daytime: 2025

Sunday, 26 January 2025

26^th January 2025

Dear All,

The pool was rather crowded on Monday but it usually is at the beginning of the year as folk start to keep their New Year resolutions! “Just Vegetating” this week was “Alliums” mainly Onions and Leeks and Kate prepared: Leek and Sauerkraut Gratin, Shallot and Chestnut Tart Tartin and Red Onion and Cucumber salad.

I started a new U3A course on Tuesday entitled: “Our Earth, yesterday, today and tomorrow” and we were introduced to the Atmosphere, the Hydrosphere and the Lithosphere and various speculations about the age of the Earth, first life, oxygen atmosphere, first land animals and first humans. In the evening there was a church business meeting and two new deacons were elected – Adam and Helen Swain.

Adrian and Norman Ingle were both here for lunch on Wednesday and the second lot of seed for Moldova was delivered from Tozers.

The Thursday walk started from Orwell and circumnavigated Wimpole Park. The weather forecast was not promising but it did not start to rain until we were back in the pub.

Charcoal Kiln

Wimpole Hall

View of the lake and Folly

New Orchard

Mossy Boughs

The “Biography” subject on Friday was Alexander von Humboldt - He was a German naturalist and explorer who made ground breaking discoveries in geography, ecology, and Earth sciences. His mother wanted him to be a civil servant but after she died he used his inheritance to travel including 5 years in South America. He is credited to be the first person to use the term “Scientist”

Alexander von Humboldt

In the evening we had a New Year social for the ramblers in a new village hall in Girton. There was a “Bring & Share meal” then I gave a slide show of some of the recent walks and holidays. It was an enjoyable evening and a good venue.

I had to miss football on Saturday as we were booked into a CPR training session in the Community Centre. A local paramedic taught us about recognition of the symptoms, CPR

and use of a defibrillator.

Practice Dummies & Defibrillators

The Procedure

Over won their cup semi-final without me on penalties after 2 v 2 draw with Ely reserves so can look forward to a final later in the season.

Kate has been patiently constructing a difficult jigsaw puzzle since Christmas – it needs to be finished this week as we need the table for a CEEM meeting!

Regards

Mike & Kate

Sunday, 19 January 2025

19^th January 2025

Dear All,

After swimming on Monday Mervyn dropped us off at the Friends Meeting House for the first session of Just Vegetating” – this week Carrots & Parsnips. We had a full house and they seemed to be an appreciating audience. Kate prepared: Carrot Marmalade, Carrot cakes, Miso and honey carrots and Harrisa parsnips.

We had another ex NIAB lunch at Girton Golf Course on Tuesday then we called at Oakington Garden Centre as they had seed potatoes in stock. I purchased Lady Chrystal, Charlotte, Kestrel and Caledonian Red.

I have been updating my “Vegetable Varieties List” for the U3A course but I also distribute it to a few friends on request.

Norman Ingle came for lunch on Wednesday followed by church group at the Kitson’s. In the evening we attended Over Garden Club for a talk entitled: “Deadly, Dangerous & Downright Annoying Plants”. The speaker talked about 15 common garden plants that are poisonous or irritating and a few more that are annoying – watch out for a spate of apparently unexplained deaths in Over!

Our Thursday walk was challenging as it was foggy/misty for most of the morning with a generous helping of mud under foot. We started at Nuthampstead again and took a familiar route to Barkway and Reed.

Misty Morning

Rotten Stump

Earl’s Wood, Nuthampstead

Muddy Boots

To cap a rather tiring walk I managed to leave my coat in an annex where I changed my boots so we had to drive all the way back on Friday to collect it!

The subject of the first “Biography” session of the term was “Thomas Cochrane” a British naval officer, politician and mercenary. Serving during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars in the Royal Navy, his naval successes led Napoleon to nickname him le Loup des Mers (the Sea Wolf). He was successful in virtually all of his naval actions.

Admiral Thomas Cochrane

Over managed to lose 2 v 0 to Comberton yesterday in a rather bad tempered match which saw my 82 year old travel companion Dave Harrower having to be restrained as he invaded the pitch!

Regards

Mike & Kate

Sunday, 12 January 2025

12^th January 2025

Dear All,

This week has been dominated by preparations and execution of the Chapel New Year Social. Kate is IC the meal for which 56 have booked in, which is about our capacity. We did a massif shop on Thursday and Kate has been preparing ever since. She is aided by Jane Gregory but it involves a great deal of work.

Part of Shopping Loot

We had help setting up the tables on Friday evening and Kate spent most of Saturday in the chapel kitchen.

Half of the Diners

Cooks in Action

When we came out of the swimming pool on Monday morning we were surprised to see a car wrapped round the traffic light at the end of the school road, evidently it was someone on their driving test – no word as to whether they passed or not!

Test Result?

We walked on Tuesday this week as Kate needed a clear run for the weekend and we were at Broughton a very scenic village north of St Ives. Kate and I are due to lead a Thursday walk there later in the month which meant leaving the main body of walkers after an hour to add an extra loop. This went OK but we had problems later getting lost round Kings Ripton so it ended as rather a long walk. – but that’s what recces are for!

Broughton

Broughton Lockup

Ploughed Field

Shapely Tree

Thatching Straw

On Friday we went to St Ives to begin shopping for Moldova then in the afternoon I sorted my vegetable seed requirement and ordered from 5 different companies.

“Just Vegetating” starts again on Monday so we have also been preparing for that.

On Monday the Cambridge News photo page theme was “New” and I submitted 4 photos – all of which were printed – I guess it was a slow news day!

Cambridge News Monday

We have had spectacular frosts most days this week and today all the trees have a silvery sheen.

Sunday Trees

Regards

Mike & Kate

Sunday, 5 January 2025

5^th January 2025

Dear All,

Not too much to report this week in the quiet period between Christmas and things getting going in the New Year. The swimming pool was fairly quiet on Monday morning and we had a nice surprise when Jackie called en route between Beaumont and Derby. She had been down with David for a few days and is currently reviewing career options after retiring from teaching.

I have spent time on the computer this week while the weather was not conducive for outdoor activity. I have been preparing Annual Reviews for both the Chapel New Year social and the Ramblers New Year meal.

We failed to see the New Year in (as usual!) but on New Year’s Day we travelled to Chatteris to visit Peter Rickard, who I knew from working days when he was Director of Arthur Rickwood Experimental Husbandry Farm at Mepal. We did several carrot experiments together as he pioneered covering early crops with polythene as well as storage of late crops to bridge “the Hungry Gap”. He has been widowed for 10 years and has endured a troubled year with medical problems and is currently recovering from surgery to remove a stretch of cancer from his bowels. We planned to take him out for a meal but Chatteris was completely closed for New Year’s Day! So he prepared a meal for us.

The weather on Wednesday was very wet and windy so we were very relieved that it was much better on Thursday for our walk. We started at Little Walden and took in Church End and Ashdon. It started cold and frosty but the sun came out so overhead it was excellent but there was plenty of mud underfoot.