29th December 2013.

Dear All,

I hope you all enjoyed the festive season, we certainly did and were pleased that the family were able to stay for several days.

I managed the usual Brussels sprout distribution against the odds this year as my contact farmer died in the summer but his son phoned up and asked whether he could collect some for me so I ordered 50 stems and 2 nets which were distributed on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning – 54 stops in all. It is a good way of wishing folk well in lieu of Christmas cards.

Esther and Ben arrived about 7ish on Tuesday and we were able to play our first game of “The Settlers of Catan”. Esther is a very generous soul and does not ravel light as you can see in the photo!

Esther, Ben & Luggage

The Kitsons (Bob, Carol and Mum) joined us for Christmas Day.

Christmas Lunch

On Boxing Day Esther, Ben and I walked round Swavesey Fen which was sunny and clear above ground but wet and muddy below.

Swavesey Fen

Mary-Ann, Andy and Amélie arrived about 2pm and present opening was delayed until after their arrival.

Andy had to work (from here) on Friday so energy was expended locally on the swings etc and on Saturday we went to Wimpole Hale Rare Breeds Farm – again it was sunny and a little muddy. Andy left after as he has to work Monday and public transport looked tricky for Sunday. In the end it took him 5 hours to get home with several bus shuttles.

Wimpole

Ben left this morning and Esther is planning to depart after lunch. Mary-Ann and Amélie are staying until tomorrow.

Kate is still progressing and managed sandals last night when we went to a party at the home of walking friends.

Love

Mike & Kate

15th December 2013.

Dear All,

Kate has an appointment on Tuesday to check progress and hopefully remove the support bandaging. Her foot is still throbbing but of course she does not complain.

I was at Wisley again on Monday as part of a delegation meeting the management to point out the shortcomings of recent trials. I could have done without it but it was a fairly constructive meeting so hopefully things will improve. Kate wanted to attend “The Dickens Fellowship” meeting in the evening so I took her in. They are reading “Bleak House” and discussing it in fine detail. As I hadn’t read it only seen the TV film, I felt a bit like an atheist at a prayer meeting! I came away with split opinions a) admiration at the detailed knowledge of some people and b) this would make a great “Beyond the Fringe” skit on people who are slightly up themselves! Kate wanted to be there as she is speaking next month on “Small pox in Dickens time”

We had the last session of “Just Vegetating” on Tuesday covering “Varieties”, a quiz and of course food. We had some very flattering comments on the feedback forms and a gift token for £25 so it seems to have gone down pretty well.

In the evening I was on a “Gardeners Question Time” panel with Peter Jackson the Horticultural manager of Scotsdale’s Garden Centre. There were meant to be 3 or 4 of us but only 2 made it, fortunately Peter knows everything so it is not so demanding. It was at Needingworth which for some reason has the largest membership of any GC club round here.

On Wednesday it was Over Pantomime “Ebenezer”. There were some strong performances and a few less so but it is always enjoyable.

Out Thursday walk started at Cowlinge south of Newmarket. It was sticky underfoot but not too bad.

Cowlinge

In the afternoon we visited Kate & Gordon to inspect their new house in Haddenham. It is on a much more humble scale than Sutton but has “potential”

 32 Duck Lane, Haddenham

The last Biography session of the year involved everyone (who remembered) taking a reading or poem about “Winter or Christmas” also a quiz and eats. I took Kate to Tescos later – a bit of a challenge in a wheelchair.

On Saturday I delivered my quota of church Christmas cards, split a tooth (again), started digging in the mustard as green manure and watched Over score 5 before half time.

I hope your Christmas preparations are all in an advanced state of readiness? Ours aren’t!

Love

Mike & Kate

22nd December 2013.

Dear All,

Kate is still progressing slowly. The wrapping has been removed and replaced by a plaster. The hospital was pleased with the healing process but it still becomes painful at times.

No classes this week in the build up to Christmas – but three turkey meals!

On Monday I swam, dug in the mustard green manure and started preparation the chapel social “Review of the Year”

Stan, our Bulgarian computer expert, took my computer on Tuesday/Wednesday to increase the memory, speed and install “Windows Seven”. It seems to be working better with just a few glitches.

I had my broken tooth patched up in time for a “NIAB Wrinklies” lunch at the Menzies Hotel at Bar Hill. It was the first time I had been inside and it was a reasonable meal with about 30 of us assembled. They had a charity collection after which this year was for Moldova and raised £169.

On Wednesday Kate and I visited Huntingdon Garden Centre to finish a bit of Christmas shopping without venturing to town. It is the size of a small village and you could live there without risking the outside world!

Our pre Christmas walk started at Barrington and we stopped at out leader Philip’s house at Foxton for mince pies and mulled wine before ending back at Barrington for a Christmas lunch at the “Royal Oak”. I dropped Kate off at Foxton and she was able to join us at Barrington for a very good meal for 55.

