19^th December 2021

 

Dear All,

The Christmas tree is now in place – a 6-footer from Fenwick’s finest still retailing at £2 per foot! Next year could be problematic at the plantation now seems to consist of 2’ or 20’ specimens!

 

 

After swimming on Monday, we restocked the new fish tank with mainly Neon and Glowlight Tetras. On Tuesday Arthur’s session was followed by a visit from a man offering a free service of our solar panels, of course he found something lacking claiming we need a voltage regulator – something his firm happens to specialise in!

 

Glowlight Tetra’s

 

Midweek we cut down and logged the Apricot tree in the front garden. It had performed well until a couple of years ago when it started to lose boughs with disease and increasingly shaded the front garden and threw out more and more suckers.

 

 

Apricot Tree

 

 

Cleared site

 

 

First Log Barrow

 

Our walking group had a Christmas gathering on Thursday walking along the River Cam from Magdalene Bridge to Baits Bite Lock at Horningsea then back along the other side of the river. This was followed by a meal in “La Mimosa” an Italian restaurant with a slightly different menu. I had creamed mushrooms, Brisket and Panettoni in chocolate.

 

 

River Cam

 

 

Class of 2021

 

The Cam at Fen Ditton

 

The final session of Biographies included seasonal readings, a quiz and nibbles which went quite well.

Adrian turned up in the afternoon with a large basket full of edible goodies.

Mary-Ann had posted videos of Amḗlie and Albert’s Christmas plays on WhatsApp which were filmed as audiences were not allowed. I am not sure that either of them enjoyed their performances but their grandparents were very pleased to see them!

Esther & Emma’s Garden room has taken shape during the week and is almost completed.

 

19 Alpha Road Air B&B?

Amḗlie continues to show her artistic capabilities having completed a model of a WW2 bunker for a school project.

 

 

Model Bunker

Over’s match was called off as the pitch was deemed unfit – or was it because they were due to play a team that scored 12 the week before and they had a few injured players? We watched Swavesey 4 v 0 Sawston instead.

 

With love

Mike & Kate

 

12^th December 2021

 

Dear All,

Christmas preparations gently accelerating with Kate cooking a cake, assembling other cakes, we have sent a few dozen cards, wrapped presents and an had outing to choose a tree. Arthur came with us on Tuesday to choose a tree from Richard Fenwick’s fast diminishing plantation. The system is that you tie a label on the tree of your choice and he delivers it later. It was a rather chilly morning and Arthur seemed to change colour from pink to blue as we walked down Mustills Lane but he is a placid child and doesn’t complain and especially enjoyed checking the depth of each puddle.

Our old lodger South African Cathy was in church Sunday and came for lunch. She now works at Addenbrooke’s so we had a full catch up on the strains of working for the NHS.

Another swimming session with the pool nearly to ourselves on Monday – just 7 in total.

The new fish tank has been filled, planted and the fish transferred. It looks good but the small fish did not take kindly to the change in water so the numbers are reduced.

 

 

My CEEM colleague Terry has managed to send more money to Moldova this week after considerable difficulties. He had his card blocked three time for “suspicious activities”.

On Wednesday I managed another loaf of bread then our History session featured Aethelwulf, Aethelbald, Aethelberht, Aethelred & Alfred (who probably had his name shortened from Aethelfred!). Need I say more?

 

 Our scheduled walk leader on Thursday had to drop out with a leg problem so Kate and I were drafted in. The walk started at Orwell and took in Harlton, Little and Great Eversden. The weather was fine and the route included Harlton Clunch Pit which is an attractive wooded depression. Wildlife featured several Red Kites and some fieldfares which have been scarce round here this year.

 

 

Harlton Clunch Pit

 

Little Eversden

 

 

Grreat Eversden church

 

After the walk we were pleased to see Adrian for the second time in the week and Glynis and Mossy who was looking commendably clean for a white dog on a mucky day.

Biographies this week featured Lady Elizabeth Butler, she was a British painter, who specialised in painting scenes from British military campaigns and battles, including the Crimean War and the Napoleonic Wars. She also painted the famous picture of the lone survivor of the massacre in the Khyber Pass. Even though she was the best painter around she was refused membership to the Royal Academy as she was a woman!

 

 

Lady Elizabeth Butler

 

 

The Remnants of an Army

 

Scotland Forever

 

Jan Few, a local character from Willingham called Friday afternoon, he had just returned from Tenerife and nearly missed his plane as the coach was delayed and as he rushed through check in, they failed to give him a Boarding Pass so he was sent back to check in and had to go through security again and in his haste left his mobile phone in the tray. He is not keen to go abroad again!

