29th March 2009

29th March 2009.

Dear All,

Not too much to report this week (in words borrowed from my esteemed elder sister!) On Monday it was a bit nippy for gardening so I cleared all unwanted emails, pricked out tomatoes, bought extra flower seeds, helped Merv plant his potatoes, tidied the garage, ordered RHS show tickets, sowed peppers and sent a few emails.
At work on Tuesday we sowed the first batch of a new Oriental vegetable trial for gardening Which – mainly “cut and come again” material
On Wednesday I gave the Cuba talk to the NIAB “Wrinklies” otherwise known as the “NIAB Retired Persons Association” there were about 50 present and they asked lots of questions which is a good sign. It was interesting to see so many old faces and compare differing ageing rates! After John Law and I tried to sort the 1.3 tonnes of vegetable seed we have been sent by Nickersons for Moldova. They were unable to supply current germinations so we sampled each lot to test ourselves and sent some small samples with the next trip on 31st March.



ex Moldova: Cahul market seed stall

Market characters

On Thursday the U3A Ramble was meant to start at West Wratting but the pub there only opens evening now as the landlord has had to take a job to make ends meet. We therefore were redirected to Burwell which added a couple of miles to the planned walk. It was an interesting walk but I was rather tired at the finish of 10.5 miles. After I purchased a new mirror to match the dining room furniture which I hung but it was very heavy. Kate decreed that it was hung too high so it was rehung yesterday!
Friday I worked on quiz questions for the NIAB quiz next Friday. We made the mistake of winning last year – hence the preparation of questions for this year. I also set up the germination tests on the Moldovan seed. Kate took the afternoon off as she has a couple of days to use up before the end of the leave year. Unfortunately her car failed the MOT as it needs some holes welding on the sills. In the pm it warmed up enough to plant out broad bean plants raised in the glasshouse.
Saturday we did a bit more on the quiz, sowed 15 lots of flower seeds, emptied one of the compost bins, watched Over draw with Ely reserves and watched England v Slovakia in the Community Centre.
Today Norman came for lunch as Rosemary is off again without him – this time to the Dutch art galleries. I have spent 2 hours correcting John’s report on Moldova – he failed O level English 9 times!



Moldovan reflections

Soviet style flats

Love

Mike & Kate

22 March 2009

22nd March 2009.

Dear All,

This week we have attended a “Hutton Work-In” courtesy of Esther. On Thursday evening Mary-Ann, Kate and myself assembled at 19 Alpha Road to attempt various tasks kindly planned and kept for us viz: erection of 3 m curtain rail, hanging of new curtains lovingly constructed by Kate, removal of grass patches at front of house and replacing with low maintenance bark and flower area and construction of 4 x raised beds – vegetables for the growing therein.

Before


After

I am happy to report that all tasks were successfully completed plus a little light grass mowing and border cultivation.

Raised Beds

Curtains

Thanks to all those who remembered my birthday with cards or gifts – late offerings are still possible! One card depicted an elderly man coming home to announce to his wife that “I have joined the ramblers” to which she replied “Do you mean walking or talking?” As it was work and a church meeting on the 17th we celebrated on Monday with 11 coming for meal.
Both my U3A brain stretching courses have finished this week so it is back to the Rambling for me (walking and words). This week we met at Shillington near Hitchen and walked 10 miles via Meppershall and Pirton. It was a beautiful day and included a few hills which is strange for these parts. I could tell that I had missed a few weeks.

Shillington

Bedfordshire Hills

On Wednesday I caught up with the garden after absence in Moldova and planted early spuds, carrots, peas and beetroot and rotovated in the sprouts and cauliflowers.
Pastor David has gone down sick today, fortunately it was a Family Service for Mothers Day this morning but it looks as though I am performing tonight.
Mary-Ann brought some of her bead based, flower inspired pictures up to Hutton for an exhibition. Here is a tantalising glimpse:





Love

Mike & Kate

15th March 2009

15th March 2009.

