14th September 2014

14^th September 2014.

Dear All,

Hove week this week and we drove down (now cricket has finished) on Tuesday after I had visited NIAB for the second time in two weeks. This time it was for the Sweet Corn open day but first I popped in for coffee with old colleagues. The Sweet Corn was the tallest I can remember but it had suffered from lodging following the flooding and wind last month.

  

Our journey to Hove was one of the clearest we have had so credit to the M25 as I am usually complaining about it. We arrived early so explored Shoreham-on-Sea while waiting for Mary-Ann to clock off.

Shoreham Lighthouse

On Wednesday we called in on friends we had met on the Turkey trip who live at Bexhill-on-Sea and were invited to stay for lunch. After we spent the afternoon at Eastbourne and then called in at Beachy Head. Eastbourne was planned by the 7^th Duke of Devonshire and most of the roads have Derbyshire names so Kate felt at home. The population was decidedly geriatric but the buildings and flower beds were in good condition and the pier being repaired after last years fire.

Eastbourne Pier

Eastbourne Flower Beds

Beachy Head

Posed Smile?

The Beachy Head car park ticket has the Samaritans telephone number on the back and a chaplain was sitting in a clearly marked car in a prominent position.

The Thursday walk was fairly local starting at Arrington and taking in Wimpole and Whaddon. I managed it this week and the feet have improved since then.

I was judging Shelford Show yesterday which was reasonably well supported for a late show. Like most shows it is run by a powerful mafia of formidable ladies and our escorts are given a list of punitive instructions.

  

Shelford Show

I began squash harvest this week and the weather has suited particularly the butternuts this year.

Love

Mike & Kate

7th September 2014

7^th September 2014.

Dear All,

We had two days in Derbyshire this week. On Monday we drove up to Duffield to meet up with Kate’s mother’s cousin Michael Severn and his wife Pauline. He is a retired headmaster and has spent considerable time researching the Severn (Kate’s mother’s line) family tree. This includes trips to Canada where cousins were sent as Barnardo’s Boys as well as visits to Flanders to find the grave of Grandfather’s brother who was killed in the 1^st World War.

Pauline & Michael

 Military momentos

After we called in at a log cabin development at Darley Dale and then on to Bolehill to catch up with developments (or lack of them!). We stayed the night in a farmhouse B&B at Western Underwood – where wheat harvest was just beginning!

Bolehill

On Tuesday we visited Calke Abbey near Derby. This was given to the National Trust in need of repair but they decided to preserve the house as it was and not completely renovate it. There are many rooms crowed with “stuff” including a plethora of stuffed birds and animals in glass cases. The grounds were huge with herds of longhorn cattle, rare breed sheep and deer. There is also an attractive walled garden – so well worth the visit.

Calke Abbey

Walled Gardens

On Wednesday I was invited back to NIAB to learn about a new project they are starting called “The Hasse Hub”. They have won a £500K grant and been given a packhouse at Soham to look into waste in food production. Tesco’s are on board and several organisations gathered to express interest and support. It remains to be seen whether I have anything to offer but it was an interesting day.

Kate led the walk on Thursday that we had recced the previous week. My left foot was swollen so I rested it. The instructions with “Febuxostat” warn that “it can take 6 months to kick in and can initially make symptoms seem worse”. I think I can concur!

 Offending Limb!

On Friday we had a briefing - military style! for our Flanders trip at the end of the month: maps pinned to wall, routes outlined, menus to choose from, battles explained, deployment of vehicles planned. I don’t think we have to dress in military uniform for meals but I am not ruling it out!

Love

Mike & Kate

31st August 2014

31st August 2014.

Dear All,

Two walks this week, one to reccy for next week and the 4^th stage of the Lea Valley walk. The reccy was from Horseheath again and as my ankle was a bit sore Kate walked the route and I scouted in the car. The Lea Valley walk was from Hertford to Broxbourne. We drove to Broxbourne and took the train to Hertford. It was a good walk close to the river all the way and surprisingly rural. That is 4 stages down with 2 to go.

 Lea Valley

Bank Holiday Monday was a soggy affair so we did not venture far so I was brushing up the U3A talks. We had a rare shopping trip to Cambridge on Tuesday and Glynis Fenwick called to report on her recent bike ride to celebrate her 65^th birthday. It was 335 miles in 5 days from Newcastle to Aberdeen. It was not started as a charity project but friends heard about it and a friend died while she was away so she began collecting for the “Arthur Rank Hospice” with the modest target on “Just Giving” of £200. So far she has raised over £1,600.

On Wednesday evening Kate and I were summoned to Norman & Rosemary’s for dinner and a grilling from two of his protégés from his Christianity courses: John Lee and Dave Birch. We did not look forward to it but it went OK.

Raspberries have been cropping very well this week and sweet corn is well on line. I have been sowing more green manure crops: crimson clover and mustard and planted out spring heading cauliflowers and spring cabbage. I am attaching photos of our melons by popular demand.

Canteloupe Melon

Water Melon

Over 1sts managed to win their last cricket match yesterday to gain promotion but he 2nds lost so their fate is in the balance with one game to play. Over football won for the first time having lost two and drawn two beforehand.

