15th January 2012

15th January 2012.

Dear All,

As part of the “Brave New World” of joint retirement, Kate and I had a “Quality Time” outing to Stamford on Monday. We did not get a crack of dawn start due to a meeting and traffic problems but eventually arrived about noon and explored 2 of the Town Trails. I had driven through before but never stopped to explore. It was a very interesting exploration with many, mainly stone buildings, most with a story to tell.

Yesterday was the Church Social so Kate sweated away catering for 50 guests and I presented the usual “Review of the Year”. The food was excellent: Pate or homemade mushroom soup, Chicken Dijon, roast potatoes, swede and green beans, various sweets (choice of 8), cheese and biscuits, coffee and mints – not bad for £5.
Kate accompanied me to the U3A film club, this week it was “A Separation” a modern Iranian film which explored the tensions and consequences of a couple wanting to divorce. Not a barrel of laughs but it was attention grabbing and a good insight into Iranian life.
The Art Appreciation subject this week was Durer as well as the architecture of Vierzehnheiligen church in north Bavaria.
We both watched “Edwin Drood” on Tuesday and Wednesday and enjoyed it. Thursday’s walk started at Little Walden near Saffron Walden and travelled 11 miles via Ashdon. The going was much better than the previous week but the last couple of miles are always a challenge.
Rachel and Will are recent additions to our congregation, last Sunday Will and Rachel’s parents arrived home from the am service about 12.30, after a quick dash to the Rosie their second child was born at 1.50 - 3 minutes after they arrived!
We have been out for lunch at Merv and Pat’s today.
love


Mike & Kate

8th January 2012

8th January 2012.

Dear All,

A Happy New Year to all readers. Christmas seemed to be a decent long break and as we have seen most of you I need not dwell too long on the news.
Esther coped very well with hosting us at Christmas and it was great to have Mary-Ann, Amélie, Ben and eventually Esther and Andy here afterwards.

It was of course exciting to have Amélie visit for the first time and introduce her to all the locals. She behaved very well and smiled at all and sundry and did not forget to sleep well at nights – but what would you expect from a near perfect grandchild?
Ben biked up on Christmas Eve in 6 hours but the return journey on the 29th took 7.5 hours in wet and windy weather.
Kate, Ben and I cycled to St Ives on Tuesday 27th along the guided bus cycle track, it is an excellent surface. We were out Wednesday evening at the Fosters, Thursday at the Twiss’s (neighbours) and Friday at the Cox’s in Cambridge who are walking friends.
Dave and Jen called in on the way back from Jacky’s on Monday 2nd. On the next day we met up with Kate’s sister Sue and husband in a wild wet and windy Bury St Edmunds to plan an overland trip to Poland in May to attend their son’s wedding and deliver his car.
Kate joined the walking group on Thursday at Chevington near Bury St Edmunds. It was a tough baptism as it was still very windy and sticky underfoot. We saw a couple of large groups of red deer en route.

Deer near Hargrave

On Friday we attended the U3A walkers New Year party at Newnham College. It was a good event as everyone took food and there were presentations from the various holidays and I delivered a quiz.
I have dug in all the muck that was delivered before Christmas and sawed up a good pile of logs.

love


Mike & Kate

18th December 2011

18th December 2011.

Dear All,

Highlight for Kate this week has been presentations to mark her retirement – even though she has a week to go. Takeda were very generous donating an I-pad, a copy of “Rosetta Stone” for Spanish, some tokens and a smart flower arrangement. Those far eastern folk have a great respect for old age!



Presentation

Highlight of my week was having a load of manure delivered which amounted to 38 barrow loads and warmed me up on a cold day. We had our first snow on Friday which did not settle here but it was “white over” at Little Chesterford.


Manure delivery

Our Thursday walk was a relaxed circuit of Cambridge, STOPPING at places of interest and a mince pie and mulled wine halt at one of our member’s houses. We saw several historic buildings that I had not seen before.

Remains of Barnwell Priory

Chesterton Towers

I popped into NIAB on Tuesday to see how they are coping without me. The site is unrecognisable with houses springing up like mushrooms.
The Tuesday film was “The French Can Can” and Art Appreciation covered Van Eyck, Raphael and Cranach.
I fetched a Christmas tree yesterday from Fenwick’s plantation – still the best value for money at £1 per foot and this year complete with cones. Football watching was rather cool but 3 v 3 result helped keep the spectators interest.
Christmas plans seem to be firming up in that Kate, Ben and I have been invited to Esther’s for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Mary-Ann, Andy and Amélie hope to join us for Boxing Day and then Esther and Andy have to return to work so those who are able will come to Over with Esther joining for the weekend – at least I think that is what is planned!

love


Mike & Kate

11th December 2011

11th December 2011.

Dear All,

Well it cannot be delayed – Christmas draws on. This week we have shopped, posted parcels to far flung nieces and nephews, delivered the church cards and finalised (?) plans as to who will be where and when.
Kate and I travelled to Hutton yesterday to meet up with Esther, Mary-Ann and Amélie. Amélie was very bouncy and Esther had purchased a storage unit, table and filing cabinet from IKEA which needed assembling. Actually the construction was easier than expected, I guess they are improving all the time?







