28th January 2018

Dear All,

‘Tis the time of year when a young (?) woman’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of DECORATING! I dutifully passed the cold I was suffering from last week on to Kate, but it did not deter her from the above – this time the dreaded Hall, Stairs & Landing. She has been IC preparation and I am entrusted with final application – it could be a long job but the upstairs corridor is more or less complete.

Kate opted out of swimming on Monday but was well enough to go to her “Osteoporosis” class (keep taking you vitamin D in the wintertime). As spring was in the air I assembled the heated propagator and this week have started 40 germination tests.

Tuesday was a busy day, I attended a new class on “The Silk Road” – however it was rather disappointing as the lecturer has spent 2 weeks talking about ancient Greek and Persian dynasties and does not have a captivating delivery style. I’ll give it another week! Kate and I then attended a lecture by Ottoline Leyser, the director of the new Sainsbury Research Centre based at the Botanic Gardens entitled “Thinking like Vegetables” – it was all about hormones (mostly Auxins) which control plant growth and it was a very good example of how to put a technical subject over to a non-expert audience. After this we joined up with some of our walking colleagues for a Polish meal. There were 14 of us all told and the meals were interesting – some were more enthusiastic than others but most were very happy.

On Wednesday we hosted a chapel “Events Committee” which started with a meal to make it more enjoyable, painting got underway the we watched “The French Connection” on DVD (for the first time).

Thursdays walk started at Gravesend near Furneux Pelham south of Saffron Walden and Buntingford. It was a long journey as the A14/M11 are always clogged these days and the last 8 miles were narrow twisty lanes (a bit like Devon). However the sun shone throughout and despite being wet underfoot it was an enjoyable walk sighting a herd of deer and avoiding most muddy fields.

The Catherine Wheel, Gravesend

Briefing

Patmore Heath

Park Hall Water Tower

Green Hall Farm, East End

“Biographies” this week featured “Barbara Bodichon” a 19^th century educationalist, artist, feminist and joint founder of Girton College.

Barbara Bodichon

We had a church “Awayday” yesterday but stayed in Over! to discuss the vision for the future with the age profile creeping ever upwards. If this seems familiar it was the topic last time Graham led the discussions about 10 years ago!

Love

Mike & Kate

21st January 2018

Dear All,

It was a chilly night on Street Pastors last night which meant there were not huge numbers of people about. As usual, it started quietly until midnight, then livened up a little after that but was not too busy: a fight or friends subduing a violent mate?, a very intoxicated young man who persistently propositioned Kate (it was dark!), summoned to Revolution to check two drunk girls who declined help, several chats to street dwellers and distributing a few pairs of flip flops for the inappropriately shod.

I had a quiet start to the week as I was suffering from a heavy cold so missed my first U3A “Silk Road” class and a church meeting. Kate started a new class on “Osteoporosis” on Monday. I used the downtime to back up my computer and write another garden column.

On Wednesday Kate used up one of her Birthday gifts – an afternoon tea at the Anchor at Sutton Gault. She invited Dave & Ellie – walking friends, to accompany us.

The Anchor

Balanced Diet!

The Anchor, Sutton Gault

Kate joined the U3A walk on Thursday starting at Woodditton but I did my own thing with a more gentle hike round Over Fen.

Over Fen

Overcote, Pike & Eel

I went to “Biographies” on Friday where the subject was “Ansel Adams” an American landscape photographer and environmentalist. He left school at 12 and initially became a musician but family trips to Yosemite hatched a love for the great outdoors and he was described as Americas greatest ever landscape photographer. One print earned him $25m!

We are still looking after John & Sally’s chickens and house and on Friday Kate discovered that half the power in the house was down, including the deep freeze. In the end we had to pull the very tight fitting freezer out and connect to live electricity via an extension cable.

In the evening we were guests at the Day Centre meal for volunteers qualifying due to presenting a fund raising quiz each year. They have lost a lot of local government funding but seem to have weathered the storm.

There was another Lego Event at chapel yesterday and these seem to be going well. I managed to watch a top of the table clash at Brampton v Great Shelford in the afternoon – again a rather chilly experience!

Love

Mike & Kate

14^th January 2018

Dear All,

In the week after New Year Kate and I visited the Fitzwilliam museum in Cambridge where there were several exhibitions including Degas, Desboutin and Daumier – all were free so good value!

On Thursday I took part in the walk starting at Everton but Kate rested as she was not 100% and Stockholm was on the horizon. Everton is near Sandy on light, well drained soil but we still found some mud. The walk included part of the “Greensand Ridge walk” and “Gibralter Barn” the centre for secret war time operations from nearby Tempsford air base.

Sandy Gravel Pit

Occasional Mud!

Gibralter Barn

On Friday we drove down to Hove to spend the night before flying to Stockholm from Gatwick early Saturday with Mary-Ann, Amélie and Albert – Andy having returned to work earlier in the week. The temperature was -3°C on arrival and never rose above freezing dropping to -8°C with wind chill one day.

Sunday was cold and sunny and we caught the ferry from Gamla Stan to Djurgarden amd walked round Skansen to Rosendala garden and back along Djurgardsbrunnsviken to their flat which is on Sodermalm. As we found before if you are dressed right the temperature is no problem.

Gamla Stan

On Monday we walked round the south of Sodermalm taking in two parks and duck feeding in Arstaviken. Later Kate and I visited Katorina church which has a congregation of 500 and works with recovering alcoholics.

Duck Feeding

We caught a bus to the City Centre on Tuesday and walked from near the Central station around the Observatory Park and back to Sture plan taking in McDonalds and another park. Back on Sodermalm Mary-Ann and Amélie took to the ice on an open air rink.

The Observatory

On Wednesday we explored the north of Sodermalm with fantastic views of the city across the water before a nasty fog descended completely changing the atmosphere. We walked on to Gamla Stan and later Kate and I did another walk in NW Sodermalm.

Gondolen

So we saw a good chunk of Stockholm, the weather was chilly but bearable and it was good to spend time with the family. Their flat is large and on the third floor accessed by a rather ancient and cramped lift with the buggy. It is obviously taking time for them to adapt to a foreign city with a cold climate and short hours of day light but hopefully once spring arrives and they get to know a few people things will improve.

We arrived back Thursday night after a good flight the journey back from Gatwick was busy and messy with persistent drizzle. Back in Over we had the church New Year social on Saturday and Kate was in charge of catering for 45 and I did a review. Meanwhile David our pastor was laid low with flu so I had to speak this morning so it has been a bust few hours!

Love

Mike & Kate