27th January 2019

Dear All,

We had our first spell of settling snow on Tuesday night but it did not amount to much. Earlier I attended the second week of “Wicken Fen” at U3A this time on “Life in the Fens” describing the various ways that people scraped a living and how they managed with shelter, food, fuel and transport.

On Wednesday we had the plumber in to replace a 30 year old shower that had packed up and to cure a toilet dribble. In the evening we attended a Street Pastors seniors meeting to discuss the state of affairs. We are currently a little short on both volunteers and money and the police presence is shrinking by the week.

Thursday saw us at Heydon, south of Royston for a walk which took in Chrishall, Duddenhoe End, Building Eng and Chishill. The ground was initially frozen but gradually thawed making the going very sticky underfoot. One interesting feature was the “Hamlet church” at Duddenhoe End – a small thatched building that was converted from a barn.

The Hamlet Chapel

Between Chrishall & Duddenhoe End

Chiswick Hall, Building End

In the afternoon we met up with a group of ex NIAB colleagues at Horningsea Garden Centre.

“Biography” topic this week was “Elizabeth Gaskell” the Victorian novelist who wrote “North and South”, “Cranford” and “The Life of Charlotte Bronte”. She was fond of travel but was married to a Unitarian minister who hardly left Manchester.

Elizabeth Gaskell

In the afternoon Kate and I visited Ken Elsom the old chap whose garden I look after. He had a stroke at the weekend and although out of bed is still rather confused. Kate had also been in earlier in the week.

Kate catered at the Lego afternoon at chapel yesterday which attracted a record attendance of 44. I watched Hemingford 2 v 2 West Wratting.

Love

Mike & Kate