U3A film was “12 Angry Men” – reminiscent of my jury experiences!
U3A Art Appreciation was Leonardo, Venice and Florence
U3A walking was fairly local starting at Eltisley and visiting Caxton, Cambourne, Bourn and Great Gransden. 10.3 miles, firm underfoot but very windy.

love


Mike & Kate

4th December 2011

4th December 2011.

Dear All,

On Saturday Kate and I went to the Fitzwilliam Museum to see the two current exhibitions: “Vermeer’s Women – Secrets and Silence” and “Treasures of Vienna”. Not bad and good value as they were both free!



Vermeer, The Lacemaker

Fitzwilliam Museum

Our solar panels are producing electricity but registering them with the power company has proved far from straightforward and needed daily progress chasing phone calls.
We had a meal at Ely in the “Old Fire Engine House” with some of the walkers on Monday – it was very good. Kate had already been out at lunchtime to celebrate a success at work – a project she has been working on for 2 years has been upgraded to “drug discovery”.
The U3A film was “Of Gods and Men” 2010 based on a true story about some French monks in Algeria peacefully co existing with the local Muslims until a gang of militants became active and abducted them. It was well done but 30 mins longer than it needed to be.
Art Appreciation was on Michelangelo and after Kate joined me and we started Christmas shopping.
Walking started in Arkesden and visited Brent Pelham and Clavering, a mere 11 miles.

Clavering
I had lunch with some old NIAB colleagues on Friday and then finished digging in the mustard for green manure.


Digging complete

The Over match was abandoned after 20 mins yesterday as one of their players suffered a very bad broken leg and the ambulance took about 45 mins to arrive.
We have been out to lunch with the Whitfields, opposite today – first time in 40 years!


love


Mike & Kate

27th November 2011

27th November 2011.

Dear All,

Highlight of this week has been becoming the proud? owners of 8 solar panels. It has been a rather tortuous process put they are installed if not finally registered as yet. They are photovoltaic panel which generate electricity not heat. Both sets of fitters (electricians [Albanian] and roofers) came from north London and both got lost in the rural wastelands of the Fens, so instillation started later than planned and was completed in the dark. The original plan was for 6 panels but there was clearly room for more so I had to scramble to the depot for 2 extra, and there could have been even more. I am not sure why they undersold but the whole process was fraught due to the Government changing the timetable.

Solar Panels

I had to miss the Thursday walk as I was at the Riverford Cropping Conference where I had to explain the variety proposals I had made to 45 of their growers and technical staff. It was quite enjoyable except that I was introduced as a “World Expert” This was followed by an organic lunch and farm walk.
The U3A Art Appreciation this week covered Bruegel, Masaccio, Rossellino and Verrocchio – all questions in writing with a good lead time please.
We had the Cricket AGM on Monday and I was given a £100 cheque for the charity of my choice (CEEM) for services rendered on the square. Tuesday we went to the Corn Exchange to an event by Rob Parsons “How to get your kids through church without them hating God”. Friday we had a Deacons & Wives meal and last night we came 2nd out of 13 in the C of E quiz.
Otherwise there have been extra church duties with David on sick leave and few bits of gardening: clamping the Dahlias, cutting the grass for the last (?) time this year, sawing logs etc.
The contrast in weather between 2010 and 2011 is remarkable as these pictures illustrate.



24th November 2011



24th November 2010


25th November 2010


love


Mike & Kate

20th November 2011

20th November 2011.

Dear All,

Highlight of the week was appearing at the “Carrot & Onion Conference” dinner at Peterborough on Wednesday night to present the NIAB Variety cup to a carrot breeder. The trophy is awarded to a variety that has impressed during the previous 12 months and covers all crops. Vegetable varieties have only been successful 3 times before in 25 years and this was the first carrot to triumph! Eskimo (the carrot) won because has the ability to be stored in the open ground for a long time without costly polythene and straw protection. I managed to work in a couple of Eskimo jokes and met a lot of people I know most of whom were cheerful due to an hours free bar!
Scaffold arrived on Wednesday for our solar panel instillation but the panels were postponed until next week. It did give me the chance to clear much of the moss off the roof which seemed to be much higher than I remember!
On Friday we had the cavity wall in the old part of the house filled which cost £99 due to a generous Government grant for pensioners – not right really is it?

Cavity Wall filling

The Garden Which book reviews were published this week (December issue) and I have received the draft for the “email plants” write up for January.
I have been swimming, walking and digging this week to stay grounded as we have a difficult problem to deal with at church.
The Thursday walk started at Ousden south of Newmarket and was very much in racing stud territory. Rich sheiks have brought up farms and built copy cat stud farms in the area.



Stud farm

Woods near Ouseden

The internet has been playing up this week but is now hopefully fixed by our Bulgarian friend – some instructions do come up in Russian but it works!
We had a church “Awayday” at St Neots yesterday led by Mike Kendall the local pastor and called in at the starling murmeration again on the way home.

St Neots Awayday

Our Nerines always flower very late, this year they have avoided frost so far and are this weeks star plant!



love


Mike & Kate