26^th September 2021

 

Dear All,

It seems to have been a fairly busy week catching up after a few days away. On Monday we resumed swimming at Impington with Jenny and Mervyn. The pool was a couple of degrees below optimum, but it felt like more! It was good to get back and quite hard work after a break of about 18 months. In the evening I had a Garden Club talk at Gransden, so life is edging back to normal.

On Tuesday we were minding Arthur for the morning and we took him to Doddington as I needed some plants from one nursery and we had coffee at a nearby Garden Centre. He is quite keen on tractor spotting and that area of the fens is exciting territory! In the evening there was a church meeting – completed in record time after which the Gregory’s and Adrian Hart came for coffee and a viewing of our Scottish photos.

Wednesday we were in Cambridge for a briefing on our next trip with the U3A walking group to the Cotswolds. As usual our ex-Lieutenant Colonel outlined plans like Montgomery at Alamein, but you cannot fault his enthusiasm and efforts. As it was a sunny day, we had a picnic in the Princess Di memorial garden.

Our Thursday walk started at Quendon between Saffron Walden and Stanstead and took in Rickling Green, Manuden and Little London. It was fresh territory for us with some attractive villages and another herd of deer.

 

 

Manuden Churchyard terrace

 

 

Little London Face

 

As assistant leader of the U3A Biography group I get the PowerPoints to assemble for those who cannot cope with modern technology. Our ex-Theology lecturer George Rowlands is an excellent chap but his visual aids and talk delivery are somewhat lacking. This week he sent 20 poorly photocopied pictures to be sorted from the life of Lise Meitner, who escaped the Nazis to become a leading physicist.

We were at Tesco’s early on Friday and fortunately managed to fill the car with diesel then by chance met Merv shopping – so another cup of coffee!

Saturday was Gransden Show. It is a small agricultural show which manages to keep a good display of animals, machinery, produce and craft stands. There was an especially good entry of sheep of many breeds and you can guarantee meeting people you haven’t seen lately.

 

 

Champion Sheep

 

 

Sheep x mammoths?

 

 

Shire horse

 

 Pigmy goats

 

 

Fruit Champion

 

I got back in time to watch Over 2 v 1 Linton.

Digging has started in earnest this week beginning with the Sweet Corn land both here and at the allotment ready for planting overwintered alliums next week. We also have to carry out the winter maintenance on the cricket square which is complicated this time as the chap who normally arranges things is off sick and we could not find out whether he had ordered the trailer, seed or fertilizer! All will be revealed – hopefully!

 

With love

Mike & Kate

 

19^th September 2021

 

Dear All,

We had a very enjoyable and packed week in the Scottish borders. The journey up on Friday was lengthened by an hour or so by a collision between a load of straw and another lorry near Newark. We turned off at Scotch Corner for a break and travelled through the North Pennines. We were staying at Bemersyde near Melrose in what was described as a “Country House”, we were expecting a large outfit but it turned out to be a cottage with 2 rooms to let. It proved to be an excellent choice as the hosts were very friendly and we had long chats after each breakfast and eventually accompanied Martin on a group walk and took them out for an evening meal.

Eating places were heavily subscribed and we had to try five before finding a meal on the first evening.

 

 

Broomfields Country House, Bemersyde

 

 

View of the Eildon Hills

 

On Saturday we visited Melrose Abbey then walked along a disused railway trach to Abbotsford – Sir Walter Scott’s residence. The return journey was along the River Tweed. We had a ride to Galashiels and Selkirk and a picnic by William Wallace’s statue near home.

 

 

Melrose Abbey

 

 

Abbotsford House

 

Kate had looked up “Melrose Baptist church” before we left Over but we could not find it anywhere, on rechecking we found it to be Melrose, Massachusetts! We settled for Melrose Parish church. In the afternoon we went back to Galashiels to visit the newly opened “Scottish History Tapestry”. This was incredible – 160 panels sown by 1000 participants from all over Scotland. It was too much to take in during one visit but a remarkable achievement.

 

 

Galashiels Scottish Tapestry

 

 

 

Two of the 160 panels

The most famous resident of Bemersyde had been Earl Haig who was given Bemersyde House for his war efforts. The entrance was only 200 yards from where we were staying so we had a look round on Monday morning before driving to Traquair House near Peebles. The house was the home of the Stewarts with a long history dating back to the 1100’s. It has its own brewery and a well-maintained maze. Mary Queen of Scots stayed there and there are various relics of her visit. After we explored Peebles taking in a riverside walk.

