of the elderly fearing that one toilet break would not be sufficient! I remember the coverage in 1963 when it came out as delays eventually cranked the cost up to $44m and part of the studio had to sold to cover the loss. It was however much better than I imagined but would almost certainly been better split in two.
Kate led house group on Tuesday on the subject of “Saudi Arabia” which was very interesting but has not promoted it further up the “must visit” league.
On Wednesday I returned the cricket pitch motor roller to its winter quarters on a farm down the fen. On the way a guy I know was by chance making a stone drive for someone so I earned £20 (for the club) unexpectedly as he was just about to hire a plate thumper. When I got to the farm their faithful collie bit me on the leg drawing blood – so not an uneventful journey.
The Art Appreciation was better this week as it was on Florence and having visited the city it was easier to empathise with the lecture. Also the air conditioning was on so I failed to drop off even once!
Our walk was the only damp day hereabouts but the overnight rain had just made the surface sticky and we did not need waterproofs while walking. It was however hard work: 10.5 miles, a few hills, a sticky surface and a brisk pace – I need to go back to training. We started at Brent Pellham and took in Berden and Furneux Pellham.

Furneux Pellham

On Friday we travelled to Hutton and met up with not only Esther but Mary-Ann, Amélie and Natasha. After an intense photographic session and lunch we visited Hylands Park, Chelmsford where they hold the “V” festival. They have a resident Suffolk heavy horse collection and the autumn colours were showing up spectacularly this week.

Guess who?

Yesterday several of us drove to Solihull for the celebration of 150 years of the Grace Baptist Mission. All but three of the missionaries were back and they had imported Don Carson to speak. The closing service was recorded for the BBC so you may have heard us singing at 8.10 am this morning?

Hyland Park

love


Mike & Kate

23rd October 2011

23rd October 2011.

Dear All,

I had my first outing on the Guided Bus this week and was very impressed. I caught it at Longstanton to travel to Cambridge City centre and apart from deciding which of three options of operator and route to catch, it was fairly stress free.

Guided Bus

I was going to the U3A Film Club which this week was showing “Counterfeiters” a 2007 German film about the conscience dilemma of Jewish prisoners in a concentration camp producing forged pounds and dollars in exchange for survival and better conditions. It was very well done and a remarkable film for Germans to produce as it pulled no punches about concentration camps.
On Wednesday I attended my first class on “Renaissance Art” Giotto and Assisi frescos. It was in a warm windowless room with a softly spoken Danish lady with a Scottish accent using 90 odd slides so continuously dark. Did I nod off? Only about 3 times!
I had to MOT and re licence the Astra this week which is an expensive hobby as it initially needed a new track rod end. On Monday evening I had my first Garden Club talk of the autumn at Lakenheath. There were about 45 present and fairly lively but shy about questions until individually at tea time.
In the garden it has been a bit more digging – I cannot recall it ever being so dry at this time of the year. I have sown broad beans for over wintering and harvested some late planted potatoes and Kate has picked all the remaining tomatoes and peppers before they are knobbled by the frost.
Our Thursday walk was fairly local starting at Clayhithe on the Cam and skirting Lode and Longmeadow. 10.5 miles but sunny and good walking conditions.



The Bridge Hotel, Clayhithe

Shadows in the Fens

I finished the gardening book reviews, tip – avoid the celebrity tomes i.e. Alan Titchmarsh, Carol Klein, Alys Fowler – there are others which are far better and cheaper.
Kate and I ran the Day Centre fund raising quiz on Friday night. It seemed to go very well with 10 teams of 6, despite having to abandon their sound amplification system which was awful. I think it raised about £400.



Day Centre Quiz

Over had their 4th away match running and dominated Littleport but only managed a 1 v 1 draw in a tricky cross wind. In midweek they narrowly lost to semi professional Ely 1st team in a county cup, 3 v 2 in the last minute.
David Smith our pastor has been to Moldova this week to help with training Moldovan pastors. It was a quick visit but he seemed to enjoy it.

love


Mike & Kate