Dear All,

I arrived back yesterday after another eventful few days in Moldova. The journey is always the worst part of the trip as having flown by WIZZ to Bucharest we have a 7 to 8 hour slog across Romania on modest roads. This time it was pouring with rain the whole way and exceedingly gloomy. However when we arrived and met a few smiley faces then it all seemed worthwhile. We spent the first 4 days at Burlacu with the pastor’s family with 4 fantastic kids all of whom who had chicken pox.

pastors kids Burlacu

Cahul market

We visited the new land which we are renting this year for grass and maize experiments. This year we are hoping to demonstrate fertility building without fertilizers using legumes organic style.
We then visited all the growers to whom we had distributed polythene tunnels last year to see what they had made of them. Those who had managed to use them last year got instant benefit as on top of the drought, flood, and bird flu problems of recent years last year they were blessed with acid rain from the nearby Romanian steel works which damaged many outdoor vegetable crops but not those in tunnels. Some are very inventive and one grower had used the metal pipes in conjunction with vine supports to make a structure 3 x larger than the basic.
We visited the nearest town, Cahul, on Saturday to buy seeds and experience the market then went on to 2 smaller villages where the pastor is supported by CEEM.
On Sunday it was Mothers Day so the local church was full up eventually, at KO time only about 25% were in place but I guess if you do not own a watch then lack of punctuality can be excused. John and I both spoke and the congregation did all their party pieces so the service was over 2 hours long – then I did a vegetable talk for those who wanted to stay and about 50% did. We then took the youth meeting billed as 4pm start, actually 4.55pm and they did not want to go home either – marvellous what you can do if there is no alternative entertainment!
Monday we went north to Leover a medium sized town greatly affected by emigration, one of the pastors works in the prison and has helped many inmates to get on their feet again. We met Nicoli Nicoliovich who between the ages of 15 and 50 had spent all but 18 months in prison, he is now caretaker at one of the churches. Another man needed £80 to be released on parole, the other pastor has a severely handicapped daughter and they needed £120 to send her and her mother to Ukraine for treatment. Of course they arranged a service as we were there and we had to sleep in the church which was not too bad.

Nicoli Nicoliavich

Chisnau

We went up to the capital Chisnau on Tuesday hoping to see the ambassador but he was too busy but we met 3 other interesting people, explored the city and purchased more seed, a motor mower for the experiments and a rotovator for the church community. There we stayed with our driver and translator in quite a smart house. Chisnau seemed more prosperous than when I was there 15 years or so ago with considerable new build. We met a lady who is collecting stories of Moldovan people for a book and CEEM are hoping to help publish it. She is currently pregnant with complications and the Moldovan medical advice for all such is an abortion as it is easier than trying to sort things out. She is resisting and is in the maternity hospital for tests. She told us that “she had never seen so many dead babies”
Back in Burlacu we held a training day for the rotovator and their eyes nearly popped out of their heads, we followed this by seed distribution and instructions on how to grow new crops and what to do with them. Last year we took lettuce and although they grew OK they did not know what to do with them – “please can you send us a recipe for lettuce!”
We finished off by visiting the school and the mayor. This mayor is a good one unlike his predecessor who was a communist and slightly bent.
Friday we slogged back to Bucharest and spent the night (partly as we left at 4am local time) in a hotel before catching the 6 am flight.
The highlight as ever was the people and the more times you go the more they trust you and warm to you. The needs remain huge but a little does go a long way. As usual we arrived home skint but you would not feel comfortable if it was otherwise.

Burlacu side street

Winter provisions

Kate as you would expect survived very well on her own and kept most of the seeds alive.

Love

Mike & Kate

1st March 2009

1st March 2009.

