31st August 2025

 

           Dear All,

It is the last week of the local cricket season and although Over have finished their home games our president generously rented out our pitch to Ely which meant one more strip to prepare in challenging conditions. Football has already begun and Over beat Comberton 4 v 0 on Tuesday evening despite losing 2 of last year’s team to teams in higher divisions and 5 v 0 against Whitchford on Saturday.

I tried rotovating some of the garden in preparation for autumn planting but it was very hard and digging was even worse.

On Monday evening Kate’s sister Sue and husband John came for dinner, they were staying at Mepal for a couple of days and exploring Ely, Cambridge and Anglesey Abbey.

We walked on Tuesday this week as it was fairly local at Houghton rather than the Thursday walk at Withersfield near Haverill. It was a familiar walk taking in the two Hemimgfords and St Ives. The camp site at Houghton Mill was heaving with a vast array of water sports in the river.

 

 

Houghton

 

 

Houghton Pump

 

Houghton Mill

 

 

Hemingford Grey

 

 

 

Hemingford Manor

 

 

Houghton Mill & Water Sports

 

Kate has been busy preparing for the annual quiz in aid of the Day Care centre. It is not until October but it is more relaxing to get it ready early.

One of the water butts at the allotment has been suffering from a blocked tap so while the water level was low we emptied it out and removed the tap which was easy – getting back was more difficult and it involved cutting the plastic top away so that Kate could enter the barrel and hold the washer while the tap was screwed back on. Unfortunately I do not have a photo of this dignified procedure so a cartoon of the barrel in which a lady went over the Niagara Falls will have to do!

 

 

Kate in Barrel!

I sowed Spring Cabbage this week as the first phase of autumn sowing and planted out the last lot of Lettuce.

 

 

 

Best wishes

 

Mike & Kate