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