1st November 2009

1st November 2009.

Dear All,

Kate and I had a strenuous weekend walking in Staffordshire based at Leek. We drove up on Saturday when the weather did not look too promising but it cheered up in the afternoon for a circular tour of Leek led by Aubrey Bould, an ex NIAB colleague who was born there. Like most leaders he is economical with the truth re distances so 5 miles turned out to be 8. We stayed in the Peak Weavers hotel where the wife was an excellent chef, trained by Gary Rhodes.
The main walk was on Sunday starting from Alstonfield via Wetton, crossing the Manifold Valley then Grindon, Butterton, Warslow, Ecton Hill (v. steep), Dovedale and Gratton Hill (also v. steep). Again 13 miles turned into 15.5 miles and being wet underfoot it was a good workout for us old flatlanders!

Butterton


Ecton Hill


Dovedale


Climb out of Dovedale

That evening we ate at Sutton Hall, Macclesfield which is a large house formerly owned by the Lucan family and mercifully was not as expensive as it looked!
On Monday we drove to Oakmoor near Alton Towers and walked the Churnet Valley. This was very different and spectacular in the autumn colours. The distance was about 9 miles and we finished at lunchtime and called in at Bolehill to see Phil, Mandy and Natasha.

Churnet Valley

An interesting feature of our walks was watching our normal Cambridge U3A leader Philip trying , and failing to be lead by others – there is an art to leading and an art to being lead – and he only has one of them!
Tuesday I had to go to the Suffolk coast to harvest carrots that had been experimentally treated with zeolite, this involved three sites at Snape, Sutton and Ramsholt so was quite a long day.
I was entrusted with leading the short walk this Thursday (for those who have dropped out of the long walks due to operations or infirmities) It was round the Fen Drayton and Swavesey Pits so reasonably familiar but as it was not our normal route I did a reccie on Wednesday, the sun was out, the lakes stacked with birds and it was fantastic for late October. Thursday was dry but not so sunny but nevertheless it went OK.
We had another CEEM Moldova planning meeting at St Neots on Saturday, Kate came with me and it was quite encouraging. The lorry paperwork has been passed at last so it has been ordered, meanwhile the load has grown and we are likely to get half a 38 tonner. CEEM are planning a youth camp in Burlacu next year as well as visits by the agricultural, medicine, education and faith teams.
During the previous week our college garden visit was to Corpus Christi, Leckhampton Hall. This is a graduate residence with 8 acres of grass and woodland plus an interesting “prairie garden” another hidden gem.

Corpus Christi PrairieGarden

Love

Mike & Kate

18th October 2009

18th October 2009.

Dear All,

We have had a hectic social whirl this week! Following the 50th party last Saturday we had a meal out with some of the Ramblers on Monday, a church group meal on Friday and a 50th wedding celebration this Saturday. The Monday meal was best at the “Duke of Wellington” in Willingham, they specialise in home made pies – everything from steak and mushroom to haggis pie via frankfurter and kidney. It was the best pub meal we have had for sometime. The 50th anniversary was for Lily and Michael Firth who were in Over for 30 years but retired to March 3 years ago, all 3 of their sons passed through Covenanters and one is currently a missionary in Latvia. Lily hails from Singapore and is a forceful lady who taught all 3 of our children to play the piano. Her cooking skills were somewhat unimaginative and the menu was the same each week “Monday – cheese and potato pie, Tuesday sausages” etc The party was in a roadside café between Thorney and Guyerne and much livelier than expected.
On Monday I began my new U3A course on “Cambridge College Gardens” The idea is to be shown round by the head gardener who explains the history and thinking behind the layouts. This week was Magdalene and although the gardens were not spectacular it is a good chance to see what lies behind some of the secretive Cambridge walls.

Magdalene College, Riverside courtyard


Magdalene, Pepys Library

Magdalene, Fellows garden

The new term of Rambling started with 50 people turning up on the first week which stretched the pub catering to the limits and evidently the group was well strung out (I was in Northumberland). This week it was down to 34 and one of those had to be picked up in a car as out military leader shows no mercy to the weak and halt! Actually they have started shorter walks called “Convalescing Walks” for those who are struggling. This week was billed as 10.5 miles but turned into 12 starting from Horseheath and rounding Castle Camps.
Ben has been up this weekend, he has put in an offer for another flat and hopes to hear whether he has been successful tomorrow. We took him to the Darwin Exhibition at the Fitzwilliam – only to find that it had finished last week! still fortunately there are a few other pictures worth examining there as well. He is planning a cycling holiday in Spain in November so we went map shopping and also examined the Corpus Clock which was installed at Corpus Christi last year. This is well worth a look next time you are in Cambridge.


