25^th March 2018

Dear All,

There has been plenty on this week without a single night in one way or another. On Monday swimming was followed by the dentist, allotment digging (after kale), and erecting four bird boxes which were part of Esther’s birthday gifts. In the evening I was at Mepal for a Garden Club talk on “Alliums”. This caused a little excitement as they were expecting a talk on flowering Alliums and I was talking about Leeks, Onions etc.!

Kate has designs on re-carpeting my office while I am in Moldova so we had to visit Dentons in Cottenham to choose a replacement on Tuesday – this was fairly painless as we chose from the first book we were offered. The garden had dried out enough to start planting: early potatoes, onion sets, peas from a gutter, and sowing beetroot and carrots. In the evening we had a long church meeting mainly about changing or stopping the evening service – predictably there were enough of the elderly who are not keen on change!

On Wednesday we went to St Ives on the guided bus to finish Moldova shopping then a bit more digging in the back garden after leeks. In the evening it was our annual 10 pin bowling expedition to Pidley. This is always popular with 24 bowling and another 4 or 5 just there for the meal.

Spectators Agog!

Action shot

Thursday’s jaunt started at Shepreth and followed clear ex chalk streams through Barrington, Meldreth and Melbourn. It was an excellent walk illuminated with daffodils, violets, kingcups and primroses. In the evening it was the first Over Fruit & Vegetable Show Planning meeting of the year. As ever the minutes and agenda were of prodigious length.

River Mel

River Cam

Meldreth Mill

Kingcups

Our final “Biographies” of the year features “James Murray” a Scottish lexicographer who was heavily involved in starting the Oxford English Dictionary. It was predicted that the first edition would take 10 years to produce on 7,000 pages; in the end it took 60 years and 12 volumes with 301,000 entries. This was followed by a meal in “Cote Brasserie”. The service left a little to be desired as after one and a half hours we had only had starters and some people had not ordered a starter so were getting rather hungry! I was presented with a couple of bottles of wine for taking my projector in when needed which made for a tricky bike ride back from the guided bus with the projector, wine and another bag. In the evening we had a Deacons & Wives meal at Kate & Gordon’s at Haddenham followed by more long discussions.

James Murray

Riverford have been in touch for some more work on their cropping programmes so I spent much of Saturday morning working on “Winter Brassicas” mainly savoys and purple sprouting broccoli. They find with mild winters in Devon, crops come in too early giving surpluses in the autumn early winter and running out later on.

Football this week was Cambridge University Press 0 v 2 West Wratting - for the 4th time in 5 weeks a player was sent off.

Love

Mike & Kate

18^th March 2018

Dear All,

Well spring didn’t last long! I managed to dig the Brussels sprout land at the allotment on Tuesday morning then Wednesday’s rain made for difficult walking on Thursday and the return of snow yesterday and today saw a full reversion to winter. Still nothing compared to Stockholm where the latest pictures are again of frozen sea around Sodermalm. Another photo shows Albert strutting his stuff at the nursery Friday pm disco!

Frozen Sea around Sodermalm

Raver!

After swimming on Monday I had another trip to St Neots to try and sort the CEEM bank account – nearly there now but a painful business!

On Tuesday and Wednesday I had three talks in 24 hours. First on “Street Pastors” to Over Women’s meeting then “Moldova Update” to our house group then a rare daytime Garden Club at Sutton on “Vegetables in a Small Garden”. In the evening Dave and I watched a floodlight game Godmanchester v Histon played on the worst pitch we have seen for some time with players sinking ankle deep into soggy soil.

Thursday saw us at Balsham and the going was tough as paths and fields were all very wet and slippery but when the going gets tough, the tough ……………..

Gathering at Balsham

Near West Wratting

Large Ploughed Field

Catkins

As long as you have appropriate footwear!

Kate had her last Pilates class at her usual venue as her teachers are retiring. She accompanied me into Cambridge on Friday for some shopping then after “Biographies” we visited Felicia – who some of you met at my 70^th as she is recovering from a bowel cancer operation. Biographies subject this week was “Eugenio Pacelli” perhaps better known as Pope Pius XII, the incumbent during WWII, who attracted great criticism for knowing about the extermination of 6 million Jews but doing very little about it. But as was said he wasn’t the only one.

Eugenia Pacelli

Brian Tyrell rang in the evening and as usual asked about each of our children in detail and wished to be remembered to you all.

