30^th January 2022

 

Dear All,

We are gradually getting used to the new venue for “Just Vegetating” in St Clements church, Bridge Street. One of the drawbacks is that someone has donated them 6 bells so they have workmen in building a belfry – and that tends to be a little noisy! We were covering “Alliums” this week and Kate prepared leek, oat and tomato pancakes, apple, blackberry and red onion marmalade, leek, potato and sauerkraut gratin and shallot tart tartin. Unfortunately, the bus timetable has changed and we had to wait 35 minutes wondering if it would arrive and when it did it was heaving and not ideal for pensioners carrying 5 bits of luggage for the course!

“Cognitive Psychology” this week was about how we recognise objects and faces but I had to depart early as it was Dave Birch’s funeral. Dave was an interesting chap who was baptised at chapel and produced four children with his wife Kym. He had a demanding job buying and selling metals which involved a deal of travelling round the world and unfortunately, he hit the bottle and became an alcoholic which eventually led to the marriage failing. He fought it and kept good relations with his family but succumbed to cancer. All four of the children spoke up well at the funeral.

History wise we has another session on Alfred and the Vikings and Alfred’s son Edward the Elder who ruled greatly aided by his sister Aethelflaed. As it was a sunny afternoon, we had a walk round the fen.

On Thursday we started our walk at Eltisley and took in Gransden and Caxton (of gibbet fame). It was dull and threatening to start with but we finished in bright sunshine. The pub was very efficient taking food and drink orders beforehand and serving 30 of us very quickly. It also had rather dramatic wall paintings for a pub.

 

Leycourt Farm, Eltisley

 

 

Church Farm, Caxton

 

 

Caxton Ford

 

 

Pub Decor

 

We had a double bill at Biographies this week. First there was a presentation on the “Professor and the Madman” Professor James Murray was working in Oxford as an editor of the new Oxford English Dictionary. As he catalogues words and their definitions, he delegates words to other people and he begins receiving submissions from a source at the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. He receives over 10,000 entries from the “madman” — Dr. William Chester Minor, a retired Army surgeon in the United States. The pair work together to write the dictionary 414,000 words in all.

 

 

The Professor, James Murray

 

The second offering was William Tutte an ace mathematician who was drafted into Bletchley Park to help break war time codes. His contribution was evidently as crucial as Alan Turing’s but he has not received the same recognition. He was born in Newmarket and briefly retired there when the presenter Dr John Calvert was his GP.

William Tutte

 

 

Colossus his code breaking Computer

 

Medical news is that Andy, Amḗlie and Albert seem to be recovering from Covid which gave them unpleasant stomach cramps and Kate passed her latest mammogram but failed the bone density scan and has been put on an unpleasant drug which has not pleased her as she is aware of possible side effects.

Looking out of our back window yesterday I spotted this large raptor which a friend has identified as a female Merlin.

 

 

Merlin

 

 

I watched Over 4 v o Gamlingay Saturday afternoon.

 

With love

Mike & Kate

 

 

23rd January 2022

 

Dear All,

U3A term started this week so the timetable filled dramatically. On Monday we started “Just Vegetating” again, this was postponed from the autumn which explains why the week is now busier than planned. We began with Carrots & Parsnips and the recipes were:

Carrot Marmalade

Miso Parsnips

Carrot Cake

Parsnips and Carrots in marmalade and Harissa.

The new venue was OK but a few teething problems including insufficient plates and cutlery and an oven with its own agenda!

On Tuesday I signed up for “Cognitive Psychology” on Zoom – I may be out of my depth but it seems to be about the study of the mind and how we perceive things. So, do you see a duck or a rabbit in this picture?

 

Duck or Rabbit?

 

We had a church meeting Tuesday evening when Gordon was re- elected as a deacon and Jenny Miles retired.

On Wednesday it was back to “UK History 410 to 1966” for a second term. This week it was all about King Alfred subduing the Vikings. In the afternoon we went to Emmaus at Waterbeach to supplement the plates and cutlery for the course – 10 plates £2. 50!

In the evening Over Garden Club had an interesting talk about Madingley Hall. It was built in 1543 and passed through various private hands until 1948 when it was sold to Cambridge University – the Hall, 2,500 acres, the village pub and all the houses in the village bar 3 for £50,000! Capability Brown was involved with designing the gardens and lake.

 

 

Madingley Hall

 

The Thursday walk started at Cowlinge south of Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds. It was sunny throughout and not as sticky as the previous week. Unfortunately, the pub landlord and his wife went down with Covid the day before so lunch was cancelled but we found a café next to Highpoint prison in Stradishall and it was excellent value for money.

 

 

Damp & Frosty start at Cowlinge

 

 

Boyden End

 

 

Cowlinge Village Pump

 

“Biographies” on Friday featured “Izaac Walton” of “Complete Angler” fame. The lady presenting spoke too quietly so it was not as interesting as it might have been,

 

 

Izaac Walton

On the family Zoom on Friday evening, we learnt that both Mary-Ann and Ben have had difficult weeks at work due mainly to staff shortages. Ben had been working late and was due to work all weekend.

I watched West Wratting 1 v 1 Shelford (5v4 on penalties) on Saturday in clear sunny conditions. In the evening it was the usual Review of the Year which I presented on Zoom for the second year.

 

With love

Mike & Kate

 

16th January 2022

 

Dear All,

Back to swimming on Monday and walking on Thursday. The pool was up to 29°C and still plenty of room with only 10 swimming.

Arthur was here again on Tuesday morning taking a great interest in our new cooker being installed. The ceramic hobs mean that it is very quick even though a new set of saucepans was needed.

