29th November 2020

 

Dear All,

We began Monday with a trip to Horningsea Scotsdale’s Garden Centre to make a start on Christmas shopping – so expect compost and fungicide on your stocking this year! This was followed by the regular mending of a bike puncture and a walk through the orchards and allotments where Richard had been ploughing the empty plots. There was a spectacular sunset.

 

 

Sunset over Swavesey

 

On Tuesday I received a report from Burlacu, Moldova where they have been back meeting in the church and the Hope Centre for “Meal Deal” kids since October. They distributed food to the poorest families during lockdown and held a camp “at home”. They have managed to get some playground equipment donated and now have 5 orphans in the previously empty orphanage.

 

Playground Equipment

 

 

First 5 Orphans

 

 

The U3A “Origins of Christianity” course covered Roman Emperors and their influence on the early church. Question: how many Roman Emperors were there? Answer at the end of the letter.

Later we tuned into a U3A lecture of “Medieval Diets” – peas pudding hot etc. There were 176 participants on ZOOM!

On Thursday we had another walk in uncharted territory (for us) starting at Balsham and walking via West Wratting to Fleam Dyke. This is one of four parallel defensive ridges built from the 5^th to 7^th centuries when Saxon tribes were fighting each other. It is 7m high in places and as the surrounding soil is chalk it is very well drained and mud free.

 

 

Misty start towards West Wratting

 

 

Six Mile Bottom Chalk Pit

 

 

Fleam Dyke

“Biographies” subject this week was “Thomas Telford” a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and road, bridge and canal builder. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scotland, as well as harbours and tunnels. He is most famous for Ironbridge and Clifton Suspension bridges. He achieved an incredible amount in his lifetime but is much less remembered than Brunel, Stephenson and other engineers.

 

 

Thomas Telford

 

 

Clifton Suspension Bridge

 

In the afternoon I helped Adrian dig some more of his garden which is nearly squared up now. Kate meanwhile was running Lorna around for blood tests and medicine collection and on Saturday we had to go to Bar Hill for some more.

We are in charge of this afternoons chapel ZOOM session again this afternoon – so anything could happen!

I had another photo in the Cambridge News on the topic of rain.

 

 

U3A walkers starting in the rain

 

 

With love

Mike & Kate

 

Answer: 87 Emperors

 

22nd November 2020

 

Dear All,

First the wildlife news. On Wednesday our not very sociable neighbour phoned to say there was a large heap of soil on her path which appeared to have come from under our bike shed. On investigation there was a large hollowed out hole which could have been dug by a badger – we had already spotted a typical badger toilet in the garden. We blocked the entrance with brick and so far, no more action. The mouse count reached six this week and the beans seem to be winning! On our Thursday walk we saw the largest flock of Lapwings I have ever seen – several hundred and they are supposed to be coming rarer. And I had a photo of a Muntjac Deer published in the Cambridge News this week.

 

 

Muntjac Deer

 

We had a trip to Hinchingbrooke Hospital on Tuesday to fetch the personal effects of Lorna, the lady who recently had her spleen removed and was in no condition to collect everything when transported home. The security system was impressive but Kate did manage to get in and out!

 I had my third lockdown visit to the dentist on Wednesday having chipped a tooth, I had waited five days for an appointment, the dentist examined the tooth and agreed that it needed to be refilled “but I cannot do it now” – why the surgery was empty? I have to return in 12 days – good job it isn’t hurting. Oh, and the price has gone up 30% since last month!

We decided to travel to Ramsey for our Thursday walk which was interesting because we do not know it very well. We began by walking through Bury Fen which is typical flat, fertile black soil with excellent rape, beet and wheat crops but not scenically fascinating and there was drizzle in the air. The route we planned had sections between paths on farm tracks which were unfortunately labelled “Private No Entry” but we decided to risk it as retracing our steps would not have helped much, anyway if stopped we could always have given false names e.g. “Graham & Mary Brown!”. The path back was prettier and the sun was shining. We came across “Ramsey Rural Museum” on the outskirts of the town and although it was closed, we could wander round the outdoor exhibits which were mostly old farm machinery. We then spotted a sign “To the Walled Garden” which we followed not expecting to get in but the gate was opened as there was a course taking place and a kindly lady volunteer showed us round. The garden was attached to Ramsey Abbey which was once in the top three most important in the UK and was restored in 2010. It is not currently in peak condition due to lockdown restricting the work of volunteers but still interesting to see. We completed our walk via the old Abbey gates and the deserted golf course.

 

 

Bury Fen

 

 

Potato Harvesting

 

 

Rural Museum

 

 

Horse drawn Fen Press

 

 

 

Abbey Walled Garden

 

Walled Garden Glasshouse

 

 

Ramsey Abbey Pond

 

 

Period House

 

 

Abbey Inner gateway

The “Biographies” topic this week was “Perkin Warbeck” He was a pretender to the English throne. Warbeck claimed to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, who was the second son of Edward IV and one of the so-called "Princes in the Tower". He was championed by various groups who wanted to replace the unpopular Henry VII but was eventually captured and hung.