Many thanks to those of you who remembered my birthday. Dave and I watched a very chilly local derby : Over 2 v 0 Bar Hill then 12 of us had a meal at the Three Tuns at Fen Drayton: Kate & Gordon, Merv & Pat, Glynis & Richard, Sue & Duncan, John Lane & Jane Gregory (whose partners are both abroad).

Ben is running in a half marathon at Hampton Court today which might also prove to be a little chilly!

Love

Mike & Kate

11^th March 2018

Dear All,

Our snow did not linger long – unlike Stockholm, where it has snowed every day since the family returned and the latest pictures are of them sledging and skating on the sea! Albert has been to nursery four days this week and seems to be recovering very well.

 

I have done a little more work for Riverford this week and on Tuesday Kate and I had a rare outing to the shops: Kate to find a new lampshade amongst other things and me to continue stocking up for Moldova. We have a new addition to our party a German chap called Philip from St Neots who I have yet to meet.

We had our last “Silk Road” session later that day. Least said – it could have been better. In the evening I had a Garden Club talk at Balsham where I was surprised to meet up with an old NIAB colleague and footballer Reg Whitehouse.

The sunshine on Wednesday encouraged me to start outdoor gardening, weeding and topdressing alliums, broad beans and brassicas. I also harvested the last of the Brussel sprouts and later in the week dismantled the vegetable cage and started digging. In the evening I did the first shift babysitting for Grace Burrell while Kate was at pilates.

Our Thursday walk started at Godmanchester traversing the largest enclosed meadow in the country taking in Brampton and Huntingdon. It was overcast and occasionally spitting but nothing serious. The A14 was usually within audible distance and had to be crossed a couple of times.

Godmanchester

River Ouse

Huntingdon Town Hall

Huntingdon Packhorse Bridge

Kate went to a lecture at Madingley Hall in the evening entitled: “Brexit – it’s effects on the Veterinary Profession and Meat Production“ evidently 50% of vets currently come from the EU including 95% of abattoir vets.

Biographies on Friday featured “Caroline Norton” a 19^th century writer who was instrumental in getting the law changed for women following divorce as she left a brutal husband who took all her money and kept their children.

Caroline Norton

Football was incident packed yesterday as we initially went to Sawston to watch Sawston v West Wratting but this was abandoned before half time as a Sawston player collapsed with a heart spasm. We then drove to Fulbourn for the second half of Fulbourn v Linton and Fulbourn ended with nine men following two dismissals.

Happy Mother’s day to all who qualify – Esther is planning to join us for lunch today.

Love

Mike & Kate

4^th March 2018

Dear All,

We have escaped the worst excesses of the weather this week compared to pictures coming out of Beaumont, Hove and the BBC. Not to say that it hasn’t been cold, as we have had at least -5°C most nights and one of -7°C, but nothing to interfere greatly with the daily rounds. I took Kate down to Hutton as planned last Sunday afternoon and she stayed in Hove until Tuesday morning and managed to catch a train to Cambridge despite numerous East Coast cancellations. Albert had his stiches and binding removed successfully and seems to recovering, although obviously a bit sore. Mary-Ann and the children returned to Stockholm on Wednesday, their flight was fine but they had a long delay for a train from the airport. The temperature there has been as low as -15°C. (as Wikipedia would say – all facts need checking!).

Meanwhile painting was going on and eventually we have completed the hall, stairs and landing (apart from the radiator which has not been cool recently).

I attended Over CC AGM on Monday night and have handed over the chapel cricket fixtures to the village team. We have run the chapel team for about 50 years but we are all getting older and it was the only way I could get 76 year old Mervyn to retire!

On Tuesday I met up with ex NIAB colleagues for a meal – this time at Girton Golf Club as the usual nearby pub is closed for renovations.

Kate and I had a walk round Over Fen on Wednesday and our normal Thursday walk took place as usual, but starting nearer to Cambridge at Barrington than the planned start at Great Easton. 18 hardy souls turned out and it was bracing but enjoyable once you had warmed up. We called on Glynis & Richard Fenwick who had just returned from Sri Lanka and were adapting to the temperature contrast of +30°C to -5°C!

Over Fen End Pond

Royal Oak, Barrington

Hardy Souls

River Cam and Haslingfield church

Our “Biography” subject this week was David Bohm a Theoretical Physicist who contributed unorthodox ideas to the Quantum theory (keep up!), his father was a Hungarian Jew and David was a member of the communist party so attracted attention from the HCUA (House Committee for Un-American Activities). He was acquitted but sacked from his job.