It is the chapel BBQ today and the weather looks promising. Kate and I are planning to go to Derbyshire tomorrow to meet up with a long lost relative who has been researching their family tree as well as Kate, so they can swap details.

Love

Mike & Kate

24th August 2014

24th August 2014.

Dear All,

Another trip to Wisley this week judging Coriander, Dill, Garlic and Beefsteak Tomatoes. The Tomatoes were particularly impressive with the largest fruit weighing over 1 kg. We had to taste about 20 varieties, which was about 12 too many! The Dahlia trial was looking spectacularly good. At present RHS are rather better at flower trials than vegetable ones. The M25 was again sluggish both ways – the journey taking an extra hour either way.

  

  

I managed the walk this week starting fairly locally at Graveley taking in both Offords. It was not the most interesting walk but conditions were good – dry underfoot and not too warm.

Offord D’Arcy Church

Offord Millenium Park

Both cricket teams were weakened by holiday calls yesterday and both lost. I was called up but did not star!

Sweet Corn is coming on full stream at present and the largest water melon is football sized.

A quiet week so not much else to report.

Love

Mike & Kate

17th August 2014

17th August 2014.

Dear All,

Yesterday was the annual church outing to Hunstanton. It was a little more fraught to organise than usual this year. Firstly we could not hire the usual church hall as a base as they were hosting a beach mission so we had to shell out for the Town Hall basement. Secondly the day clashed with the Over Produce Show and both Kate and I were judging so could not get away until 12.15. Thirdly several of the normal attendees were unavailable for various, mainly holiday related, reasons. Fourthly when we put up the list to sign 10 people asked for lifts and only one place was offered in return. Fifthly we normally stop for a BBQ on the way back at Kate and Gordon’s – but they have moved and it is no longer practical.

However, we managed to hire the Day Centre minibus and people seemed to enjoy the day especially as it coincided with a flower festival at Old Hunstanton church.

  Old Hunstanton, Flower Festival & Day Centre Minibus

The produce show has been moved from its usual slot at the Carnival due to a shortage of suitable marquees and was held in the Community Centre a month later than previous years. There were gloomy forecasts of reduced entries but these were blown apart by a new young competitor (James Desborough) who swept the board with some startling high quality produce. We eventually arrived at Hunstanton at 1.45.

 Over Show

Otherwise it has been a fairly quiet week. Quite alot of work on the cricket pitches as a couple of games were played in damp conditions. The second of these was the last chapel match of the season which was washed out on Thursday after 5 overs, not before considerable damage had been done to the hallowed turf!

I watched Over’s first football match of the season at Fulbourne on Tuesday and this ended prematurely as one of Over’s players collapsed after a clash of heads and was rushed to hospital.

I had to miss the walk again this week as my feet were still painful but Kate went to Chevington beyond Newmarket.

Love

Mike & Kate

10th August 2014

10th August 2014.

Dear All,

How was Friday for you? We had a terrific downpour in Cambridgeshire and our return journey from Hutton took 2.5 hours instead of 1.25 with several traffic jams due to flooding.

“Dry” Drayton!

Bar Hill

Friday’s Collection

Pond Extension

Kate and I had been to Hutton to help Esther with a few jobs mainly safety measures associated with her application to take children for respite care, so bookcases have to be strapped to the wall and the greenhouse covered with strengthening plastic.

“Safe” Greenhouse

Otherwise it has been a fairly quiet week. The cricket pitch has needed a deal of TLC as it was cracking in the hot weather – that has been cured now. We beat St Neots Evangelical Church on Wednesday and I was drafted into Over IIs yesterday for a thrilling top of the table clash which we lost in the last over.

I missed the walk on Thursday as my feet were rather sore but Kate went starting locally at Wilbraham.

John and Vera Lee are celebrating their 60^th wedding anniversary today so there is a “bring and share” meal after the service.

Love

Mike & Kate

3rd August 2014

3^rd August 2014.

Dear All,

It has been Holiday Club at chapel this week. Kate and I were in charge of the oldest group of 12 or so and it seemed to go very well thanks to the enthusiasm of Rachel who headed the whole thing up. Several parents came for the meal at the end.

Holiday Club

Yesterday we met up with Esther, Mary-Ann, Amélie, Mandy, Natasha, James,(Kate’s nephew) Joanna and their baby Mila at Kew Gardens. Esther is entertaining Mandy and Natasha for the weekend and as usual earning a medal the size of a cartwheel! We had not been to Kew for a long time and it seemed to have grown since we were there! As it was a Saturday there were extra entertainments/educational features explaining how chemicals are extracted from plants and analysed and seeds preserved. We also climbed up the “tree top walk” and some attempted the “barefoot trail”.

 Kew Gardens

Mary-Ann and Amélie had an extended stay in Dusseldorf  last weekend as their plane was delayed due to the storms in Sussex, so did not get home until late Tuesday.

Our Thursday walk started at Haynes in Bedfordshire and took in Clophill and Chicksands. It was remarkable for the number of less usual crops we saw including; Amaranth, Triticale, Linseed, Sorghum, Borage and Peas.

We managed another cricket victory with the chapel team on Wednesday and modesty forbids me to say that I took 4 wickets in 2 overs!

Love

Mike & Kate