31st December 2017

Dear All,

Well Christmas has come and gone, we hope you have had a good one? We enjoyed having all the family here for a few days. Esther drove up on Sunday and Ben of course arrived on his bike later that day.

On Christmas Day a 10am service and lunch were followed by presents, games, Facetime with Hove and phone call to Bolehill.

Boxing Day featured a walk round Over Fen in bright sunshine for Kate, Esther and myself while Ben completed a 18 kilometer run. We popped into Merv & Pat’s open house after lunch then Mary-Ann, Andy, Amélie and Albert arrived about 4pm after a bit of a queue at the Tunnel. We are currently looking after our friend’s vast hen flock (3) while they are in Australia and the children took serious interest this project. Both were very well behaved and appear to be growing up very well.

Over Fen

On Wednesday we had unexpected snow which was slushy enough not to settle for long. Andy is a great walker and took in St Ives, arriving back a little damp! In the afternoon we drove to Welney to watch the swan and duck feeding. They seemed quite happy despite rather chilly conditions.

Welney

 

 

Kate’s niece Natasha visited on Thursday together with her boyfriend who is broad Irish dairy farmer and unusually named Lenin!

Lenin & Natasha

Fit a Caption Contest!

Ben left at 9.30am on Friday and it took him 7 hours to get home battling with head winds. Esther left before lunch to prepare for a Respite care session that evening and the Hove family departed after lunch so we were suddenly rather quiet again!

Not many matches to choose from yesterday so Dave and I watched Brampton 2 v 0 Sawston.

Andy has to go back to Stockholm tomorrow and the plan is for Kate and I to travel to Hove on Friday and fly with Mary-Ann and the children early Saturday.

Best wishes for the New Year to you all.

Love

Mike & Kate

24^th  December 2017

Dear All,

This is traditionally “National Brussels Sprout” distribution week – however it has been more problematic than usual. My usual supplier in Bedfordshire did not grow any this year due to a slipped disc and could only recommend one other grower several miles away – this for a county which once grew 17,000 acres of sprouts! I opted for trying Tesco’s home delivery of sprouts on stalks as they were the same price as buying direct from the grower. In the mean time we tried a recommended Farm Shop in Hilgay, Norfolk for a top up net of sprouts and filling vegetable gaps for fen celery and swedes. This proved to be an excellent Farm Shop and we would echo the endorsement should you be in the area! However my first experience of home delivery was not a success as Tesco had substituted bags of loose sprouts for sticks which was not what I needed so they were sent back and I had another trip to Hilgay to collect sticks.

I have spent a couple of seasonal days distributing 50 stalks and dispensing seasonal cheer – so much better than Christmas cards!

We have attended two Christmas lunches this week. On Monday it was the ex NIAB employees at Menzies Hotel, Bar Hill. The food was not great but it is always good to catch up with old colleagues.

On Thursday we had the walkers lunch at The Royal Oak, Barrington after a shorter than normal walk and mulled wine and mince pies at Philip’s home. Kate and I led the short walk round Barrington, Foxton and Shepreth. We had recced Saturday in bright clear weather but Thursday was misty and gloomy. The food was good but Kate enlivened proceedings by fainting and followed this by being violently sick. She had been fighting a virus all week so maybe had over done things. She spent the rest of the day in bed and is still very croaky with a bad sore throat.

Barrington Saturday

Saturday again

The Royal Oak, Thursday

Thursday

Anna Foster had a baby girl yesterday – as yet unnamed.

So Christmas time is here by golly – deck the hall with hunks of holly etc. We hope you have a good one.

Love

Mike & Kate

17^th  December 2017

Dear All,

The week began with a funeral for John Ramsbottom an ex NIAB colleague and Over resident. He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for several years. He was a hard drinker and big into shooting and the eulogies captured him quite well! The wake afterwards was a bit like a NIAB reunion. Another ex NIAB man, Brian Tyrell rang in the evening and as usual asked after all my children.

Esther had a difficult journey back from Stockholm with three planes being cancelled due to snow in London – which of course was ridiculed in Sweden!

This was the last week of the U3A term and we finished “Just Vegetating” with “Oriental Vegetables”. The recipes were: Hot & Sour soup, Spring Vegetable pie and Pumpkin & Cinnamon bread. The group were again very generous and presented us with £100 John Lewis voucher.

