21st July 2024

 

Dear All,

Not a great start to the week as I woke at 2.30 am Sunday night with a severe abdominal pain. After trying various pain reliefs, I woke Kate and she drove me to Hinchingbrooke Hospital A&E for a fun night and morning being passed from pillar to post while they assessed what was wrong. The pain was very reminiscent of a kidney stone which I have suffered twice before but it didn’t seem to be in quite the right place. Four doses of liquid morphine had some affect but intra-venous Paracetamol was finally most effective. A CT scan showed a kidney infection and a small stone with the likelihood of a larger one having passed through. Not to be rushed we waited a considerable time for medicines complicated by the fact that the man sitting opposite was called “Michael Way” so they were concerned that our diagnoses and medications could be muddled! We eventually arrived home at 3 pm, 11 hours after arriving at Hinchingbrooke.

The Fun Fair at the Carnival involved some serious lorry power and as they left at the weekend, they sunk in causing serious damage to the cricket outfield. I was called in for an on-site discussion with some of the Parish Council on Tuesday morning as they were worried that the ground would not be playable on Saturday. I spent some time on the motor roller on Wednesday morning and although it was not good it was playable.

Tuesday evening was the church AGM and meal which Kate was IC. It seemed to go OK and Gordon did a masterful PowerPoint presentation of the accounts.

Kate has finished painting the garden seat an attractive shade of dark green and did not appreciate remarks aligning it with the Forth Bridge so that repainting might start again next week!

 

 

A Job Well Done

 

Plenty of harvesting this week with Runner and French Beans coming on stream and plenty of tomatoes and cucumbers to go with beetroot, lettuce and water cress. Courgettes have been slow for some reason but Sweet Corn has needed badger protection. The first sowing is here and I erected a barricade, the later sowings are at the allotment and I have transferred the electric fence.

 

 

Barricade

 

The Thursday walk this week was starting from Brent Pelham and as we did not fancy a 70-mile round trip we decided to do a recce for a walk we have been asked to lead in August starting at Hail Weaton just over the A1 beyond St Neots. It proved to be a tough day as it was very hot and not too interesting so we arrived back hot, sweaty, tired and in Kate’s case with a nasty heat rash – there must be easier ways of enjoying ourselves! We saw several Red Kites and a bank of an unusual flower called Centaury.

 

 

A Friendly Farmer (from Derry)

 

 

Unusual Barn with Pigeon Loft

 

 

Tree Skeleton

 

 

Centaury

 

I have been preparing a talk on John Hullier for next Saturday’s men’s breakfast. He was one of the 16^th Century Cambridge martyrs burnt at the stake on Jesus Green.

Over 2nds had a remarkable victory on the Green yesterday as chasing a modest 119 against Ransey 3rds they were 34 for 6 but a father and son combination put om 86 to see them home with 8 balls to spare.

Regards

 

Mike & Kate