Dear All,

It was good to see nearly everyone last weekend at Mautby, congratulations to Esther, Rosie and Mary-Ann for organising the event, activities and food and everyone else for joining in. We left at 9.30 am on Monday but detoured to Caistor to view the Roman remains. We were back in Over by 11.30 am and Jackie stayed for lunch before departing for deepest Derby.

Lower Wood Farm, Mautby

Roman Caistor

Smiley faces

We had a church outing to the 10-pin bowling rink at St Neots that night. 37 turned up for a meal and most stayed to bowl. I would tell you that I got joint top score – but that would be immodest!
At work we had a visit from another group promoting the use of zeolite as a soil additive to improve texture and for controlled fertilizer release. It is used at present for recovering heavily polluted soils and they wish to demonstrate its usefulness in normal agriculture.
I started sowing seeds in the greenhouse this week and cut the lawns for the first time yesterday.
On Thursday we studied “People, life and the Antarctic Treaty” in U3A then I had to travel to London for the “Grower of the Year” awards dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, Hyde Park. I had been asked to present one of the trophies for “Science into Practice”. It was just like the Oscars: nominations listed on the screen, a drum roll then open the envelope – “the winner is…” The MC was John Inverdale of BBC sports fame and he did a good job despite laughing when my job description was read out as “Vegetable Consultant” The ticket for the meal was £160 + VAT (I was not paying) and as the cheapest room was £160 as well I decided not to stay and eventually arrived home at 1 am.


John Inverdale

We had an emergency meeting on the Village Green on Friday because the Parish Council have decided to drain the field 2 weeks before the beginning of the cricket season.
On Saturday I had the honour of accompanying my wife to the curtain shop to pick up material ordered by Esther and choose some for the dining room. Kate then cooked a meal for 30 for the annual area church officers gathering.
I watched Over beat the top of the table Littleport 2 v 1 yesterday. A lively encounter with the opposition ending with 9 men.
I have spent time this week preparing for Moldova, gathering seed and gifts and talks. We should be flying out on Thursday until the 14th so no letter next week.

Love

Mike & Kate

15th February 2009.

Dear All,

We had another heavy snowfall Thursday afternoon but it was damper and has nearly all gone now – funny how quickly the novelty wears off.
One of my new acquaintances from U3A (an ex schools inspector who knows Gervase Finn well) phoned with the sad news that his wife had been diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer and the family had come across a German vegetable juice remedy. He needed a source of beetroot, carrots, celery, potatoes and black radish and they all had to be organic. As he had not heard of black radish he wasn’t sure where to begin. I think they might be clutching at straws but it probably helps to be trying something. Anyway I managed to source all but the black radish, which I suspect does not exist in organic form in the UK, and he was arranging to fly some in from Switzerland. Later he phoned to say that his son had located the actual juice already prepared in a health food shop in Cambridge! The whole family are going to undertake the diet of nothing but the juice for 42 days!
Geodyssey this week was on Volcanoes and Tectonic plates; I have sent our lecturer my photos of Cotapaxi and Fuji as he was asking for “copyright free” material.
“Finished” is always a dangerous word re a decorating project so this week I cleaned out the cupboard under the fish tank and painted it. Our new furniture arrived Wednesday and we are very pleased with it – a sideboard with top unit, We have been gradually sorting and replacing all the other “stuff” that we moved for the decoration and I took the remainder of the wall units to Emmaus at Landbeach (Kate had already taken half the load).

New furniture

Krakatoa

It was “cancer week” I am afraid as I went to visit one of our old NIAB directors, John MacLeod, on Wednesday. He thought he had pulled a back muscle but has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
It was half term for Antarctica this week so I rejoined the Ramblers on Thursday. We met at Great Abington and walked via Hildersham and Babraham roughly 9 miles but it seemed like longer as the ground was beginning to thaw. The pace was telling as one chap (Jess Cartner-Morley’s father-in-law) collapsed, but recovered eventually.
It was time to write the next gardening column this week – difficult to raise enthusiasm for sowing when the garden is covered with snow.






