22nd March 2020

Dear All,

Things are certainly moving quickly – 2 weeks ago life seemed fairly normal, last week most things were happening now no church services today, no football, no U3A no walking group and panic buying. We have operated reverse panic buying by not shopping at all. Actually, Monday was still fairly normal as we went swimming, shopped for paint (as yet unused), held an Events committee meeting and attended the dentist.

We celebrated my birthday on Tuesday by having coffee at the Willingham “Book Warren” an enterprising couple have set up a café in the Industrial site lined with second hand books.

Further plans to celebrate with a weekend meal for friends was initially reduced to a takeaway then cancelled completely. Thanks for your telephone messages, cards and presents. Unfortunately, I also celebrated by collecting the heaviest cold I have suffered for several years and have been dripping ever since – hopefully not practice for corona virus!

Philip went ahead with a walk on Thursday but we did not attend, they did not use the pub and walked a few feet apart! We intended doing a local walk but as I was incapacitated Kate circumnavigated the fens on her own. We did manage a joint walk on Friday.

Over, Mill Pits

We finished cataloguing the seed from Mr Fothergill’s this week: 3010 packets and 632 different varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers. Moldova has cancelled all flights from countries with incidence of virus so we will not be going in May – what becomes of the seed remains to be seen. My contact with the embassy was met with the usual straight bat “You need a Phytosanitary Certificate for each lot” and with 632 lots that is not going to happen.

Fortunately, we have been able to garden most days so that is looking shipshape and I even got around to applying lawn sand to the grass as there are several patches of moss.

The Magnolias at the front have looked splendid this year. We took delivery of a batch of frogspawn yesterday so spring is springing!

In the absence of church gatherings David has recorded sermons on the chapel web site – a Brave New World.

With love

Mike & Kate