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