26^th March 2017

Dear All,

There were two highlights this week: getting the car back and meeting up with Mary, Graham, David and Jen for a meal at Bishops Stortford.

The car was eventually repaired on Monday after 12 days. Fortunately Peugeot agreed to pay for the parts even though it was out of warranty as we had a full maintenance record and it had only done 38,000 miles. Replacing and reprogramming a full set of injectors and diagnosing the fault would have cost £2,055. We had to pay labour cost which were £434 – bring back the Austin A35!

Monday was a busy day as I began with having a wisdom tooth refilled and patched up, continued with a meeting over lunch with John Law to discuss the next trip to Moldova, then off to the doctors for the results of MOT blood tests and ended with the annual chapel outing to Pidley for 10 pin bowling. We had 35 turn up for either the meal or the game and it seemed to go very well.

On Tuesday we visited Oakington Garden Centre to stock up on slug pellets, fertilizer and a few plants and seeds. Later I harvested the last of the Brussels sprouts at the allotment and dug the land. Sprouting broccoli was also coming on stream and needed picking.

Gordon Foster had been to hospital in London to have a cyst removed from a very delicate part of his anatomy; he expected to be kept in for 3 days but was released the same day and turned up for a church meeting in the evening.

We hadn’t met the Browns and the Days for some time and Graham suggested meeting at a venue equidistant for us all so Wetherspoons at Bishops Stortford was chosen. It was a good venue despite the complications of the town’s one way traffic system. We had planned a short walk but the weather was not conducive so we settled for a stroll round the Castle Park.

Venerable Group

Our Thursday walk started at Kneesworth west of Cambridge and took in Melbourn and Meldreth. It was a mixed walk as the section along the River Mel was excellent but it also involved crossing the A 10 four times and the railway line. In the absence of the normal pub we ate at a “Yuva Nepalese Restaurant”. Despite having pre-ordered service was extremely slow and some of our group are not famed for their patience!

River Mel

The U3A term has finished so we had more time free this week which was useful as the weather allowed some serious gardening to begin. On Friday I cut the grass, planted early spuds, peas, lettuce, cabbage and cauliflowers and sowed peppers, aubergines and salsify, declamped the dahlias and planted the earliest tomatoes in the greenhouse.

The magnolia trees in the front are in full blossom and so far have escaped the usual frost singeing.

Love

Mike & Kate

19^th March 2017

Dear All,

We were on Street Pastors duty last night – hence the delay in this offering. It was a very lively night with at least four violent incidents. The first arose when two inebriated girls attacked two adults for no discernible reason and left them bleeding heavily. They were patched up by our folk in “Nightlite” then one of their friends went looking for the perpetrators and had to be restrained by the police. Next we were called to M&S doorway where a rough sleeper had been attacked by one of his “mates!”. He had slammed his head into the floor then kicked him – again under the influence. We took him to the cafe (Nightlite) and they patched him up but he was sent to Addenbrooke’s to check for concussion.

We were not directly involved in the third incident but were in the vicinity when eight police cars and ambulances screeched up included an “Armed Response Unit”. It seemed like overreaction as there had been a fight outside one of the night clubs and a girl had been hit and her boyfriend intervened and two guys had been knocked out. Seeing police with guns was a bit alarming! Finally near finishing time (4am) a gang of large coloured lads were falling out with each other with much shouting and pushing and shoving but the police were quickly on the spot. In between we had picked up over 120 bottles (to prevent them being used as weapons), swept up some broken glass, distributed numerous pairs of flip flops and bottles of water and stood up a few fallen bikes. At least when you are busy the time goes more quickly!

We still haven’t got the car back. Marshalls got round to diagnosing the problem on Wednesday and decided that it needed a new set of injectors. As this would be expensive they said that as it had been purchased and serviced by them they would consult Peugeot about getting the bill reduced as “a goodwill offering”. This was eventually agreed – they will pay for the parts and we have to pay labour. However the parts have to be ordered – so watch this space! We have been very grateful to borrow Merv,s ancient Peugeot 307.

