16th March 2025

 

Dear All,

 

“Just Vegetating” this week was “Minor Vegetables –part 2” and Kate produced: Fennel and Red Pepper Bake, Sweet Potato au gratin with coconut and chilli and Skirret. The Skirret actually tasted quite nice but was very tedious to prepare!

In the afternoon an Air Rescue helicopter landed in The Village Green which was of interest because the last time it happened Kate was the passenger!

 

 

On Tuesday it was dry enough to dig in overwintered clover and in the greenhouse prick our Basil, Thyme and more Tomatoes.

The last session of U3A Earth was on Recycling, Incineration and Pyrolysis.

In the Evening I had to chair a meeting of the reformed chapel events committee and since then I have been trying to arrange visits to the Zoology Museum, Jesus College gardens and Ouse Fen RSPB.

I was back at Specsavers on Wednesday to have my hearing aids modified as they move in my ears. Later I rotovated an area ready for our new strawberry plants.

Our walk this week started at Potton and took in Eyeworth and Sutton. The combination of a dry week and sandy soil meant there was very little mud compared to recent weeks although many of the fields had flooded headlands which were being by-passed by cultivations. Threatened rain did not arrive but there was a brief hail shower.

 

 

Pegnut Wood, Potton

 

 

Damp Farm Yard

 

 

 

Damp Headland

 

 

Cultivations

 

In the evening we were summoned to The Admiral Vernon to join Lorna to help celebrate her 49^th birthday. It is the first time that we had been in since it reopened and I think Albert would only score it 5 out of 10!

“Biographies” subject was “Alexei Navalny” the Russian dissident and his courage in opposing the Putin regime. The big question is why he went back to Russia after treatment in Germany for suspected poisoning. Virtually everyone who supported him are either in jail, dead or emigrated.

 

Alexei Navalny

 

In the evening Over were playing arch rivals Shelford in the Premier League Cup Final at Newmarket. Over started badly and were 2 v 0 down by half time but came back strongly to equalise at full time and were well on top but there was no extra time and unfortunately they missed one penalty in the shoot-out so lost in the end.

 

Saturday evening I celebrated my 79^th birthday (2 days early) with 11 others at La Pergola Italian restaurant at Harlton. The food was excellent and with good company Albert might have been tempted to award 10 out of 10!

 

 

La Pergola

 

Best wishes

Mike & Kate