10th November 2013.

Dear All,

On Monday I managed to re roof our bike shed in advance of a wet week with the help of Mervyn. Mark Law donated some hefty 1” thick plywood which we could hardly lift and together with a new roll of felt and some batons we did a neat job – even if I say so myself!

In the evening it was Garden Club talk number 180 at Abington.

Our “Just Vegetating” talk this week was on “Salads – Fruit”, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers and Aubergines. Nearly full attendance and still seems to be going well. Kate’s recipe spot is especially popular with several contributions brought in to sample.

Afterwards the U3A film this week was “In Darkness” about Jews surviving extermination in Poland by hiding in the sewers. It was based on a true story set in Lvov and very well done, if fairly harrowing.

Wednesday was wet and horrible here so I spent the day preparing talks for next week when somehow I have collected four presentations – talk about not having time to go to work!

Our Thursday walk started at Sutton, Bedfordshire and took in Biggleswade, Potton and the RSPB wood at Sandy. The autumn colours were showing up well and it was the best day of the week weatherwise.

  

In the evening we went to Anglia Ruskin University to watch “The Spirit of 45” a Ken Loach film about the achievements of the post was Labour government in setting up the NHS and nationalised industries. Arguably that government achieved more than any other before or since.

Friday started badly when my overstocked woodshelf in the garage collapsed on to Kate’s car. Fortunately it did not do too much damage and resulted in an overdue sorting of the “useful” bits of wood that seem to accumulate.

Kate’s first batch of swabs have proved negative for MRSA and she had a second lot taken on Friday.

“Louis Braille” was the subject of this weeks biography session. He was blinded by a sharp instrument in his fathers saddle making workshop aged 3 and got the idea of the Braille system from an old soldier who told him about a system the artillery had for passing instructions for night time attacks by carving holes in blocks of wood.

I picked the last of the runner beans yesterday and dug the ground before travelling to Fulbourn to watch Over triumph 1 v 0 in a “full blooded encounter” which left the home side with 9 men at the final whistle!

We have a chapel lunch today to celebrate Norman’s 80 birthday. Needless to say Kate is in charge of refreshments and the numbers keep rising to stressful levels!

Love

Mike & Kate