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.

 

 

Muddy Stretch

 

 

Damp Stretch

 

 

Drier Stretch

 

 

Hilltop farm

 

 

View near Little Walden

 

Over were back on the football field on Saturday beating Hemingford 2 v 1 in a rather scrappy cup match.

We had a good covering of snow about midnight last night but it has started to rain now so will not linger for long.

 

 

This Morning

Regards

Mike & Kate