After swimming on Monday I had a trip to the clinic to have some blood samples taken (for a medical MOT) then to the dentist as I lost a chunk of tooth. This hopefully will be patched tomorrow. At lunchtime (prepared by Kate) the chapel “Events Committee” met here to plan forthcoming activities.

Tuesday was the last session of “Just Vegetating” covering “Oriental Vegetables”. The class presented us with a £100 John Lewis voucher which was very touching.

I had another Garden Club talk on Wednesday evening at Benington near Stevenage. My Sat Nav was in my car and I had forgotten how much you rely on it finding villages in the middle of nowhere in the dark.

The Thursday walk started at Arkesden south of Saffron Walden and took in Clavering. It was much drier underfoot than recent weeks and very pleasant with spring springing up everywhere.

Arkesden

Break

“Biographies” ended with “Beethoven” presented by a rather vague ex music teacher. She wanted to use Power point but did not know how so I put it together for her and acted as projectionist. Unfortunately she changed the order of pictures so it was quite a game keeping up with her. After we had an end of term lunch in “Cote Brasserie”. Friday was also my birthday – thanks to all who sent cards and presents – greatly appreciated. In the evening 12 of us had a meal at “The Old Crown” in Girton.

We started yesterday with Street Pastors training on “Homelessness” and “Community”. The first session was very good taken by an ex homeless man who has been heavily involved with “Jimmy’s” access centre. This caters for 24 people (and 2 dogs!) every night and tries to process inmates onwards to hostels, move on houses or council accommodation. There are actually 300 hostel places in Cambridge which largely explains why it is a popular spot for the homeless and perhaps why homelessness in Cambridge has increased by 100% in the last year. A recent development is “Street life tourism” where people having been travelling from London, put on tatty clothes, beg all day then change and go back home! Evidently in Cambridge the going rate for begging income is £12 an hour!

The garden is springing to life  and I have sown beetroot, salad onions and lettuce this week. Our apricot tree is covered with more bloom than ever before. – no late frosts please!

 

Apricot Blossom

Love

Mike & Kate

12^th March 2017

Dear All,

This week’s excitement was breaking down on the M25 Wednesday night returning from Hove. We had only been on the M25 a few miles when the car started to judder and lose power. Kate was driving and managed to get into the inside lane and we saw a sign for “Emergency Telephone” which was useful as there was no hard shoulder on this stretch and the M25 is not much fun especially in the dark. We are in an “Assist” scheme and were promised help within an hour – 2 hours later a breakdown truck arrived and the Polish gentleman in charge said “it’s too complicated and dangerous to do anything here, do you want to go to a garage or home?” We opted for home arriving just after midnight. The car still isn’t fixed as our local garage ran a diagnostic scan which indicated “electronic fault in injector circuit” which they couldn’t fix so the car had to be picked up again and taken to the main dealer in Cambridge, who are so busy that they cannot look at it until Wednesday. Any way it could be worse and if your life is slipping by too quickly I can recommend 2 hours standing by the M25 in the dark to slow time down!

Wednesday had started wet in Hove but once it stopped raining we walked Albert to Brighton in his push chair as this usually ensures he nods off. He is now walking confidently and consequently very proud of himself. Highlight of the day for him was stomping through puddles in his wellies! Amélie lost her first tooth this week so was excited by a visit from the tooth fairy.

On the Phone!

Grandma in Charge?

Gappy!

On Monday we had a load of turf delivered to cover the area of lawn Kate had dug up pre op. to try and eradicated the rampant bamboo. Adrian helped lay the turf and as our contact had over ordered, Kate and I ended up digging up another three strips of lawn to use up the new turves.

Men at Work

Before the 3 extra strips

I was speaking at the Garden Club at Willingham on Monday night and then “Just Vegetating” on Tuesday while developing a cold – which of course developed into “Man Flu!”. Generously I have now passed it on to Kate who is less than grateful.