Great Abington

Esther came up Saturday to go curtain shopping with Kate and has stayed the night as we expect Ben for lunch today. He cycled up from Streatham to Cambridge on Friday (as you do) for a gathering of mates.
We have Peter Jackson, the blind pianist, at chapel this weekend. He gave a concert last night and is taking services today. As a failed pianist it is very humbling to see and hear someone who can’t see the notes performing so expertly. Classic quote from one of our Irish ladies “How old is Peter?” “74” “and does he still drive himself?”


Love

Mike & Kate

8th February 2009

8th February 2009.

Dear All,

The main irony this week must be that I could not get to my “Antarctica” course on Thursday due to heavy snow! We had heavy snowfalls on Monday and Thursday with lighter showers on Friday. Kate was sent home early on Monday and did not go in until lunchtime Thursday. This, of course, gave the decorating a shot in the arm and we have now finished. The walls are “Niagara Blue” to match the new rug with the new, as yet unpurchased, curtains supplying the brighter colours! Trickiest job this week was moving the fish tank so that we could strip and paint behind it. This involved siphoning out 80% of the water through a rubber pipe into the outdoor drain. I checked half way through and found 4 baby fish swimming around in the fortunately blocked drain amongst flakes of ice. Just the job for tropical fish but 3 have survived.
Anyway the room has been cleaned, the new rug laid and the first meal with guests partaken today. So far we are going for the “Japanese minimalist” look as the new furniture has yet to arrive.

Finished

New Rug

I have had a couple of good snowy walks round the fens this week, one on my own and the other with Kate in bright sunshine yesterday.
I did an afternoon Garden Club talk in Cambridge on Thursday, which is unusual. I wondered whether they would be an ancient audience who might not brave the weather, but in fact they were quite lively, evidently numbers swelled by people who couldn’t get to work.
I was supposed to give a talk at St Neots as part of their evangelism week entitled “Unusual vegetables and Christianity!” make of that what you will, but it was a casualty of the weather.
We have had a man from the London City Mission guesting at church today and he has been here for lunch. He is an ex druggie, alcoholic, Rastafarian, JW, so has some experience for his current job as chaplain to the London Ambulance Service.

Cambridge Monday

Over Wednesday

Over Saturday

Overcote

Love

Mike & Kate

1st February 2009

1st February 2009.

Dear All,

I have spent most of the week decorating so not much to report apart from progress. As the walls were wallpapered. and have been since the house was built. there was a deal of stripping to do followed by scrubbing every square inch to remove old glue. As has been the case in other rooms the plaster was rather cracked so I have spent a minute or three filling and sanding. This was followed by a white undercoat to show up any imperfections and more filling. The walls now do not look too bad. The floor is wood parquet and over the years gaps and unevenness have appeared (how like life!) so we hired an industrial sander yesterday. This was OK once you got the hang of it, but prone to shredding sandpaper in spectacular explosions when it met with resistance. It also creates storms of dust, but has done a reasonable job. There is an additional disc sander for the edges so not a 5 minute job. Kate has been cunningly filling the cracks with a mixture of sanded dust and resin and is currently busy cleaning up as far as is possible.

Sander

Result

Next stage is the clean the floor with white spirit before brushing in the sealer (3 coats), painting the woodwork and choosing and applying the topcoat to the walls.
There I bet you didn’t know decorating could be so interesting!
In “Geodyssey” we studied the history of geology, in “Antarctic in a Nutshell” it was the “Flora and Fauna of Antarctica”. This was very interesting covering penguins, seals, whales, fish, birds, krill, squid, woodlice, mites, springtails, lichens, moss and grasses.

U3A HQ is near Magdalene Bridge

The Arsenal back four?

Otherwise it has been all meetings: Monday to plan the Moldova trip, Tuesday a church group meal, Wednesday the Events Committee, Friday a Deacons and Wives meal and discussion.