I had to go to St Neots on Wednesday to try and sort out the CEEM account at HSBC bank in John’s continued absence. There is little doubt that once a bank is involved your money is no longer your own! I have booked flights for Moldova this week for myself and Terry Rugg another director who has visited a couple of times before. John may or may not join us from Turkey – it remains to be seen.

Thursday’s walk began at Heydon at the junction of Cambridgeshire, Essex and Hertfordshire and took in Great and Little Chrishall. It was cold, clear and sunny so ideal walking conditions, if you were dressed correctly. We saw two herds of deer and just a little lingering snow.

Snow Lingering near Heydon

Chrishall church

Chrishall church

Chrishall

In the afternoon I hewed a Christmas tree form Richard Fenwick’s plantation in Mustill’s Lane. The trees are now overgrown and about 20 feet tall, so it is a matter of felling then taking the top out – but they are still only £2 per foot as they have been for 20 years!

The “Biographies” term ended with a quiz, winter readings and a buffet. John & Sally Lane left for 5 weeks in Australia and Thailand this week and we have charge of their large hen flock (3). Recent weather has left their pen like a muddy paddling pool so I tried to access some sawdust from our local woodwork businesses. One had just sold all their stock to a rabbit lady and the other has to turn all sawdust into solid pellets for the sake of the environment. These are sausages about 4 inches long and 3 inches diameter and very solid. I have 5 bags to see how they break down.

Kate and I are leading the Christmas short walk next Thursday at Barrington so we did a quick recce yesterday when it was again cold, sunny and clear. Football matches were scarce yesterday due to the weather so we ended up at Sawston v Lakenheath and it was very cold.

Love

Mike & Kate

10^th  December 2017

Dear All,

We woke up to this today, we were expecting a little but received rather more than anticipated.

 

All very pretty but not good for the health of my fruit and vegetable cages!

It has been a busy week with something on each evening: Deacons Monday, Home group Tuesday, CEEM/Moldova meeting Wednesday, Garden Club, Thursday, Pantomime Friday and Street Pastors last night – and that’s just the evenings.

“Just Vegetating” this week was “Minor Vegetables b” Artichokes, Seakale, Cardoon, Sweet Potatoes etc. and the recipes were: Celeriac and Parsnip bake, Sweet Potato gratin with coconut and chilli, Jerusalem Artichokes. On the way the car developed a rubbing sound which I thought was brakes but when I took it to the garage they found that the shield under the engine had dropped probably due to traversing endless speedbumps hereabouts.

Kate went carol singing in the Grand Arcade, Cambridge on Wednesday with the Fitzwilliam College choir for the benefit of “Winter Comfort” the homeless shelter.

Our Thursday walk started at Wrestlingworth near Saffron Walden. Our leader skilfully avoided ploughed fields but we got wet a couple of times from sharpish downpours. In the evening I was speaking at Fowlmere Garden Club. It was a large group and was followed by their Christmas party, so a good time to call!

Gathering at Wrestlingworth

Damp Break

Our “Biography” subject this week was “Stella Rimington” former head of MI5. Her mission was to overcome male domination and excessive secrecy. In the evening we attended Over Pantomime this year “Cinderella”. As usual it was very good, they have some very talented actors so it was a good evening.

Stella Rimington

Kate has visited Jim Burr a couple of times in Addenbrookes this week, he is improving but it is an uphill task. Mary-Ann and Esther probably have not heard that John Ramsbottom – a former NIAB colleague and Over resident died last weekend and his funeral is planned for tomorrow.

I watched Over 4 v 1 Fowlmere yesterday as a temperature conditioner for being on the streets last night. The cold weather reduced the footfall on the streets but there were at least four scuffles inside night clubs but as these were dealt with by bouncers and police we had a relatively quiet night and fortunately were in bed before the snowfall.

Love

Mike & Kate

3^rd December 2017

Dear All,

On Monday, after swimming I painted my saw bench which I have revamped – like Trigger’s broom there is little of the original remaining – but it is still over 20 years old!. In the afternoon Kate and I went to Coton Garden Centre to replace a fish tank bulb and add a couple of fish and some fresh plants. It was more like Santa’s Grotto than a Garden Centre at the moment, but we were able buy a few gifts so after two sessions and Amazon are nearly there.

“Trigger’s Saw Bench”

“Just Vegetating” featured the first part of “Minor Vegetables” this week: Scorzonera, Salsify, Hamburg Parsley etc. and the recipes were: Squash, sage and chestnut rolls, Roast fennel and pinenut polpette, Swede and honey plus a taster of Scorzonera.