The garden is still productive and yesterday I harvested sprouts, leeks, celeriac, parsnips and beetroot.

I watched Linton 3 v 3 Over yesterday a reasonable result but disappointing as Over were 3 v 0 up and conceded the equaliser in the last minute

 

With love

Mike & Kate

 5^th December 2021

 

Dear All,

Early signs that Christmas is on the way locally with the lights eventually being turned on at the Green and the Garden Club Christmas party. The lights were a low-key event after the Saturday weather caused a postponement but there was carol singing, mince pies and a cove with red coat and flowing white whiskers.

 

 

Lights & Carols

 

The Garden Club do involved a quiz, photo competition, Secret Santa and raffle. The quiz had 6 rounds on trees, fruit and vegetables (in which we did well), national gardens and Over history (moderate) and ladies in gardening (in which we performed badly). Did you know that the patron saint of gardeners is St Dorothy? We won the quiz (a team of 6), I got a 1^st and 2^nd in the photos, some plant labels in the Secret Santa and chocolate Matchsticks in the raffle – so a good night all round.

 

Winning photo

 

Mini crisis this week with the fish tank leaking and causing considerable dampness in the cupboard below. As it is only the second tank we have had in 50 years we decided to replace it rather than patch it up. This is quite serious business trying to move the old one, keeping the fish and plants alive and swapping in the new one. The old one was half drained for moving and letting the area dry out, the new one is taller and this meant having the electric socket moved involving filling and painting – so we have not achieved completion yet. When we have there will be a 3’ vivarium available to the highest bidder!

 

The Old Tank in emergency mode

We did a walk recce on Tuesday at Orwell as we received a leading request at short notice as someone dropped out for next week. Our Thursday walk started at Chrishall and took in Duddenhoe End, Littlebury Green and Elmdon. It was a bit sticky underfoot but mainly sunny after a cold start.

 

 

Near Chrishall

 

 

Jerseys Lunching

 

 

Half a mile of Sugar Beet clamp!

 

We were so involved with fish tanks on Wednesday that we both forgot to tune in for our History session. Fortunately, the tutor puts his presentation on-line straight away so we could catch up. This week it was about conflicts between Mercia and Wessex with Wessex becoming top nation, the Book of Kell’s, Vikings attacking Iona and Wessex and the arrival of Alfred who was sent on a pilgrimage to Rome at the age of 3!

Kate and I met up with ex NIAB colleagues for lunch at Girton Golf Club on Tuesday. It was good to catch up with them even though the discussions tend concentrate on ailments and medications!

The Biography subject this week was Charles James Fox a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned 38 years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was the arch-rival of the Tory politician William Pitt the Younger. He was very bright, very spoilt by his father and an immoral womaniser. In his youth he wanted to watch the demolition of a wall on his father’s estate but the workmen completed the job before he arrived so his father made them re-erect the wall so Charles could watch the demolition!

 

Charles James Fox

 

Esther and Emma went to Hyde Hall on Friday night to see the illuminations which look quite impressive.

 

 

Hyde Hall

And Over beat Fulbourn 5 v 1 yesterday in rather more pleasant weather that the previous week!

With love

Mike & Kate 

 

28th November 2021

 

Dear All,

Winter arrived suddenly yesterday causing the postponement of Santa arriving on his sleigh to switch on the Christmas lights on the Green. A large do was planned with stalls, carol singing, brass band etc. The chapel had booked a stall to distribute books and 200 mince pies so hopefully a smaller event will take place this afternoon if Santa can rearrange his schedule.

After a few chilly swims the pool was virtually back to normal but the uncertain temperatures had reduced the participants so there were only 4 swimming apart from our car load of three, so almost a private pool!

Arthur helped (?) us erect a fence at the allotment on Tuesday but later in the week failed a Covid test so is now isolating and we are checking!

Our History session this week concentrated on Offa who was king of Mercia for 39 years during which he built the dyke and went to great lengths to ensure the succession of his son Eegfrith. When Offa eventually died in796, Eegfrith took over but only lasted 141 days. Then the Vikings started to raid the first raid was to Lindisfarne in 793.

