29th September 2019

Dear All,

Autumn seems to have arrived this week with Harvest Festival, Gransden Show, Cricket pitch maintenance and a trip to Wisley.

I had a judging day at Wisley on Tuesday and it was not a great journey. Kate came with me to share the driving and the journey down featured heavy rain, clouds of spray and a couple of decent traffic jams so took 3 hours 15 minutes. We were assessing Fennel and Spring sown Onion trials. The fennel was easy as some had bolted and others hadn’t but 30 onion varieties took more sorting out.

Fennel Rondo

 

Onion trial

Wednesday was End of Season Maintenance day for the cricket square. Since we have increased the size to 7 strips it has become a larger job to aerate, scarify, fertilize, reseed, and add 10 bags of Ongar loam per strip and level. Intermittent rain made it more difficult than usual, but as we hire the equipment for a day we had to press on.

Spreading loam

Thursday’s walk was the first sticky underfoot outing of the season but it stayed fine beginning at Howlett End south of Saffron Walden. After I took Jim Burr to Biggleswade to collect extra vegetables for the harvest decorations.

Wimbish Green

Inquisitive observers

We had Arthur and Grace again on Friday and Arthur was struggling with a rattling chest. Later that night he ended up in Addenbrookes again and was still there last night having had antibiotics, oxygen and a puffer.

Yesterday was Gransden Show – a small agricultural show that has survived. It is the first time we have been and we were very impressed. There was a large attendance and a good number of sheep, horses, cattle and pigs being judged as well as fruit, vegetables, flowers and cooking on display.

Winning Fruit exhibit

It is our Harvest weekend at chapel with a supper last night and Thanksgiving service today.

With love

Mike & Kate

22nd September 2019

Dear All,

We were down at Hove again this week travelling down on Tuesday and returning Wednesday evening. We stopped on the way down to recce the walk we were due to lead on Thursday which started at Little Eversden and took in Wimpole Hall and Great Eversden.

The weather was fine in Hove and we took a bus to Brighton to explore the pier, sea front and city centre with Albert.

The Old Pier

Awaiting Jeremy Corbyn

Lookimg East from the Pier

After collecting Amélie from school we walked up to Hove Park with Albert on his pedal-less bike which he rides with little regard to his own or anyone else’s health and safety.

Daring Acrobats!

Easy Rider

On Monday I burnt the brambles that I had cleared behind the chapel – it was quite a blaze but quite satisfying.

Fire Site

The weather remained fine for Thursday’s walk with most of the grass turning brown and parched. I think Wimpole must be short of attractions as their highlight was “Come and see progress with our new car park!” Philip our energetic leader was taken to Papworth hospital after suffering chest pains.

 

Wimpole Hall

Wimpole Folly

I planted spring cabbage on Friday and started digging after runner beans but it was like concrete. We have what I suspect is rat damage eating the hearts out of January King cabbage inside a cage. We entertained Grace and Albert again in the afternoon.

Rat Damage?

 

Pumpkin

Great sport day yesterday with Over, Ipswich, Colchester and Essex all winning!

With love

Mike & Kate

15th September 2019

Dear All,

After swimming on Monday I prepared the last two cricket strips for this year in uncharacteristic damp conditions. We had grace again after Preschool as Arthur had been in Adenbrookes over night with breathing difficulties. In the evening we had a Cemetery Trustees meeting which was more exciting than usual as we have been left £17,000!

We have since spent the rest of the week in the Black Mountains in Wales. On the way down we stopped off to explore Tewksbury taking their Heritage trail. It is an interesting town to visit with numerous old buildings and hidden alleyways. Our usual impression is gained from seeing it under water when the River Avon floods.

  

Tewkesbury No.66 Church Street

Mill Avon, Tewksbury

In Wales we stayed in the Manor hotel on the edge of Crickhowell, George Everest of mountain fame was born in the building and interestingly he is buried in Hove in a churchyard 5 minutes from Mary-Ann and Andy’s house. The hotel had great views but the rooms were far too hot so we had two fans going for most of the time.

Stephen and Jane Gregory have spent several holidays in the area so had given us a list of their favourite walks. On Wednesday drove to Llangymdr and ascended to Tor y Foel starting and finishing by the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal. The weather was reasonable with some drizzle and some sunshine and great views. Of course there was a little more climbing than Cambridgeshire!

Descent from Tor y Foel

 Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal

The weather forecast for Thursday was not good so we decided to visit Blaenavon Ironworks and the Big Pit coalmine. Both were very interesting although we could not do the underground tour of the coal mine due to maintenance work. The weather did not turn out to be as bad as forecast.

  

Blast Furnaces at Blaenavon Ironworks

On Friday we undertook a longer walk in a remote part of the Black Mountains covering Mynydd Llysiau and the Grwyne Fechan (are you much wiser?). The weather could not have been better and it was a spectacular walk with excellent views and we only saw two other people in 5.5 hours walking.

Kate at false summit

View from the top

Usk Vally

We had a good run home yesterday and I was in time to see a weakened Over team lose their first game of the season!

With love

Mike & Kate

8th September 2019

Dear All,

On Monday morning it was back to swimming after the holiday break which we take because the times change and the numbers swell. We had Arthur and Grace again for the morning and I attended the dental surgery to find that the dentist was on sick leave – a fairly frequent experience!

On Tuesday we had an allotment session and I started clearing a patch of brambles behind the chapel. This is an area that used to belong to next door but somehow got transferred to us and nobody told us. We have a very solid safe at the chapel and the key has been mislaid so a locksmith was called to open it, it took 2 hours!

Bramble patch

Going

Our car was MOT’d on Wednesday after brakes had been changed – so an expensive day.

Thursday’s walk was local starting at Oakington and taking in Rampton and Westwick skirting the new development at Northstowe. In the evening we had an Over Show committee meeting to review this year’s show.

Oakington

  

Northstowe

  

Westwick Park

On Friday I prepared the last two cricket pitches of the year for a couple of post season friendlies. Kate has been fence painting then in the evening it was Street Pastors again. It was reasonably quiet but enough interesting incidents to keep us amused!

We are off to the Black Mountains in Wales on Tuesday for a few days walking – weather permitting.

This week’s star plant is Phacelia which is a magnet for insects of all types but especially bees.

Phacelia plus Bee

With love

Mike & Kate

1^st September 2019

Dear All,

We had a 70^th birthday celebration on Sunday for Glynis Fenwick and 1^st birthday BBQ for Arthur Burrell on Monday – as Tony Hancock might say “Friends of all ages – none in the middle!”

It has been a painting week, Kate has smartened up the bay windows and I had freshened up the bottom shed. Both efforts had an edge as Kate up a ladder still brings back unpleasant memories and while standing in a compost bin to paint the shed I discovered that it also contained a wasp nest.

Smartened Bay Window

Waterproofed Shed

Star plants in the garden this week include Rose cv Blessings, Spanish Flag and a self-set Nicotinia sylvestris. Also the fig trees have been productive.

Rose cv Blessings

Nicotinia sylvestris

Spanish Flag

Fig

Our Thursday jaunt started at Burrough Green near Newmarket and touched Stechworth and the River Stour. There were some impressive maize crops and autumn ploughing was well underway.

Near Stechworth

Vast Maize field

Over lost their last cricket match of the season narrowly by 9 runs in the last over but the football team are performing well on their return to the top division currently unbeaten after 5 games and lying in 2^nd place.

We are expecting Dave and Ana Garlick from Ecuador this afternoon.

With love

Mike & Kate