24th July 2016

Dear All,

Mary-Ann, Andy, Amélie and Albert arrived late Friday evening. Andy has to go to Dublin later today and the rest are staying until Friday. Yesterday I was judging Linton Show and I met up with the others at Linton Zoo. The show was reasonable quality, especially the fruit but the vegetable entries were less than usual.

The zoo was very hot and the lions and tigers wisely chose to sleep, but the giant tortoises in which they specialise, were perhaps a bit more active than usual!

Linton Show

Winning Exhibit (Red currants)

Amelie & Postman Pat

Three cricket matches on the Green this week so a bit of preparation after the Carnival last weekend. The chapel team have had a reduced season due to opposition backing out but we has a match v Huntingdon District Council on Wednesday. Just as we arrived the heavens opened with a tremendous downpour including a carpet of hailstones. As it has been so dry beforehand it soon drained away and we were able to play. We needed 4 runs off the last two balls and our batsman managed to miss them both!

I had to go to Spalding again on Wednesday to record the RHS cabbage trial and on Tuesday Merv and I finished strimming the church graveyard.

Our Thursday walking outing started at Chrishall and took in Elmdon and Strethall. The designated leader, Peter McGill, had reccied the previous week but for some reason set out in the wrong direction and to quote him “did not step on one yard that he had reccied”. Consequently a short 7.5 miles ended up as 9.9 miles with an unhealthy percentage on roads. I think he will be delisted as a leader!

North of Elmdon

I had a Garden Club talk at Offord in the evening. Walking and cricket pitch repairing are not ideal preparation on a warm muggy evening, but luckily they were a friendly crowd.

I have had to build mesh screens for both greenhouses as we have a set of blackbirds in the garden that have taken a shine to the tomatoes as they ripen.

Kate has been busy collecting provisions for the Ely Food Bank recently as for the first time they have run out of goods.

Love

Mike & Kate