9th March 2025

 

Dear All,

 

“Just Vegetating” this week was “Minor Vegetables –part 1” and Kate produced: Roast Butternut Squash with Lime and Dill Dressing, Roast Asparagus with garlic, capers, thyme, hazelnuts & parsley & fried Salsify. In the afternoon I was back at Kwik fit to have the car tyre fitted. “It should be about an hour” claimed the boss man which turned into 2 hours 10 minutes as they always seem chronically short of staff.

On Tuesday Kate and I met up with Lawrie and Maureen for a meal to say goodbye Rob and Penny who are immigrating to Australia. They started the process 8 years ago and have been waiting for a Visa which cost them £40 K each. Both their children and their grandchildren have settled there. Rob had a traumatic childhood as he came home from school aged 5 to find his mother had committed suicide and killed his baby sister.

We were leading our Thursday walk which was fairly local starting at Conington and circling via Elsworth, Knapwell and Boxworth. It was a beautiful sunny day and after a few dry days there was very little mud. There were many signs of Spring with lambs, daffodils, violets and snowdrops. On the downside one of our party lost her glasses so I accompanied her back in an unsuccessful attempted search for them which added a mile or more to the journey so I did not move far in the evening!

 

 

Conington

 

 

Conington Park Sheep

 

 

Rev Awdry’s (of Thomas the Tank engine fame) house in Elsworth

 

 

Interested Spectators in Boxworth

 

The “Biographies” subject on Friday was King John who was the youngest son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, a powerful and ambitious royal couple who ruled over a vast empire in the 12th century. He was reasoned to be a bad king because:

·         He lost the empire

·         He fell out with the English barons

·         He murdered his nephew Arthur

·         He signed the Magna Carta then promptly chose not to keep it

·         He lost the crown jewels

·         He antagonised the church

·         He tried to usurp his brother Richard while he was on the Crusades

·         He had 17 illegitimate children

Apart from these he was quite good!

 

 

 

King John (no photos available!)

 

In the evening we joined Merv and 10 others to celebrate his 84^th birthday.

The sunshine persuaded me to plant early potatoes (Lady Christl) and spring garlic, shallots and onions on Saturday.

Over were away at Wisbech om Saturday winning 4 v 0 but this was further than we wished to travel so I took Dave to West Wratting who beat Cambridge University Press 6 v 0.

Things have started to move in the greenhouse.

 

 

Greenhouse Bench

 

Esther and Emma have had a week in Gran Canaria – no pictures available from them so I have consulted Google!

 

 

Best wishes Mike & Kate