21st October 2013.

Dear All,

A quick dash to Scotland this week to visit Tom Webster at Barcaldine, north of Oban. We decided while driving back from Snowdon that another long drive would be hard to endure, so we flew up to Glasgow from Luton and hired a car. The drive to Luton was made interesting by patchy fog which delayed the plane for an hour.

Tom is incredible in that besides having one leg he has mild leukaemia and an enlarged prostate gland to go with his 90 years. He got half way up “the Cobbler” (2,900 ft) for his birthday and walks his “wee dog Gracie” 3 times a day.

It is a 90 mile journey from the airport to Barcaldine via Loch Lomond and as we had an early flight we had time to walk round Port Appin on the day we arrived before travelling to Oban to sample what Rick Stein rated “the best Fish and Chips he had tried” – and it probably was.

On Thursday we drove up Glencoe, Glen Etive and Glen Orchy. The weather was dry with mist hiding the tops of the mountains but the autumn colours made some photogenic scenes.

 Glencoe

Un daunted

                                                  Gracie

  

Glen Orchy

Friday we walked to Tralee beach and met up with Gloria, an artist and friend of Tom’s who invited us back for tea and cake. Later we visited the old Bonawe charcoal fuelled iron smelting site at Taynuilt then explored the shore next to Tom’s house at Barcaldine.

On Saturday we had another beach walk before visiting the local Sea Life centre which had a splendid aquarium of mainly salt water fish together with a few seals and otters. In the afternoon we explored Oban including climbing up to McCaig’s Tower for panoramic views.

 Bay at Barcaldine

                                                        Bonawe Iron works

 McCaig’s Tower

                                                                Oban

We left Glasgow at 1.50pm and were home by 5.30pm arriving at Luton in torrential rain as we hadn’t needed waterproofs all week in Scotland (it rained every night!) but got soaked waiting for the bus at Luton.

Our second session of “Just Vegetating” was spoilt by the beamer playing up and producing purple tinted pictures which have now been diagnosed as being due to a fault in the wire between laptop and beamer.

Planted onions, garlic, shallots and spring cabbage today as well as picking raspberries, runner beans, sweet corn, squash and leeks.

Kate’s operation has been postponed due to her being tested positive for MRSA. This is very frustrating as she has to have several more tests and the operation has been put back by at least 6 weeks.

Love

Mike & Kate

13th October 2013

13th October 2013.

Dear All,

Busy sort of week, Monday: swimming, replacing cement round upstairs windows, digging, deacons meeting.

Tuesday: the first session of “Just Vegetating” the U3A class we are teaching. It seemed to go quite well once we had come to terms with the facilities in Castle Hill Methodist church. The first session was on “Carrots & Parsnips”. I spoke on the history, importance, breeding aims, nutrient content, commercial growing and garden growing. Kate talked about recipes having brought some samples and encouraged exchange of favourites from the class.

Kate had an appointment at Addenbrookes in the afternoon re her foot. It was the usual frustrating experience involving copious waiting about but she has emerged with a date for an operation in November.

On Wednesday I went to the Lincolnshire Brassica Open Days together with David and Lawrie from our walking group. We managed to visit all five companies in the Kirton, Spalding area. One of them, Sakata, is celebrating 100 years and the first 100 visitors were given a large Spanish melon and a gift pack of useful (?) gadgets.

The demonstrations were very good considering the dry weather in Lincolnshire this summer and the severe pest pressure.

 Elsoms

  

Sakata

  

Nickerson

  

Rijk Zwaan

The Thursday walk started at Widdington,south of Saffron Walden and took in Henham and Hamperton. It was over 10 miles and the windiest walk we have experienced this year, but dry underfoot so a reasonable experience.

Friday was cricket pitch winter maintenance day. We managed to assemble a gang of 4 this year so it was not such hard work as last year when there was only two of us. We have to scarify, fertilize, seed and apply 50 bags of top soil. We just about managed it before the rain began.

On Saturday I returned the motor roller to it’s winter quarters at Cook’s Farm in the fens, then watched the first half of the top of the table clash between Over and Lakenheath. Over were winning 3v1 when I left but I gather it ended 3v3. I had to leave to attend Esther’s 40^th celebration meal near Margaretting. Ben, Mary-Ann, Andy and Amélie were all present so it was an enjoyable evening.

Love

Mike & Kate

6th October 2013.

