Sunday, 22 November 2015


Dear All,

Well winter seems to have arrived – no snow here, well just a wet flurry, but -4°C in the greenhouse last night. The wind was more serious taking a large end pane out of the larger greenhouse and blowing open the garden shed even though it was locked. It damaged the lock so I have had to replace it.
I was at Wisley on Wednesday for the annual Planning Meeting for next year’s trials. As has been the case in recent years, it was a fairly acrimonious meeting as RHS believe in “Mushroom Management” and make imperious decisions which are handed down by minions. Consequently our chairman resigned and I have been asked to take over. It is a bit like taking over the wheel of the Titanic!
There was a terrible accident on the Guided Busway on Wednesday night and Jenny Taylor (who used to be Dennis Whitfield’s secretary) was hit and killed by a bus. Kate was talking to her on Monday so it is a bit of a shock. It is the first fatality on the Bussway in 4 years.
The “Just Vegetating” topic was “Legumes” this week and Kate and other provided an exciting array of dishes to sample.
Our Thursday walk started at Barrington and took in Orwell, Little Eversden and Harlton. There were a few steep climbs (for Cambridgeshire) but it was a good walk. Barrington has a fantastic and extensive village Green and the recently abandoned chalk pits are due to be filled with the extractions from the new CrossRail workings which are reportedly half way complete.


Orwell Pits


Barrington Village Green


Break Time

The “Biography” subject was “Keith Douglas”, hands up those who had heard of him? None of us had either. He was a second World War poet who fought through El Alemein and was killed 3 days after the D-Day landings aged 24. He had however been injured at the end of the African Campaign and had time to publish some poems and write a book about his war experiences entitled “Alamein to Zem Zem”. Why do we know several WW1 poets and none from WWII?
It was Messy Church yesterday but the numbers were low. I watched football in the afternoon in what might be called a fresh breeze, in fact it was blooming freezing!

  
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Mike & Kate

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