27^th August 2017

Dear All,

Highlight this week was our Friday trip to London to belatedly celebrate Kate’s 70^th birthday courtesy of our family. We met at the Tower of London and spent the morning there. It was, as usual, teeming with folk but well managed and something for everyone. Albert enjoyed climbing all the steps and Amélie was impressed by the Crown Jewels. We then walked along the Embankment to the Globe Theatre and were treated to a “Midsummers Night’s Dream Tea” in the Swan Restaurant. This was very grand as you can see from the photo.

Our usual swim on Monday was thwarted by a pump breakdown. On Tuesday we were down at Hutton sorting Esther’s estate. This week’s invitation was to fix a new doorbell, free a stiff tap, weed the front garden and borders, cut the grass, pick blackberries and raspberries. In addition we had time to refurbish the swing seat, prune the raspberries and construct a new compost bin out of pallets. It is always rewarding to be able see a difference at the end!

We walked from Broughing near Buntingford on Thursday. It is a village of interesting architecture and some history including H.G. Wells installing his pregnant mistress there. The local landowner planted 3 woods after WWII and named them after British disasters so we passed Ypres, Suez and Munich Woods!

Broughing

The local football season is underway and I have watched four matches this week, partially because there was a tournament in memory of a village worthy.

We have harvested a bumper crop of Sweet Corn this week – about 40 cobs. Fortunately there was a BBQ last Saturday and again this lunchtime.

Mary-Ann and Andy took part in 50 kilometre walk for the “South Coast Challenge” yesterday. Mary-Ann reported that “her feet are hurting and going over the Seven Sisters was exhausting” but they made it keeping up 5 km per hour, so we are very impressed.

Love

Mike & Kate

20^th August 2017

Dear All,

It was the annual chapel outing to Hunstanton yesterday, I am not sure how much people enjoy it but it has become a tradition! We are able to use the Union Church Hall for free (or a donation) and this is an excellent base for coffee when we arrive, fish & chip lunch and tea before departure. There always seems to be more weather at Hunstanton and this year was no exception as although it kept dry it was distinctly breezy. We hold a serious “Pitch & Putt” competition after lunch and this year there was an unprecedented three way tie for the winning position. On the way back we were all invited to a BBQ at Kate & Gordon’s at Haddenham and this is always popular as well as we are joined by a few who do not make the trip. 

 We had an extra day at Hove this week as it is the school holidays. We took the children to Hove Park Wednesday morning where there is a large playground and sand pit and in the afternoon braved the beach as the sun came out. Albert is fascinated by water but not too sure about waves! Mary-Ann just works mornings on Thursdays and Albert goes to nursery, so we were in charge of Amélie on a rather wet day, but when it eventually stopped raining we tried crazy golf which Amélie won “because she got round first!” We left after lunch and on the way back called on friends we had met in Turkey – Robert & Heather Hadland who live in Bexhill. Heather is Hawaiian and Robert is father of Sarah Hadland who appeared in “Miranda” amongst other things.

I did a bit of precarious ladder work on Friday clearing moss off of the flat roof and out of the gutters and edging tiles back into position where they had slipped and were blocking the gutters. The distance looks a lot further up there than it does on the ground!

We are expecting Dave and Ana Garlick this afternoon to report on Ecuador.

Love

Mike & Kate

13^th August 2017

Dear All,

It was a busy day yesterday as we came off Street Pastors at 4 am and had to be up to stage entries for the Over Produce Show early in the morning. The show is under new management as the old boys from the British Legion who have been running it since the days of Cain & Abel are getting long in the tooth and handed it over to a new committee mainly from the Garden Club. The new committee are details people and have held 5 committee meetings with and average of 4 – 5 pages of minutes! Still they have done a good job and the number of participants rose from 20 to 50 with nearly 400 entries and made over £660. I was expecting to judge again but they were keen to get as many entries as possible. I managed 5 x 1sts, 3 x 2nds and 5 x 3rds and was second (by 2 points) in the Veg and 3^rd overall. The Veg winner is very good, growing in drain pipes etc and the overall winner was a lady who submitted 70 entries!.

Friday night’s patrol was not too busy which was good, as we were in charge for the first time. The streets were not too crowded with just one serious incident as a lad was thrown out of “Fez” for fighting with a doorman and unceremonially deposited on the pavement where he cracked his head. As he was unresponsive we were not sure whether he was concussed or just inebbriated and ordered medical check up as a precaution. As it happened the police turned up before the ambulance and took over. Apart from this incident we had plenty of chats with Streetlife folk and revellers giving away several bottles of water and pairs of flip flops.