Dear All,

“If we had survived what tales we would have told of human courage and endurance” – well we did survive our assault on the summit of Snowdon on Tuesday. The ascent was rather grim and foggy but fortunately it cleared for the descent which made a world of difference. I am sure they have added a few hundred feet to the height since we last climbed it about 25 years ago! Maybe flat land East Anglian walking is not ideal preparation but Esther had no problems – it was a job to keep up with her! She has now knocked off about 30 of her 40 pre 40^th birthday challenges.

We walked up the Pyg Track in 3 hours and down the Miners Track in 2.5 hours and the threatened rain did not materialise.

Setting Out  

                                                                 Visibility Moderate

No we Didn’t!  

                                                              Near the Summit  

                                                 

 The Summit (I think!)  

  Made it  

 New Building at Summit  

                                                                  

                                                 So that’s what it looks like!

Llyn Llydaw

                                                                 Looking back

           

We stayed at Borth y Gest beyond Porthmadog, overlooking a fine sandy bay.

 Borth y Gest

The house would have slept 8 so we rattled a bit. On Wednesday we explored Criccieth, Pwllheli, Caernarvon and Harlech and Thursday morning walked into Porthmadog via the coast path before Kate and I returned as I had a Garden Club appointment at Ashwell that evening.

On the way down on Monday we broke the journey at Wroxeter, a restored Roman site and Attingham Park near Shrewsbury which had a fantastic walled garden.

 Wroxeter    

                                                               Attingham Walled Garden

Friday I took delivery of a new backup mower for the cricket square so tried it out by giving the whole pitch a shave as well as the back lawn. The main cricket mower has been nothing but trouble all year so this is a welcome addition.

Keen gardeners will not need me to tell you that runner beans are still cropping well and it is time to start winter digging.

Love

Mike & Kate

29th September 2013

29th September 2013.

Dear All,

No complaints about the weather this week – shirt sleeves all the way and the garden could do with a good rain! Hopefully not too much next week as we are accompanying Esther on her assault on the summit of Snowdon!

I have spent most of the week either gardening or preparing for the U3A course we are teaching, 10 talks are taking rather longer to prepare than I anticipated!

Kate found some interesting wildlife while clearing up in the borders yesterday – hopefully he was hovering up all the slugs.

I harvested most of the pumpkins and squash this week and as usual they make a colourful display.

Kate and I led the short walk on Thursday (although it was about 8 miles) It started at Hempstead in the “Bluebell” pub which was the birthplace of Dick Turpin. In the church are memorials to William Harvey, discoverer of the circulation of the blood and Eliab Harvey, Nelson’s favourite admiral and commander of the “Fighting Temeraire”. The walk was dry and sunny and the wildlife highlight was spotting a grass snake.

The Bluebell, Hempstead

  

It was Harvest Supper last night and John Law was the guest speaker homing in on food miles and seasonality. Harvest Thanksgiving today and our invited speaker from “Send a Cow” has had a heart attack so a certain amount of rearranging is in order. This month marks Ray Asplin being a deacon for 50 years so that is being recognised in the service. In addition, it has been arranged for him to be a guest in the Directors box at Cambridge Utd (yes this is a reward not a punishment as he is a season ticket holder).

I watched Over win 6 v 0 yesterday and rise to the top of the Premier League.

Love

Mike & Kate

22nd September 2013.

Dear All,

Back to cool and damp UK this week – missing the sun drenched Baltic (words you seldom hear!). The garden as usual has been very productive at this time of year so we picked 40 sweet corn cobs and a crate full of tomatoes on Monday, enough to feed Messy church yesterday.

I have had a couple of decent journeys this week: on Tuesday I travelled to Preston, near Hull for an RHS chilli pepper trial and tomato demonstration. A couple of chilli breeders were present and their target is to produce chillis with more flavour rather than heat as heat masks the array of flavours available. The man who hosted the trial is also responsible for the most blight resistant tomatoes available at present.

Chillis

Tomato range

On Friday we travelled down to Cranleigh near Guilford for cousin Roger Jessup’s memorial service. As usual with any M25 journey it took longer than planned so we arrived with 1 minute to spare. It was a very moving service with all his children taking part but not too sad as his funeral had taken place in France the previous week. It was good to catch up with other cousins and some of their offspring including Peter Jessup who we last saw at Dad’s funeral.

Our Thursday walk started at Therfield near Royston and took in a few ploughed fields as you expect this time of year. It was gloomy overhead but did not rain until the last 30 mins.

We called in at Hutton on the way back from Cranleigh and met up with Esther, Mary-Ann and Amélie who were staying for the weekend.

It was Messy church again yesterday and the numbers kept up. Kate was in charge of food with which she copes brilliantly seeing as how you never know how many will turn up.

 Messy church

Love

Mike & Kate