28th August 2022

 

Dear All,

17.5 mm rain Wednesday night and Thursday has made a lot of difference, but obviously is not nearly enough. It certainly affected our Thursday walk as it was rain or drizzle all the way but it is so long since we have had decent rain it did not seem too bad even though we were as wet inside our waterproofs as outside! We started at Orwell and circumnavigated Wimpole Park.

 

 

Damp Gathering

 

 

Novel Rainwear

 

 

Wimpole Charcoal Oven

 

 

Wimpole Way

 

 

 

Damp Break

 

 

 

In the evening I had dried out enough to attend the Over Produce Show committee meeting trying to analyse what went well and what didn’t. Why does every committee have one or two slightly annoying characters? (maybe it is me?)  We had our car back on the road Monday after six days, the garage blamed a faulty batch of starter motors from Bosch – but who knows? We entertained the Burrell family for lunch as they were due to depart on a camping holiday next day.

 

 

Rachel, Matthew, Arthur & Grace

 

On Tuesday we spring cleaned the bottom garden shed, a job not be taken lightly with about 500 flower pots and heaps of fleece and netting covers. This led to noticing the shredder which I had not used for several years so yesterday morning I had an enjoyable session turning 8 feet tall Jerusalem Artichokes into compost.

 

 

Phantom Shredder

 

 

 

We managed a Blackberry gathering during the week and were surprised to find a patch with plump juicy fruit amongst the predominantly dry shrivelled ones down Fen End.

 

 

Foraging Loot

 

 

 

I prepared the wicket for the last match of the season on Wednesday. They have not enjoyed a great season with both teams being relegated and continually struggling to field teams, local cricket is definitely on the decline with nine matches called off yesterday due to teams defaulting.

I picked the last Sweet Corn yesterday but it has performed well and beans have made a come back with the cooler weather.

 

 

love

 

Mike & Kate

 

21st August 2022

 

Dear All,

We began the week with two days in Hove helping to look after Amḗlie and Albert while their parents were at work. We arrived with a boot full of Mary-Ann’s art work accumulated over her years of study and since resident in our loft for about 25 years. I am sure she was delighted to see it all! We spent quite a lot of time in Hove Park as the children enjoy the climbing wall and playground especially the climbing pole which Amḗlie managed with ease and Albert with determination. We also had a picnic on the beach and spent some time model making while it was actually raining!

 

 

Mary-Ann with art treasures

 

Climbing Wall

 

 

Playground

 

 

Pole dancing!

 

 

Picnic on Hove beach

 

 

 

 

The last we saw of Amelie!

 

 

Bird Feeder

 

Speaking of rain, we enjoyed 4.5mm on Wednesday night, the first this month and previously we recorded 3mm in 47 days.

Having had a new starter motor fitted last week we drove to Hove and back with no problems. On our return Kate went to the hairdressers on Wednesday morning but when I tried to go to Willingham later it would not start. Over Garage would not win many efficiency awards – they promised to come out in the afternoon but later rang to say they could not make it but would come Thursday morning. We were out walking but hoped it would be fixed when we returned only to find the drive empty. When I rang them, they said that the part was under guarantee so they needed to replace it from the supplier and this would not be possible until Monday. 6 days without a car is good for the cycling muscles but conveying panniers full of water to the allotment is quite hard work!

We had a new walk on Thursday starting at Lidgate south of Newmarket and taking in Ousden and Genesis Green. There were three times as many walking compared to the previous week as it was much cooler. It is an interesting area with plenty of tree lined shady lanes.

 

 

Near Lidgate

 

 

Horseshoe Horse

 

 

Autumn in August!

 

 

Lidgate

 

We had a badger visit to the Sweet Corn in our “fortified” garden this week, but not too much damage and the crops at the allotment and Elsom’s have performed very well.

 

 

Badger visit

 

David phoned last night to report that cousin John was out of hospital and he and Muriel were now in an old folks place in Kirby. John however is not really with it.

The local football season has begun with a stutter. Last Saturday the county FA called off all the games due to the heatwave, this week Over called off their game as the pitch is unfit due to cracks and hardness. Dave and I went to West Wratting.

 

love

 

Mike & Kate

 

14^th August 2022

 

Dear All,

Another week dominated by heat coping strategies. We are still taking a boot full of water to the allotment each day and Kate is still qualifying for a “Friends of the Trees” badge by tending several of the smaller trees on The Green.

In 1976 we rechristened “The Green”, to “The Brown” and this year it could equally apply.

