30th June 2019

Dear All,

Phew –what a scorcher! I hope you all came through yesterday unfrazzled? The rain and the heat have meant that the garden is moving fast and needs some keeping up with. We picked three buckets full of broad beans and Kate has harvested several punnets of red currants this week. Kate has produced a new broad bean offering when they are over mature by shelling and mashing them and turning them into mushy broad beans. Raspberries are also cropping well and I have had a whole row of cauliflowers variety Boris (no comment needed).

Wednesdays Red Currant harvest

We had a whole car full for swimming on Monday being joined by Jenny, Carol and Dennis (a new chap from chapel). In the evening I had a Cemetery Trustees meeting and decided not to put up the cost of dying!

On Tuesday we drove up to Saham Toney in Norfolk, near Watton to visit Bill & Joyce Chowings with Glynis Fenwick. Bill was my boss at NIAB and preceded me as Head of Vegetable Trials. He is keeping fairly well but Joyce had dementia so he has a full time job looking after her and the household chores. They took us for a meal at a local country club which was very good but as we were the only customers it was a job to see how they keep going.

Bill, Joyce, Kate, Mike & Glynis at Barn Hall

We were walking north of the county on Thursday starting at Glatton near Stilton. Numbers were low as several are put off travelling on the A 14 at present but it was a good walk as we saw Red Kites, a Buzzard, clouds of Meadow Brown butterflies and a patch of bee orchids.

Washingley

Bee orchid

Kate in the Barley (without Theresa May)

Stilton village sign

Stilton Bell

We had young Arthur again on Friday to allow his mother some respite and I managed to start an ancient rotary mower that has been in the cemetery chapel unused for about 30 years.

We were on Street Pastor duty on Friday and were expecting a busy night as it was pay day and warm but it was fairly quiet until inevitably knocking off time when we found a young lad comatose outside Lola’s. As we could not rouse him we had to call an ambulance fearing it would take ages to appear, but in fact it arrived in 30 minutes which was as well because he was deteriorating.

I was asked to play cricket yesterday but declined due to getting to bed at 4.45am and with scorching heat it was a wise decision. It was a low scoring game as Over defended 104 by dismissing Chippenham for 90.

David is away today so I am 12^th choice to do the talk this morning – no peace for the wicked!

Love

Mike & Kate

23rd June 2019

Dear All,

This week we hosted the U3A “Just Vegetating” crowd for lunch and a look round the garden. 15 came and were very appreciative of the food.

The garden has responded to the recent rains and has been bountiful. We have picked two bucket full of Broad Beans, peas, cabbage, strawberries and raspberries as well as lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, calabrese and new potatoes.

Thursday’s walk was a contrast with last week; shirt sleeves, dry underfoot and larger numbers. We began at Barley and took in Barkway and Nuthampstead. The crops were mostly looking good including several with Phacelia margins to encourage insects.

Barley Fox & Hounds sign

Phacelia border

View towards Great Chishall

Kate has had another busy week on the Pastoral care front including attending a weekly “Anger Management” session with a lady who needs it – but applies everything to others! And on Friday we had baby Arthur all day as his mother is a little depressed and not coping very well. Fortunately he is very placid and easy to manage but this makes his mother think there is something wrong with him!

I was judging Stapleford Produce show on Saturday – this is rather small so not too arduous but getting there was fraught as the A 14 was closed as they were blowing up an old bridge. This also meant we have had a couple of noisy nights as traffic is being diverted through the village.

Stapleford Show

Bar Hill Bridge

Over Garden Club had an outing to Beth Chatto’s garden yesterday. Fortunately we did not join as we have been a few times before. An elderly lady fell and an ambulance was called as they suspected a broken hip. However the ambulance took over 4 hours to arrive so they all had a rather long day.

Our new cricket square mower was finally delivered this week – a snip at £2,950 second hand! – but it does do an excellent job.

Love

Mike & Kate

16th June 2019

Dear All,

This week seems to have cured the drought! The rain has bucked up the garden but the pond is flooded and the flat roof has sprung a couple of small leaks.

We drove down to Hove on Tuesday afternoon after attending Ray Asplin’s funeral. Ray had lived in Over all his life so there was a healthy turn out for the occasion. Kate and I were entrusted with reading a poem. The journeys to and back from Hove were fairly easy despite the gloomy weather. The kittens are still high in the popularity stakes – especially with Amélie – Albert is still a little wary!

Rascal

On Thursday it was a question of “when the going gets tough the tough get going” only there were only 13 tough enough for the walk which began at Stretham in drizzle, and continued via the Old Pumping Station along the banks of the Great Ouse. A survey of waterproof clothing afterwards concluded that none were really 100% effective – and even those which kept out most of the rain built up sweat inside.

