26^th March 2023

 

Dear All,

We had an early start Monday as we collected Merv & Pat at 5.30am to take them the Cambridge Station en route for their holiday in Madeira. We then managed a swim before the final instalment of “Just Vegetating” – Oriental Vegetables and Salads. Kate prepared Aubergine & Pepper curry, Vegan chocolate beetroot cakes & Sweet Potato au gratin with coconut and chilli.- not altogether oriental but no complaints. In fact the class were very generous donating £175 (for CEEM), a bottle of wine and some chocolates. I followed this with a check up trip to the dentist who are introducing exciting (for them!) new payment options.

On Tuesday I filled the remaining space in the Raised Bed with lettuce, carrots and potatoes. This week I have planted out more peas and broad beans and Kate’s front garden is looking colourful and the Magnolia tree is in full blossom, waiting for the late frosts!

 

 

 Raised bed

 

 

Protected Peas

 

 

Magnolia

 

 

Front Garden

 Arthur and Grace came after school. In the evening I had a Garden Club talk at Christchurch a village I had not heard of deep in the fens beyond Welney. I guess not much happens there as I arrived at 7pm for a 7.30pm start and the congregation were all already there waiting and on enquiry found they had been there for 15 minutes!

On Wednesday am I helped Adrian dig his garden and plant early potatoes, then after Church Group meeting we planted our earlies. I eventually managed to post books to John Law in Turkey which had not been possible for 2 months. In the evening we had a Zoom meeting to monitor progress for the next Moldova trip from 21^st April to 2^nd May. One member began the meeting by dropping out with the feeble excuse that his wife had broken a patella. Fortunately I managed to find a substitute later that evening in the shape (full) of retired Willingham farmer Geoff Pake. I have managed to change the flight tickets but at a steep cost of £92 considering I did all the work on line and all the did was reissue the Paper work.

The Thursday walk was challenging as the over 80mm rain this month had created plenty of mud. There was also a brisk wind and a sharp shower to finish. We started at Helions Bumpstead near Haverhill and circled to Steeple Bumpstead and Church End, the pub was very efficient. Both Adrian and Lorna called in the afternoon, then one of our Biographies speakers for next day sent me 19 emails each with a picture to turn into a PowerPoint.

 

 

Helions Bumpstead

 

 

Damp Patch

 

 

One of those Days!

 

 

Steeple Bumpstead

 

The last meeting of “Biographies” was a double header featuring the “Sisters of Sinai” and Giuseppe Verdi”. The sisters were twins raised in a rich Presbyterian household and their father rewarded their language studies by treating them to a holiday in each country when they mastered the language. Both were widowed after brief marriages and consoled themselves by travelling very widely including to Sinai where they discovered early manuscripts of Bible texts. In their wills they left money to build Westminster College in Cambridge.

Verdi was raised in poverty in the Po Valley but his musical genius came to the surface and he could play the church organ for services aged 12.

 

 Maggie & Agnes

 

 

Giuseppe Verdi

 

The chapel curtain saga took a major step towards completion as the material has now all been collected, however the lady selected to actually make them up has not been answering emails – so not quite completed yet!

I watched West Wratting 0 v 4 Cambridge University Press Saturday which was a little feisty with 4 red cards following a mass brawl.

 

Love

Mike & Kate