28^th  May 2017

Dear All,

On Monday we were fortunate enough to attend the Chelsea Flower Show Preview Day. It was sunny all day and not too crowded. There were the usual celebrities to spot: Nigel Havers, Joanna Lumley, Anneka Rice, Bill Bailey, Darcey Bussell, Jo Whiley but there were only 8 large show gardens – down from 13 and most of these were packed with rocks and architecture. The small Artisan gardens were much more interesting and the indoor displays were as usual fantastic. The garden furniture and sculptures are more amazing each year. We had to leave before the Queen arrived – but I am sure she understood!

I had to do a talk on Moldova for the Women’s Fellowship on Tuesday before driving down to Hove. We took Albert to the Hove paddling pool on Wednesday – to say he enjoyed it would be an understatement.

 

Our Thursday walk began at Horseheath this week. Kate and I were leading the shorter walk. Philip gathered everyone before the start for a talk which included being careful in the sudden hot weather, drink plenty of water and take a short cut if you were feeling the effects. We were back at the pub by 12.30pm after 7.6 miles. Philip leading the longer walk arrived back at 1.30pm having covered 13 miles!

In between there has been plenty of gardening planting squash, pumpkins, marrows, courgettes, Sweet Corn,, Aubergine, chilis, Sweet potatoes, leeks, Brussels sprouts, calabrese, cauliflowers, kale and cabbage.

We were on Street Pastors on Friday night. The combination of hot weather, a beer festival, pay day and a Bank Holiday weekend meant that there were a lot of people out, but fortunately not too much trouble. The police briefing told us that following Manchester there were 4 armed response officers around but we did not see any evidence of their presence.

love

Mike & Kate

21st May 2017

Dear All,

It has been a busy week catching up with the garden, sorting photos, arranging a cricket team and a visit to a college garden.

On Monday I had a Garden Club talk at Ramsey. There were over 50 present and they were quite lively. On Tuesday I dismantled the seed propagator for the summer and the sand bed was full of ants which seem to be increasing each year. In the evening was a church business meeting where they agreed a £500 donation for Moldova.

Wednesday was meant to be our first chapel cricket match of the season and after spending considerable time assembling the team and confirming the opposition, it predictably broke the drought and it has been raining on and off ever since!

Our Thursday walk started at Clare in the Stour Valley. In Bulgaria each day’s walk was described as: Distance 15 km, climbing 500 m, descent 400 m. At Clare it was: Distance 14 km, climbing 10m, descent 10m! It was a return to mud underfoot but a pleasant walk and no rain while we were walking. We tried to prepare a cricket wicket in the evening but it was too wet and we did more harm than good.

 

     Clare  

                     

                          

  Belchamp St Paul church

 

 

Near Belchamp  

      

                                 

                                                                       River Stour

Friday evening I had arranged a garden visit to Murray Edwards College in Cambridge. This was opened in 1964 as “New College” but received a wad of cash from the Edwards family a few years back and was renamed including Murray from a distinguished head of college. It is the only college garden with a female head gardener and unique in encouraging visitors and students to take cuttings and sample edibles.

 

  Entrance to Murray Edwards                                   

The Dome

Jo Cobb head gardener                       

                                  

                                     

Pond

Yesterday it was the AGM of Street Pastors together with a talk on Homelessness. Last year there were 100 street patrols, 266 individuals were helped, 8500 glass bottles picked up, 300 bottles of water and 600 pairs of flip flops distributed. Nightlite was open 51 weeks, had 1200 visitors, helped 700 recover and gave practical assistance to 194.

The Homelessness talk was given by the Ely Dioses chaplain to the Homeless, John Canessa who amongst many other things chairs the “Cambridge Churches Homeless Project” who offer extra beds in churches in Cambridge during the 4 winter months. This uses 360 volunteers. The main challenges are that homelessness has doubled in 3 years, the police have withdrawn their Street Life Officers, affordable housing is scarce in Cambridge, begging earnings average £14 per hour and the growth in use of Spice (synthetic cannabis).

love

Mike & Kate

14^th May 2017

Dear All,

We have just returned from a week walking in Bulgaria. It was a great holiday and we can thoroughly recommend it. We stayed at Yagodina in the Rodolphe Mountains in the south of Bulgaria only 30 Km from the Greek border. Our accommodation was a small family run guest house which served traditional Bulgarian food. The scenery was spectacular – we were at about the height of Snowden and climbed about 300 m most days. In a week’s walking we only saw one other hiker and he was looking for mushrooms. It was about as remote as you can get in Europe with steep limestone gorges and tree covered slopes. The area is home to bears, wolves and wild boar but we only managed to see chamois and deer of the larger animals but also several birds and reptiles. Plant wise there were numerous orchids, wild iris, and roman hyacinths and several unique indigenous flowers.

We were in a party of 10 and the others were all interesting characters with tales to tell and our leader, a Bulgarian girl was excellent displaying great enthusiasm and knowledge of the area.