Our Thursday walk this week started at Leighton Bromswold along the A14 beyond Huntingdon. The pub, the Green Man is one of the oldest in the country and the landlord sensibly dispenses with his normal menu when 30 walkers descends and makes a large vat of Irish Stew. It is not the most scenic walk but was enjoyable because it was wall to wall sunshine and dry underfoot. Highlight was spotting a fox in broad daylight.

 

 

The Green Man, Leighton Bromswold

 

 

 

Leighton Bromswold Marker Stone (for public meetings)

 

 

Castle House, Leighton Bromswold

 

 

A few Autumn Leaves

Our Biographies subjects were two black ladies who were slaves but were adopted by wealthy families and experienced very different lives to what they might have been. Dido Elizabeth Bell was the result of a liaison between a rear admiral and a slave in the West Indies in the 1700s and was adopted by Lord and Lady Mansfield, he was Lord Chief Justice of England at the time. Sarah Forbes Bonetta was captured by the King of Dahomey in 1850 and sent to Queen Victoria as a present who adopted her and gave her an education.

 

Dido Elizabeth Bell  

Sarah Forbes Bonetta

 

I helped Adrian finish digging his garden yesterday before it started to rain then watched football played in a freezing gale - Over 3 v2 Hemingford.

Natasha sent a photo of the Derbyshire weather yesterday:

 

 

Bolehill, Derbyshire

 

Esther and Emma are having major work in their garden involving a fence replacement and building a garden room and shed, work started on Wednesday and so far, it is chaos!

 

 

19 Alpha Road, Hutton

Discussing Estonia with Ben I came across photos of eccentric English folk dressing in traditional costume!

 

 

Lady Mary!

With love

Mike & Kate

 

21st November 2021

 

Dear All,

We missed swimming on Monday as we were having a Smart Meter fitted following a plethora of emails as the date was changed numerous times. We are trying to ignore watching the £ & p clocking up on the display. Mary-Ann & Andy were hoping to move this week but unfortunately their buyer dropped out at the last minute so it is back to square one – there really has to be a better way? They have already had more viewers and the Housing Association that they hope to buy from have given them more time. To add to their household gloom Albert was very upset at not getting his preferred roles of King or Camel in the school nativity play and sobbed for 45 minutes – he is narrator which I am sure he will perform very well.

On Tuesday we took Arthur to Coton Garden Centre to restock the fish tank and buy a few Christmas presents. He was greatly impressed by the singing reindeer and the large replica railway engine.

 

 

Arthur and the Engine

 Headlines for this week’s History session were:

Events Outside Mercia

Church Councils

The Anglo-Saxon Class System

And

Northumbria and Wessex

The Class System was:

Anglo-Saxon Class System

Ætheling

Ealdorman

Thegns

Reeve

Ceorl/Churl

Villein

Slave.

I am sure I don’t have to amplify the differences to you but if you are unsure send a stamped addressed envelope…….

Our Thursday outing started at Hardwick and took in Comberton and Toft. It was dry and sunny (only 2mm rain so far this month).

 

 

Near Hardwick

 

 

 

 

Comberton Pond

 

 

Autumn Leaves

 

 

New Cow breed in Toft

 

Adrian called to have his photo taken to renew his bus pass. Kate was going to sort the paperwork but needless to say it did not sail through as they had him down for a different expiry date to the one on his current pass!

 

 

Would you buy a 2^nd hand car………

 

Biography subject this week was John Monash. He was an Australian WW1 General praised at the time for possibly being the best on the Allies side but since largely forgotten – even in Australia (the presenter is Australian). He survived Gallipoli, Passchendaele and Ypres. He was driven, had a strong self-belief, a brilliant organiser but with a large ego and libido, ambitious and not very nice – perhaps all necessary ingredients for a successful military figure?

 

 

Sir John Monash

I met Kate after the class to view another possible site for “Just Vegetating” after Christmas as the Friends Meeting house have stripped their kitchen and it is not likely to be restored in time. We were shown round St Clements in Bridge Street near U3A HQ and it looks suitable.

 

 

St Clements

 

We has a message that Ben might not make the family Zoom on Friday as he was in Tallin. He had not mentioned this the previous week, just that he had the week off so it was a bit of a surprise. He had contacted Mary-Ann for information about Helsinki as he was hopping over there for the day.

Esther and Emma have plans to replace a garden fence and erect a garden room this coming week so they have some preparation to do

I spent yesterday morning helping Adrian again, one more session should complete the job?

 

 

The Cambridge News photo page topic was “Signs & Notices” and my contribution was this one from the Yorkshire Dales.

 

 

With love

Mike & Kate