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