20^th May 2018

Dear All,

We have been to Beccles this weekend to celebrate John Bailey’s 70^th birthday (Kate’s sisters husband) – hence the delay in publication! We shared a meal last night with all the Bailey family – 19 in all then this morning they had hired a beach hut at Southwold. We left at 2 pm as we wanted to hear the speaker at the chapel Tea & Talk – Neil Thompson was a cricket opponent for 38 years and is now handling PR for Romsey Mill a charity which helps alienated youth in Cambridge and recently Peterborough as well.

James, John & Kate at Graze Restaurant, Beccles

John & Pavlova

Beach hut at Southwold

Earlier in the week we travelled down to Hove to spend Wednesday and Thursday with Mary-Ann, Amélie & Albert (Andy was back in Sweden). We made the beach on Wednesday but it was rather chilly. On Thursday it was a much better day and we took a picnic up to the South Downs near Devil’s Dyke. The sun shone and we had a serious insect hunt as well as hide & seek.

Devil’s Dyke

 

Professor Brainstorm   

                                                         Serious Hiker

On Friday Kate & I led a tour of Cambridge Botanic Gardens for the chapel. We had a training tour with one of our walking group, Aubrey, on Monday. He is an experienced guide but to have an official tour it would have been £10 per head on top of the £5.50 or £6 entrance fee. It was enjoyable for us to learn the background to the gardens as well as being able to identify some of the trees.

Kate at newly dredged lake – Cambridge Botanic Gardens

Esther is currently in Bulgaria doing one of her OT training stints. On Tuesday she sent us an email which said “Congratulations – how are you going to celebrate?” It turned out it was our wedding anniversary and we had both forgotten! As it happened we celebrated with a lunch at Wolfson College as we were due to Address Probus (retired PROfessional & BUSiness men or Prostrate Removed Other Bits Under Surveillance!) on the topic of “Street Pastors”. They are an elderly bunch but listened quite well. Their last email said “by the way we all wear ties!”

Equipment in Sofia for Esther to sort!

I managed to plant the main sweet corn patch and cucurbits at the allotment on Saturday but sadly missed the wedding and the cup final!.

Love

Mike & Kate

13^th May 2018

Dear All,

As forecast last week this has been a family week meeting up with cousins on Wednesday and children and grandchildren yesterday. As it happened Brentwood/Hutton featured on both occasions as on Wednesday we met and ate at the Brentwood Harvester before walking in South Weald Park ending at John & Muriel’s in Upminster for reminiscences and tea.

Cousins at South Weald Park

At Upminster

South Weald Roe Deer

Yesterday we mostly met at Esther’s in Hutton before picking up Ben from Billericay station and enjoying a meal at The White Horse at Ramsden Heath. Andy was not able to join us as he had been sick through the night. He successfully completed the circuit of the Isle of Wight 2 hours ahead of schedule, but understandably exhausted.

Post lunch at Esther’s

Albert with Chocolate Ice cream

Amélie decorating William

On Tuesday I had a lunch with former NIAB colleagues at Girton Golf Club and one gave me a cheque for £400 for Moldova. After I had to address Girton Baptist Tuesday Afternoon Friendship Group on the Wildlife of Costa Rica – a fairly elderly gathering! And called on Brian Tyrell afterwards. In the evening I updated our house group on Moldova.

Thursday’s walk started at Wicken and went as far as Upware returning through Wicken Fen. It was sunny and even the fens came alive especially the herd of Konik ponies which were introduced to environmentally control the vegetation.

Konik Ponies

Break at Upware

In the evening we had a Street Pastor’s training session with the Police as they explained their latest policy of controlling the county with 100 extra recruits.

Still plenty of gardening and crops are beginning to motor

Love

Mike & Kate

6^th May 2018

Dear All,

On Thursday we walked the second section of the Stour Valley Path from Cattawade to Nayland. It is a beautiful section of the walk as it goes through Flatford and Dedham and this week bluebells were showing everywhere. After recent weather it was boggy underfoot on occasions but the sun shone so it was very enjoyable. The journeys to and fro were frustrating with numerous traffic lights and two accidents on the way back.

Flatford Mill

Willy Lott’s Cottage

The Stour at Flatford

Muddy section near Dedham

Cricket season began in earnest yesterday so John Lane and I had a morning cutting, rolling and marking wickets for two games this weekend. The outfield grass- which is someone else’s responsibility has been going berserk so the green resembles a hayfield once he had cut it this week.

Plenty of gardening this week sowing winter brassicas, squash, pumpkins, spinach, salad onions, leeks, parsnips, red beet, lettuce and more sweet corn and planting lettuce, cucumbers, aubergines and celeriac. I also helped Ken who is over 90 sow carrots (as he cannot see well enough) and earth up his spuds.

We celebrated Kate’s birthday by lunch at Oakington Garden Centre, then it was our turn on Street Pastors again so we had a long night out on the town –what more could any girl want?! We are hoping to meet up with the children in Brentwood next weekend to celebrate properly as Mary-Ann and family are over this week. Andy was due to walk round the Isle of Wight yesterday – 105 km; we haven’t heard the outcome yet.

The streets were fairly quiet on Friday for a bank holiday weekend; the worst case lad had to be fetched by his mother from Saffron Walden at 3 am. The police have been reorganised and we had five at the briefing and encountered them throughout the night in a deliberate attempt to be seen on the streets. They are planning to grade each night red, amber or green according to the likely liveliness and match their presence to the rating.

We are looking forward to seeing you all next week either at the cousins reunion or Kate’s birthday gathering.

Love

Mike & Kate