27^th December 2020

 

Dear All,

Speaking as someone who has experienced a 26 person Christmas, 2 seems a too drastic reduction! I did not begin well as I had a bad night with stomach pains which have kept coming and going ever since. On Christmas day after a traditional ham breakfast we completed the calls Santa had been unable to make in the village, then started a jigsaw, had lunch, had a mutual exchange of gifts, played cards and Rummicub and had a family ZOOM. Ben had run 29 miles on Christmas Day – a PB, Esther and Emma had ordered their Christmas dinner to be delivered and the Russells had been on the breach.

I started the week by having to cancel the normal Brussels sprout deliveries as the source I Bedfordshire had been classified as Tier 4. We eventual found a few in Witchford for favoured friends and neighbours but the round was severely reduced from 58 to 8.

On Wednesday we had deliveries of flowers from Esther and Emma and edibles from Kate and Gordon, so Christmas had begun.

 

 

                                                                        Flowers                                                                      

                                                                        Edibles

 

We charted a new walk on Thursday starting at Upwood near Ramsey. The first problem was getting there as there were floods at Earith, Fen Drayton, Fenstanton and St Ives as well as the bottom of our garden. The land round Upwood belonged to Ramsey Abbey until Henry VIII redistributed it to Richard Cromwell. It is an attractive village with a nature reserve but was too wet to be at its best this week.

 

Our garden

 

 

Near Upwood

 

Damp patch

 

 

Upwood

 

 

St Ives

 

We had on-line quizzes with Ben for 3 nights as he is stuck in a flat on his own (when not running).

The river at Overcote has overflowed to the flood banks and has been a tourist attraction.

 

 

Mere Fen

With love

Mike & Kate

 

 

20^th December 2020

 

Dear All,

DISAPPOINTNENT is the word of the week – on Friday the whole family were planning to come for Christmas, by Saturday night it was not possible. Esther, Emma and Ben are all in Tier 4 and although the Russell’s are still in Tier 2 they would only be allowed to visit on Christmas Day and not stay over. As we have not seen any of them more than once since March, we were obviously especially keen to renew acquaintance this year. The house is rather full of food as Kate has been baking for a couple of weeks – but I guess it will freeze?

However, there are many positives:

i)                   No one in the family has succumbed to the virus so far

ii)                 Jabs have started

iii)               ZOOM

iv)               The days start getting longer after tomorrow!

v)                  The badger hasn’t been back!

We managed a trip to St Ives on Monday to finish off the shopping and in the evening watched Alan Bennett’s “The Lady in the Van”.

On Tuesday we inflated the new camp bed which looks very comfortable with a built-in electric pump. It has also been the week for backing up the computer which I confess to only doing once a year.

 

 

New Inflatable bed

Our Christmas tree was delivered by Richard on Wednesday – this was necessary because ever since the travellers invaded the field next to the allotments a gate has been erected in the approaching lane, so non allotment holders cannot get vehicular access. Anyway, the price is still £2 per foot so £12 for a 6-footer. Next year will be more of a challenge as the next batch haven’t grown in the drought this summer.

On Thursday we walked locally with the group (of 6!) from Oakington to Longstanton, Northstowe, the Guided busway, Rampton and Westwick. It was a pleasant sunny day after a chilly start and although quite a bit was on solid paths, the other paths were really soft and muddy.

 

 

Longstanton

 

 

Wooden badger, Longstanton

 

 

Northstowe huts!

 

 

Westwick Park – blue sky and Mistletoe

 

I also received a donation of £500 for Moldova which was a nice surprise. I had a news update from one of the churches and Eugene and Alona, parents of 9 children at Leova have both had Covid but thankfully recovered.

Even though the U3A Biographies classes have finished for the term there was still interest in a chat ZOOM session on Friday which was a testament to the spirit engendered by the group most of whom have attended for several years.

I managed table tennis in the afternoon at St Ivo. Football was decimated by waterlogged pitches again yesterday, with the lockdown and weather Over haven’t played for 6 weeks. We went to Witchford v Eynesbury and saw Eynesbury lose for the first time this season.

