25^th May 2025

 

           Dear All,

We had an enjoyable day at Chelsea Flower Show on Monday mixing with the celebs of course. We especially admired the exhibits in the marquee where the standard is very high. The Show Gardens are OK but I always think they tend to be showing off in stone, concrete and water and not really applicable to our own back garden. The little Japanese guy who won the best garden was entertaining. There was only one vegetable exhibit by “SheGrowsVeg” from Ipswich who had a Rainbow of vegetables. The stand from Grenada was very interesting with displays of herbs and spices and certainly the best smelling. Outside there was a range of exotic ornaments for your garden including some amazing animals made from drift wood – the life sized horse could be yours for as little as £40,000!

 

 

 

Show Gardens

 

 

Fuchsia Roundabout

 

 

Vegetable Rainbow

 

 

Delphinium & Begonia exhibit

 

 

Driftwood Horse

 

 

Garden Ornaments

 

 

 

Grenada Exhibit

Back on the ranch planting carried on this week with more Sweet Corn and Squash plus Brussels sprouts, Leeks and Sweet Potatoes. Mafeking was finally relieved with 10mm rain on Friday night.

The biggest down this week was being stung by a bee at the allotment on Tuesday. Initially there was no problem but by Thursday was having difficulty seeing!

 

 

Dangerous Gardening!

 

Thursday was a long day with the walk followed by a CEEM meal and committee meeting.

The walk was from Great Chesterford near Saffron Walden and was pleasant as it was not too hot with several ups and downs. Winter crops looked quite good but spring sowing was struggling with serious cracks everywhere.

 

 

Decent Barley Crop

 

 

Serious Cracks

 

 

Great Chesterford

 

The “Battle of the Badgers” continues with Broad Beans being savaged this week!

 

 

 

Best wishes

Mike & Kate

 

18^th May 2025

 

           Dear All,

I will begin with the missing photo from last week’s cousins gathering taken outside the Norris Museum in St Ives.

 

 

Mary, Mike, Stephen, David & Margaret

 

As the drought continues we have been busy watering every day including carrying water up to the allotments. 1mm so far this month and 3 inches in 3 months!

Our new Bread Maker arrived this week but it is as yet untested. We have booked a holiday in North Italy for September but not without some drama as I accidentally booked it for 2026 instead of 2025 but fortunately it was easily remedied!

Norman Foster eventually decided he would like to grow tomatoes again this year having changed his mind a few times – but being Norman it involved us sorting pots and peat and planting. Church Group on Wednesday was at Norman Ingle’s and Bob Kitson who is increasingly frail managed to fall over and sustained a badly cut knee, a damaged nose and various other injuries. He has fortunately recovered quite well – comes with having a boxer as a father!

After the meeting Kate and I went down to the Manderson Trust fishing lakes as we are looking to hold the annual chapel BBQ there instead of Kitsons.

Our walk this week started at Newport and took in Rickling and Wicken Bonhunt – where there is still no blue plaque to say “David Day studied here!!” It was a much cooler day so good for walking with more hills than normal and a visit to the oldest barn/chapel in the country. As Kate and I were celebrating 54 years of wedded bliss we brought everyone a drink at lunchtime.

 

 

Leaving Newport

 

 

John Bowmer (Esther & Ben’s teacher) looking startled

 

 

May Bush

 

 

St Helen’s chapel, Wicken Bonhunt

 

 

Interior

 

Having reduced the size of all the Moldova photos so that they are suitable for email and letters, Newsletter editor Philip requested the originals which took some sorting. On Friday evening we took Bob and Carol with us to celebrate the wedding anniversary for a meal at the Porterhouse in Willingham.

Saturday morning I gave a talk on the recent Moldova trip at the Willingham Men’s breakfast and they seemed very appreciative.

 

 

Star Billing!

 

Best wishes

Mike & Kate

 

11^th May 2025

 

           Dear All,

This week has involved writing reports, sorting photos and composing a PowerPoint for a report session on Moldova Sunday evening. In addition, we have hosted a cousin’s reunion and put in a few hours in the garden and allotment.

On Monday we invited former neighbours Derek and Joyce for coffee and also Norman and Rosemary and Carol and Bob Kitson as Derek was keen to meet them again after about 20 years.

On Tuesday we were pleased to welcome Mary & Graham, David, Stephen & Margaret Jessup for a cousin’s reunion. We had not seen Stephen & Margaret for several years. The arrangements were slightly complicated by it clashing with Jim Burr’s funeral and Kate had been asked to read out a tribute written by grandchildren. We all decamped to St Ives Wetherspoon’s on the guided bus for lunch then Kate departed while we explored the Norris Museum.

 

 

Norris Museum Fen Skating Exhibit

 

 

This would have been a Cousin’s photo if Graham had sent one as requested!

 

 

Jim’s Grave depicting two of his obsessions: Liquorice Allsorts and Cricket

 

Garden wise I have planted Sweet Corn, Courgettes, Marrows, Squash and Gourds and sown more squash, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Kale, and Cabbage. We have also erected the electric fence round the strawberries which is a challenge as the wire has a mind of its own.

The Thursday walk was local starting at Dry Drayton and taking in Childerley, Knapwell, Boxworth, Lolworth and Bar Hill. Conditions were good, sunny, but not too hot and the bluebells were pretty well over in Knapwell woods .We saw Spitfires overhead practicing for VE Day displays.

 

 

Knapwell Woods Fag end Bluebells

 

 

Late Bluebell

 

 

Cow Parsley at Boxworth

 

 

Spitfires

 

In the evening there was a celebration on the Green for VE Day including patriotic singing! And the lighting of the Beacon.

 

 

 

The Beacon

Both cricket teams started the season with defeats and we eventually got round to ordering a new bread maker.

 

Best wishes

Mike & Kate