28th April 2019

Dear All,

Kate and I have been down to Hove this week and inspected the alterations to the house. The attic area has been enlarged and the children now have bunk beds up there. The kitchen and living room have also expanded and it makes a considerable difference. We had rain while we were down there – a very rare occurrence in our recent experience and it brought out a whole raft of large snails – much to Amélie’s delight! Albert on the other hand was rather nervous of them.

Top Floor

Kitchen & Living Room

Chasing Bubbles

Ludo Meister

Chocolate Ice Cream

On Monday I distributed tomato plants to five worthy (ish?) recipients prior to going away and sowed a tray of cucurbits. Later I tried cutting the wicket again and the mower seized up so we have grasped the nettle of ordering a replacement - £3,000 for a reconditioned model!

We walked locally on Thursday starting at Haddenham and taking in the Great Ouse at Aldreth near where Hereward the Wake was reputed to have crossed.

Great Ouse Pumphouse

Haddenham Orchard

Glynis Fenwick’s car failed the MOT this week so we took her to Tesco’s on Friday followed by Oakington Garden Centre for Sweet Potatoes and hanging baskets. We spent another 3 hours on the pitch in the afternoon: rolling, cutting and marking out – they have planned 35 home games on the Green this year which is a considerable increase.

I have had two long chats with cousin John Bell this week – he is frustrated that he cannot drive at present so shopping involves taxis and buses.

Over won their last game at Soham yesterday 5 v 0 and so became champions by goal difference. The wind on Soham Fen was no joke gusting up to 40 mph which did not improve the spectacle for either players or spectators!

In the evening we helped Bob Kitson celebrate his birthday with 10 of us attending a meal at their house.

We should be off to Romania next Saturday so do not wait for news with bated breath!

Love

Mike & Kate

21st April 2019

Dear All,

We began Monday with a trip to Cambridge to return the SP keys then proceeded to the dump as Kate has been clearing the loft, then off to Waterbeach to fill 6 bags with recycled green waste. In the afternoon I sorted Ken Elsom’s garden as he is recovering from a stroke: earthing up spuds, rotovating the remainder of the garden and planting lettuce and sowing carrots and parsnips. Back home I sowed leeks, Runner and French beans. The blossom in the garden is fantastic – but we could surely do with a good rain.

I gave a report on the recent Moldova visit at the Tuesday home group and several extra folk appeared.

Wednesday was a full day beginning with one of Philip’s famous briefings for the U3A Dartmoor walking holiday in May, followed by a NIAB Wrinklies meeting covering 100 years of soil science. In the evening we had a chapel visit to Bakers farm in Swavesey where David Baker has started from scratch and built up a business with 130 ewes, 30 beef cattle 200 hens and 20 pigs. He has them slaughtered then does the butchery and retail himself. We then just had time to get to Over Garden Club for a talk by Richard Ayers the ex-head gardener of Anglesey Abbey.

Baker’s sheep

Wessex x Duroc pig with golden sheen

On Thursday our walk started at Arrington and took in Croydon and Wimpole Hall with yellow flowers everywhere: cowslips, celandines, dandelions and of course oilseed rape – with an odd bluebell thrown in.

Wimpole Folly

Break in the Woods

Friday morning was another session on the cricket square followed by sowing sweet corn sprouting broccoli and lettuce.

I had a long chat with John Bell yesterday while trying to arrange the next cousin’s reunion. He has lost his driving licence at present due to a series of blackouts.

This morning we had a 6am sunrise Easter Service in the orchard – and for only the second time in 10 year the sun actually made an appearance!

Love

Mike & Kate

14^th April 2019

Dear All,

I have sent you all a copy of the CEEM report and the link to Dropbox for the photos so I won’t repeat any of that just to say it is amazing how much you can pack into a week if it all works out. Since returning it has been all about writing up the reports, sorting the photos and catching up in the garden. The garden has survived the run of frosts this week although some of the tomatoes in the greenhouse have been singed.

We walked locally on Thursday started at Stow cum Quy and taking in Quy Fen and the old coprolite beds. There was a large turn out as it was close to Cambridge.

Quy Coprolite Pit

Quy Mill

Quy Mill Pond

John Lane returned from two months in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam this week so we started preparation of the cricket square. This is now a bigger job as we have added two extra strips this time.

Over beat Milton 5 v 0 yesterday and need to only draw their last game to go up and if they win they will be champions.

We were on Street Pastor duty last night and it was reasonably busy with a few hen and stag parties out and featuring an early casualty frog marched to the café to recover, another prostrate on the pavement with a bloody wound from probably a bottle blow and ending, as usual, with a difficult case of an 18 year old celebrating? his 18^th birthday by getting paralytic and not responding very quickly to efforts to sober him up so we were not able to get away until 4.15 am and to bed until 5.00 am.

Ben did well in the Vienna marathon last Sunday with a time of 3 hours 37 minutes.

Love

Mike & Kate