Dear All,
It has been an interesting week healthwise. Kate has been suffering
from a cough and ear ache for a couple of weeks and being a man I took it to
new levels this week. A seismic cough was followed by conjunctivitis and then
severe ear ache and bleeding from my left ear. I had to go to the emergency
clinic in Cambridge yesterday and have a perforated ear drum. All very exciting
with the prospect of travelling to Moldova coming up!
The week began sedately enough with Glynis Fenwick and I travelling
to Upper Caldecote near Biggleswade to visit Peter Maudlin, a farmer who used
to host NIAB Brussels sprout trials. He was always very helpful and still
collects sprout stalks for me every Christmas even though he no longer grows
the crop. He had a serious heart op a couple of years ago and now has problems
with leaky valves and an enlarged heart. Their farmhouse kitchen is just like a
farmhouse kitchen should be – straight out of a Giles cartoon with piles of
stuff everywhere.
On Tuesday Kate and I joined a crowd of 110 for a charity walk for
SOS Villages. It was a gentle 5.5 miles starting in Barrington followed by
soup, bread and cheese but raised £1200.
On Wednesday I was at Wisley for a sprouting broccoli trial and
serious discussions about the cut backs in their trials programme. The journey
down was one of our worst taking over 4 hours due to an accident involving the
death of a pedestrian on the M25.
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Mendicino new Sprouting Broccoli
Due to coughing and being unable to open my eyes on Thursday we both
missed the Thursday walk. John and Terry came for a meal in the evening to
discuss the next Moldova trip. Terry had an ear problem, John skin cancer on
his ears and a bang on the head with a metal pole – we could be quite a crew!
I have been officially asked to judge the Fruit & Veg at Over
Produce Show this year – some have honours thrust upon them........ I have
agreed as long as I can have a say on clarifying the schedule which always
causes some discussion “wash or not wash, peel or not peel etc.”
On Friday Kate helped me pot on the 300 tomatoes that have been
lurking in our dining room. These are destined for Moggerhanger and have caused
great anxiety in this cold and frosty spring.
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Tomato crop with indentured labour!
Love
Mike & Kate
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