11^th October 2026

 

           Dear All,

After swimming on Monday we visited Oakington Garden Centre and I purchased some Spring Cabbage plants to replace my pigeon damaged plants and some Broad Bean seeds which I sowed later. Kate also purchased some perennial plants.

On Tuesday I had a dental check up followed by the first U3A session of the term on the history of World War 1 with an introduction to the Great Powers of Europe particularly looking at the problems facing Asquith in 1914. These included Poverty, Industrial Unrest, Female Suffrage, and Ireland. I followed this with a flu jab

Wednesday was the annual Brassica Open Days in Lincolnshire. I travelled with Vaughan and David who volunteer in the walled garden at Wimpole Hall. We had a damp start but it soon cleared up. We managed to visit 6 sites: Hazera, Clause, Sakata, Syngenta, Elsoms and Tozer. Considering the drought most plots were not bad. Highlights included the Clause Calabrini, Sakata Orientals, Syngenta Salads, Elsom’s Radicchio and Tozer’s Squash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We met up with the U3A walkers for lunch on Thursday as they were meeting at Over, it was good to see them as we have not been walking recently.

Biographies restarted on Friday where the first subject was Will Adams (1564 -1620) the first European to visit and settle in Japan...

He arrived in Japan as one of the few survivors of the ship Liefde under the leadership of Jacob Quaeckernaeck. It was the only vessel to reach Japan from a five-ship expedition launched by a company of Rotterdam merchants the predecessor, of the Dutch East India Company. Soon after his arrival in Japan, Adams and his second mate Jan Joosten became advisors to shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu. He took a shine to Adams and was loathe let him leave.

 

 

Will Adams

 

Friday night was the annual quiz which we organise to raise funds for the Day Care Centre. As usual Kate thinks up most of the questions (I am allowed to do Sport).It was the 17^th time we have produced the quiz and it went well with Rebecca helping the computing and Adam introducing improved audio equipment. There were 82 present and we await the financial result.

 

 

 

Best wishes

Mike & Kate