I have taken a few photos and hope to put them on Dropbox before long!

love

Mike & Kate

16th April 2017

Dear All,

Ben cycled up yesterday taking five and a half hours and plans to return this morning. We have just come in from a 6 am Sunrise Service in the orchard. As usual, the sun was shy about rising in public and had to be photoshopped into the pictures.

Albert has survived the first session of his two stage operation. I guess it was a little traumatic for him - and his parents. Mary-Ann sent a photo of him in recovery!

Kate and I had a rare shopping expedition to Cambridge on Monday after swimming. I needed a few more things for Moldova and Kate purchased a shelf ladder from the Futon sale.

Shelf Ladder

I did a Moldova presentation to our home groups on Tuesday and a “Modern Vegetable Varieties” talk to the NIAB Retired Association on Wednesday. In the evening we went to the theatre to see “Abigail’s Party” which was very good.

Our Thursday walk began at Chevington south of Bury St Edmunds and took in Hargrave and Chedburgh. The weather veered from hot in the sun to distinctly chilly when it went in and the ground had set like rock around wheelings and horses hoof marks.

Chevington Church

We marked up the cricket square on Thursday afternoon and began serious grass trimming ready for the new season. I have been replacing wooden slats in the front of the bike shed. The wood was shaped so I ordered it from our local wood yard and it was not cheap!

Our Wisteria at the front has come out this week and looking magnificent.

Love

Mike & Kate

9th April 2017
19 Willingham Road,

Over,

Cambridge.

CB24 5PD

Dear All,

Kate had a consultation at Addenbrooke’s on Wednesday. It went well after an initial scare when they asked for a scan on her right breast as there were some lumps that they were not happy about. The outcome was however favourable and they have agreed that she need not take any tablets at present having studied the possible side effects and balanced this against the possible gains. She has to go back again in July.

We had an “Esther Day” on Tuesday tackling her garden which she has not had time to master due to the Respite Care she is undertaking. After cutting the grass, weeding the front garden and raised beds, clearing out the greenhouse, harvesting last year’s potatoes, Planting tomatoes and sowing 2 of the raised beds – you could see where we had been!

 

A few before & afters

I fetched the cricket roller from its winter quarters on Wednesday and have rolled the square a few times so I guess summer is just round the corner? Kate has cleaned the glasshouse panes this week and I have renovated the “George Day memorial” garden furniture. Dad helped me make these about 25 years ago and like “Trigger’s Broom” there is very little of the original wood left but they have great sentimental value.

Our Thursday walk was fairly local starting at Great Wilbraham and taking in Little Wilbraham and skirting Fulbourn. It was warm and sunny throughout and firm and dry underfoot. Philip our ex military leader joined us for lunch but 10 weeks on a cruise round South America has left him far from fit.

 

We were on Street Pastors on Friday night. It started fairly quietly but as usual got busier after midnight. The worst incidents both occurred in night clubs: a head butting with copious blood and a case of very serious projectile vomiting. In both cases the bouncers eject those involved and leave them to fend as best they can. The sick guy needed considerable attention but fortunately his mates eventually claimed him at 3 am chucking out time.

Albert had a pre op session this week and has to have a small op. next Tuesday. He cannot eat or drink beforehand and this will exercise him very greatly!

Love

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Mike & Kate

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2^nd April 2017

Dear All,

We were down at Hove again this week, fortunately without breaking down but we were very aware of the spot when we drove past! The weather was not great but we managed to walk to the beach as well as carry out some shopping for the next Maldova trip. Amélie is showing signs of artistic talent – especially on any available wall! and Albert seems to pick things up very quickly and is not what you would call a fussy eater!

 

Before travelling down on Tuesday we attended the funeral of Phil Doggett an ex deacon and fruit grower in the village. He was a classic case of being stuck in the wrong job as he was a sensitive soul who loved reading and writing but ended up doing a practical job that he was not cut out for. In later life he took to going round dustbins collecting items that could be cleaned up and reused – but he did not reuse them but stored them in his house and sheds which gradually overflowed.

We had an excellent walk on Thursday starting at Clophill in Bedfordshire. Philip Shaw was meant to be leading the short walk but has returned from a 10 week cruise round South America somewhat worse for wear with a persistent chest infection. His wife described the cruise boat as “a bed of infection” with 13 people being invalided home. It did not make me want to go on a cruise but I guess it was just a poor example? The walk took in the “Greensand Ridge” and several woods. The first bluebells were just showing in flower and there were copious celandines, primroses and anemones. We saw three buzzards – one very close and a roe deer.

Maulden Mauseleum

Greensand Ridge, Clophill

Another good week in the garden planting late potatoes, celeriac, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflowers and tomatoes and sowing parsnips, salsify and carrots.

Merv and Pat returned from St Lucia having underestimated the power of the sun on the first day with red and peeling flesh!

Love

Mike & Kate