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