3^rd March 2024

 

Dear All,

Back to swimming this week and the pool was busy and well populated. Just Vegetating this week covered “Potatoes” and Kate presented: spicy potatoes with tahini, curate's pudding, celeriac, potato and mushroom gratin – all of which went down well.

In the afternoon it was just about dry enough to finish digging in the green manure crop at the allotment before the frosts have finished.

French History this week was a compact version of “Napoleon”. We had a 10-week course on said gentleman last year by the same tutor so this was obviously a brief summary. Our tutor began by slagging off the 2023 film by Ridley Scott which he described as historically inaccurate, failed to portray the characters of Napoleon and Josephine and even had the armies coming in from the wrong side at Waterloo! He recommended a 1927 B & W silent film as being the best portrayal but unfortunately it is 6 hours long!

Napoleon in later years

I was given a Restaurant card by generous friends for my birthday last year and on Tuesday lunchtime we got round to spending it at Las Iguanas Mexican, Brazilian and Argentinian restaurant by Magdalene bridge. It is a large restaurant and there were only 2 other diners so service was good!

Most of this week’s gardening has been confined to the green houses again where I have planted lettuce and sown peanuts, more tomatoes and some herbs.

Albert’s class have been studying Romans and they were encouraged to go to school in suitable costumes – I think he would pass as Senator?

Albertus Zander Maximus

Norman Ingle returned from 3 weeks in Australia at the weekend and came for lunch on Wednesday pre church group meeting. His 80^th birthday was this week but unfortunately falls on 29^th February so he has only celebrated 20 times!

I believe I said last week we have had 4 wet walks out of the last 5 weeks – well make the 5 out of 6 as yes, we got wet again this Thursday. It didn’t seem too bad as I guess we must be getting used to it! We started at Barley in Hertfordshire and took in Nuthampstead and Barkway. It was an attractive area and would have been a nice walk if ….

Setting Out

Nuthampstead Bury

Sticky Spot

Barkway Wagon Wash

Descent to Duck’s End

The Biographies subject this week was Virginia Hall. She was an American who worked with the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive and the American Office of Strategic Services in France during World War II. She lost a leg after a hunting accident and was incredibly successful in setting up spy networks in Vichy France. She was the only civilian woman to receive a DSO and also was awarded a Crios de Guerre.

Virginia Hall

Kate and I have spent some time this week sorting the Mr Fothergill’s seed and dispersing some of the packets which I do not plan to take or send.

Over’s football match was off again this week as the opposition couldn’t raise a team. Dave and I travelled to Newmarket to watch a top of the table clash between Newmarket Reserves and Great Shelford. They have a stand which we tried in the first half as it was raining but although dry was like an ice box.

The Cambridge News photo slot this week was entitled “Signs of Spring” and my contribution was some Goslings in Moldova.

 

 

Regards

Mike & Kate