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