28th January 2024

 

Dear All,

We skipped swimming on Monday partly because Kate was suffering with a heavy cold and partly because the pool had been closed on Friday and Saturday as they could not maintain the pool temperature in the cold weather. So, it was straight to Just Vegetating, this week featuring “Alliums”. Kate produced: leek, potato and sauerkraut gratin, red onion and cucumber salad and shallot and chestnut tart tartine.

French History on Tuesday covered 1547 to 1610 – Wars of Religion between Catholics and Huguenots, initially Henry II v Charles V – England & Spain v France & Scotland. Result: 2m to 4 million deaths!

We followed this by an ex NIAB lunch at Girton Golf Course for 14 including my old boss Bill Chowings who had travelled down from Norfolk with his daughter.

In the afternoon I tuned into a U3A Zoom on Tree Diseases which featured the present serious problems: Chestnut leaf miner, Dutch Elm disease, Ash die back and Oak Processional Moth then went on to describe another dozen disorders which are waiting to invade, it was interesting and alarming! This was followed by the family Zoom so quite a full day.

On Wednesday Kate had been pruning apple trees and I was invited to finish off the Spartan tree. Unfortunately, the folding step ladder collapsed so I descended the tree at speed and a little shocked!

Thursdays walk was back to gloomy skies and muddy underfoot starting at Great Chishill and taking in Building End, Duddenhoe and Crishall. It was really hard work and we did not move far in the afternoon and evening!

Leaving Great Chishill

 

 

Building End

 

High Wood

In the evening we were entertained by strange power cuts with low voltage switching off main lights by allowing TV and standard lights to stay on. A result of this was that the kitchen LED strip light failed and evidently the tubes cannot be replaced so the whole fitting has to be renewed. To add domestic excitement the tropical fish tank developed a leak so a week of household disasters!

Biographies featured “Herbert Morrison” the labour politician who started as mayor of Hackney and rose to head London County Council then an MP. He became Home Secretary, an important member of the War Time cabinet, heavily involved in Nationalising coal, steel and transport, leader of the House and deputy leader of the Labour party.

Herbert Morrison

I am still recovering from watching Ipswich lose to Maidstone but was helped by Over beating West Wratting 2 v 1 in a table top clash!

 

 

Regards

Mike & Kate

 

21st January 2024

 

Dear All,

U3A term started again this week which filled our week fairly well! After swimming on Monday Merv delivered us to the Friend’s Meeting House in Cambridge for the first session of “Just Vegetating” – Carrots & Parsnips. Kate with little respite from the Social on Saturday produced: Harissa & Marmalade roasted carrots, Carrot cupcakes, Carrot Marmalade and Miso & Honey Parsnips.

On Tuesday we were signed in for “French History” with Adrian Roberts – an ex-school teacher and excellent lecturer. The lesson covered the end of the Hundred Years War in 1453 through to the death of Francis 1 in 1547 via the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520.

Ben is currently in India and sent some photos during the week:

 

 

Family Photo?

 

 

Delhi (I think?)

 

On Wednesday I probably chose the wrong day for a haircut as it has been distinctly chilly ever since! Church groups was back at Kitson’s with Bob seeming much better followed by Garden Club taken by a lady expert on Beach Combing and involved audience participation

Identifying tub fulls of collected objects.

We were leading the walk on Thursday starting at Eltisley and taking in Caxton of gibbet fame. When we did the recce 2 weeks previously it was really hard work with deep mud, overcast skies and an hour of rain. This week it was entirely different starting at -5C so was frozen and firm underfoot and sunny throughout.

 

 

Icicles at Start

 

 

Leaving Eltisley

 

 

Approaching Caxton church

 

 

Eltisley cottages

 

Friday “Biographies” recommenced with a talk on Hedy Lamarr who was both an actress and an inventor. She was born in Austria of Jewish stock. Apart from being a leading Hollywood star she also, with no formal training and being primarily self-taught, invested her spare time, including on set between takes, in designing and drafting inventions, which included an improved traffic stoplight, a tablet that would dissolve in water to create a flavoured carbonated drink, and a guidance system for torpedo’s. She still found time to be married and divorsed six times!

