26th October 2025

 

           Dear All,

After swimming on Monday the “10 Turning Points in European History” topic was “1517 Martin Luther and the breaking of Christianity”. Luther was fortunate to survive when others like Jan Hus were executed but he was protected by his local ruler Frederick the Wise, the Holy Roman emperor Charles V was preoccupied by other issues, many other German rulers found what he said appealing and printing was getting underway and people could read his arguments.

I had an Events Committee in the evening where we reviewed the last year’s events and planned a Games Evening in November.

The Local History session on Tuesday was entitled: “Bedrooms, Banquets and Balls” given by a very good speaker where he traced the changes in stately houses through the ages and how they altered both externally and internally. Esther arrived in the evening staying for the night as she had a work session at Orwell where a manufacturer was demonstrating various bed and chair aids for handicapped people. Unhappily someone ran into the back of her car on the way home which understandably shook her up. I believe the car is only superficially damaged.

I was gardening on Wednesday clearing the greenhouse tomatoes and barrowing compost then sowing Broad beans direct and in modules. I also scarified the lawn.

The weather was so foul on Thursday morning that we skipped the organised walk. We had 14mm rain the most in a day since March 15^th. However it was the wind that was most off putting. It actually blew down an ivy laden tree at the bottom of our garden.

 

 

Stricken Tree

 

Thursday Mornings Weather!

 

However the weather improved dramatically in the afternoon so we did a local walk via the village pond and Mustill’s Lane allotments. The pond is causing concern as it is practically empty and there is a worry that nearby building work has blocked off a spring.

 

 

Dried up Pond

 

 

Colourful Allotment

 

 

Tidiest Allotment

On the way back we called on Tony and Jenny Miles. Tony is now painfully thin and being kept going by blood transfusions.

The “Biographies” subject on Friday was “Kitty Duchess of Atholl”. She was the first woman to be elected as a Member of Parliament in Scotland, despite having campaigned against women's suffrage before it was granted in 1918. She was the first woman to serve in a British Conservative government. She later found herself at odds with her party and resigned the Whip in 1935 over the India Bill. She became strongly anti-fascist in the 1930s and criticised authoritarian regimes in Soviet Russia, Italy and Spain as well as Nazi Germany. She was given the nickname 'Red Duchess' for these views .She was an incredible woman who served on countless committees and held views ahead of her time – but hardly anyone has heard of her.

 

 

Kitty Duchess of Atholl

Over won 3 v 0 at Milton which I watched without my mate Dave as he has a combination of Alzheimer’s and a split rectum.

Best wishes

 

Mike & Kate