We have been “hot bedding” this week as after Ben left on Sunday he was replaced by two Bulgarians who are friends of friends and were over for a wedding and stayed for two nights and were then replaced by Mandy & Natasha down from Wirksworth for a night.

On Wednesday night we had a trip to the Arts Theatre in Cambridge with Bob & Carol to se “The Play That Goes Wrong” – it was very funny and would highly recommend it if you have the chance.

My cricket pitch colleague, John Lane and I travelled to Wisbech on Tuesday to look at a replacement mower – unfortunately it was no better than the one we already have. The man who cuts the outfield has been on holiday for 2 weeks and had arranged for a replacement to stand in while he was away. Sadly he ended up in Addenbrookes and after 2 wet and warm weeks the grass was seriously long so the cricket team all turned up with small mowers to cut the whole out field – it was a sight to behold. Virtue was rewarded as for the first time this year both teams won on the same day!

Our Thursday walk started at Broughton this week which is north of here near Kings Ripton not far from Huntingdon. After a wet and miserable day on Wednesday we were relieved that it stayed fine and was a decent walk. Hopefully the weather has turned now for harvest as some wheat crops are starting to look a bit sad.

The Crown, Broughton

Old Farm House, Broughton

Break Time

Gardening continues: Kate has planted a new strawberry bed, we have harvested spuds and I have planted lettuce, fennel and sown crimson clover and mustard for green manure.

Tom Webster phoned from Scotland while I have been writing this. He is 94 now and stil manages to be cheerful and keeps exercising his dog 2 or 3 times a day and goes out for meals several times in a week as well.

Love

Mike & Kate

6^th August 2017

Dear All,

We have had a very enjoyable holiday in Aldeburgh with the family. Our accommodation was a 3 storey house in sight of the sea with steps down to a contained garden, which kept the children (and grandpa) happy for much of the time.

Mary-Ann collected Esther on the way, which was fortunate as she was not feeling too good initially. Andy arrived from Holland via Harwich, Manningtree, Ipswich and Saxmundham. Ben had tickets for the Test Match on Saturday and came by train that evening but had to leave Monday for a colleague’s funeral. He returned by bike on Tuesday (190 Km) and left Friday to Cromer and stayed here last night – over 500 Km in all.

We explored Aldeburgh on Saturday first by following the “Where’s Wally” trail then took in “The Scallop” and local playground.

On Sunday we were in Southwold for serious crab fishing in the harbour then walked along the coast to the pier. Ben swam most of the way but it did not look too inviting! We called at Dunwich on the way back.

Monday we took in Easton Farm Park which is very well set up for children and adults with a working blacksmith, several Suffolk Punches and a complete array of farm animals. Amélie had a great time stroking rabbits and Guinea pigs, bouncing on a giant inflatable cushion and having two pony rides. Albert was brave enough to feed the chickens but drew the line at anything larger! Some of us called in at Wickham Market on the way home.

It was Thorpeness on Tuesday, rowing on the lake and visiting the “House in the Clouds” and windmill. Andy had to leave for Croatia in the afternoon and the rest of the party went to the Red House – Benjamin Britten’s home which now hosts music and craft activities. Amélie made a bug house and was featured on their web site. The house has a large garden with games laid out and the highlight was spotting a grass snake in the pond. In the evening Kate’s sister Sue, who lives in Beccles, came for a meal together with husband Bill, daughter, son-in-law and two children. It was a tight squeeze but it was good to see them.

Wednesday it was Framlingham Castle which again accommodated children with fight displays, armour to try on, walks round the battlements and a giant slide. Highlight here was successful kite flying. We called at Snape Maltings on the way back and encountered our first serious rainfall.

Thursday’s outing was to the “Oasis Camel Park” near Halesworth. An unsuccessful smallholder had turned his land over to a camelids theme park with about a dozen camels, plus alpacas, llamas and guanaco together with other livestock such as meercats, rheas, deer and pigs. There was a small museum, a lecture and opportunities to ride camels and donkeys as well as crazy golf.

Everyone left on Friday and Kate and I took the opportunity of crossing over to Orford Ness – a short boat ride from Orford Quay then explore the wildlife and abandoned military installations. It is now largely run by the National Trust and was interesting to explore.

The garden had of course run riot while we were away despite asking a few folk to help themselves.

Love

Mike & Kate