7th October 2018

Dear All,

We have had two trips to Hutton this week – on Tuesday we were reclaiming Esther’s garden from nature and yesterday there was a gathering of the clans in the build up to her birthday. Apart from us, Ben, Mary-Ann, Andy, Amélie, Albert, Emma, Emma’s mother, sister, brother-in-law and three children – so fairly cosy in her front room! On Tuesday you could certainly see where we had been!

 

                        Before                                                             After

 

                     

   Before                                                             After

I started digging on Monday but it was very dry, hopefully there was enough rain yesterday to soften things up. In the evening Kate and I addressed Needingworth WI on the topic of “Street Pastors” – we didn’t get any volunteers but did receive a donation!

On Wednesday I went back to NIAB to hear their plans for the future. They are trying very hard to reinvent themselves and the old variety and seed testing is now only 10% of their income compared to 90% at one time and still 50% when I left. Brexit is causing a few headaches as they have already lost some European contracts. They have taken over TAG, East Malling and Cambridge University Potato work. The old building has been sold and leased back and the staff are to be housed in new buildings on two sites.

We finished the Stour Valley Way on Thursday from Little Thurlow to West Wickham. We started in thick mist but finished in sunshine. The whole route is about 74 miles from Shottley.

Stour near it’s Source at West Wickham

Finishers

Love

Mike & Kate