Corpus Clock

It was autumn “spring cleaning” at chapel yesterday and winter digging is underway in the garden even though it is so hard and dry penetration is a problem. Star plant this week is a Swan Necked gourd which came too late for harvest festival but is beautiful anyway.



Swan Necked Gourd
Love


Mike & Kate

11th October 2009

11th October 2009.

Dear All,

We have enjoyed a good week in Northumberland with the weather better than expected in October. We left Over at 7 am on Saturday with Gordon and Kate and Bob and Carol – all 6 travelling in Gordon’s Alhambra, so luggage was kept to a minimum. We had breakfast in Newark and lunch with Kate F’s sister in Yarm, arriving at our destination - Warenton, a hamlet near Bamburgh by 3.30 pm. The house was an old mill and very comfortable.

The Old Mill, Warenton

Bamburgh Castle
On Sunday we went to Alnwick Baptist church, which was fairly lively then had a picnic at Craster and walked along the coast to Dunstanburgh Castle.

Dunstanburgh Castle
Monday we drove the pretty way to Berwick via Wooler, Etal and Duddo. We walked the Berwick walls and explored a bit before crossing into Scotland ending up in Eyemouth where the sea was pounding the seawall and seals were swimming amongst the boats.

Berwick Road Bridge

Eyemouth

Tuesday was our only wet day so we made for Alnwick and managed to view the castle gardens without getting too damp. These are very impressive designed by the duchess with exotic fountains, a bamboo maze, old English rose garden, a poison plant garden, water sculptures, a large walled ornamental garden and a large tree house and walk.



Alnwick Castle Tree House
When it really rained we made for the famous “Barters Second-hand Bookshop”. If you have never been it is worth going north alone for with stacks of books, a log fire and “help yourself “refreshments.
Wednesday dawned fine so we made for Holy Island exploring the Abbey ruins and castle before walking round the island in brilliant sunshine. In the afternoon we made for Seahouses and fish and chips.Thursday we drove inland to the Northumberland National Park and the Cheviot Hills. We walked from Hethpool over Great Hertha and back along Elsdon Burn. The weather was fantastic and the scenery marvellous. We also explored a couple of other valleys into the hills at Harthorpe and Old Middleton – probably the best day of the week for me.



The Cheviot Hills
On Friday the weather was dull, we went back to Ingram in the Cheviots to explore a fourth valley then on to the coast to Amble, Walkworth Castle, Alnmouth, Alnwick and Beadnell.
Saturday we had a good return journey via Downtown and were home by 2.30 pm. In the evening it was Hilary Allen’s 50th birthday party arranged by her daughter Bryony at Bar Hill so that rounded the week off quite nicely.

Love


Mike & Kate

27th September 2009

27th September 2009.

Dear All,

It has been Harvest Festival this weekend with a supper and talk on Saturday and guest speaker this morning. The talk on Saturday was by John Marshall the local rep. of “Send a Cow”. The organisation was started by UK farmers and has been going for 20 years currently working in seven African countries. Cows are donated to individual families and the first calf is passed as a gift to another family. There is a back up for vet services and advice on organic growing based on the dung and urine collected from the cows. I had heard that donating animals to Africa was not a good idea because of the overgrazing and erosion they cause but these are all zero grazed and the scheme appears to work very well.



Harvest Display plus cow

One of our former Covenanters was the guest this am in the form of Anita Darashah, she is now working for the Billy Graham organisation and gave a very confident (and emotional) presentation.
On Wednesday we hired the trailer for winter cricket pitch maintenance from March; this contains a scarifier, aerator, soil spreader and lute. We learnt from last years experiences and purchased some Ongar loam recommended for topping up and levelling the square. I kept the soil collected from the scarifier and had enough to fill my new raised bed in which I hope to grow summer raspberries, thus avoiding Phytoptera foot rot which is common in Over.
We completed the Icknield Way on Thursday our 11th stage, I think we did about 120 miles from Ivanhoe near Dunstable to Hopton near Thetford, as we deviate to end at a pub if possible.


Icknield Way

For those who know Chris & Susan Kean their third child was born this week, Isaac Toby Tomati Kean (Tomati is Maori for Thomas and they have an obsession with NZ).
The garden continues to perform well and I harvested my first ever successful peanut yesterday, for those that don’t know the flowers are pollinated above ground the spiral downwards into the soil and develop like potatoes.



Over (rated?) Peanuts


Peanuts growing between Aubergine and Sweet Potatoes


Aubergine

We hope to go to Northumberland next Saturday for a week so you are more likely to receive a postcard than a letter or blog.

Love


Mike & Kate

20th September 2009

20th September 2009.

