daytime

Sunday, 13 September 2020

20^th September 2020

Dear All,

Monday began with a ZOOM session with NatWest advising about investments – as this took 1.5 hours the rest of the week was downhill from there! In the afternoon Merv helped me re felt the bottom shed. The existing felt looked OK but the ceiling was damp every time it rained.

Refurbished shed

On Tuesday we had lunch at David and Elly Cook’s to discuss the Derbyshire break next week. David was in the RAF and I suppose got used to moving round a good deal so their home is always uncluttered and tidy – not a book in sight!

I started digging at the allotment this week burying the Sweet Corn stover (look it up) in three sessions. The last planting of Sweet Corn in the garden received a visit from one of our nocturnal black and white friends on Thursday night so has now been barricaded.

Sweet Corn activity

Our walk on Thursday started at Sandon south of Royston and took in Roe Green and Kelshall. The blackberries were phenomenal – probably the best I have seen and a good size – much bigger than round here.

Sandon Blackberries

Kelsall

Inside Kelsall church

I have been working on a Harvest report which is a bit depressing this year: low Cereal yields, Oil seed rape plummeting due to Cabbage stem flea beetle and fruit and veg needing 44,000 pickers.

I contacted our local historian Carolyn Redmayne about the Vermuyden project that I am working on for a few local insights about the Dutch style house in the village. It seems contrary to what we have been told before they have nothing to do with the drainage engineers. It was evidently a popular style in the era in which they were built. Carolyn is a fanatic about local history and so far, I have received six lengthy emails and Kate had a 30-minute conversation on the doorstep when she dropped some maps off!

It was back to school for Amélie this week and a toe in the water for Albert followed by his 5^th birthday yesterday.