Sunday, 11 August 2013


Dear All,

The week did not start well. Esther's hospital visit fell through due to NHS inefficiency. She was originally told the appointment would be 8 am, then they changed it to 2 pm, then when she went to pre op on Friday they changed again to 4 pm. Kate was all packed and ready to go when Esther phoned to say she had just had a call from the hospital "why hadn't she turned up at 8 am for her appointment!!!!"
It has been rearranged for next week when Mandy and Natasha are due to arrive.
Meanwhile I eventually got through to Addenbrookes for the result of my scan
and have another appointment in 2 weeks! Then the roller packed up on the cricket square. Then the company I ordered new belts for the cricket mower from phoned to
say they are no longer stocked! The following day I tried rotovating John Lane’s new garden and the clutch cable broke as had the Tom Tom the previous week!
Esther has a new appointment this Monday when Mary-Ann hopes to come and look after her and we are due to inherit Mandy and Natasha’s visit. They hope to fit in a visit to Kate’s nephew James and Joanna as they have a new baby but that has been complicated by the fact that James was made redundant from the architect’s where he works this week.
I had another trip to Wisley this week and as my usual travelling companions were not attending I took Ken and May Elsom for a visit. It started overcast and dull and I forgot to take a hat. Then the sun blazed down so I have a sore top of my head. We were judging calabrese, courgettes, runner beans, onions and tomatoes so quite a busy day. The M25 was busy but not as slow as the previous 4 visits!



 Runner Bean trial


 Courgette trial 


Onion trial



 Phlox trial


  Wisley Rockery

         
                                                          Apple identification

We managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in our last midweek chapel cricket match on Wednesday. We were playing Huntingdon District Council and dismissed them for 118 and were cruising at 60 -2 until Mervyn, our ancient but very keen elder statesman entered and smote 16* in 12 overs so we narrowly lost by 9 runs!
It was Over Produce Show yesterday and I was not showing any fruit and vegetables for the first time in 40 years as I had been invited to judge. The standard was not too high but there were a few new competitors. We did enter a few flowers and won 1sts for a herb, pom pom dahlias, and Kate’s flower arrangement (a 1st in several ways!).
Gardening has been dominated by clouds of cabbage white butterflies attacking the brassicas each day so we have been squashing eggs every other day.

Love


Mike & Kate

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