Dear All,

Mary-Ann and Andy have been here since Friday night and they were joined by Esther Saturday lunchtime. Andy wanted to do the “tourist thing” round Cambridge as he not seen much of it before. We visited the Madingley American Cemetery, the Sedgewick Rock and Fossil museum, the Fitzwilliam museum, the market, climbed the tower of Great St Mary’s and a food and craft fair on Parkers Piece – pausing only for lunch in a Spanish tapas restaurant. Both the Sedgewick and Fitzwilliam had Darwin exhibitions. There was no time for punting but being a tourist is very tiring.

Madingley American Cemetery


Fitzwilliam restored vases


View from Great St Mary’s - Kings


Crew at the top of Great St Mary’s


Market from top of the tower

I have delivered four talks this week: an update on Moldova last Sunday night, Over Gardening Club on Wednesday, a breakfast meeting at 7.30am in Willingham church on Saturday and the children’s talk in the morning service today. I think there is a danger of over exposure!
Thursday’s walk was more chaotic than usual as our leader was away in France. We had leadership by committee which meant the pace was not so hot and there were more rests to work out where we were. The walk started and finished at Little Walden via Ashdon – only 9.5 miles, hardly worth getting your boots on.
Friday was a busy day: preparing the last cricket pitch of the year, collecting a few things for the Moldova lorry, dividing seed for Romania and Moldova, packing items for the lorry, a meeting to discuss “terms of reference” for a new part time church worker, cleaning the house from top to bottom, Garden centre to buy some bulbs, Tescos, talk preparation. Still better to be busy.
We had another “Tea & Talk” tonight from a local guy who has done time inside and now visits Bedford Gaol every week.
Kate had a work bonding day at Mepal Outdoor Centre on Wednesday. It seemed to go well; she chickened out of paint balling but took part in archery and rifle shooting.

Love


Mike & Kate

13th September 2009

13th September 2009.

Dear All,

Three days at work again this week – how long can this go on? These included two open days, Sweet corn at NIAB on Tuesday and Salads near Chichester on Thursday. We stayed overnight in Havant and ate in the yachting haven of Emsworth. Thursday in Sussex was a nice sunny day so it was quite enjoyable even though the plots were not as mature as we would have liked.


Sussex salad Plots

I was sent a complimentary copy of the revised “Oxford Book of Food Plants” this week as I helped with the text – look out for this international best seller in your local bookstore!



We had to prepare two cricket pitches this week as the juniors had their end of season exhibition matches and awards presentations. I have also ordered 60 bags of Ongar loam which is the recommended soil for winter pitch repairs and renovation.
Kate and I went to the Over Players presentation of “Caught in the Net” on Friday; it is a Ray Cooney farce and was very funny – especially when they forgot their lines.
On Saturday I judged Shelford Produce Show. The fruit and veg entries were not spectacular but they have several innovative classes of crafts, miniature gardens and amusing animals made out of veg.



Shelford Show

Kate has been to a “Pain Symposium” so will be able to understand how you are all feeling.

6th September 2009

6th September 2009.

Dear All,

We had our annual chapel trip to the seaside yesterday, this time to Walton-on-the-Naze. David had arranged for us to hire a church hall as a base and the day went very well, with the weather pretty good for September. We have normally gone to Hunstanton but last year people voted for a change. Unfortunately the first attempted visit to Walton in 2008 had to be cancelled due to rain but this year there were no such problems. In a party of 28 it was surprising how many had not visited Walton before.

Sand at last (it was high tide)


The Naze Tower

We arrived at 11 am for coffee, most then explored the pier, a few then held our annual putting tournament followed by fish and chips and a visit to the Naze. Some walked the Naze and explored the beach, most climbed the Tower and studied the art exhibits and the view from the top. The rest entertained toddlers on the beach. We then returned to Over for a BBQ. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day.
At the risk of provoking your sympathy I have been to work 3 days this week as several crops are ready at the same time: lettuce, sweet corn, courgettes, oriental greens as well as onion grading. On Tuesday we cut 180 lettuce plots which is not good for the back. I will probably need to go in three days this week as well as we have two open days.
Kate has been to a croquet party with some of the U3A ladies that she met in Yorkshire and followed that with an evening entertaining Japanese colleagues.
We had to postpone the Moldova lorry this week as due to the political uncertainties there no one is prepared to sign the necessary papers. A CEEM BBQ an auction of promises on Saturday has so far raised £1380 – far more than anticipated. We have received a steady trickle of photographs from Moldova this year so we have a much better idea of what is going on. The maize harvest has apparently been carried out by hand with the help of willing volunteers and a donkey!

Moldovan Maize harvest

Satisfied customer


We had Cliff Keeys at chapel this morning for a taster session for the “Walk Through the Bible” training – he was very good so should have enthused a few people.
Thursdays walk was along Fleam Dyke near Six Mile Bottom. The going was fairly tough 12 miles with strong winds and hardened hoof prints, but the dyke was well worth the effort.


Fleam Dyke