 

 

Traquair

 

 

The Maze

On Tuesday we travelled east taking in Smailholm Tower, one of a series of defensive structures on the borders. We had a short shower which proved to be the only precipitation we had during the week. Next stop was Floors Castle at Kelso. This is a huge building owned by the Dukes of Roxburghe. The family have had a hard time meeting death duties etc. and have had sell land reducing their estate from 75,000 acres to a mere 52,000 acres – the heart bleeds for them! Apart from the house there is a huge walled garden and while walking round this we got to chatting with a lady painting the flowers. It turned out she was from Fen Drayton, two villages away from Over! And she knew some of the folk who had been exhibiting alongside our Produce Show – it is a small world! We explored Kelso with a large cobbled square and another riverside walk.

 

 

Floors castle

 

 

Kelso Abbey

 

Our host Martin walks with Kelso U3A and leads a walking group for folks recovering from medical conditions. He invited us to join them on their Wednesday walk starting at Bowden and circumnavigating the Eildon Hills. It was a gentle outing with the highlights being Eildon House owned by the Duke of Buccleuch and meeting a large pack of foxhounds. Evidently hunting is still legal in Scotland. After we toured Dryburgh Abbey.

 

 

Eildon Mouse

 

 

Hounds

On Thursday we headed for Jedburgh taking in a walk up to the Waterloo Monument on the way. There were splendid views from the summit. Jedburgh is an attractive small town with yet another ruined Abbey, castle, jail and Mary Queen od Scot’s house. In the evening we took Martin and his partner Lorna for meal at the Italian restaurant in Melrose that we had visited a couple of times before, which rounded off the holiday very well. The 300 miles home on Friday was again lengthened by many traffic jams on the A1.

All in all, a good holiday in an area we did not know and lodging we would recommend to family or friends.

 

 

Waterloo Monument

 

 

View from the monument

With love

Mike & Kate

 

5^th September 2021

 

Dear All,

Highlight this week was a trip to Hyde Hall and Hutton on Wednesday. Hyde Hall is the RHS garden near Chelmsford and they have spent a deal of money there recently improving the buildings and relaying the gardens. We met Esther, Amḗlie and Albert there, Mary-Ann and the children were spending some days at Hutton, but Mary-Ann was having to work. The best part for me was the new vegetable beds featuring a range of common and unusual vegetables, all well grown. Fortunately, there was also a children’s play area to entertain A & A as they might not have been so enthralled with the vegetables!

 

 

Hyde Hall new Glasshouse in Vegetable garden

 

 

Sunflowers & Squash

 

 

Rudbeckia

 

 

Upper Lake

 

 

Amelie & Albert at Alice’s tea party

 

In the afternoon we returned to Hutton to apply some law and order to the garden, including clearing a passage so that a fence could be replaced.

 

 

 

Hutton work party

 

Recovery!

 

 

 

Meal at the George & Dragon

Later we all gathered at the George & Dragon at Mountnessing for a meal and to suss out a possible site for a belated 50^th anniversary gathering.

On Tuesday we entertained Norman Ingle and the Kitson’s for Lunch including Carol’s mother who is now 100 years old.

Walking on Thursday started at Therfield above Royston, it was very up and down and quite hard work but an attractive walk. High point was coming across a herd of over 40 fallow deer.

 

 

Kelsall Memorial

 

 

Deer Herd

 

 

Pen Hill

 

We prepared the wicket for the last adult game of the season on Friday and had to spend an hour rolling the outfield as the grass has not been kept under control in recent weeks as the Parish Council limit the number of cuts that they will pay for.

In the garden Sweet Corn has been very productive and still cropping at full bore and there was a good Pepper pick yesterday. I have also started digging for a new strawberry bed.

 

 

Pepper Harvest

Over drew 2 v 2 with top of the table West Wratting yesterday in a very exciting match and the cricket went to the last over before losing.

The CN topic was “Insects” and my submission was a Costa Rican scorpion on Kate’s hand – they don’t sting there!

 

 

Costa Rican Scorpion

 

With love

Mike & Kate