6^th November 2022

 

Dear All,

The Quiz last Friday raised £534 for the Day Centre which makes the effort worthwhile, evidently another 6 teams tried to enter but were too late. On Sunday night instead of a service we had a DVD on Thomas Cook the travel maestro who did remarkably well after leaving school at a very young age and surviving two alcoholic employers.

Swimming was a little strange on Monday as there had been a power cut so the temperature was down and the pool water level lower than usual. This had the effect of making the pool very choppy as the water was not overflowing the edges as usual.

U3A Quizzes we had one on famous Jones and a Mathematical quiz.

“Napoleon” covered how he secured control in France partly by holding phoney plebiscites so he could manipulate public opinion and also dividing the country into 80 Departments with a  loyal Prefect over each. Nevertheless, he survived assassination and plots on 30 occasions! In the afternoon Kate and I spent some time returning the chapel schoolroom to normal after painting including sorting curtains and replacing shelves.

I managed a little gardening on Wednesday including digging in mustard as green manure and starting to dig in the old strawberry bed.

Thursday was wet again. For a long time, we used to say” It never rains on Thursday” but recently we have had 3 wet walks out of the last four. We met at Ousden south of Newmarket and only the hardcore turned up, We circled via Dunstall Green, Spring Wood and Genesis Green. Highlight was coming across a herd of about 100 deer in Spring Wood.

 

 

Fashionable Raingear

 

 

Damp Gathering

 

In the evening I had an Over Show committee reviewing the last show and proposing a few changes for next time.

It was my turn to present at “Biographies” this week. As the chairman was recovering from a hernia operation, I as deputy had to be acting chairman, secretary, speaker and projectionist – I have put in for a pay rise! My subject was “Robert Bakewell” a 18^th century agricultural improver who vastly improved Leicester sheep, Longhorn cattle and Leicester black horses.

 

 

Robert Bakewell

 

 

Leicester Sheep

 

 

Longhorn Cow

 

Saturday morning there was a Men’s Breakfast at chapel with about 35 present. The speaker was a vintage car enthusiast and currently has 10 cars and needless to say he is a batchelor!

At lunchtime we were invited to share a celebratory lunch for Gordon Foster’s 70^th birthday at Slepe Hall, St Ives. It was an excellent meal not completely spoilt by me having to make a speech!

The Cambridge News topic this week was “Rising” and I submitted a view of skyscrapers rising in Hove.

 

 

Hove Tower Blocks

 

Love

Mike & Kate