31st October 2021
Dear All,
Not too much to report
this week, mainly digging and U3A activities. Spent much of Monday and Tuesday
digging in the ton of muck at the allotment and odd bits here and that is
largely done now when the conditions were good.
Allotment
Digging
U3A
History covered the 5th to 7th centuries when the powerful English/Saxon families began to
dominate areas/regions of England and demand tributes from the lower classes and
kingdoms such as Mercia emerged. The lecturer is well informed but not the most
dynamic communicator maybe because it is on Zoom.
History Map
Later I tuned into the Wednesday lecture which was on
Joseph Needham who was a British biochemist,
historian and Chinese expert known for his scientific
research and writing on the history of Chinese science and technology. He was famous
for the "
Needham Question", which is: why had China and India been overtaken by the
West in science and technology, despite their earlier successes?
On Thursday our walk started at Burrough Green
south of Newmarket and touched Great Bradley, the Stour Valley Path and Stetchworth.
It was sunny all trip which made a deal of difference. Being close to Newmarket
it was serious horse country touching several stud farms as well as four woods.
Future Grand National winners?
Ford near source of the River Stour
Ten Wood
Autumn Colours
The Biographies topic this week was Lady Anne
Fanshawe who was a well to do wife of a cavalier sympathiser at the time of the
English civil war. Her husband Richard stuck with Charles I and Prince Charles
so had to hop around the country, France, Ireland and Spain while they were on
the run. Anne tried to keep up with him when possible and found time for 20
pregnancies and 14 children, only 5 of which survived to adulthood. She kept a
careful Journal of her husband’s activities which provided an accurate idea of
what life was like at that time.
Lady Anne Fanshawe
My over wintered sprouting broccoli has decided
to crop now and we have also harvested Fennel, Celeriac and started Parsnips
this week.
Over were walloped 5 v 2 by Cherry Hinton
yesterday – 3 down in 15 minutes.
I finished reading “The Places in Between”
yesterday by Rory Stewart, covering his walk across Afghanistan. As travel
books go it is the most hair raising that I have read – I really do not know
how he survived.
Rory
Stewart
With love
Mike
& Kate
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