25th February 2024

 

Dear All,

Can anyone lay their hands on the plans for an Ark? They could be useful! So far, we have had 14 wet days in February and a total of 115 mm rain – about 3x the average.

We missed swimming Monday as it was half term timetable. Just Vegetating was Legumes this week and Kate produced: Mixed bean Masala, Pea Pesto & Stir-fried runner beans.

French History covered the Revolution which was brought about by a poor harvest in 1788 with bread price rising to 88% of a peasant’s wage, Inequality and poor representation for the 3^rd estate (they looked to UK with it’s parliament) and an unpopular Royal family. Altogether 15,000 to 17,000 were guillotined – happy days!

The Guillotine

I managed some digging at the allotment this week but water was appearing in the trench as I dug, In the greenhouse I have sown more Broad beans and filled two gutters with peas.

Kate has helped me sort, catalogue and reduce the seed packets donated by Mr Fothergill last week. The final tally was 1097 vegetable packets, 230 herbs and 630 flowers, total 1966. This is too many to take so I have reduced the total number to 736 – now all we need to do is get them there safely!

It was Over Garden Club on Wednesday evening and the topic was “Fuchsia’s”. The speaker described all the different types and varieties and how to look after and propagate them. It made me think of my father as they were one of his favourite flowers.

A few Fuchsia’s

We missed the prescribed Thursday walk as I have a blood letting appointment so we decided to do a recce for a walk we are due to lead in a couple of weeks. Yes, we had studied the weather forecast but having got wet 3 out of the previous 4 weeks what’s the problem with 4 out of 5? The walk started at Barton and took in Grantchester and Coton. It began quite well but after an hour the heavens opened rather violently when we were nowhere near shelter. It rained with such force that it felt like hail! After there was persistent drizzle for most of the rest of the way. We missed a turn so added a few steps then coming back to Barton the path crosses the University Rifle range and unfortunately, they were shooting in the rain so we had to divert via the soggiest, squishiest meadow in Cambridgeshire adding even more steps! As we had to cross the M11 a couple of times it was not the most rural peaceful walk.

Barton Old School house

M11

One of the Damp Places

And another one!

The Biographies subject this week was Hannah Arendt, she was a German-American historian and philosopher and one of the most influential political theorists of the 20th century. As a Jew she lost relatives in the concentration camps and wrote and account of Adolf Eichman’s trial. As a result, she coined the phrase “Banality of Evil”

Hannah Arendt

Despite the weather I managed a decent harvest yesterday:

Winter Harvest

Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Over’s 1^st team game was off due to a waterlogged pitch but the 2^nd team played and won 2 v 0 against Abington. One of Ben’s contemporaries, Daniel Ivett came on as a substitute aged 44.

Albert had a day at hospital with a chest infection/asthma but happily seems to have recovered with oxygen and antibiotics.

 

 

Regards

Mike & Kate