31st January 2021

 

Dear All,

Question: (not for our veggie offspring!) when is the last time you ate rabbit? It was an ever present growing up but I can’t remember the last time I ate it. Derreck Medlock, our erstwhile next door but one neighbour moved to Nottinghamshire but kept the bungalow and returns to stay or check it over occasionally. He still has 200 -300 rabbits and when we invited him for a meal last year, he presented us with a rabbit – fortunately skinned and jointed. Kate was not over joyed and it was put in the freezer and only retrieved and cooked this weekend. Kate could not actually face it herself but it was OK in a casserole but somehow you see fluffy bunnies when it is on your plate, which is not a problem with other sorts of meat!

Our microwave cooker packed up on Monday so we ordered another which was delivered on Friday, it is amazing how much you miss the convenience.

Kate had another mammogram this week, it has been a yearly treat since her breast cancer operation. I took her to Addenbrooke’s and waited in the Park ‘n Ride car park to avoid public transport. All the doors at the hospital are locked with guards.

We took part in the RSPB “Big Bird Watch” Friday morning. Fortunately, the sun came out and we recorded a few small birds but Pigeons and Crows were top of the list. It is disappointing that the Woodpeckers, Jays and Long tailed Tits that we have seen recently, disappear when needed!

We have managed to walk nearly every day but are running out of non-muddy, non-watery paths. On Thursday for our longer walk we took the main road to Willingham, which was OK as long as you were prepared to jump on the verge each time traffic roared by. We then explored the backstreets of Willingham before returning on the footpath – where we soon encountered mud and water again – having to wade through a flood near the end.

 

 

Mud

 

 

Muck

 

 

Water

 

“Biographies” session had two short presentations this week: Arthur Ransome and Elizabeth Jane Howard. Ransome had two distinct periods to his life, the first as a journalist in Russia where without actually being a spy, he provided information to both the UK and Russian governments. Then he retired back to England and wrote the “Swallows & Amazons” books for children.

 

 

Arthur Ransome

 

Elizabeth Jane Howard was born in New Zealand but came to England to finish her education. She had three marriages, numerous liaisons, several jobs before joining the Bloomsbury set and writing many books of which the “Cazalets” collection were best known (not by me!). Her first marriage was to Peter Scott (naturalist & painter) and her third to Kingsley Amis. She was a friend of D.H. Lawrence and he is thought to have based “Women in Love” on her.

 

Elizabeth Jane Howard

 

We are in charge of the Sunday ZOOM session today on the topic of “Fear”

I think I may be getting ahead of myself with seed propagation this year – blame the lockdown!

 

 

Propagation Bench

 

 

Germination cabinet

 

Brenda Ingle’s funeral due this Tuesday has had to be postponed as her son-in-law has tested positive for Covid and her daughter and granddaughter are having to isolate – not easy for the family.

With love

Mike & Kate