19^th November 2023

 

Dear All,

The village puts on a good show for Remembrance Day with serious poppy decorations at the war memorial for the ceremony before the 3pm service in the Anglican church and a BL representative at the Baptist 6pm service.

 

 

The U3A Balkans course had a second session on Albania covering the vendettas which still occur in the countryside necessitating the building of Kullas – refuge buildings where victims can flee if threatened. We had a quick look at the main cities and towns: Kruje, Tirana, Durres, Barat, Gjirokaster, Saranda and Korce. Finally, we had a few minutes of North Macedonia.

Adrian is still struggling badly with his back and even fell off his bike this week when he lost feeling in his legs. Consequently, I spent a couple of days sorting out his garden: clearing weeds, digging and mucking.

 

 

Adrian’s Back Garden

 

Wednesday evening it was Over Garden Club on the subject of re designing your garden. You must have a feature at the end of a vista, circles make a small garden look larger and swathes of the same plant are better than single plants!

We had a familiar walk on Thursday starting at Orwell then circumnavigating the Wimpole Estate. There is now a solid path all the way round so no mud concerns this week.

 

 

View of Lake & Folly

 

The Biographies topic this week was Ada Lovelace, Countess of Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. She was the first to recognise that the machine had applications beyond pure calculation. Her father was Lord Byron who disappeared out of her life after one month but strangely she worshipped him from afar and was eventually buried next to him.

 

 

Ada Lovelace

 

Kate has been given a large bucket full of daffodil bulbs and iris rhizomes by Philip Shaw which she has planted in her fresh allotment area. She has also been busy turning frozen currants into jelly.

Winter vegetable harvests this week included brussels sprouts, red cabbage, parsnips, celeriac, swedes and leeks.

 

 

Over lost 2 v 1 to Great Shelford who are the reigning champions and least popular team in the league!

 

Regards

Mike & Kate