 

 

New Oven & Pans

 

Kate had another Addenbrooke’s trip on Wednesday this time for a mammogram – no results from anything yet.

In the evening we met Phil Bowes at Eaton Socon for a meal and Moldova catch up followed by a PM at St Neots.

I rediscovered the notes I made for the eulogy for Dad’s funeral and typed them up as Ben having read my story wanted to know more about the previous generation. There are no prizes for spotting mistakes but it has been pointed out that I left Robbie and Danny off of the great children list.

The Thursday walk started at Guilden Morden and touched Ashwell and Steeple Morden. It was an excellent sunny day but very sticky under foot and beginning with a 100-acre field was not ideal! You could say I was fatigued after!

 

 Winter walking

 

Guilden Morden

 

I have pricked out lettuce, onions, mustard, tomatoes and rocket so far – probably all too early but having germinated the seeds it is hard to throw them away. In addition, we purchased seed potatoes on Friday and set them up for chitting and purchased onion sets for spring planting.

U3A “Just Vegetating” should start tomorrow so I have been updating the talks and Kate has been sorting new recipes.

Ben seems to have recovered well from Covid and was released from confinement Friday.

Esther and Emma are at Hove for the weekend to help Mary-Ann celebrate her birthday

I watched Over 2 v 1 Foxton Saturday afternoon with the winning goal coming 2 minutes from the end of a rather chilly watch!

The Cambridge News photo theme this week was patterns and submitted a tray of Romanescos

 

 

Romanesco Cauliflowers

With love

Mike & Kate

 

9th January 2022

 

Dear All,

A fairly quiet week after the excitement of Christmas – it always seems a little solemn when the decorations come down. These are the tree decorations we painted under E & E’s directions:

 

 

Christmas tree decorations

 

I have assembled the home-made propagator this week checking seed germinations and pricking out some that might survive at this time of the year.

 

Heath Robinson Propagator

 

We have pruned apple and pear trees when the sun was shining in the early part of the week.

 

We missed our Thursday walk this week as Kate had an appointment at Addenbrooke’s for a bone density scan but we had done shorter local walks on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. We spotted a group of deer in Over Fen and as usual plenty of evidence of badger activity. While Kate was at Addenbrooke’s Adrian called for an hour and Lorna called for an hour so I did not get much done. In addition, we called on Janet and Jim who had his “National Service in Aden” album out and full of reminiscences.

 

Over Middle Way

 

 

Deer in Over Fen

 

Active Badger sett in Middle Way

 

 

 

Muddy Avenue to the Gravel

I have been updating my presentations for “Just Vegetating” which should start in a couple of weeks.

The weather has been rather depressing towards the end of the week but we decided to brave it and watched Hemingford 2 v 3 Cherry Hinton in challenging conditions.

Our Jig Saw count this period has risen to 7

 

 

7^th Puzzle

Star plant this week is a new Amaryllis which we collected at a talk at Over Garden Club last year. It produces multiple flowers from a single bulb.

 

 

Amaryllis

 

 

Ben has succumbed to Covid and was distinctly croaky on the family Zoom Friday night. It cannot be much fun when you live on your own.

With love

Mike & Kate

 

2^nd January 2022

 

Dear All,

Happy New Year to you all. Christmas was enjoyable and fairly vintage: 9 people for 4 or 5 days, Santa filled stockings for the young and impressionable, a plethora of games, 4 jigsaws, a quiz, a walk, service Zoom or live, and of course excellent food.

Ben arrived on his bike on Wednesday but his panniers were so heavy that he completed his journey from Hitchin on the train. Going back something disintegrated on the bike and he had to catch a train again, this time from Baldock. Mary-Ann, Andy, Amḗlie and Albert arrived 6ish on Thursday as expected and Esther and Emma unexpectedly later that night.

Every gathering needs an Esther to not only occupy the children but arrive laden with games. This year we were introduced to Whoonu, Confident, Dog Bingo, Colour Brain and Qwirkle. We already owned CodeNames and Ipswich Monopoly and of course there was the more familiar Skinny, Rummikub, Upwords, Oh Hell and for the children Ring on a string, Hunt the thimble, Hide & Seek, Kim’s Game and Dead Lions (very popular with the adults!).

Esther & Emma also brought Christmas decorations to paint, paper chains, a Lego music box and transfers – I ended up with a gingerbread man on my bald patch which caused a certain amount of comment in the service!

Mary-Ann knowing her father’s weakness for Tunis cake had jibbed at the smaller size and increased price in Tesco’s and made her own which was well received. Kate has cooked the ham to perfection as usual – such a pity there were so many vegetarians! Andy made a nutloaf in a squash for their Christmas lunch. Andy walked to St Ives and back each day (once accompanied by M-A) and Ben ran each day.

.

 Decoration Painting

 

Homemade Tunis Cake

  

Concentration

 

Puzzle Meister

 

 

Decorating Grandpa

 

 

Dead Lions

 

 

Hopeful children - & some adults!

 

 

Christmas Lunch

 

Two car loads left Monday and Ben on Tuesday – initially in drizzle.

 

 

Easy Rider

 

I had a physio appointment in Ely on Wednesday for a painful wrist. Ironically, I had been suffering with lower back pain since Monday but as I had not been referred for that it could not be addressed. Our cooker door started to disintegrate this week so we ordered a replacement cooker in Ely on Thursday, then it was Bar hill Tesco’s Friday – don’t say we don’t get around!

Norman Ingle thinned a hedge so I was invited to collect the wood and that has now been sawn into logs.

Neither of us made midnight to see the New Year in, although there were enough fireworks to make sure we didn’t sleep through it!

 

With love

Mike & Kate