U3A Ramblers Christmas 2013

Barrington Village Green

I fetched a local Christmas tree on Friday from Fenwick’s allotment where prices have rocketed from £1 per foot to £2 per foot! In the afternoon we invited our rather difficult neighbours in for tea in the spirit of Yuletide goodwill!

It was Christmas Messy Church yesterday with, yes, a turkey dinner for 50. Carol Service tonight and Mervyn has assembled an ad hoc male voice choir which should be interesting.

Christmas Greetings to all that we will not see personally.

Love

Mike & Kate

8th December 2013.

Dear All,

Kate’s recovery seems to be going according to plan – if the plan included some throbbing and swelling. Predictably she has found it difficult/impossible to sit still for long which probably has not helped. She managed church Sunday am, “Just Vegetating” and Home Group on Tuesday but has been more restrained since then with serious sowing, reading and Christmas card writing. I am sure she would like to thank those who have phoned and sent cards (without making those of you who haven’t feel too bad!)

“Just Vegetating” this week covered “Oriental Vegetables” with accompanying stir fries and Pak Choi delicacies. Only one week to go.

Our Thursday walk was a challenging experience in the fens: very strong winds, muddy headlands, an odd ploughed field – and the fens!

The Fens!

“Biographies” topic was “Werner Heisenberg” the German scientist who helped discover  quantum mechanics bur resisted developing the atomic bomb (allegedly).

In between times I have been digging, clearing the greenhouses, pressure washing the back concrete, shopping, cooking washing etc.

Kate and Gordon hope to move tomorrow to Haddenham. I was planning to help but have an extra meeting at Wisley.

Love

Mike & Kate

1^st December 2013.

Dear All,

Kate has finally had her foot operation late on Thursday. As is usual with these things she had to report to Addenbrookes at 11 am and finally reached the operating theatre at 5.30 pm. As it was late they kept her in overnight and I was allowed to collect her at 12 noon next day. It is a bit painful but “bearable”. She must not walk on it for 2 weeks but that is a bit like telling water not to run downhill. We have borrowed a wheelchair and crutches and she has a list of sedentary tasks saved up so you might get an early Christmas card this year!

Before the excitement we had attended a “north of Cambridge” walkers meal at the “Old Fire Engine House” at Ely on Monday night. It is an excellent restaurant but not the cheapest so we usually only make it once a year. It specialises in local delicacies like pigeon, wild duck and eel pie with fenland vegetables.

Tuesday’s “Just Vegetating” covered “Minor Crops” such as Kohl Rabi, salsify, scozonera and sweet potatoes – over 20 in all and was good fun as members are warming to the task of bringing in samples of their recipes.

We managed a little “pre op” Christmas shopping after the class and before the film which this week was “I Wish”. This is a Japanese film about a family with two small boys splitting and each parent taking one child. It was both funny and sad so good value and recommended.

I had another trip to Wisley on Wednesday to plan future trials. This meeting is much more serious than in the past as RHS have lost alot of good staff and the Trails Programme has consequently suffered in scope and quality.

I did walk on Thursday as I could not do much to help Kate. The walk was a circular route round Ickworth Park near Bury St Edmunds. The weather behaved and it was reasonable underfoot so enjoyable.

Horringer

Ickworth Park

Over won again yesterday beating Sawston 1 v 0 so have still only lost once all season – 3 points behind the league leaders with 2 games in hand.

I am up to date with the cooking, washing and washing up – just a bit behind with the ironing!

Love

Mike & Kate

24th November 2013

24th November 2013.

Dear All,

We have been down to Hove this week for grandparent duties, travelling down Thursday after the walk and returning last night when the M25 was relatively clear so we got back in 2 hours 20 minutes.

Esther arrived Saturday afternoon and is covering until Mary-Ann and Andy return from a festival. On Friday morning we walked to Hove Museum then back via the beach. In the afternoon we drove to Shoreham-on-Sea which hosts a bizarre range of houseboats on a muddy inlet. There are allsorts of craft from concrete lighters to ex military cruisers all adapted for serious living with various degrees of completion. We drove as far as Shoreham Fort then to Worthing before returning.

 Museum Exhibits

Hove Seafront

Milk & Gingerbread men

 Hove Sands? 

  

                                                              Found some!

 Shoreham Ships

Saturday morning we walked to Hove Park which is a very smart public recreation area with just about everything: tennis courts, football pitches, kids play area, jogging and exercise track, climbing rocks, tea shop etc. In the afternoon we went back to the beach to build stone castles (very little sand!). Amélie helped by fetching “special” stones from 25 yards away – even though the beach is fairly well catered for stones.

Our Thursday walk started at Shillington in Bedfordshire and took in Wrest Park. It was a bit muddy but not too bad and dry overhead.

“Just Vegetating” week 7 covered “Potatoes” so again no shortage of eats at half time. The film this week was “The Stranger” an early Orson Wells thriller about chasing ex Nazis in America.

