13th February 2022

 

Dear All,

This week has been much like last week with U3A activities most days but with gradually the chance to do more outside.

Mondays are a tight turn round with swimming and “Just Vegetating” so we tried a new transport method this week. Mervyn picked us up from Swavesey Guided Bus car park and after swimming took us to Bridge Street, then after JV we caught the Guided Bus back to Swavesey. This worked much better.

“Just Vegetating” this week was “Salads – Roots, Shoots and Leaves”, Kate’s recipes were: Spinach and Chinese cabbage salad, Carrot, cucumber, radish, tomato, gem lettuce, mint and basil salad with a range of toppings and dressings: candied nuts, flower petals, roasted seeds, fruit, mango dressing and peanut butter dressing.

“Cognitive Psychology this week was on “Concepts” – the processes we go through to classify and interpret what we see. I am not sure that I would make a good Cognitive Psychologist!

“History” is getting more interesting this week in the 900s with Edred, Eadwig, Edgar and Edward the Martyr with Erik Bloodaxe making an appearance.

We had a new location for Thursday’s walk starting at Little Paxton and walking round Paxton Pits, these are restored gravel pits now a nature reserve and supposedly one of the best locations for nightingales.

 

 

Paxton Pits

 

 

 

River Ouse

 

 

Ouse Valley Way Board

 

 

Offord church

 

 

Muddy stretch

 

“Biographies” this week featured the painter “Rubens” delivered by the daughter of a Nobel prize winner Vivian Perutz – the sort of person you find loitering around Cambridge!

 

 

Rubens Self Portrait

 

On the garden front I have replaced one compost bin, renovated another and sown broad beans, peas and more tomatoes in the greenhouse and weeded Alliums outdoors.

 

 

Compost Bins

I watched West Wratting 2 v 3 Shelford in a bruising encounter and my colleague Dave was lectured by the referee for interfering with play!

With love

Mike & Kate