17th April 2011

17th April 2011.

Dear All,

Two walks this week, a visit from Dave and Jen, the completion of the fruit cage, the beginning of cricket pitch duties and some gardening – who says life isn’t exciting! On Tuesday Kate took time off and joined me in a charity walk for “SOS Children’s Villages”. The walk met at Great Eversden and headed towards Wimpole Hall. It was only 5.5 miles but 100 people took part and raised £1000 – both statistics are records.

SOS walk

The Thursday walk started at the John O Gaunt pub (you all know who he was?) in Sutton near Biggleswade and took in Wrestligworth. I did the shorter walk as I am on dope for a urine infection which tends to take the spring out of your step! Kate has had a bad back this week so we are gently creaking like the architecture of Cuba!

The John O Gaunt, Sutton

Dave and Jen called for lunch on Monday on the way back from Derby and Warwick. Esther rang in the evening to say that her boiler had leaked and caused considerable damage to ceiling, OT books, carpet and furniture in her spare room with some water damage in the living room and newly decorated bedroom. At the same time her washing machine broke and her car was damaged in separate incidents. This months gardening article was completed on Thursday, subject “French Beans” Read it or Regret it! We store the cricket pitch motor roller at a nearby farm in the fens for safety. Last week another farmer by the river at Overcote asked to borrow it, but failed to return it so I had to collect it. A 35 minute journey on tarmac seems a long time at 5 mph. The pitch actually looks quite good but it has already needed watering and been cut 4 times. Yesterday we completed the fruit cage adding the side and top netting and moving the bird feeders out of the cage! It is now ready for the guiles of the blackbirds et al. Still plenty to do in the garden but the sprout and broccoli land is so hard I can hardly get a spade into it. 7mm rain fell in Cambridge in March c.f. the norm of 43 mm

Fruit Cage

Cowslips in the Garden

love Mike & Kate