4th March 2012

4th March 2012.

Dear All,

On Monday we visited Bishops Stortford. We took the town trail in the morning and I gave a talk to the U3A Plants Group in the afternoon. I had never been in the centre of the town before and the most noticeable feature were the number of old coaching inns from the time it was on the route from London to Cambridge.

Bishops Stortford The Black Lion

The Boars Head


The Corn Exchange

The George

The Stag

Carved Pew

The Tuesday film was “La Terra Trema” a Viconti film from 1948 about exploitation of fishermen in Sicily. It was largely acted by the locals and not professional actors and commissioned by the Communist Party.
The Home Group meeting was a birthday do for Norman Ingle was has the distinction of being born on the 29th February so has therefore only had 17 birthdays in 68 years. Question “How many Norman’s were registered in 2005?” Answer: 2.
I have planted or sown early potatoes, broad beans, beetroot, carrots, shallots, onion sets, garlic, lettuce and cabbage this week and purchased a greengage tree, a red gooseberry and some yellow raspberry canes.
Our walk on Thursday started at Much Hadham and circled round the River Ash valley. It was sunny and firm underfoot and an excellent walk albeit 11 miles long.

Much Hadham

Ash valley

The ACC course in the evening takes a bit of concentration as it is 2.5 hours long.
The Twisses (opposite) came for coffee on Friday and we were in Whittlesey last night for an area officers meal.


love

Mike & Kate

26th February 2012

26th February 2012.

Dear All,

Kate and I visited Ely Cathedral on Monday and had a tour of the Octagonal Tower. It is truly amazing how a building so large could have been built on dodgy foundations (5ft) in the 11th century and the Octagonal tower in the 14th century. It was quite a good climb up narrow staircases and one member of our party was too broad to get through one of the doors. The views from the top over the flat fens were spectacular. The Cathedral was also hosting the Quaker tapestry exhibition which Esther and Mary-Ann visited in Kendall last year.


Inside the Octagonal Tower

Octagonal Tower

Views from the top of the Tower

The sunny weather has meant that I started sowing a few things in the greenhouse: celeriac, cut ‘n come again, show onions, broad beans and finished digging.
Tuesday’s film was “Toto Le Heros” based on the belief of one man that he was switched with another baby at birth and someone else had lived his life. Interesting but not a barrel of laughs!
I was on the panel for a Gardeners Question Time at Shelford in the evening, as usual there was a paucity of vegetable questions – 2 out of 20 and one of those was on water cress.
We had an early swim on Wednesday and then I helped Geoff Allen replace some of the drawers in the chapel kitchen with the wooden frames we removed when we had our kitchen redone. In the evening we lead a chapel outing to Welney to watch the swans and ducks fed under floodlights. It is always a spectacle but there were fewer swans about. Many of the Bewicks stopped off on the way from Siberia due to the milder winter.


Welney at dusk

Welney at night

Thursday’s walk was a circular round Hatley St George near Wimpole – 10 miles and the only crops we saw were wheat and rape!


Shirt sleeved walk

It was Pastoral Care course part 4 in the evening – not easy to be on maximum alert after the walk.
On Friday I took David Cook, one of the walkers to Southery to view the NIAB late leek trial. There had been some frost damage but that was useful in sorting the varieties.



Leek trial

Harvesting Rig

Over won again yesterday only 2 v 1 but a good game in perfect conditions. In the evening we had a Deacons & Wives meal and planning meeting – so another week in which it would have been difficult to fit in work!

love

Mike & Kate

19th February 2012

19th February 2012.

Dear All,

No letter last week as we travelled to Esther’s on Saturday night to meet up with Mary-Ann, Amélie and Natasha before travelling to Streatham on Sunday afternoon to help Ben decorating his flat. We stayed until Wednesday pm and decorated the hall and erected and mended a few things. Ben had to work each day so we were left to get on with it. On Tuesday he ran home (12 miles) and ran back next morning. Streatham is fairly multicultural and almost seems like a foreign holiday. The streets are rather more lively than Over at 10pm. The veg shops are interesting but why so many nail bars?

Ben’s Hall – before

and after

We started the ACC Pastoral Care course on Saturday before travelling. It started with a double session from 10 to 4 including lunch (cooked by Kate). There are 21 on the course from Over and elsewhere and occupies 10 sessions.
The previous Monday we spent a snowy day in Sudbury including a tour of Gainsborough’s house as well as several other interesting buildings.

Gainsborough’s House

Sudbury Library ex Corn Exchange



Mill Hotel

The Old Priory

We saw “The Threepenny Opera” at film club and “The Artist” on Friday – I am looking for a dog like the one featured and think he should certainly win an Oscar!
The 9th Feb walk started in Clare and followed part of the “Stour Valley Way” in quite deep snow. It was only 9 miles but seemed like more. This week it was a local walk starting at Fen Drayton, through the RSPB pits to Overcote, the Staunch, returning by Over and Swavesey.



