daytime

Sunday, 28 April 2024

28th April 2024

Dear All,

Highlight this week is news that the seed which we despatched last Saturday in a dodgy minibus has arrived safely in Leova. It seems these minibuses collect all sorts of items from Moldovans working in the UK and apparently sail through customs with minimal checks. This one had a large stack of hen’s eggs on board.

Parcels safely delivered.

Less good news is that our car developed an apparent fault in that a red warning light came on with the message: “High Engine Oil Pressure – stop the car immediately” The first time we were just joining the A14 at Ipswich and although the engine cut out it restarted and we reached home thinking it was a warning light failure. However, on Wednesday night it happened again and our friendly local mechanic known as “Diesel” advised not to drive it until fixed as it was a “wet timing belt fault”. Unfortunately, he cannot fix it as he is between workshops and he did not get back until the garage he recommended had knocked off early for the weekend.

Plenty of gardening this week between showers to get ahead while in Moldova. Sowed cucurbits, leeks, sweet corn, Brussel sprouts and calabrese all a little earlier than usual. Planted out parsley, thyme, basil x 5 varieties, some late potatoes surplus to Wimpole Hall (where a friend volunteers) and filled tomato house.

I had a trip to Berrycroft Stores on Wednesday to buy Growbags and pots for Norman Foster’s tomato crop – he was humming and haring about growing any this year as he is over 90 but Rosemary was adamant that he should!

Thursday’s walk started at Chippenham near Newmarket and took in Red Lodge and Kennet. Chippenham is a very smart village once all in the Chippenham Hall estate. Red Lodge is the opposite – a sort of inland Jaywick with a fine selection of vehicle breakers yards! The whole walk was on very light sandy land and quite flat so even though it was 8.5 miles it was not too bad. We crossed the new Anglian Water pipeline bringing water down from Lincolnshire – a 50 cm pipe seems to need a land swathe of about 30 meters! It is 57 Km long starting at Elshan near Brig and ending in Essex planned to transport 265 m litres of water a day.