Well try and have a Happy Christmas, two handed Skinny might not be a success and will probably have to post the “Deaths in 2020” quiz on-line!

 

With love

Mike & Kate

 

 

13^th December 2020

 

Dear All,

Another rather damp and chilly week which did not encourage much outdoor activity, although we still managed several walks. Christmas preparations were advanced a little with parcels and cards posted, sprouts ordered and tree selected.

On Monday I tuned into a Kew Gardens lecture on Mycorrhiza – the fungi which live in symbiosis with plant roots and help the plant absorb nutrients and protection from disease and drought in exchange for carbon.

We had coffee in the “Book Warren” in Willingham on Tuesday hoping to buy a few more cards as we had run out – they were only selling very arty and expensive ones but we managed to stock up next door in the pet food shop!

Our friendly garden badger returned to tunnel under the bike shed again during the night. We have been recommended human urine as a deterrent, so all contributions welcome! We understand that Albert is keen to participate – but that could be a rumour!

The U3A course on “Origins of Christianity” finished with a talk on “Constantine” who saw it as a way of bringing peace to the Empire.

We joined the group for a walk on Thursday - in small groups of course, starting at Brinkley. It was reasonable overhead but with plenty of mud under foot – 9 miles, but it seems further when it is slippery.

 

 

Carlton church

 

Weston Colville Reading Room

 

 

Sticky going!

One of our local 90-year olds developed a severe pain and water works problems and ordered an ambulance, after 7 hours they gave up and pastor David took him into Addenbrookes where they had to queue for 1 hour 20 minutes outside to get into A & E with folks lying on the pavement crying. It is best not to be ill at the moment!

 

I had a long chat with John Bell, I did not realise that he had a couple of seizures 2 weeks ago and spent 5 days in hospital – which he hated. He is home now but lacking energy.

For the last “Biographies” of the term participants delivered readings and I organised a ZOOM quiz – which was different.

I managed Table Tennis on Friday and watched football yesterday and took in the final episodes of “Valhalla” which was very good.

 

With love

Mike & Kate

 

 

6^th December 2020

 

Dear All,

It was a considerable surprise to wake up to a white world on Friday, but it did not take long to turn to another wet day. Before that I had to knock the snow off the three fruit and vegetable cages in the garden and allotment as they were sagging somewhat.

 

 

Garden Friday morning

 

 

Veg Cage

 

 

Post Thaw Flood

Kate and I have both renewed our season tickets at the dentists this week as we have both had refillings! An over rated pastime!

Not liking the look of the weather for Thursday we decided to do our long walk on Tuesday starting at Reach on the edge of the fens. We have walked from Reach before but always south along Devil’s Dyke, so this time we headed north into the fen towards the river Cam. Initially the route went close to Wicken Fen but then through fertile black soil to the river. The river was the best part of the walk then a long march back to the village. It is not the most scenic walk but interesting and previously unknown to us.

 

 

Reach green

 

 

Wicken Fen bridge

 

 

Road reminiscent of Moldova

 

 

Reed beds by River Cam

 

We entertained Arthur Wednesday afternoon as Rachel his mother also had dentist duties having the second half of a tooth removed in hospital. Arthur is 2 years old and not too difficult occupy.

We visited Coton Garden Centre on Thursday to restock the fish tank and Christmas shop for younger friends and relatives renewing acquaintance with the three-singing reindeer!

The “Biographies” subject this week was “Fanny Butler” she was a notable British actress from a theatre family in the early and mid-19th century. She was a well-known and popular writer, whose published works included plays, poetry, eleven volumes of memoirs, travel writing and works about the theatre. She married a wealthy American plantation owner and was shacked to find he had over 400 slaves who she tried to help. She fell out with her husband and was banned from seeing her two daughters until after he died.

 

Fanny Butler

 

The latest parcel I posted to John Law in Turkey was returned this week unexplained but with the OXO cubes cut open!

I managed Table Tennis on Friday and football yesterday although only one Premier League game survived the weather.

We have a communion service in chapel today but have decided that the carol service and Christmas Day will be on line only.

Kate has been busy baking and furniture renovating.

 

With love

Mike & Kate