18^th February 2018

Dear All,

It was a long day yesterday as we began with a walk recce for a route we are leading on Thursday, then I planted a few things in pots in the greenhouse followed by watching football in the afternoon (while Kate continued painting), then Street Pastors in the evening/night. It was a fairly quiet night with just a couple of fights and no serious vomitting!

We have just returned from Addenbrookes visiting Mervyn Howard who was admitted with what turned out to be pneumonia on Tuesday night. He was severely dehydrated and in a bad way earlier in the week but is rallying pumped full of antibiotics.

We were in Hove on Monday and Tuesday helping while Albert had his pre op which was a bit of an anti-climax – mainly weighing and chat, in preparation for the next stage tomorrow. We walked to the beach on Monday and it was distinctly bracing leading up to a wet and windy Tuesday. Mary-Ann was under the weather when we left but Amélie starred by clearing up after we had left. It was a difficult return journey taking 3.5 hours instead of 2.25 due to constipation on the M25 and Bar Hill suffering gridlock due to the A14 improvements. I had a Garden Club talk at Harston in the evening.

Hove Beach

Amelie looking for treasure

Albert pre op

I missed “The Silk Road”  due to the Hove trip and “Biographies” due to the funeral of an ex NIAB colleague Liz Shelbourne.

We walked from Great Chishill on Thursday and were again blessed with sunshine (on the righteous?) but slippery underfoot. Highlight was encountering a herd of 42 Fallow Deer.

Great Chishill pond

Chrishall

Looking back to Chrishall church

Fallow Deer

Love

Mike & Kate