Clare walk



Fen Drayton walk

I had Garden Club talks at Over on Wednesday and Waterbeach on Thursday.
Carol Kitson slipped on the ice last Sunday and broke her arm so they have been here for lunch today.
It was chapel spring cleaning yesterday and quite a lot was achieved in a reasonably short time – for a short time ALL the strip lights are working!



Spring Cleaning Gang

Over beat Somersham 6 v 0 yesterday – same squad, different manager!

love

Mike & Kate

5th February 2012

5th February 2012.

Dear All,

We had heavy overnight snow up to 6” – it is the most in one deposit that I can remember for a long time. We were at Sutton last evening when it started and driving back on slippery minor roads in a blinding snow storm beside fen dykes and rivers was quite exciting.

“Quality Time Monday” saw us in London at the British Museum mainly to see the Grayson Perry Exhibition “The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman”. It was very well done as he had taken genuine exhibits from the museum and produced his own updated versions: tapestries, ceramics, drawings and sculptures. You often had to read the label to see which was the original. We also managed to view the “Top 10 exhibits in the museum such as the Rosetta Stone, Easter Island statues and the Assyrian wall plaques.

Grayson Perry exhibits

British Museum exhibits

I had a meeting at Wisley on Tuesday and met up with Mary-Ann and Amélie for lunch and a look at the butterflies in the glasshouse beforehand.



Wisley lunch

On Wednesday we tried an early morning swim at 8 am then I had a meeting with John Law to plan the next Moldova trip. I had a Garden Club at Great Chesterford in the evening in a cold Methodist church. The temperature dropped to -8° C here that night then -9°C Friday night.

Our Thursday walk started at Orwell and took in Wimpole Hall and Eversden, 9 miles on frozen ground was easier than the mud of the previous week. Kate and I did another walk on Friday catching the guided bus to St Ives then following the river to Houghton.



Wimpole Hall

Orwell Clunch Pit




St Ives

Ben was successful in his interview on Monday so has gained a significant promotion at Kings College.
I spent yesterday morning sawing logs and chopping kindling – just in time for the snow!

love

Mike & Kate

29th January 2012

29th January 2012.

Dear All,

The Monday “Quality time” trip was to Welney this week to watch the swans and ducks being fed. Due to the mild weather a number of the Bewick swans have stopped en route but they have still recorded over 4,000 most nights. As it was bright and sunny most were still out “improving?” local farmer’s crops.

Welney

Our film on Tuesday was “Midnight in Paris” which was very enjoyable and has been nominated for a few Oscars. I took the garden club at Bottisham in the evening – they are flourishing because the club in the next village has closed and members moved on.
Art Appreciation covered Titian, Tinteretto and Carpaccio – any questions can be taken and referred! This is the last for a month as our tutor is away on a course in February.

We managed our swim on Wednesday and the walk this week started at Horseheath via Study Camps – it was fairly sticky as it had rained heavily in the night.
We have had a CEEM rededication service tonight preceded by a Board meeting and open meeting for interested supporters. It was well attended and Kate prepared tea for attendees.

Walkers shedding mud

The sunshine tempted me to start sowing some broad beans on Friday and top dress crops which needed it, could be tempting fate as the weather forecast has warned of snow and plummeting temperatures.

(for Ben) Dave Lill resigned as Over manager after 21 years last weekend. This week they beat Lakenheath (top of the table) by 4 v 1 with a weakened team – could be a tip for Ipswich?


New season Tomatoes in Moldova


love


Mike & Kate

22nd January 2012

22nd January 2012.

Dear All,

Not too much to report this week as I have been suffering with gout and slightly immobile. The brave new world of Monday outings had to be restricted to a trip to Homebase and the garden centre and we began redecorating the bathroom room.

Redecoration

Otherwise I attended a funeral on Monday at the Crematorium for Sheila Thoday, an old farmer’s wife who attended our Alpha Course.
The Tuesday film was “In a Lonely Place” a 1950 Humphrey Bogart offering in B & W. We swam on Wednesday but the Art Appreciation was cancelled. Kate went walking on Thursday starting in Saffron Walden, I stayed home and hobbled and painted. In the evening I attended a village meeting formulating plans for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Friday evening we were guests at the Day Centre Volunteers meal on the back of presenting the fund raising quiz.
Yesterday we drove down to Streatham to survey Ben’s flat with the aim of seeing what decorating needs to be done. Mary-Ann joined us for lunch with Andy and Amélie arriving later to pick her up on the way to visit friends.


Streatham High Street

Library Clock Tower

Uncle Ben

Enjoying Solid Food


love


Mike & Kate

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