24th April 2016.

Dear All,

In January I rashly reported that “we treat decoration like the Forth Bridge – gently but non-stop one room per winter”. My wife evidently did not entirely agree and this week we have been tackling the Playroom! It is a big room but fortunately fairly straightforward so it is nearly finished in a fashionable shade of grey.

On Tuesday we were in Hutton helping Esther catch up with her garden: cutting the grass, moving the hen run, reseeding the bare patch, weeding the front beds, planting the raised beds, training the raspberries, moving the tayberry, planting the white currant, painting the shed, planting the greenhouse, repotting the blueberries – it is amazing how time flies when you are enjoying yourselves!

On Wednesday I met up with Riverford again north of Peterborough as they wanted advice on updating their varieties. I came away with a reasonable list of topics which will be difficult to fit in as we are off to Moldova this Wednesday. The update on the seed parcel is that it has been intercepted by the customs and will be returned. “Seed can only be sent by seed companies or large organisations”. This is a nuisance as it was not only seed but other things destined for the village.

Our Thursday walk started at Rede south of Bury St Edmunds and took in Hawkedon, Somerton and Brockley. Unusually the pub would not take preorders for lunch so a delay before food arrived for 30 plus walkers seemed likely. As one of our passengers needed to catch a plane we did not stay – nor did several others so the pub lost out. It was a decent walk with cowslip, oil seed rape and a few bluebells in bloom.

The Plough, Rede

Hawkedon House

Hawkedon Green

We marked out the cricket pitch that night, as usual one mower and the roller were playing up despite winter maintenance.

Love

Mike & Kate

18th April 2016.

Dear All,

We have just returned from a 4 day jaunt to Holland and Belgium with Over Gardening Club. The main purpose was to visit Keukenhof Bulb gardens in Holland organised by Newmarket Travel. They are infamous for arranging accommodation somewhat at a distance from the target destination and it seemed they were on form again as our hotel was in Rotterdam rather than the nearer Amsterdam. However all was forgiven as the hotel was very good – with possibly the best shower we have encountered!

The coach journey there on Thursday via Dover and Calais was a bit tedious but uneventful and the courier was very competent and experienced.

The plan was Keukenhof on Friday, Amsterdam Saturday and Brugge on the way back Sunday. Unfortunately it was fairly damp on Friday but with waterproofs and umbrellas it was not too bad. The bulbs were stunning: 32 hectares, 7 million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths and a great display of Muscari (Grape hyacinths) as well as indoor Pavillions with flower displays.

Muscari

There were optional trips on Saturday to clog making, cheese production and a canal tour in Amsterdam but Kate and I opted to explore Rotterdam, partly because we had visited Amsterdam before and partly because one of our fellow walkers is Dutch and had lived in Rotterdam while his father was engaged in helping rebuild the docks after the war. It was a good choice as the city is an architectural wonder with some fantastic buildings and bridges. We got a “Day Tourist ticket” which allowed use of underground trains, buses and trolley buses and we made at least 12 journeys and saw a great deal of the city.

The Cube Houses

Erasmus Bridge

The Paperclip

The Red Apple

View from the Euromast

We had visited Brugge twice before, but it was a fleeting visit of an hour and a half to break up the homeward journey. Calais was very quiet but the camps are only partially cleared.

Bruges

Love

Mike & Kate

10th April 2016.

Dear All,

I have been packing a consignment for Moldova this week. This is far from an easy process, sorting and ordering a company on line is a tad more complicated than you would expect – the web sites never seem to flow very smoothly and sending seed is not straightforward as strictly each lot should be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. However we had 1000 packets covering about 200 varieties and the seed has been donated so you cannot expect the donors to provide paperwork and it is not practical anyway. I have tried talking to DEFRA and the Plant Health Seeds Inspectorate but they have not come up with a solution.  I have been advised to label it as “Aid – no cash value”, this worked last time but this time I received a reprimand from TNT saying “you must always list the true value or you could be liable to a fine and returned parcel”. So far it has got as far as Liege – keep hoping for a safe passage!

I have spent a few hours rolling the cricket square and outfield this week, it is still very soft but matches do not start until 7^th May.

Our Thursday walk began at Ugley near Quendon (of Ugley Women’s Institute fame!). We dressed in waterproofs but were only subjected to occasional light drizzle. Philip led the short walk and was frustrated a couple of times by footpaths being closed by the railway and local council. A counsellor responsible for footpaths stopped to enquire whether we needed advice explaining that two girls had been killed crossing the line so they had tightened crossings. Philip disagreed rather forcibly giving his opinion that “people should be trained how to cross lines safely rather than close them for everyone!”

The Beautiful Ugley Chequers

Break in Elsingham Railway Waiting Room

Ugley Green

The other highlight evidently was me getting caught on barbed wire trying to climb over a gate – fortunately I had the only camera!

I did a talk at Soham Allotment Holders on Tuesday, they were a very friendly group who meet in the conservatory of a pub and a certain amount of improvisation was needed to project without screen or blackouts. They were not the most organised because when I arrived one old chap said “I don’t think we have a speaker tonight – I think it’s a plant swap evening!”

We have gardened a little between showers this week and Kate has started redecorating the Playroom.

Next door have completed an impressive fence between our properties, it is good to hide the building activity but strange after 45 years without one.

We were on Street Pastors on Friday night. It was quiet for the first two patrols but lively after 2 am with two serious drunken youths and a couple of altercations and “amusing” taunts of “are you hungry – here come the Street Pastas!”

Love

Mike & Kate

3^rd April 2016.

Dear All,

It was good to see you all last weekend, I hope you all enjoyed the party and had safe return journeys. Thanks for your contributions and donations – we received £660 for CEEM. No photos yet from the “official photographer” so only have a “pre party“ picture of the cake which has been widely praised.

Egg Collection

Serious outdoor gardening got underway this week, firstly digging up the large bamboo clump which got out of hand with runners emerging 6 or 7 yards away from the main growth. Kate has been digging up the outlying runners for several weeks so we blitzed the main clump, it took two days with a pick axe as the roots were like steel.

Otherwise I have rotovated the allotment and planted maincrop potatoes, broad beans, parsnips and carrots.

Our Thursday walk started from Kimbolton and touched Graffham Water. The shorter walk was intended to be 7.5 miles but our leader lost the way a couple of times so it ended up as 10.5 miles – the same as the long walk and not for the first time recently they had finished their lunch by the time we returned! It was rather sticky as the soil is mainly clay thereabouts but fairly undulating and we were treated to an aerial display by a red kite.

Above Kimbolton

Graffham Water

I fetched the cricket roller from its winter quarters yesterday so serious wicket preparation is scheduled to begin this week.

Service and meal in memory of Mervyn’s mother this morning

Love

Mike & Kate