The topic this week was “Minor Vegetables part 2” including Artichokes, seakale, sweet potatoes etc and the recipes were: Celeriac and cheddar cheese soda bread, Celeriac, chicory, orange and cashew nut salad and Roasted fennel and pine nut polpette.

We didn’t walk this Thursday due to the excitement of getting back late and trying to sort out the car but I caught up in the garden planting shallots, onions, broad beans and peas and pricking out the remaining tomatoes.

On Friday I biked to the guided bus which was awkward as I was taking the projector into “Biographies” for someone to borrow. The subject this week was “Julia-Margret Cameron” who was given a camera for Christmas in 1864 and within two years had an exhibition at the V & A museum. Photography in those days was of course a complex chemical experiment to develop the glass slides so was a formidable undertaking.

Yesterday Mervyn turned up first thing and has lent us their old Peugeot until ours is fixed which is very kind of him. I then assembled a new cold frame and put together a presentation on “Beethoven” for a lady to deliver in “Biographies” next week. This involved scanning 30 photographs – so she owes me!

In the afternoon Dave Harrower and I travelled to Chatteris for another nail biting top of the table clash won by Hardwick!

Ben is off to America again next week; this trip includes Boston, a 20 mile race and the Niagara Falls.

Love

Mike & Kate

5^th March 2017

Dear All,

“Well Brian – it was a trip of two halves”, this refers to our Friday and Saturday day visit to Lincoln to celebrate the end of Kate’s radiotherapy sessions. Friday it rained non-stop both during the journey and the first days sightseeing. On Saturday the sun came out and it was a different world. We had accommodation at “Bishop Grosseteste University” which is the former Teachers Training College. This was a little strange as the campus seemed largely deserted for most of the time we were there even though it was normal term time.

On Friday we had a conducted tour of the Cathedral which was excellent and the building magnificent. We then walked down “Steep Hill” (which really is) via the ancient “Jews House” to Brayford Pool (the old harbour) before returning to the campus then later returning to the centre for a meal at “Browns Pies”.

Castle Hill, Information Centre

Carved wall in the Cathedral

On Saturday we walked the length of the Castle Ramparts with splendid views of the city and surrounding countryside, before joining a conducted tour of the rest of the Castle and Prison. We also inspected one of the four remaining copies of the “Magna Carta”.

After this we visited the “Usher Art Gallery” and the “Museum of Lincolnshire Life”. The Museum was again brought to life by a local guide. It is housed in an old barracks and besides recreating old shops and trades has a large collection of old farm machinery especially wagons and carts and the first military tank that was made in Lincoln. The guide owned a modern “Penny farthing bike” and demonstrated mounting, riding and dismounting at the end of the tour.

View of Cathedral from Castle Ramparts

Kate and George III

Wagon Wheel exhibit

Horace on Penny Farthing

It has been a museum week as after swimming on Monday I had arranged a conducted tour in Cambridge of “The Whipple Museum of the History of Science” for the chapel. This contains a collection of apparatus used in pioneering experiments e.g. Darwin’s microscope, teaching aids, large collections of globes and historic items such as Sinclair’s ZX 81 computer.

Orrery

In the evening it was the Cricket Club AGM and I was granted permission to buy a new mower!

“Just Vegetating” this week started “Minor Vegetables” such as Salsify and Scozonera and Kate’s recipes were: Sweet Potato gratin with coconut and chilli, Squashsage and chestnut roll and Swede with honey.

In the evening we went to Warboys for a talk on “500 years since the Reformation” by an Australian called Stephen Tong.

We were treated to live music for the first time in “60s Music” by “Kim & Lee”. Kim was Kimberley Rew was guitarist with “Katrina and the Waves” and wrote both their 1985 No. 1 hit “Walking on Sunshine” and their 1997 Eurovision winner: “Love Shine a Light”. He played brilliantly and I have never heard a guitar played better.

Our Thursday walk started fairly locally at Graveley and took in Offord D’Arcy and Offord Cluny. It was not the most exciting walk but it stayed dry and the pub was good.

Love

Mike & Kate