daytime

Sunday, 24 May 2026

24th May 2026

Dear All,

Another session at the Spire this week without spectacular progress – I have been prescribed an antidepressant which knocks me out and have an MRI scan for the numbness in my arm in a weeks’ time.

I managed to attend the Local History class on Tuesday where the topic was the not too gripping heraldry in Orwell church.

I sowed more squash on Wednesday as the first batch did not emerge too well.

Wednesday evening was Garden club and the topic was “Rewilding” The speaker was interesting even if you have reservations about the subject.

We picked our first Strawberries thus week variety Malling Centenary.

Kate helped me put the net on the Brassica bed at the allotment and I planted Brussels sprouts this week.

There was a Men’s breakfast on Saturday with a speaker from the Prison Fellowship.

Over won at cricket on Saturday beating Steeple Morden by 8 wickets.

Mary-Ann, Andy, Amelie and Albert departed for half term in Spain yesterday

Best Wishes

Mike & Kate

Sunday, 17 May 2026

17th May 2026

Dear All,

After swimming Monday it was gardening and I planted cucumbers in the GH and squash, herbs and exhibition onions outside. In the evening we had a work party on the Green to fill in the drainage cracks which still open up during prolonged dry spells, even though the drainage was carried out over 10m years ago.

We panicked and covered everything vulnerable to frost in the evening, which was as well because a few things were tinged even under covers.

On Tuesday I had an appointment at the Spire private hospital to try and shed some light on how I am feeling. The lady doctor was very nice and seemed to grasp my symptoms but unsurprisingly did not come up with instant solutions. She took further blood tests for which I am waiting for results.

We actually had two showers this week – a drenching 3mm each!

I had another Travel Book club meeting on Thursday, this time discussing “The Immeasurable World” by William Atkins. It described 8 deserts in various continents. It was interesting enough but a tad long at over 400 pages. When I arrived home both Lorna and Adrian were drinking tea and Kate was rather keen to finish some gardening!

After the Tesco run on Friday we decided it was time to re-erect the electric fence round the strawberries as they are beginning to change colour. It is always a challenging job but we are getting better at it. After I finished digging the Brassica patch at the allotment as the showers had softened it a little.

We were due to entertain our former elder Geoff Barnes this weekend – he now lives in Fressingfield, Norfolk but he had to cancel as he was not well.

We went to Coton on Saturday to stock up on Tropical fish and purchased 6 Platys and 6 Silver Mollys.

As Over 1^st team were playing away I watched the Cup Final and managed to stay awake!

Best Wishes

Mike & Kate

Sunday, 10 May 2026

10th May 2026

Dear All,

Monday was Kate’s birthday and we were invited to join Esther and Emma for a visit to the RHS garden at Hyde Hall near Chelmsford. It was a good outing and as it was a Bank Holiday as well as a craft fair quite busy. It was also good to see the changes that they have made to their house and garden as we had not visited for some time.

Hyde Hall Entrance

Vegetable Area

19 Alpha Road

Esther & Emma

Another good gardening week despite the drought! I have strung the tomatoes and sown more sweet corn, lettuce, parsnips and squash and planted courgettes, melons, gourds and marrows.

I had another Covid jab on Wednesday and I have booked a session at The Spire private hospital to see whether they can decide what is wrong with me.

Kate did the U3A walk this week from Conington while I mended our outside table.

In the evening we had another Over Show committee meeting with only 19 items on the agenda.

Friday lunch time we were invited to a meal at Ray and Judith Gay’s, Judith is an Irish walking colleague and Ray was a professional trumpet player once appearing on “Top of the Pops” accompanying Mike Oldfield on “Tubular Bells” before retiring and working at the BBC. Judith is an excellent cook and she had prepared Beef Wellington. There were four couples present all with one partner having reached 80.

In the evening we attended a singing concert in the Anglican Church as Mervyn and friend Dave Boothroyd have recently joined the presenting choir.

Planting at the allotment on Saturday was painful as the soil has set like concrete.

Over made another good score of 197 on Saturday but narrowly lost again as their bowling is a bit weak this year.

Irises have been excellent this year and Kate has quite a few at the allotment.

Best Wishes

Mike & Kate

Sunday, 3 May 2026

3^rd May 2026

Dear All,

There was excitement after swimming as Merv somehow lost his false tooth plate and despite retracing his steps and thorough searching it did not come to light so had to be replaced at some expense.

Plenty of planting again this week including Lettuce, Sweet Corn, Runner and French Beans, Radish and Beetroot.

On Tuesday we had a chapel outing to Oakington Garden Centre for a conducted tour including a look behind the scenes at their glasshouse and tunnel areas where they are growing more of their own plants.

Glasshouse

Tunnels

I had another doctor’s appointment on Wednesday but did not get any further forward.

I watched Over’s last football game of the season Wednesday evening – they won 2 v 1 to finish 4th but it was a poor game due to a rock hard pitch and keen wind.

I managed to join the Thursday walk as it was a bluebell walk in Waresley Woods. The flowers were slightly past their best but still worth seeing.

Waresley

Waresley Woods

Bluebells

Early Purple Orchid

Little Gransden

In the afternoon there was meeting of the NIAB retirement Association for a talk on Fibre crops concentrating on Flax and Hemp showing a range of building and insulation products that can be made from them.

On Friday Kate had an audio session to be fitted with hearing aids while I pricked out Leeks.

Derek Medlock appeared Saturday morning with anther boot full of bags of rabbit muck – that is 18 bags so far and counting! This was followed by David Cook arriving to collect Kate’s spare flower plants as he has just moved house.

The cricket season began on Saturday and despite Over scoring a decent total of 218 – 8 Bar Hill over took it in the last over.

Best Wishes

Mike & Kate

Sunday, 26 April 2026

26th April 2026

Dear All,

After swimming on Monday I met up with walking mates David, Laurie and Howell for lunch at Cambridge Weatherspoon’s.

On Tuesday there was a small gathering of ex NIAB employees for lunch at Girton Golf Club. In the evening there was an excellent talk in the Local History club featuring the History of Cambridge firm Pyes. They started in 1896 and grew to be the largest employers in Cambridge starting producing Scientific Instruments then moving on to Radios, then TVs, then electric components, then mobile phones. Staff numbers grew to 28,000 in the UK with 7,000 in Cambridge. In 1966 they were taken over by Phillips and went into decline. We had a phone call from Geoff Barnes asking to come and stay for a couple of days. In the garden I planted out Celeriac, earthed up Potatoes and were blessed with a visit from a mouse eating cucumber and courgette seeds!

We have been moving potatoes and other frost susceptible plans in and out of the greenhouse all week. Our rainfall has stuck on 0.5mm for the month of April and our 1000 litre rainfall tank is already empty.

Early Nomadic Potato

On Thursday I had an educational bird spotting walk with Laurie in Over Fen. He was disappointed in the haul but we saw 25 different birds and heard a Bittern booming. List: Wren, Cetti warbler, Sedge warbler, Coot, Golden Eye dusk, Tufted duck, Mute swan, Blackcap, Swallow, Cuckoo (first of the year), Mallard, Canada geese, Graylag geese, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Robin, Buzzard, Kestrel, Black headed gull, Heron, Yellowhammer, Pigeon, Rook, Crow. Also a hare and 2 lots of deer. Laurie is one of those people who can identify every birdsong.