27th October 2019

Dear All,

A good mixture of talks and gardening this week. I had a children’s talk on Sunday, “Just Vegetating” Monday, Women’s meeting Tuesday. Royston garden club Wednesday, NIAB conference Thursday and “Biographies” Friday.

“Just Vegetating” was “Brassicas” this week so it was kale crisps amongst other recipes. We did a presentation on the RHS for the ladies and Kate made carrot cakes. At Royston I did a talk on “Growing in Cuba”. The NIAB Conference was to mark 100 years since the Institute was founded and entitled “100 Years of Plant Science” and we were presented with a commerative book, a mug, a bottle of beer made from Proctor barley and a few badges.

Kate went walking starting at Arkesden.

The “Biographies” subject was “Jan Smuts” the South African statesman, military leader, and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as prime minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948. His father described him as “a queer fellow with little intelligence” but he went on to get a double 1^st in South Africa and Christs College, Cambridge. He was an outstanding tactician in the Boer War but supported Britain in both WWI & II. Although his life made a huge impression he is controversial because he believed “that native Africans are unfit for politics” which foreshadowed segregation.

Jan Smuts

We had Arthur & Grace again on Friday afternoon – both with sniffles. I finished digging the allotment this week between the showers and Kate has been busy planting wallflowers,

  

Allotment

Wallflower Planting

Yesterday there was a party at the Community centre to mark Rosemary Fosters 80^th birthday. I was honorary photographer and Kate and other folks made cakes or puddings.

 

Ancient Fosters

More recent Fosters

The Cake

With love

Mike & Kate

20th October 2019

Dear All,

It was Street Pastors again last night, hence the delay in publication as we did not get to bed until 4.22am. The streets were fairly busy but reasonably good humoured with no fights. We had a few serious sickness cases but it was not too bad.

“Just Vegetating” this week featured “Alliums” and this year’s class are full of questions which is a good sign.

We have been down to Hove on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday we caught the Coastliner bus to Worthing with Albert and explored the pier and the town which seems to be prosperous.

Worthing Pier

Kate & Albert on the Pier

Amelie the Artist (Cat theme!)

Our Thursday walk was local at Eltisley including Caxton and Cambourne. It was a decent walk with several green lanes. When we came out of the pub after lunch we had a 15” crack in the car windscreen, how it happened was a mystery but it has now been replaced.

Bourn Post Mill

 

 Caxton Church

On Friday the “Biographies” subject was “John Howard” of the “Howard League of Penal Reform” fame. He became High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and therefore responsible for local prisons. He was shocked at what he found and spent great energy visiting almost every prison in England and many on the Continent studying conditions and suggesting improvements covering about 80,000 miles mostly on horseback.

John Howard

In the evening we had the annual fund raising quiz at the Day Care Centre. We were a little apprehensive as the Centre failed to advertise the event in the “Over News” but in fact we had a full house and raised about £400. Kate as ever has complied all the questions and it seemed to go very well.

It was the first Lego event of the season at chapel yesterday. Kate was in charge of refreshments so all in all has had a fairly busy week.

With love

Mike & Kate

13th October 2019

Dear All,

We started “Just Vegetating” teaching again on Monday. We have increased the size of the class as there was a long waiting list and nearly everyone turned up for “Carrots & Parsnips”. Kate followed this by attending “The Balkans” which I had also applied for but did not get in.

We replenished the tropical fish tank on Tuesday with more Neon and Glowlight Tetras and a few Guppies from Coton Garden Centre then raided the Fenwick’s allotment for some Delphiniums.

Wednesday was the Seed Company Open Days in Lincolnshire. I was accompanied by Lawrie and Howard from the walking group and managed to get round 7 of the 8 sites. It has been very wet in Lincs hence the talk of £3 cauliflowers and Christmas sprout shortages but the plots were not too bad. There was still a lot of influence on Broccoli that falls into florets with a single cut and varieties which produce small sideshoots to replace the labour intensive Chinese broccoli. There were also demonstrations of two mechanical harvesters to cover the anticipated shortage of harvesting labour. The Japanese company Sakata as ever went to town on the vegetable based decorations.

