20th March 2016.

Dear All,

Thank you all for cards, best wishes etc. I don’t feel too different and look forward to seeing you all next weekend. On the day, Kate and I were leading the short walk starting at Nuthampstead. When we reccied a couple of weeks ago it seemed too short and we decided to add a loop but as it was freezing cold ending in snow we did not walk the extra loop. In the end it was not quite so straightforward as anticipated and we ended up doing 9.3 miles (the long walk was 9.6 miles!) and we ended up arriving back at the pub 40 minutes after the long walk. However it was dry under foot and mostly sunny and an interesting walk including an obelisk erected for a horse in the Indian Mutiny.

Near Barkway

Newsells Park Obelisk

In the evening we had a meal with Kate, Gordon, Bob, Carol, Geoff and Hilary at the Old Crown at Girton. On Friday night Kate and I went to the Theatre to see “Hobson’s Choice” which was excellent.

Birthday Meal

We have finished decorating the bedroom this week in accordance with the “Forth Bridge one room a year policy”.

Decorated Bedroom

I started shopping for Moldova on Wednesday and managed to plant onion sets and sow a few seeds outdoors.

The subject of the last Biography of term was “Sir Stafford Raffles” founder of Singapore. He started as a humble clerk in the “East India Company” which was the largest employer in the UK at the time and worked his way up to be Lieutenant-Governor of Java. He suggested settling Singapore when no Europeans were living there and was an enlightened Governor but fell foul of the EIC because he was anti slavery at a time when they were using more than a few. He returned to England and was knighted but had a serious brain problem and died aged 45. Because of his anti-slavery position, he was refused burial inside the local parish church (St. Mary's, Hendon) by the vicar, Theodor Williams, whose family had made its money in Jamaica in the slave trade.

Sir Stafford Ruffles 1781-1826

Over pulled off a remarkable victory today against Eaton Socon who were 2^nd in the league and 2 v 0 up at half time but Over hit back in the second half to win 3 v 2.

Love

Mike & Kate