David Bohm

In the afternoon I had arranged a chapel visit to the Museum of Cambridge (formerly the Folk Museum). We had a conducted tour from an enthusiast which helped bring it to life. It is situated in an old inn and contains 400 years of Cambridge and Cambridgeshire history. In the evening we were invited to John & Sally Lane’s for dinner as a reward for minding their hen flock (3) for a couple of months.

Old Tavern

Apple Peeler

All local football was cancelled yesterday so my usual fellow spectator Dave Harrower and I played Table Tennis.

Due to illness and holidays numbers are reduced for today’s services and Kate is on flowers, door duty, children’s talk and crèche followed by entertaining for lunch – it is a day of rest after all!

Love

Mike & Kate

25^th February 2018

Dear All,

Quite a lot of family action this week with Albert’s op., Esther’s accident, meeting up with Mary, Graham, Jen and David and the cousin’s weekend.

Most of you will know that Albert came through his operation on Monday OK but subsequently had a blockage on Wednesday and Mary-Ann had to take him back to A&E on the bus as they are currently without a car. She was feeling under the weather herself so had a trying week. He seems to be recovering now and they have a check tomorrow. On the same day Esther rand to say that “a youth” had driven into the back of her while she was stationary – she was unhurt but the bumper was damaged but hopefully not the ramp and pulley she has fitted to accommodate wheelchairs.

Kate and I met with Mary, Graham, Jen and David at Saffron Walden on Wednesday for a Weatherspoon’s meal and stroll round town. We had arranged to meet at 12 noon and were surprised to discover Graham already tucking in. Being down to his last few coppers he has worked out that their breakfasts represent the best value for money and they stop swerving them at 12! Saffron Walden is an interesting place to explore and we followed one of the town trails. David was bothered by his chest and had to drop out.

Saffron Walden Town Hall

The Arsenal Defence

I am due to go to Moldova again on 10^th April, this time with Terry Rugg an IT expert from Buckden. We met up on Monday to discuss and plan. John will not be joining us from Turkey but plans to go later in the year.

I went back to NIAB on Tuesday to meet old colleagues but also to deliver some Gromwell seed that was collected for us in Moldova – it has taken some time for the commercial company involved in a joint venture with NIAB to come up with the agreed payment but this has now happened. I went on the “Silk Road” course and this week it was the journeys of the Polo family which really started the trade routes. Marco’s father and uncle Niccolo and Maffio made a six year journey from Constantinople to Dadu (Beijing) starting in 1259 but it does not get much recognition because it was not written up. Unlike Marco’s journey with his father and uncle again leaving in 1271 when Marco was only 17. When they got to China Kubla Khan would not give them permission to leave so they spent 17 years there and the whole journey took 25 years.

I had another Garden Club talk in the evening this time at Orwell. On Wednesday evening I attended Over Garden Club expecting to hear the head gardener of Wolfson College who is a former NIAB colleague, instead there had been a last minute swap and the RSPB warden of the Ouse Washes updated us on the Reed Bed developments in Over Fen as recently featured on “Countryfile” When it is finished it should be 700 ha and the largest of its kind in Europe.

Walking on Thursday did not get off to a good start as roadworks in Cottenham meant that it took 42 minutes to drive from Willingham to Cottenham. We were leading one of the walks and managed to arrive only a few minutes after the scheduled start at Stow cum Quy. The walk started very cold but the sun came out again (as on the previous two Thursdays) and it was a decent walk as we managed to avoid the muddiest places by the river. Highlight was finding a pen of cranes in the middle of the fen as well as several banks of snowdrops. John Lane came for dinner having recently returned from two months in Australia, Thailand and Dubai.

Quy pond

Snowdrops

Quy Avenue

“Biographies” subject this week was “Elon Musk” a very colourful South African born Canadian American business magnate, investor, engineer and inventor currently the 53^rd richest man in the world. He is obsessed with settling on Mars to save mankind and invested huge sums in rockets to get there.

We had a men’s breakfast yesterday with the speaker David Mann who had spent his life as a medical missionary in Africa most recent in Madagascar for 20 years setting up a hospital which served and area half the size of Wales. This was followed in the pm with a Lego session for which Kate was chief cook. I watched a tense top of the table clash between Gt Shelford and West Wrating which ended 1 v 1.

Kate is going to help Mary-Ann tomorrow as Andy has to return to Stockholm so the plan is that I take her to Hutton lunchtime so that she can travel back to Hove with them in their hired car – the train journey on a Sunday would involve 5 changes!

Love

Mike & Kate