In the evening Kate presented a talk on “Homelessness” at house group following a recent SP training session. Jim Burr was taken back in hospital again on Monday following three falls and general confusion. Each time seems like he won’t be returning but so far he has lasted 23 years since his first stroke.

Our Thursday walk this week started at Sturmer, south of Haverhill, and took in Boyton End and Wixoe and included part of the “Stour Valley Way”. It was fairly cold and we had a couple of snow squalls to liven things up. The pub was being rethatched with reeds which had been imported from Hungary!

Hungarian Reeds

River Stour near Sturmer

Bracing Snow Squall

David (Day) phoned in the evening to say that his hip op. had been postponed due to high blood pressure. He had been through pre op and was all robed up ready to go so it must have seemed an anti-climax.

“Biography” topic this week was “Sir Stafford Cripps”, post war chancellor blamed for extending the misery of rationing. He was a puritanical tea total, vegetarian of whom Churchill said “There but for the grace of God, goes God”. He had an MSc in chemistry, qualified as a lawyer and built a glider in his spare time. He married Isobel the heir to the Eno’s  Health Salts empire and started WWI as an ambulance driver having brought his own ambulance. He was then required to run a gunpowder factory with several thousand employees. His habit was to start work at 4.00am and always over worked which probably gave him stomach problems. He also smoked heavily which didn’t help his health. He became an MP in the Labour party and was sent to Russia to persuade them to support the anti-Nazi war effort. After the war he backed Attlee and even supplemented Attlee’s income when he claimed he couldn’t afford to stand as leader.

We “Facetimed” Stockholm on Friday where the snow had turned to rain so entertainment had changed from tobogganing to jumping in puddles.

We had a local ex Doctor at Men’s Breakfast yesterday with 27 attending. Football was a tad chilly with Over drawing 1 v 1 with Somersham.

Love

Mike & Kate

26^th November 2017

Dear All,

On Monday Kate and I travelled up to Boston with Glynis Fenwick to meet up with Bryan Withers and Bill Chowings who are ex NIAB colleagues and Tony Hewitt and David Jeffrey ex RHS Veg Panel members. Bryan suffered from polio as a child which deformed his chest and has left him with serious breathing difficulties. The weather was overcast and did not show the flat fields of Lincolnshire at their best!

Boston Tea Party?

Meanwhile in Stockholm it was snowing so we have received several photos of children enjoying themselves in the first downfalls – I hope the novelty does not wear off!

“Just Vegetating” this week featured “Potatoes” with recipes for Homity Pie, Hassleback potatoes and Victoria sponge made with potato flour (recipes all available on request!) Amazon delivered a new shower support and a new set of cricket fence posts so these occupied the afternoon.

We went into Cambridge on Wednesday to begin Christmas shopping but did not get beyond Waterstones before the novelty wore off! In the evening we were back in Cambridge for the first of two First Aid courses laid on by Street Pastors taken by the Red Cross. Both courses were very good and targeted at the sort of situations we encounter.

Thursday’s walk started at Cottered near Buntingford and took in Cromer, Luffenhall and Rushden. It was a little muddy but not nearly as bad as our last visit there in 2015. The sun shone for most of the way and we always fairly close to woodland.

Cottered

Cromer Winmill

Luffenhall

Near Rushden

It was my turn to present at “Biographies” and I chose “Thomas Jefferson” mainly because when researching for “Just Vegetating” I often came across “first grown in America in Thomas Jefferson’s garden in Virginia”. His cv reads:

Land Owner, Planter & Gardener

American Founding Father

Principal Author of Declaration of Independence

Virginia Delegate to Congress 1775-1776 (before independence)

Second Governor of Virginia 1779-1781

Virginia Delegate to Congress 1783-1784 (after independence)

US Minister to France 1785-1789

US Secretary of State 1790-1793

Second Vice President of USA 1797-1801

Third President of USA 1801-1809

Founded University of Virginia 1819

Thomas Jefferson

Mount Rushmore

The big issues of his time were the American Revolution, Slavery, Indian resettlement and expanding the US through the Louisiana Purchase.

We had a second First Aid session at Histon on Saturday morning then I watched a 0 v 0 game at Wet Wratting in the afternoon.

Love

Mike & Kate