18^th October 2015.

Dear All,

Kate left after “Just Vegetating” Tuesday to help out at Hove as Andy has been abroad on business. To update the naming situation it is spelled Zander not Zanda and the preferred abbreviation for Albert is Bert or Albie not Bertie – but I expect he may well contribute to the discussion about that when he is older. He seems to be a “good doer” and eats and sleeps with equal enthusiasm. Amélie also seems to have settled better at school.

Bert

I did not join them as I had a Garden Club talk at Histon on Tuesday, attended the Brassica open days and RHS trial in Lincolnshire on Wednesday and supported a funeral on Thursday – thus missing the walk for the third week running.

“Just Vegetating” this week covered “Alliums” and everyone who was free came back for a second week – which is always encouraging!

The Seed Trade demonstrations are always a high standard and this year was no exception but some brassicas were running a little late. The “in topics” were broccoli which looks like Tenderstem which some are calling “Calabrini” and Cauliflower rice which is just finely grated cauliflower which can substitute for rice. Kate tried it on Amélie and she loves it.

Calabrini

3 Wise men with Cauliflower in Lilliput

Cauliflower & Broccoli Rice

Sakata Display

The funeral was for Dick Lawson the American husband of Carol who I used to take to work. He was from Georgia but enlisted in the airforce and flew regularly to Vietnam. The USAF were present and draped the coffin with a “stars and stripes” which was removed and folded with great ceremony and presented to Carol.

The “Biography” subject this week was William Cobbett of “Rural Rides” fame. He was a strange mixture of campaigner for justice for the rural poor but also a conservative who did not want things to change.

It was the annual quiz on Friday night raising funds for the Day Centre. There was a full house of about 70 and it seemed to go well. Rounds this year were: Seaside, 50:50, Close to Home, WW1, Missing Vowels, Flowers, Fleeting Fame, Flying Things, Pot Luck and Film Posters. Re-enactment at chosen venues is always available for a fee!

Yesterday was Messy Church Day. It is a lot of work and attendance was down yesterday due to a variety of reasons. In the afternoon I attended a briefing for our U3A Italian trip next month. The venue was billed as Milton but changed to Cherry Hinton sadly only half received the email about the change so it maybe does not auger well for the smooth running of the trip?

We are pleased that Mary seems to be responding well to her refit and we look forward to meeting up with most of you next weekend.

Love

Mike & Kate

11^th October 2015.

Dear All,

The long awaited naming of the baby took place on Friday when he was registered as ALBERT ZANDA ARTHUR RUSSELL to be known as Bert or Bertie – think Einstein not Steptoe!

Ben, Natasha, Bertie, Ameleie and Mary-Ann

We spent yesterday in Hutton helping Esther catch up as well as celebrate her birthday. We re-hung a gate, cemented some loose bricks, cut the grass, trimmed a hedge, tidied borders, emptied compost bins, stuck cloth on pew feet and fitted a new wheel to the wheelbarrow. After we celebrated with an Indian meal in Shenfield.

Birthday Goodies

Garden Straightening

We started teaching our U3A course again on Tuesday, the first session is always a bit interesting to see who turns up and their response to the course, but it seemed to go well.

Kate is also taking Spanish and on the Botanic Gardens course. I am on “Biographies” again and we started with Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington who came across as a thoroughly unpleasant individual.

On Thursday I was on RHS business at Wisley judging Kale, Brussels Sprouts and Leeks. Wisley was looking good in it’s autumn colours and for once the journeys to and fro were easy.

Wisley

Dahlia Trial

Leek Trial

You will not need reminding that this is the week to plant overwintered onion, garlic and shallot sets and we have also planted a new strawberry bed at the allotment.

There has been vigorous activity at No. 17 next door with a caravan installed and a minidigger in operation.

Love

Mike & Kate

4th October 2015

4^th October 2015.

Dear All,

On Monday I had to take the car back to Marshalls to cure the oil leak. Typically they are blaming a faulty gasket on the oil filter rather than their workmanship but they have arranged for a company to clean the drive. However their first attempt has not made too much difference and they are due to have another go.

I met up with some old NIAB colleagues for lunch on Tuesday and on Wednesday travelled up to Spalding again for another recording session on the cauliflowers, 23 of the 27 varieties in the trial have now been recorded so one more visit should sort it.

We had a meal with some of the walking group at “Bedouin” a middle eastern restaurant in Mill Road. Seating was rather low (but not cross legged on the floor!) but the food was very different but good.

On Thursday I left Kate to lead the walk we had researched at Ridgewell and attended the National Carrot demonstration near Swaffham in Norfolk. It was good to meet up with a lot of folk that I knew from work days and to view the new varieties. There were 68 varieties on show and still one variety – Nairobi- commands 70% of the acreage.

Carrot Demonstration

We have been preparing for the annual quiz at the Day care Centre in a couple of weeks time. Kate has worked out all the questions and I have committed them to PowerPoint.

We had a Men’s Breakfast at chapel yesterday with a decent speaker and 23 in attendance. Then a first for mankind was a Village Food market on the Green. This was small but well attended with stalls for oil, meat, veg, fruit, bread and soap!

Kate has been busy with apple juice production. Both our trees are laden and the headline in the horticultural press last week was “Biggest Apple Crop in Living Memory”.

Apple Juice Production Line

This year’s celeriac is the biggest so far and chilli peppers have been harvested and strung.

Celeriac

Chillies

Our wee Muntjac has been around several days this week and even licked Kate’s hand on one occasion.

Rastus

We are due to be commissioned for “Street Pastors” this morning.

Esther, Natasha and Ben all visited Hove yesterday to pay homage to the (as far as I know) yet nameless one who is gaining weight rapidly. Amélie seems to have had a better week at school having made a friend “but doesn’t like it”.

Love

Mike & Kate