29th  January 2017

Dear All,

We were pleased to welcome Esther for the early part of the week as she was on leave. It was a dual mission to check on her aged parents and finish a curtain which had been in construction for many months. She accompanied us to “Just Vegetating” – “Brassicas” this week and a NIAB Wrinklies lunch in the Old Crown at Girton.

Finished Article

On Wednesday shopping in Cambridge was followed by a visit to Anglesey Abbey. We joined a guided tour of the Winter Garden and snowdrop collection. The Winter Garden is excellent with displays of coloured barks and they currently boast 350 snowdrop varieties. They are late this year and will look better in a couple of weeks.

 

 

Our Thursday jaunt was very local this week beginning at Oakington and taking in Longstanton, Rampton and Westwick. The temperature was bearable when you were walking but decidedly chilly when you stopped and the sun declined to shine. There are not many walks when you spot not one but two thatched churches.

St Michael’s Longstanton

All Saints, Rampton

The subject of “Biographies” was “Nikolaus Pevsner” an expert on art and architecture most famous for his 46 volume, county by county guides “The Buildings of England”. He was born in Germany in 1902 and initially praised some of the early Hitlerite policies but being Jewish soon fell foul of the Nazi race laws and had to escape to England. One of his pieces of wisdom was:

"A bicycle shed is a building; Lincoln Cathedral is a piece of architecture. Nearly everything that encloses space on a scale sufficient for a human being to move in is a building; the term architecture applies only to buildings designed with a view to aesthetic appeal."

Mary-Ann sent a clip of Albert taking his first steps yesterday, so he is now officially a “toddler”!

Love

Mike & Kate

22^nd  January 2017

Dear All,

It was - 6°C last night and the coldest in a week of frosts. I have started some germination tests in the homemade propagator this week and ordered seed from a couple of companies and been given some from a third so the despite the scene outside the new growing season is underway.

This Morning

The Propagator

The car also responded to the weather with a flat battery on Monday, but recovered after rapid charging.

“Just Vegetating” this week covered “Alliums” and the enthusiasm seems to be maintained.

“60s Music” was “British 60’s Girl Singers”. We were told that four girls – Sandie Shaw, Lulu, Dusty Springfield and Cilla Black scored nearly 60 top 40 UK hits between 1963 and 1970. A whole raft of others including Petula Clark, Helen Shapiro, Clodagh Rodgers, Jackie Trent, Mary Hopkin and Marianne Faithful also enjoyed success.

Our Thursday walk this week started from Brinkley, south of Newmarket and took in Burrough Green, Stetchworth and part of the Stour Valley Path. It was frozen underfoot for most of the time and the sun poked out intermittently.

Icy Sheep

Stour Valley Path

On Friday I missed “Biographies” as I had to address the “Sandringham Disabled Gardeners Club” – a round trip of over 100 miles but they were a decent audience. Kate accompanied me to share the driving. Sadly HRH didn’ t make it as she was tired after attending the WI the night before!

In the evening were amongst the guests at Over Day Centre Volunteers meal; we evidently qualify due to the quiz we present. There was a good atmosphere but they are going to have serious fund raising challenges as they have lost £40K from their council grant.

Yesterday was “Lego Morning” at chapel. This replaced Messy Church and is gradually gaining momentum with 35 children and parents present.

Lego Session

Football watching was a tad chilly yesterday but we watched a good top of the table game which ended Great Shelford 3 v 3 Eaton Socon.

Kate starts radiotherapy on the 2^nd February for 3 weeks.

Love

Mike & Kate

15^th January 2017

Dear All,

It is not a great time to be involved with the NHS as there are so many sick people about! Kate had an appointment at Addenbrookes on Monday for 10.10 am to arrange follow up scans and radiotherapy – she was eventually seen after 3 pm and told they were too busy to scan her and given some pills that see cannot take until after the bone scan! She was then summoned back on Friday at 8.10 am. This time she was seen promptly and had a body scan to target the radiotherapy and given a discrete tattoo but still has to have the bone scan and timetable for the radiotherapy. Still, small steps and some progress!

I attended the funeral of Richard Austin, one of my cricketing colleagues on Monday. He had a Pilipino wife and her 7 year old son gave the first eulogy!

We began teaching “Just Vegetating” again on Tuesday this week presenting “Carrots and Parsnips”. It seemed to go well but as usual the main excitement was Kate’s cooking and recipes. This group are quite keen and even asked for a book list!

“60s Music” on Wednesday featured the work of Burt Bacharach who as of 2014 had written 73 US and 52 UK top 40 hits – I expect you can all name a few? They include “Trains and Boats and Planes”, “What the World Needs Now”, “Alfie”, “What’s New Pussy Cat”, “Wishin’ and Hoping”.

Our walk on Thursday returned to the area close to Stevenage where we were two weeks ago this time starting at Halls Green taking in Weston and Graveley. We got back just before the heavens opened. Kate did not walk as she anticipated a heavy few days mainly catering for the chapel New Year Social last night.

Halls Green

Elderly People!

The “Biographies” subject this week was “Eglantyne Jebb” the founder of “Save the Children” We had a short sharp snow flurry in the morning but it did not settle.

  

Eglantyne Jebb

The Social went well with over 50 attending. Kate was i.c. food and I presented the review of the year again!

Love

Mike & Kate

8^th January 2017

Dear All,

We had a very enjoyable 3 days in Norfolk over the New Year staying with Ian & Felicia at Pockthorpe near West Rudham. Sunday was wet so we only ventured to Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve. The birds were being fed from all the hides and were present in large numbers. We saw Woodcock, Bramblings, Goldfinches, Tits and Finches of all descriptions.

We failed to see the New Year in and retired to bed about 10 pm!

Monday was completely different with clear blue skies so we walked from Holme next Sea to Thornham for lunch and back again past the site of “Seahenge”. Apart from the expected shore birds we saw a flock of Twite. Twitchers were abroad in number looking for a reported rare duck.

With Ian & Felicia at Holme next Sea

Our Thursday walk was fairly local starting at Stapleford and picking up the Genome Path and the Roman Road around Wandlebury. There was a good frost underfoot so none of the usual mud nonsense! Kate managed the short walk but is still limping a little.

Genome Path

The Roman Road

We are still harvesting Brussels sprouts, leeks, parsnips, celeriac and beetroot from the garden and allotment and I have been reconstructing the propagator with a new heating cable.

Last night was the U3A Ramblers New Year’s party which was held in a new location this year at St Andrews Church hall at Chesterton as Newnham College, the usual venue, is being knocked about. Everyone contributes food which is excellent as it becomes a little competitive! I had the dubious honour of presenting a Power point review of the year.

Love

Mike & Kate