 

 

Perkin Warbeck

 

With love

Mike & Kate

 

15^th November 2020

 

Dear All,

Not too much to report this week, perhaps reflecting that the 2^nd lockdown is going to be harder to fill than the first when there was more to do outside? I have finished up various bits of digging and cut the grass maybe for the last time this year? Otherwise I have harvested vegetables in the Elsom’s garden, helped Adrian dig some of his, chopped up logs from a bush we cut down at Norman Fosters and distributed veg to the Ingles and Robert Smart in exchange for some rhubarb plants. Adrian is a professional gardener but gets so tired working in other people’s gardens that he runs out of energy when it comes to his own. He always used to resist help but I managed to do a bit earlier this year and on Tuesday we sorted most of his plot – he just needs a little encouragement! The Ingles had the allotment plot that Kate now shares, Norman gave it up last year and wife Brenda has been battling cancer for about 5 years.

 

Adrian’s Before

 

 

Adrian’s After

 

Kate made a Christmas cake this week as preparations for the season begins but we can’t keep up with our daughters who have both installed Christmas trees and hoisted decorations – their excuse is entertaining younger family members!

 

Emma & Esther – Christmas comes early

I had a ZOOM session with Terry and Phil regarding Moldova. Phil is a German chap from St Neots who is keen to help so we have been sorting responsibilities. We hope to produce another Newsletter before Christmas so have been contacting folks over there for updates. Igor, who drives and translates for us was running a transport business, but the Covid situation has run this down so incredibly he is now working for an American company doing logistics on-line arranging pick-ups and transport in the US from Moldova, working from 3pm to 3am! The big news in Moldova currently is another Presidential election and there are high hopes of a victory for Maia Sandu an anti-corruption candidate. Elections are rather unpredictable these days but maybe they have turned the corner?

We have walked most days but our longer walk on Thursday started in Fen Drayton then Fenstanton, the RSPB Lakes, the river, then back through the lakes to Fen Drayton. It was fantastic weather for November but very muddy by the river. We also encountered a closed footpath outside Fenstanton which involved a deal of backtracking and the new route came up to a 6ft dyke – which I thought I could jump – but Kate (wisely) thought otherwise – so that meant another longish detour

.

 

Eleny Lake, Fen Drayton

 

 

Jumpable Dyke?

 

 

Holywell Ferry Boat In across the River Ouse

 

 

A little sticky underfoot

 

 

Reflections in Over Sandpit Pond (from an earlier walk)

 

 

U3A classes have continued on ZOOM. The Origins of Christianity is interesting to see how much of the Biblical account is corroborated or not by other historical sources. “Biographies” this week was a little different taking “The history of Aborigines from 1788 to today” led by an Australian history teacher. There were an estimated 300,000 when the first penal colony was established in 1788 this had shrunk to 25,000 by 1950s due to killing, disease and alcohol. Some of the massacres were appalling and, in some states, they were exterminated completely. However, things are now improving and they have been granted land rights and government of their own areas and PM Rudd even apologised for their treatment.

Kate has been filling any spare time by rubbing down and oiling our old dining room chairs.

Well as I said – not much to report this week!

 

With love

Mike & Kate

 

8^th November 2020

 

Dear All,

Highlight this week has been a pre lockdown trip to Whipsnade Zoo on Tuesday. I guess we are not great fans of zoos but at least at this one the animals have plenty of room and look reasonably happy - they are also big on breeding and conservation. I had been once before about 60 years ago when my abiding memory was an elephant playing a mouth organ, I don’t think that would be regarded favourably now! The views across Dunstable Downs were spectacular.

 

Dunstable Downs

 

Lynx

 

The mouse wars continue as I trapped a third victim last night having reinforced the trap battery.

 

Trap battery

 

We are back to walking on our own with the lockdown conditions and we took the Rothschild Way to Earith, round the gravel works and back via Willingham Fen – 10 miles but a gentle pace. We saw plenty of bird life including a Marsh Harrier, three Buzzards, flocks of Lapwings and Bramlings and female Bearded Tit. We started in mist and frost which made the Fens very atmospheric.

 

 

Early Mist

 

 

Soon after

 

 

Gravel Works

 

It was my turn to present at “Biographies” this week featuring “Cornelius Vermuyden” the Dutch drainage engineer who not only supervised the work in our local fens but was involved with repairing the Thames at Dagenham, draining Canvey Island, reclaiming Hatfield Chase in Lincolnshire and draining the lead mines in Derbyshire. The local fens involved 11,000 men, many of whom were Scottish and Dutch prisoners of war. He was knighted and found time to father 13 children!

 

 

Cornelius Vermuyden

 

 

 

Fen Drainage before & after

 

We ordered an experimental delivery of beef from our local farmer Les Cook this week which is now stored in our overflow freezer in the garage.

 

I cut the first Brussels Sprout stem this week and have cleared both greenhouses.

 

 

Variety - Marte

Another centre fold photo in the Cambridge News this week – the Packhorse Bridge at Sutton near Sandy.

 

 

Sutton Packhorse Bridge

 

With love

Mike & Kate