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