Sunday, 3 September 2023

 

3rd September 2023

 

Dear All,

We spent last Saturday and Sunday at Beccles and Southwold helping celebrate Sue and John Bailey’s 50th wedding anniversary. They had booked a beach hut at Southwold and the junior members of the family were happy digging holes in the sand and manning a sail board. The cast included Sue and John’s son James and his Polish wife Joanna and their two children, daughter Helen and her two plus John’s brother Paul, his wife Angela and their children Christopher and Caroline, Paul’s wife Stacey and a French exchange girl. An interesting range of characters largely proving “You can choose your friends but relatives are as delivered!” (Not in the case of our family of course as you are all near perfect!). The weather was very mixed with sunshine interrupted on both days with thunderstorms which flooded the car park on Saturday.

 


 

Southwold Beach

 


 

Southwold Pier

 


 

Merry Paddlers: Stacey, Christopher & Kate

 

On Monday we were invited to Wimpole Hall to advise on the Walled Garden, particularly an experiment they are running comparing “Dig & No Dig”. One of our walking companions volunteers there and has a major input into the project spending 3 days a week in the garden and allotment. He also walks 2 days and has his own allotment so does not see too much of his wife - which he claims is a secret of a happy marriage!

 


 

 

Experimental Beds

 


 

Walled Garden

 

Monday was of course a Bank Holiday and when we left at noon every car park was full as was an overflow field and cars were queued back to the main road.

It was Arthur’s 5th birthday on Monday so we dropped in with a present and a drink. Besides the three children in a small house, they have acquired a puppy which will fill any remaining space!

The Cambridge News Photo theme this week was “Space” and I had four entries – I think they were short of material!

 

 


Photos from the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum

 

Our U3A course allocations came through this week, apart from the Just Vegetating and Biographies which I help run and the Rambling we both have a course on French history and I have one on the Balkans.

We began our walk on Thursday at Wrestlingworth near Potton and took in Tadlow and Eyeworth. Conditions were good but the scenery mainly cereal stubbles so not the most picturesque.

 

 


Old Chapel House, Wrestlingworth

 


 

Hook’s Mill, Eyeworth

 


 

Bury Holme Farm, Eyeworth

 

 


Stubble field

 

The badgers discovered the sweet corn at the allotment Wednesday night and spraying a border with petrol did not prevent them returning to finish the job on Thursday. Fortunately, we had picked 75% and still have some in the garden.

 

 


Badger Picnic!

 

Kate has hade a good show of flowers on her allotment particularly Zinnias which can be tricky to grow.

 

 


Zinnias

 

Over had their last cricket match against Hemingford yesterday which they won to finish 5th in their league, meanwhile the football team were also playing Hemingford and won 3 v 1.

 

A rare sight in the river this week as a pair of Dolphins managed to swim right up to Brownshill staunch.

 

 


Dolphins (not my photo)

 

If all goes well we are off to Georgia on Tuesday so no letter next week – control your disappointment!

 

 

 

Love

 

Mike & Kate

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