9th October 2011

9th October 2011.

Dear All,

Here is the latest granddaughter offering which I think is a rather fetching out outfit – though in deference to her grandfather they could have dressed her as a vegetable rather than a strawberry! Mary Ann, Andy and Amélie have spent some days down at Brighton and Esther joined them at the weekend.


I have started another project for Gardening Which this week. I had a parcel of 10 leading gardening books delivered to review for the Christmas market – and I get to keep the books – so that has solved this years Christmas present offering!
We have another quiz to prepare for the 21st October to raise funds for the Day Care Centre. Kate has been busy collecting most of the questions – so that has solved Christmas entertainment as well?
I drove up to Crockey Hill near York on Thursday for the National Carrot demonstration. David Cook, form walking, came with me as he is a keen gardener. The weather was a shock after days approaching 30°C the temperature was in single figures with alternate wind, sunshine and violent squalls. The demonstration consists of variety plots, taste panel, machinery and trade stands in a giant marquee.

I had to miss walking this week because of the carrots but managed a swim and otherwise have started winter digging and working on a Family Service and the Riverford project.
I followed Over to an away fixture at Ely yesterday. Ely boasts a smart sports complex for football, rugby, hockey and golf. I can remember watching Ben play a final there – they even have stands! Over outplayed them and only managed a 2v2 draw.


love


Mike & Kate

2nd October 2011

2nd October 2011.

Dear All,

Kate and I met up with Tom Webster for a meal at Jock & Molly Sneddon’s on Monday night. I had previously taken Tom out for the day before we went away, then a group of retired NIAB folk organised a pub lunch for him at Girton on Tuesday. He has adapted to his prosthetic leg very well but there is a slight worry that a small sore has developed on his other leg and that is how the trouble started on the one he lost.



Dick Knight & Tom

The traffic has been dreadful on the A 14/M11 nearly everyday this week with 7 lorries being involved in accidents during the first 4 days. It took me 55 mins to get to Impington for swimming instead of the usual 15 mins on Wednesday. The A 14 traffic was being diverted through the villages then a cyclist was knocked off in Willingham. Our Thursday walk started at Walkern near Stevenage and was probably the hottest we have had all year, I expect you saw that Cambridge was the hottest place in the UK on Friday at 29°C, warmer than any day we played cricket this summer!

Wood End

Walkern

It is harvest festival weekend and the chapel has again been transformed. We had a supper last night addressed by Richard Todd the head gardener of Anglesey Abbey and this morning’s service is being taken by “World Vision”.

Harvest Display


love


Mike & Kate

25th September 2011

25th September 2011.

Dear All,

We have just returned from a week in South Devon with the Kitsons and Fosters. We left early on Saturday morning and stopped for breakfast in Droitwich Spa. We stayed in a smart house at Kingskerswell which is between Torquay and Newton Abbot.

The Gang

On Sunday we attended church at Paignton and dined at a posh hotel for a bargain Sunday lunch. Later we went on to Brixham and inspected the Golden Hind,

Golden Hind,Brixham

Paignton

On Monday we travelled north to Castle Drogo then crossed Dartmoor to Princetown, returning via Dartmeet.
The forecast for Tuesday was poor so we visited Plymouth spending time at the Aquarium, the Barbican and the Hoe before going to the cinema to see “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”.



Plymouth Aquarium

Bench Tor

On Wednesday we did a short walk round Bench Tor in the south of Dartmoor (Kate F. is still struggling on longer walks after her heart op.). This walk gave good views of the area without too great an effort.
Kate F. was not well on Thursday so 4 of us walked round Cockington in the morning and in the afternoon the men played Pitch & Putt while the ladies walked along the seafront of Torquay and Paignton.
On Friday they dropped me off at Riverford to discuss the consultancy project I have have been carrying out for them while the others went to Buckfast Abbey and Buckfastleigh. In the afternoon we all went to Exeter to meet one of Carol’s old schoolfriends and spend time exploring mainly the cathedral.



Totnes Castle

Buckfast Abbey

We were back in Over just after 4 pm yesterday and then attended a concert at Fulbourne organised by Hilary Allen.
Tom Webster is down from Scotland for a fortnight, I had a day with him on the Friday before we left and plan to have a meal with him tomorrow night. He seems to be coping with his artificial leg very well.

love


Mike & Kate

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