The Great Ouse

Stretham Old Pumping Station

I had another Over Show committee meeting in the evening which fortunately did not last as long as usual. The Garden Club have a trip to Beth Chatto’s next week but we are not planning to join.

We stocked up on tropical fish on Friday adding 8 Glowlight Tetras and a couple of Panda Cory Catfish.

Glowlight Tetras

Panda Cory Catfish

Cricket was on yesterday despite the wet week thanks to the heroic efforts of the grounds men! It was an exciting game with Wisbech which the opponents won with 2 balls to spare.

Ben took part in a swim down the River Arun yesterday 3.8 km starting at Littlehampton which he finished in 1 hour 10 minutes – good to see children emulating their parents!

2018 Race

Made it!

We have the annual gathering of the U3A Just Vegetating group next Tuesday for lunch and garden walk so that has involved a certain amount of preparation and tidying up this week.

We are off to Little Paxton this morning for a Moldova presentation.

Love

Mike & Kate

9th June 2019

Dear All,

The Fund Raising tea hosted by Kate and Gordon at Haddenham yesterday was well supported and raised £742 for the Moldova “Meal Deal” projects. Meanwhile news has come in from Leova that one wall of their church has collapsed and they have been experiencing torrential rain with the prospect of the River Prut overflowing. The walls are made of mud bricks and have been developing cracks for a year or two so it is not altogether surprising, but serious nevertheless as the repair estimate is 8000 euros – which they do not have.

I spent a day strimming the overgrown graves in the cemetery on Wednesday, usually Mervyn helps but he has had an operation on his arm and is not strimmer fit!

The car needed a new set of four tyres this week so we are safer but poorer!

Thursdays walk started at Toppesfield near Haverill and took in Great Yeldham and the Colne Valley. The crops in this area were as good as they had been poor the previous week, Wheat, Barley and Rape crops were all even and weed free. The pub in Toppesfield was community run and the chef has another job, so it was sandwiches all round, which was fine especially as it was very quick service.

Toppesfield

Great Yeldham

Kate in the Rape

Parkland Cattle

Dereck Medlock and Joyce have been around for most of the week tidying their bungalow and garden which has been empty for 3 or 4 years. He cannot bring himself to sell it as he would like to move back, which is unlikely. Also the valuation keeps going up so it is a good excuse to hang on. He was working on his old rabbit sheds – which my family will know well and surprise, surprise when Adrian called for a cup of tea he spotted a rat strolling across our garden! We had them round for tea on Friday, he is still heavily into rabbits keeping “too many” and judging in this country and abroad.

Friday night we attended Over Players latest offering: “Dame Agatha’s Greatest Case” a murder mystery spoof. It was well done and very funny.
Ray Asplin only lasted a week in the hospice and died at the weekend.

Love

Mike & Kate

2^nd June 2019

Dear All,

We met for the annual Day Cousin’s reunion on Tuesday. We arranged to hold it at Brentwood and Upminster as this is easiest for the oldest to attend. As it happened John was not up to the meal but did join us for a tour of sites where family had lived in previous times as well as a walk in Belhus Woods Country Park. After we gathered at John and Muriel’s for chat, sowing their veg patch and tea.

Cousin’s cast 2019

Belhus Park residents

Belhus Park

Muriel & Annemarie

We walked from Monk Street near Thaxted on Thursday taking in Duton Hill and Tilty. It was a bit dull compared to Dartmoor and Romania but warm and solid underfoot. It was mainly through cereal fields and some of them were not very well grown, and some with big patches of virus.

Near Monk Street

Duton Hill

Tilty Rectory

Tilty Church

We were on Street Pastor duty on Friday night. It was relatively quiet for a payday but we had a couple of awkward drunks who did not want help, one of whom was rather aggressive. Otherwise most folk were happy including a street dweller collecting signatures for more public toilets in Cambridge on a large cardboard box! and he had missed out the “L” in public!

Kate has had a busy week with her “Pastoral Care” hat on. Ray Asplin our senior Deacon has been taken to the Arthur Rank hospice for his final days – his wife, with dementia has not really grasped the situation. A lady who has been upsetting others is having “Anger Management” sessions, she has sat with Jim Burr to give Janet a break and one of our walking friends has lost a 21 year old grandson with a brain tumour. In addition to SPs she is on the door today, taking crèche and the children’s talk!

We have a fund raising Tea Party for Moldova hosted by Kate & Gordon next Saturday so anyone is free (or wishes to donate!) you would be most welcome.

Love

Mike & Kate