 

 

Hedy Lamarr

 

Virtually all local football was off on Saturday due to frozen pitches.

It was Mary-Ann’s birthday this week and Amḗlie presented her with a picture that she had produced – not bad for a 12-year-old!

 

 

Hove Seaside by Amḗlie

 

Regards

Mike & Kate

 

14t^h January 2024

 

Dear All,

This week has been dominated by preparations and carrying out the chapel New Year social. Kate was IC the meal with Jane Gregory and the planning, shopping, preparations and execution involved a lot of work. 50 people eventually booked in and 46 finally turned up with the menu reading:

Starters: Celeriac soup or Prawn cocktail

Main: Chicken casserole a la Mary Berry with roast potatoes, carrots, parsnip and cabbage.

Sweets; a choice of 9 sweets

Cheese & biscuits

Coffee.

I delivered a Review of the year under the headings:

1.      World events

2.      Chapel events

3.      Sport

4.      Local events.

The excitement levels were raised by both boilers packing up during the morning and only one of them being repaired. Clearing up seemed to take for ever and we eventually got home at 10.45pm

Pat & Merv have invited us for lunch today which I think will be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Warm Room

 

 

Cooler Room

 

 

Sweet Array

I have had two photographic assignments this week – first a portrait of Geoff Pake for the CEEM website:

 

 

Geoff Pake

 

Second was to take Adrian’s new kittens as he plans to let them out of the house this week and wants material for the Wanted Posters when they get lost! This was a far more challenging task as they were loath to sit still!

 

 

Binky

 

 

Billy

 

Oakington Garden Centre had seed potatoes in stock this week so we nipped over to purchase Kestrel, Charlotte and Desiree.

Did you catch the programme about the Fenstanton Crucifixion this week? Bones were uncovered with a nail through the ankle from Roman times – only the second time this has occurred in the whole of the world.

Our Thursday walk started from Little Walden and took in Ashdon. Fortunately the ground was frozen for the first 2 hours and only became muddy for the last hour. We saw three herds of deer one of which had about 80 individuals.

 

 

Near Little Walden

 

 

Bowsers Farm

 

 

A Deer or Two

 

 

A Muddy Stretch

 

Dave and I managed to watch Cambridge University Press 1 v 4 West Wratting yesterday.

 

Regards

Mike & Kate

 

7^th January 2024

 

Dear All,

  The weather has been a strong theme again this week with nearly 2” rain the floods have returned and outdoor activities have been severely curtailed.

 

 

Extended Pond

 

 

Damp Veg Patch

 

The Fens have been returning to waterways generally with Overcote flooded to the raised banks and the ancient fort at Earith showing its hidden outlines.

 

 

Overcote

 

 

Webb’s Hole

 

 

Earith Fort

 

 

The Pike & Eel opposite Overcote

 

I have spent some time mending bird boxes and the fruit cage at the allotment and started off germination tests.

Indoors I have been revising “Just Vegetating” and preparing the Review of the Year for the chapel social next weekend.

On Wednesday we had a foray to the tip at Milton, called in at Emmaus to deposit mainly books and filled the car boot with green soil conditioner at Amey Cespa at Waterbeach,

Thursday’s walk started at Horseheath and circled via West Wickham. It was mainly sunny overhead but extremely muddy and sticky underfoot and twice as tiring as usual.

 

 

Near Horseheath

 

 

West Wickham church

 

 

More Mud

 

 

Yen Hall Farm

 

 

Burton End

 

 

Back at Horseheath

The Burrell family visited for lunch on Saturday following their move to Norwich last year. It was good to see them but you know they have visited not least because Arthur managed to pull a plant from the shelf causing a spectacular crash and display of broken china, soil and plant!

 

Regards

Mike & Kate