23rd August 2020

 

Dear All,

A week much like last week except substitute wind for rain. The wind was strong enough to snap a decent sized tree next door and possibly explain why both Over cricket teams were stuffed yesterday!

Derrek Medlock, who used to live two doors up from us has been around for several days. He moved to Nottinghamshire after his divorce but kept the bungalow. He comes from time to time to carry out maintenance – this time to repair the large rabbit shed, with which my children will be very familiar. He was on his own for a couple of days so we invited him for dinner on Monday – cue much reminiscing!

Kate had a successful repair at the dentist on Tuesday having been put off the previous week as the dentist did not have an assistant present! We checked the camp site down Cuckoo Fen on our walk and they seem to have fared quite well for a new enterprise.

 

 

Cuckoo fen Camp Site, Over

 

 

Cook’s English White cattle

 

Our longer walk this week started at Croydon (no not that one) and took in the Wimpole estate and Arrington. Conditions were good – not too hot, wet or windy. We counted eight raptors: Red Kites, Buzzards and Kestrels – no wonder small birds are scarce. Friends who volunteer at Wimpole told us that the number of visitors is limited to 1000 per day – fortunately we did not meet many of these!

 

 

Wimpole Lake

 

 

Wimpole Folly

 

 

Wimpole gatehouse

 

 

Arrington church

 

I would be lying if I said that our trip to the Bluntisham trip was the highlight of the week – but it is up there! The tip is very organised as you need a permit with a time slot and the site is divided into about 20 different waste types. Kate has been tidying the garage so we had plenty of offerings.

I was summoned to Norman and Rosemary Foster’s on Friday to photograph their 59^th Wedding Anniversary celebrations which took place in their garage with just daughter Hilary in attendance. She had been away on holiday and being very protective of ancient parents did not want to enter their house.

 

59^th celebrations

Sowing this week included Spinach, Spinach Beet and Spring cabbage. Sweet Corn and Raspberry harvests have featured heavily.

Kate and I are in charge of the Chapel ZOOM session this week as David and family have been on holiday – topic WISDOM – do you know anything about that?

We hope Jen is improving gets on OK at the Royal Free – we will be thinking about you.

 

With love

Mike & Kate