25^th August 2019

Dear All,

It was the first Wisley meeting of the year on Tuesday judging Dwarf French Beans and outdoor Cucumbers and checking Fennel and Spring sown bulb Onions. The journeys to and fro were thankfully without problems which is a rarity. Wisley is undergone numerous changes with a completely new entrance, several new buildings and the prospect of rearrangement of trial sites. The Beans were hard to sort with 40 varieties and mainly small differences but the cucumbers were much easier with fewer numbers and larger differences.

 New Wisley Entrance

Panel judging French Beans

Hydrangea paniculata

We entertained Grace and Arthur again on Monday while their mother Rachel went for a hospital consultation. Kate had thought through entertainments for Grace and it went quite well.

Arthur tackling Sweet Corn

I have had three sessions strimming the graveyard this week, there is a contractor who mows between graves but there are many neglected graves which get overgrown.

Our walk this Thursday began at Halls Green not far from Stevenage and took in Graveley and Warrens Green. Harvest was not as far advanced as locally where it has almost finished.

Near Graveley

It was the chapel BBQ yesterday at the Kitson’s so the weather was kind with a reasonable turnout.

Expert Chefs

Burrell family

Both Over cricket teams won yesterday and with only one game left for the 1sts both teams will finish mid table. With Ipswich and Colchester winning and England cricket team showing a little fight it was a good sporting day yesterday!

It is Glynis Fenwick’s 70^th this weekend so we are back to Swavesey Windmill to celebrate this afternoon.

Ben found his first days cycling in the Balkans challenging due to the heat and climbing. The temperature was 38°C and he travelled 50 km without find anywhere to get water. He ended up cycling 10 hours covering 100 miles! He arrived in Dubrovnik and has been to Mostar and Sarajevo. Some of the scenery is spectacular. Meanwhile my fellow cricket pitch operative John Lane sets out for the US next week planning to cycle from the south to the north following the Mississippi, having completed  east to west 11 years ago. You could feel tired thinking about these guys!

With love

Mike & Kate

18^th August 2019

Dear All,

It has been a relatively quiet week mainly gardening, cricket pitch preparation, walking and a bit of woodwork. I have renovated the garden table that Dad helped me build many years ago – it is now like Trigger’s broom with no original timber left!

The garden continues to be productive with Sweet Corn coming on stream together with tomatoes of all shapes, colours and sizes. Kate has been busy stringing onions as well as sorting the flower gardens.

    

Over began their football season on Tuesday night drawing their first game back in the Premier League.

I invested in new walking boots on Wednesday as my old ones were wearing in the heel and producing blisters. Kate and I did a short walk round Over Fen on Tuesday and our main walk on Thursday started at Stapleford and took in Wandlebury and the Gogs.

Over Fen

Wandlebury

Wandlebury Granery

View of the Gog Magog Hills

Mary-Ann and family have enjoyed? A few days damp camping near Swanage and Ben is off cycling round the Balkans for two weeks.

With love

Mike & Kate

11^th August 2019

Dear All,

Kate and I spent most of last week in Hove helping mind Amélie and Albert now that school holidays have arrived and Mary-Ann is back at work. We drove down on Monday evening when it was relatively quiet and made record time. Albert was at nursery on Tuesday so we took Amélie for a picnic near Devil’s Dyke and explored the South Downs. The weather was fine and with plenty of flowers and butterflies to chase Amélie was very happy. After we drove down to Shoreham-on-Sea where there is a wonderful array of houseboats of all shapes and designs.

Butterfly Hunter

South Downs

Shoreham-on-Sea

Sussex v Glamorgan

In the evening Mary-Ann and I watched Sussex v Glamorgan in a floodlight T20 cricket match which Sussex won very easily.

On Wednesday we took both children to Newhaven, Paradise Park. This has an excellent mixture of Museum, scientific exhibits, Dinosaurs,  Plantarium, Sussex heritage trail, train ride, crazy golf and play-ground so it was not too difficult to keep them amused.

Paradise Park, Newhaven

Plantarium

Sussex Heritage Trail

Albert was at nursery again Thursday so we took Amélie to the South Downs Heritage Centre at Hassocks which has Farm exhibits, a food hall, garden centre and art gallery. After we took another picnic up Wolstonbury Hill which had great views and even more flowers and butterflies. We left for home at 8pm and had another good run.

Farm Machinery, Hassocks

Walking towards Wolstonbury Hill

Summit of Wolstonbury Hill

John Lane and I prepared a cricket pitch in damp conditions on Friday morning but both teams managed to lose yesterday in rather trying windy conditions. Later on Friday we picked the first Sweet Corn and plenty of Tomatoes, Runner and French Beans.

We were on the streets Friday night but the combination of wind and rain resulted in a rather quiet night with few incidents – which also makes for a long night and plenty of walking.

With love

Mike & Kate

4^th August 2019

Dear All,

It was Over Produce Show yesterday and as I am on the Committee it has taken up quite a bit of time this week preparing, setting up, handling the entries and recording the results. The latter involves a mega sheet of paper over one metre long as computers are not quite trusted for this tense activity! I was also exhibiting and came 2^nd in Veg with 7 x 1^st, 6 x 2^nd and 7 x 3^rd. The 1sts were for white potatoes, brown onions, shallots, mange tout peas, classic tomatoes, the vegetable collection and apricots.

Gathering Exhibits

Winning Collection

Waiting for the Presentation of Cups

Children’s Entries

On Wednesday evening we travelled down to Bocking to view Esther & Emma’s chosen wedding venue called “Fennes”. The date has been set for 14^th December.

Fennes, Bocking

Fennes Garden

Walking resumed on Thursday returning to Guilden Morden for a very arable stroll through fields of wheat, barley, oats, beans and peas, most of which looked good and ready for harvest.

Oats under brooding sky

At Ian’s 80^th party last Sunday we met his nephew called Andy Hampsten, an American ex professional cyclist who competed in the Tour de France eight times and came 4^th on two occasions. He also won the Giro d’Italia in 1988. He fell out with Lance Armstrong over drugs and now runs cycling tours in Italy in the summer and makes expensive bikes in the winter. He was a very nice guy – perhaps the nicest professional cyclist I have ever met!

Ian’s 80^th: Kate with Mr & Mrs Pook

Andy Hampsten

Love

 Mike & Kate