11th September 2011

11th September 2011.

Dear All,

Kate and I enjoyed 4 good days walking in the Cotswolds. The first day we started at Adlestrop of Railway poem fame and walked via Castleton, Cornwell and Daylesford 9.2 miles. We began in drizzle but it quickly improved.


Start at Adlestrop

We stayed at Kingham near Stow in the Wold our leader having negotiated a decent discount for Dinner B&B.
On Monday we started at Boughton on the Water and repeated much of the walk some of did for Kate’s 50th: Lower Slaughter, Upper Slaughter, Naunton and back along the river – 14.2 miles

Tuesday started a bit rough with wind and rain but again it cleared up. We started at Stanton on the western scarp and followed the Cotswolds Way to Stump Cross and Snowshill – 11 miles.


Near Snowshill
Wednesday we started at Charlbury and followed new paths through Wychwood Forest and Finstock – 8 miles, before driving home.



On the Cotswolds Way

On Thursday just for a change I joined the normal walk at Burwell for another 9 miles via Wicken and Soham – rather flatter and less scenic than the Cotswolds.
We are having our fascias changed for plastic and the contractors started on Thursday.
Highlight of Friday was a ticklish Cemetery Trustees meeting regarding someone planting trees on a grave without permission. I thought it looked better than before but our cemetery secretary takes the job rather seriously.
On Saturday I judged Shelford Show. The standard was quite high even though there were only moderate entries.




Winning Entries
In the afternoon I watched Over lose in the Cup and in the evening we went to the Cricket Club end of season dinner.
We have been entertaining today: Norman as Rosemary is in Russia and a Bulgarian family Stanislav and Maya (nice name!) plus Daniel 3 and mother in law.

love


Mike & Kate

3rd September 2011

3rd September 2011.

Dear All,

Early letter this week as Kate and I are off walking in the Cotswolds tomorrow until Wednesday.
Last week I had an RHS trip to Preston near Hull to visit a tomato breeder who is trying to include blight resistance in outdoor varieties – he had 150 varieties in large pots and an indoor glasshouse demonstration.


Blight resistant tomatoes

Seedless tomato

I had another RHS appointment near Wisley on Tuesday so we stayed with Mary-Ann and Andy on Monday night and Kate was able to demonstrate grandmother skills while I was inspecting chard and runner beans.

Guess who?


Chard range

Chard trial


Tozer’s Runner Bean trial

Swimming and gardening on Wednesday and a good walk on Thursday starting at Guilden Morden. It was sunny for a change but involved a ploughed field or two as the farmers were well on with only an odd field to combine. The walk was followed by pitch preparation and a net session so I slept fairly well!


Alpaca’s on Thursday’s walk

I was helping my ex colleague Andy harvesting runner bean trials on Friday and this morning I was judging Bottisham show where I met another ex colleage Mike Corbett who asked after my children. The show standard was not very high so was fairly easy to judge.

love


Mike & Kate

21st August 2011

21st August 2011.

Dear All,

Out and about this week: 2 days at Beaumont, 1 day walking, a day at Colchester and another at Hunstanton.
I went down to Glebe on Monday to see whether I could help with harvest but it is all very efficient these days, so I spent several hours riding in the air conditioned combine cab with Gavin watching the on board computer and video screen uninterrupted by breakdowns or set backs apart from waiting for the moisture levels to drop. As they waited to begin I was able to visit old and new haunts with David: the new “Faith Farm”, the seawall, Peter Genery, and the Cut demonstration site and lime kiln.

Combining Hobb’s Meadow

Newlands Meadow

Faith (on left!)& friends

Faith Farm Common Room

Cut Lime Kiln

Decaying barge at Beaumont Cut

Our walk this week started at Folksworth near Norman Cross, Peterborough. It was wet for the third week running – the first time I can recall this happening, but a good walk nonetheless with no cereal crops left to harvest at all.
On Friday I went to Colchester Castle Park to watch Essex v Gloucestershire. It was not the most thrilling days play but the sun shone throughout and there was a good crowd and atmosphere. I explored the castle during the tea break, it is a long time since I went inside but the Castle Park is very impressive these days.


Colchester Castle

Yesterday was our chapel outing to Hunstanton and again the weather was good. 24 made the trip and were joined by another 9 for a BBQ at Kate and Gordon’s on the way home.

Hunstanton

Kate meanwhile had gone to Hutton to help Esther entertain Mandy and Natasha who are down on a pilgrimage to see the baby today.

love


Mike & Kate

8th August 2011

8th August 2011.

Dear All,

Too busy to write yesterday - we had a chapel BBQ in the afternoon in the Kitson’s garden. About 50 turned up and it did not rain so pluses all round.

Chapel BBQ

Amazingly the “Guided Busway” opened yesterday – only 2 years behind schedule. I hope it is successful as it has a fair share of knockers but I guess it will need time to settle down.


Guided Busway

I started a new project for Riverford on Monday reviewing their vegetable varieties and cropping plans and recommending new varieties and trials. They grow at least 33 different crops at 4 major locations: Devon & Cornwall, Hampshire, Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire.
On Tuesday I was picking beans and courgettes for Andy who used to work with me. He is a workaholic but had taken his children away for a few days. So I was covering for him. It was baking hot and took quite a long time. The trials are located behind his ex father-in-law’s house and he is a steam engine fanatic.