We looked after Jim Burr on Monday while Janet went shopping. He is really struggling and certainly no asset on a shopping expedition.

Love

Mike & Kate

17th November 2013

17th November 2013.

Dear All,

I have been to five talks this week – and unfortunately I was giving four of them!

On Tuesday week 6 of “Just Vegetating” was on “Legumes”, mainly Peas and Beans so there was a good selection of bean salads to sample as well as Kate’s chickpea rissoles.

  

Beans

On Thursday I had to miss the usual walk to give a presentation to the “NIAB Trust” an august body of eminent growers and retired bankers who steer NIAB’s aims and ambitions. They recently extended the funding that we receive for Moldova and I had to report on progress and discuss other possibilities of raising money. It seemed to go alright and they asked the right questions.

In the evening, I was at Chesterton Garden Club then on Friday it was my turn to introduce a Biography. I had chosen “C. B. Fry” who played for England at both cricket and football, played in an FA Cup Final, held the world long jump record, also excelled at rugby, shooting, diving, skiing, skulling, boxing, tennis, riding and golf. He worked at the League of Nations, was offered the kingship of Albania, wrote for numerous magazines and was author of several books; he was a broadcaster, stood for Parliament three times and ran a naval cadet training school. Apart from that I don’t know how he filled his time! His party trick was to leap backwards from a stationary position onto a mantelpiece – and he could still perform this aged 70. So not much to go at for my talk!

  

C B Fry

The fifth talk was a U3A lecture on “Alzheimer’s” by Dr Eric Karran who is researcher in charge of the main Alzheimer’s charity. He was very clear in explaining diagnostics (gappy folds in your brain), plaques (accumulation of waste products in your brain) and tangles (neurons dying), symptoms – loss of memory, reasoning powers, language, visual perception, executive function, comportment, interpersonal behaviour and personality. The onset can be 15 years before symptoms become apparent. Medicines like Aricept have a modest short term effect and it is claimed to cost $604 bn per year or 1% of GNP. Prevention? “what is good for your heart is good for your brain” so diet, exercise, no smoking etc. HOW ARE YOU FEELING?!

We have also enjoyed a few meals out this week. I went to the NIAB “Wrinklies” lunch on Tuesday then we were invited to one of our walking, Just Vegetating colleague’s birthday meal in the evening. Kate lunched with the walkers on Thursday and we had a Deacons & Wives meal at Kate & Gordon’s on Friday. Last night we met up with Sue & Duncan Colquhoun and Hilary Allen for a meal and catch up at The Chequers in Cottenham.

Mary-Ann started her new job this week, early days but it is walkable in 30 mins.

Pictures just in from Moldova where work has restarted on the extension to the pastor’s house at Leova to cope with a severely handicapped daughter.

Love

Mike & Kate

3^rd November 2013.

Dear All,

It was good to see you all last Sunday, I hope you all enjoyed the occasion and have returned your “Vintage” clothes to the back of your wardrobe? It was nice to see Esther with her work colleagues, choir and other friends. One of her work team told me what a good manager she is, but I won’t repeat that in case it swells her head (touch of my father?)

  

I hope you all survived the gales without undue damage, we escaped very lightly here.

Gardeners amongst you will know that this is digging time so no need to explain how I have filled my leisure hours this week. This week’s tip is that it is a good time to sow “Cut & Come Again” salads for winter use. I have sown Rocket, Corn Salad, Lettuce, Mizuna and Mustards.

In “Just Vegetating” this week we covered “Salads – Roots, Shoots & Leaves”. It seems to be going OK but the sun has the annoying habit of coming out every Tuesday am to compete with the Powerpoint.

The U3A film was “We have a Pope” and another example of one that you might not choose to watch, but was in fact very good. The opening scenes included a gathering of cardinals assembled to choose a new Pope all praying “Please don’t choose me Lord”, “Please let it be somebody else” etc. and when they eventually chose an inoffensive old codger he panicked and ran away. It was very amusing – but tastefully done.

My car sailed through it’s MOT this week – which is unusual as the local garage usually finds something to expand the bill!

Our Thursday walk started at Ardeley, near Stevenage and took in Wood End and Cottered; 10.25 miles and a bit sticky underfoot. The pub was quite small but has an arrangement with the cafe at the Open Farm opposite, so we were split up for lunch. This did not go well so Philip was forced to take command – this did not, however,  result in speedier service!

The “Biography” topic this week was “Charles Dickens”. It was presented by a rather nervous lady who spoke at a rapid rate of knots and even then did not half finish all she had prepared, so there will be another session next term.

I watched a thriller yesterday as Over travelled to West Wratting and triumphed 4 – 5. Defences were not on top.

Mary-Ann applied for a job at a branch of London University near Brighton together with 150 others and has been offered it – so well done to her.

Love

Mike & Kate