30th September 2012

30th September 2012.




Dear All,



Godalming, Everton, Harvest celebrations and a couple of talks this week.



It was raining in Surrey as usual. We initially took Amélie to Loseley Park near Guilford (built for Elizabeth l) but it was raining too hard to get out of the car. When it did ease up we fed the ducks at Secretts Farm and visited the local RSPCA Donkey Sanctuary. As this housed 33 fairly vocal inmates this met with her approval.

I took some sweet corn cobs and Amélie had no trouble mastering the essential technique!

By contrast our Thursday walk was largely in sunshine starting at Everton (village near Potton not Goodiston Park).

Tetworth Hall, nr Everton

 Everton church

It is our Harvest Thanksgiving weekend starting with a supper last night with a farmer from near Graffham Water as speaker. The decoration of the building was good as always, the meal excellent, the speaker entertaining and the attendance fairly poor.

Harvest Decorations

I expect you have all planted your spring cabbage, overwintered onion sets and garlic and sown overwintered lettuce so won’t need any reminders from me?



I had to update the Women’s Meeting on Moldova on Tuesday and talk to Cottenham Garden Club on Friday.



I have some work in Devon next week so Kate is planning to come with me and stay a couple of extra days.



Love



Mike & Kate

23rd September 2012

23rd September 2012.




Dear All,

We have just returned from a weeks walking in The Forest of Dean with the U3A. We were a group of 19 and we stayed right in the centre of the Forest at a historic hotel called “Speech House”. It was built in the 17th century as a hunting lodge then became the administrative centre for the forest including the court for the verdereres (who looked after the trees) and the free miners. The court room is now the dining room and still has original and very valuable chairs in place.

Speech House

Group on Sculpture trail

We arrived Sunday pm and did a short walk on the “Sculpture Trail”. On Monday there were “Forest Walks” starting from the hotel and we met wild boar within half an hour of leaving. Estimates of numbers vary from 200 to 600 but evidence of their rooting is everywhere and there are plans to start culling. The walk was meant to be about 12 miles but as happened most days was a tad longer!.

Tuesday we headed west to Orcop and more open country and steepish climbs to Garway Hill and Kentchurch with lunch at Kilpeck. Again the estimated distance to the pub of 9.4 miles was rather optimistic and we arrived an hour late. Kilpeck has a rare Norman church with about 80 corbells (small gargoyles). We explored that then walked back another fictional 4 miles.

Wild Boar

Forest of Dean

Wednesday was a free day but a highlight as we visited one of the local coal mines operated single handedly by a 77 year old man with a wealth of tall stories. We were all kitted out with helmets and lamps and went underground to see the seam he was working. He had the real gift of the gab heightened by working on his own all day!

After that 4 of us visited Tintern Abbey and Chepstow.

View from Garway Hill

Tintern Abbey

Wednesday night was memorable as I woke in some pain with what turned out to be a kidney stone. It is not an experience I am recommending and eventually had to go to the local hospital for diagnosis and a pain killing injection. Kate manfully (womanfully?) stayed with me so we both missed walking the “Three Castles Walk” on Thursday. We did manage to visit Monmouth between spasms and took in the castle and museum, which was dominated by Nelson (who preserved the oak trees in the forest) and Charles Rolls of Rolls Royce fame.

Tough Miners

Symonds Yat

I recovered enough to join the walk from Staunton to Symonds Yat on Friday which included a boat trip up the River Wye in the afternoon.

On the way back on Saturday some of us stopped in the Cotswolds for a final walk beginning at Guiting Power and taking in the Cotswolds Country Park home of Adam from “Countryfile”.

So an enjoyable week (mostly), the weather was kind with sunshine until Wednesday and mostly dry and cloudy thereafter. I am not sure what happens next with kidney stones: has it passed? will there be more? but so far so good!



Love



Mike & Kate



9th September 2012

9th September 2012.

Dear All,

We had a trip to see “The Lion King” at the Lyceum Theatre on Wednesday. Someone in Over had organised a coach so the journey was very easy and the show excellent (even if I did nod off at a crucial stage!)

The Lion King

I replaced all the broken and cracked panes in our greenhouses this week ready for the winter. It is always a challenge handling large sheets of glass so I was glad to get it over with. I also replanted our strawberry bed which is planted through Mypex (woven plastic sheet) in the fruit cage. It was planted in wet weather and the ground set like concrete so the plants did not thrive. I had rooted some runners and been give some more so it was a matter of getting rid of the old plants, digging out and removing the Mypex, digging, mucking, rotovating and levelling the soil, relaying and burying the edges of the Mypex, adding mycorrhiza to the holes and replanting – doesn’t sound too bad listed like that!.



Strawberry Bed

Our Thursday walk started at Elmdon and went through Duddenhoe End, Littlebury Green and Strethall. It was sunny and an interesting walk with plenty of undulations and leafy lanes and only one cultivated field. Also the crops were more interesting than some weeks with several field beans, maize and canary grass for seed.

Near Elmdon

Rockells Farm, Duddenhoe End

It was our last cricket event of the season as we held a double wicket contest to mark 120 years of cricket in Over. The British Legion ladies turned out in force to provide tea and cakes and the weather was fine.
Esther has been up for the weekend. Kate accompanied her to town on a sowing machine hunt yesterday and she did a presentation in church this am about another proposed OT trip to Bulgaria in November. She needs to find £400 for the fare so all donations gratefully received.

Love

Mike & Kate

2nd September 2012

2nd September 2012.

Dear All,

It was our turn at Godalming this week for the arduous task of Amélie minding. On Wednesday we visited West Dean Gardens, near Chichester, as it had been their “Chilli Weekend” over the bank holiday and the produce was still on display – 273 different varieties. Mary-Ann and Andy had visited over the weekend so Amélie had two doses but didn’t seem to mind. I know the lady in charge, Sarah Wain, as she is on the RHS Veg Committee with me, and hosted a celeriac trial on the site last year.

Chilli Display

Chilli plants

West Dean Veg Garden

Ornamental Garden

Guess who?

Shades from Aunty Esther



Cool look?

Nursery fancy dress

Our Thursday walk started at Shillington which is on the edge of the Chilterns in Bedfordshire. We climbed Deacon Hill which rises to the giddy height (for hereabouts) of 750 feet and affords splendid views. It was just under 11 miles and the last two were in rather chilly rain, but of course it could have been worse.


Ascent of Deacon Hill

Summit Party

We were at Moggerhanger yesterday for the first event at the farm since it was acquired last year by a Trust for charitable purposes. About 60 turned up for a concert, BBQ and farm walk raising funds for Moldova and the Farm Trust.
Over 1st team won their last match to clinch promotion, so both teams achieved promotion in the same year – which I can’t remember happening before.



Moggerhanger BBQ

Love

Mike & Kate