 

 

The Brown Green!

 

Kate and I were leading the Thursday shorter walk but for the first time ever we were the only short walkers to turn up. The group leader decided to transfer from the longer walk and  join us so as not to waste the recce we had carried out the week before. Then another man joined us because he had suffered an unusual accident. He put his sock on that morning then went down to breakfast, he felt a sharp pain in his foot and when he removed his sock a spider jumped out having bitten his big toe. “It felt like a wasp sting” he said – so beware!

The walk started at Abington Pigotts near Royston and took in Litlington, Steeple Morden and Guilden Morden. It was hot but bearable as there was a gentle breeze for most of the time. Our “short” walk did 8.4 miles whereas the so called long walk covered 9.3 miles and included a stop at a pub!

 

 

Down Hall 16^th century Gatehouse

 

 

Steeple Morden church

 

 

Wild Flower meadow at Steeple Morden

 

As a hot day activity I cleaned out the fish pond on Tuesday removing considerable amounts of pond weed. It was strange wearing wellies for the first time in about 6 months. On the same day our car was in the garage having a new started motor fitted as it was making an alarming noise when engaged. As usual the cost was one arm and one leg!

We have fitted in two trips to Coton Garden Centre this week to replace a faulty aquarium LED light system. When I mentioned that we had not had it very long the man said that if we returned with evidence of proof of purchase he would refund the cost – hence the second journey.

During her frequent visits to the trees on The Green, Kate has noticed a man sleeping on one of the benches and having engaged him in conversation discovered that he is Algerian who is working on one of the village building sites as a nightwatchman. He lives in Harrow so has a complicated journey home and chooses to sleep rough in the day times while writing a book. Kate has offered him a bed but he has so far not taken up the offer.

We have had quite a lot of bat activity in the garden at nights this week. And figs are prolific – I picked 19 one day.

The Cambridge News theme this week was “Flight” and I sent in a photo from Costa Rica of a spider monkey jumping between trees.

 

 

Spider Monkey in Flight

We are off to Hove this afternoon for a couple of days to mind grandchildren while parents are working. Kate has cleared out the loft of all Mary-Ann's art work so she may be in for a nasty shock!

love

 

Mike & Kate

 

7^th August 2022

 

Dear All,

This week has been dominated by Over Produce Show as it involves quite a lot of work setting it up as well as participating. On Thursday we have to register the entries and write out all the exhibiters cards, this year we were back to pre-Covid numbers so 480 cards. On Friday we set up the hall erecting and covering tables, and allocating space for each class and on Saturday staging the exhibits, judging, logging the points and deciding the cup winners. Photography was introduced 4 years ago and slowly increased to 30 entries last year, this year it mushroomed to 80 entries. We had borrowed display board from a nearby village but had not planned the method of fixing 80 photos and their accompanying card so there was a steady job of re fixing them all afternoon.

We were expecting a drop in entries of Fruit & Vegetables due to the drought but the numbers were slightly up on last year mainly due to the reappearance of our principal exhibiter who was away last time. I managed 10 x 1^st, 4 x 2nds and 8 x 3rds and was 2^nd in Veg and overall. And yes, I did win the bread again! All in all, it was a good show with no major incidents!

 

Hall ready for Judging

 

 

My Collection

 

 

The Bread

 

 

Potato Section

 

We have had two decent walks this week as on Monday we carried out a recce for a walk we should be leading next Thursday (weather permitting as we are forecast another scorcher). This began at Abington Pigotts near Royston and involved crossing several stubble fields which was fine then but will not be so good if they are cultivated by Thursday.

On Thursday we started at Burrough Green south of Newmarket and looped round the Stour Valley. Fortunately, it was not too hot.

 

 

Kate in Combined cereal field

 

 

Prolonged Parking Fine?

 

 

Dried up River Stour at Great Bradley

 

 

Not very green grass field!

On Wednesday we entertained Norman Ingle, Merv & Pat for lunch. Norman is flying off to New Zealand and Australia today.

In the evening I was at Sandy for another CEEM meeting. We have just managed to get registered for internet banking which should make sending money to Moldova easier.

We are still watering the garden and allotment every day in the hope of keeping things alive but we registered a grand total of 3mm rain in July so it is an uphill task. A few things are happy in the heat: Tomatoes have cropped heavily and Sweet Corn tolerates it well but the star turn has been figs which must think they are back in the Mediterranean!

love

 

Mike & Kate