Seminis Mini Broccoli

Seminis – Multisideshoot Broccoli

Takii Ornamental cabbage

Hazera Mechanical Harvester

Clause Romanesco

Sakata  -Take me to your Breeder!

  

Sakata Display

Syngenta Baby Leaf array

 

Elsoms Carrot, Beetroot & Parsnip Display

Thursdays walk started at Graveley and took in Offord Darcy and Offord Cluny on the River Ouse. It was not the most scenic walk with large windblown stretches of Rape and stubble.

“Biographies” on Friday began with “Benjamin Franklin” who packed so much in his life that the presenter ran over time.  We entertained Grace & Arthur again in the afternoon part of which was spent harvesting squash from the allotment.

Yesterday we drove down to Hutton for Esther’s birthday lunch. Mary-Ann, Andy and family were up from Hove and Emma’s mother sister and family also attended so quite a houseful with much wedding talk and trying on of bridesmaids and page boy outfits.

Ben flew to Japan on Thursday arriving about the same time as Typhoon Hagibis! He and three mates were due to watch the England v France Rugby match which was of course, cancelled and were confined to their hotel for sometime by the hurricane and an earthquake, but have travelled to the far south today to watch Wales v Uruguay.

With love

Mike & Kate

6th October 2019

Dear All,

On Wednesday night we attended a lecture at Bethel, Swavesey on “Global Warming” by Ed King who has been a member of the British Antarctic Survey for 40 years. He presented data and photos of the melting of glaciers and warming of the seas which were very alarming so much so that scientists in the field now refer to it as “Global Heating”. Although saving the situation largely depends on national governments, particularly in China and the USA he did mention personal responsibility and what individuals can do. He listed the things that his family had implemented:

Only fly when there is no alternative

Recycle/compost rubbish

Insulate and line loft space

Repair broken items

Write to MPs about issues

Eat less meat

Donate to relevant charities and campaigns

Share tools with neighbours

Use recycled building materials to construct garden sheds

Move nearer to work place

Buy a smaller car

Install solar panels

Plant trees

Replace single glazed glass

Recycle old furniture

Fit blinds and curtains

Use local shops

Swap one car for a motorbike/bicycle

Use energy saving bulbs

Install wood burner and reduce oil use

Triple glazed windows and mega insulation in home extension.

Send the list to friends and relatives (actually I added that one!)

Here endeth the lesson! But it is a topic that needs taking seriously.

It has been a week for serious digging as I have dug half the allotment, Ken Elsom’s garden and odd bits here. I have also constructed a new compost bin, largely because I have a wasp’s nest in one of the existing bins. I decided to build a new one so as not to disturb the nest but it involved a certain amount of digging out of a bank and cutting through roots and out of gratitude one of the wasps stung me!

New Patented Compost Bin!

Kate has been into apple juice production – the 2019 “Golden Delicious” vintage looks very promising at present, with excellent mouth feel and a cheeky piquancy!

Our walk this week started at Ousden south of Newmarket and despite rain in the previous days remained fine and not too sticky underfoot. Philip our esteemed leader is back in hospital, possibly because he tried to return to fitness too soon. It is his 80^th birthday this coming week and a celebration planned on next week’s walk has been postponed.

View of Ousden church

Spring Wood, Wickhambrook

U3A term begins again tomorrow so we have been revising presentations and recipes this week.

It was Ken & May Elsom’s 70th wedding anniversary on Tuesday – not an everyday experience. Ken was a bricklayer and went to work each day with a collar and tie! They had an open house on Tuesday and invited people to a buffet at the Community centre yesterday at 4pm – so no football this week.

  

Ken & May Elsom

Three new trees (hornbeams) have been planted on the Green this week – only £500 each!

Tree Planting

With love

Mike & Kate