Part of bean trial

Steam Engine

I finished stripping and painting the garage doors, tank and back yard cupboard this week, we are thinking of replacing the fascias and suffits with plastic. We have also been getting estimates for solar panels for electricity generation – so watch this space.
Thursday’s walk was very damp as it rained for all but 10 minutes at the start. We started at Toppesfield and walked to Stambourne and Gt Yeldham.
It has been a bad cricket week, we were unable to field 2 teams the previous Saturday due to a wedding, Thursday it rained when we were due to play at Kings College and last Saturday the opposition could not raise a team. We are due to play tonight and this is our last week of midweek matches due to the nights drawing in (you heard it here first!)
Here are this weeks baby photo’s evidently Andy is sure Mary-Ann has cloned herself – well Kate has the technology at her fingertips!

love


Mike & Kate

31st July 2011

31st July 2011.

Dear All,

Kate and I helped at Holiday Club for 3 mornings this week. We did not have large numbers but it went very well and was quite enjoyable. The theme was “Rocky’s Plaice” telling the story of Peter based on a chip shop. Parents were invited for a Fish & Chip lunch on the last day and several turned up.




Rocky’s Plaice

Latest baby pictures show Uncle Ben in attendance having returned from Thailand and Cambodia as well as the results of three weeks eating and sleeping.


Uncle Ben


Rounded tum

The chapel cricket team suffered it’s first defeat this week despite my highest score of the season – we did not have our strongest team out and Anglian Water were quite keen.
Our walk on Thursday started at “the Lazy Otter” at Stretham and travelled along the river bank, by Stretham Pump Engine to Little Thetford and round via Wilburton.

River Ouse at Stretham

Stretham Pump Engine

On Friday I went to Haddenham to be briefed by Andy Haward a former colleague at NIAB who set up his own trial business. He is taking his children on holiday so I am covering recording while he is away.
Runner and French beans, courgettes, marrows and raspberries are all in full production so nature is bountiful at present.
I started stripping the paint off our garage doors yesterday with a view to repainting.

love


Mike & Kate

24th July 2011

24th July 2011.

Dear All,

Kate and I spent 3 days in Godalming and they seem to be coping very well. Amélie has gained half a pound and has a fine pair of lungs. Her main hobbies are eating, pooing and sleeping which I think are fairly normal for one of her age.

Three generations

Rosie’s vision of the future

Esther and Eirwen came down on Monday and we also met Andy’s mother. It rained for about 50% of the time but inbetween we walked to “Secretts”. F.A. Secrett was one of the major growers in the Thames Valley and the farm has now diversified with a large PYO set up, a farm shop and a Garden Centre. We bought a few vegetable plants to add to the garden at Ockford Ridge.

Secretts PYO

We got back in time for cricket on Wednesday night when OBC won again beating St Neots Methodists. Lynn Medlock called that evening and was full of her recent trip to Malaysia for a wedding.
Our walk on Thursday started at Monk Street and circled round Thaxted for 10 miles. Philip as usual strode off at pace with little thought for the back markers, consequently (just like the Tour de France) a group got dropped off the back and had to phone to see where the rest of us were.



Richmonds in the Wood nr Thaxted

We had a Holiday Club planning meeting that evening. It is due to start on Monday and Kate and I are heading up the oldest group so Saturday was setting up time. The theme is “Rockys Plaice” centred on a fish and chip shop. We have been fortunate in inheriting a lot of excellent props from Willingham who had this theme last year.
On Friday evening we attended the U3A BBQ at Dry Drayton. It is held at a remarkable large commune like location which has slightly gone to seed. It was not especially fine weather and we ended up playing croquet in the rain.
I was called up for cricket yesterday as the holiday season is biting team selection. We were playing the league leaders who have not lost yet. They still haven’t lost but we were not disgraced and I was not out.

love


Mike & Kate

17th July 2011

17th July 2011.

Dear All,

Nothing like starting the week at the dentists for a little drilling therapy. I had that joy on Monday and Kate has broken a tooth and started treatment this week as well. Kate and Esther enjoyed their singing at the Albert Hall, it was “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff.
I travelled out to the fens to look at a NIAB lettuce trial on Tuesday. I took Jim Burr for the ride – he has had a stroke and is struggling a bit. After the lettuce we called in on Prickwillow Pump Engine museum where volunteers have collected and restored several of the huge engines that were used to pump water into fen dykes.

Shippea Hill Lettuce

Prickwillow museum

In the evening a group of us went to see a modern version of “Pilgrims Progress” performed by the Saltmine Theatre Company in Cambridge. The acting was brilliant with 5 performers taking all the parts.
I have been asked to do some more consultancy for the Riverford Box Scheme so I met up with them at Peterborough on Wednesday to discuss what they want me to do. This was followed by swimming at Impington and cricket at Yelling.
Our Thursday walk was in the Wimpole area again starting at Croydon.
On Friday I had to mend the cricket club mower as we had broken a belt and then tend pitches and garden. Runner and French beans, peas and courgettes are all cropping well and spring planted onions, garlic and shallots needed lifting.
Saturday morning was rather damp but it cleared up in the afternoon. We visited a local wildlife photographer called Jeff Harrison. He had an open day as part of the Cambridge Artists “Open Studios” month when over 200 artists hold open weekends throughout July. Jeff is based in Longstanton and specialises in kingfisher
photography but also has some fantastic shots of other wildlife.


Jeff Harrison photo

Afterwards Kate and I walked round Swavesey Pits – it was good dragonfly spotting weather.

Teasel at Swavesey

River by Pits

Esther visited Amélie Maya on Monday and we hope to go down this evening for 3 days. They seem to be coping OK apart from lack of sleep and multiple nappy changing!

Latest shots

love


Mike & Kate