24th February 2013.

Dear All,

We have managed two walks and a swim this week. We are leading a walk just as we return from Norway so carried out a recce on Wednesday starting at West Row then to Mildenhall, Barton Mills and Worlington. The route takes in a section of the River Lark and there were numerous panoramas of snowdrops in full flower. As the soil thereabouts is sandy it was much drier underfoot than of late.

Snowdrops

                                                   Barton Mills watermill

On Thursday the walk was in Hertfordshire: High Cross, Dane End and more hilly than us flat landers are used to, but an excellent walk with a large herd of deer and several large parks.

High Cross

 Lectures this week included “Receptors” in the brain, a discussion in “Science and Religion” and Charlotte Bronte (part 2) and Lord and Lady Grange in “Biographies” These folk lived in the 1700s during the Jacobite Rebellion. She was an unstable character and he arranged for her to be kidnapped and exiled to St Kilda for 10 years. Nobody knew where she was and a funeral was held in her absence!

We both managed the U3A film this week which was “A Foreign Affair” starring Marlene Dietrich and most remarkable for showing the ruins of post war Berlin.

The Sat Nav saved me some embarrassment this week as I was setting out to deliver a Garden Club talk at Offord and discovered that that the post code was in fact Orwell!

Esther fulfilled another of her challenges this week feeding the penguins at “Birdworld” together with Natasha, Mary-Ann and Amélie.

  

Zoo Quest

She has now gone to join Andy, Mary-Ann and Amélie at Welford – on – Avon for a few days holiday.

It was “Messy Church” again yesterday on the topic of Noah’s Ark and Kate distinguished herself with decorated animal cakes.

 Animal Cakes

A postscript to our burglary: I cut the grass for the first time this week and found the stolen wine stuffed in the hedge where the miscreants had evidently affected a rapid escape. We think it proves that we disturbed them when we returned.

Love

Mike & Kate