18th November 2018

Dear All,

“Just Vegetating” this week covered “Legumes” – mainly Peas and Beans and Kate presented Bean Burgers, Courgette & Chickpea pancakes, Hummus with cinnamon, lime & ginger and All in one pasta with chickpeas and tomato sauce. In the evening Terry Rugg came over to discuss plans for Moldova. He is doing a good job keeping the website up to date and getting stories and photos from the locals. Check http://www.moldovamatters.org if you are interested.

On Tuesday we were back at Bishops Stortford for another U3A group and Kate came with me for company. In the evening we had a “Homelessness” briefing in Cambridge from the City Council, The Community Safety Team and “Winter Comfort” the Day centre for the homeless. The presentations were not the best but you could glean some interesting information. There are now 500 hostel places for homeless people in Cambridge, 90 rough sleepers known by name by the Safety Team and Winter Comfort help 75-80 each day with food, showers and clothes washing.

Wednesday I had another talk, this time at Hitchin Garden Club on “Growing in Cuba”. They are a moderately large group who are all ageing together and likely to pack up as “no one can work a computer!” This was my thirteenth talk in a month so it is about time I retired!

There was a large turnout for the walk on Thursday: 22 in one group and 29 in the other. We started at Croydon (Cambs not Surrey) just beyond Wimpole Hall and took in Shingay and the deserted village of Clopton with good views from the ridge.

Little & Large

Shingay fron Clopton Ridge

Clopton deserted Village

The “Biographies” subject was one nobody had heard of “Mary de Rachewaltz” who it turned out was an illegitimate daughter of Ezra Pound. Her mother Olga gave her away to a peasant woman at birth to be brought up on a farm with 13 others on the Italian/German border. She remained there for 10 years then Ezra and Olga took some interest in her and sent her to school for the first time. She was able to translate some of Ezra’s poetry but then he was imprisoned after the war as he had backed Mussolini. She returned to the Tyrol to be a shepherdess, but a handsome man swept her off her feet and they brought a run down castle in north Italy where the lady who presented the biography had met her with her journalist husband, who was writing about Ezra. She is still alive aged 96.

Over v Milton was a lively affair yesterday with a couple of mass brawls – one involving the spectators – there is nothing like sport for building up understanding between communities!

In the evening we attended “From the Trenches to Tipperary” in Over Church Hall. A music hall type presentation of songs and stories to celebrate the armistice, together with a WWI menu of Surrey Stew, Apple tart and Trench cake. It was performed very well by our local postman and his wife.

Love

Mike & Kate