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