28th July 2019

Dear All,

After swimming Monday, Kate and I travelled down to Hutton for serious gardening, mainly in the form of weeding and trimming back overgrown bushes. You could certainly see the difference at the end of the day – the garden looked considerably larger.

The Hutton Chainsaw Massacre!

On Wednesday Ian Gordon and I met up with Ben at Lords to witness the first day of the inaugural Test Match against Ireland. It was rather warm and an incident packed day with England all out for 85 before lunch. It was a bit like watching Over 2^nd XI bat! We met up with Colin Day thanks to Mary-Ann reading his Facebook intention and passing the message to Ben.

Lords

Ian & Ben gently roasting!

Our esteemed walk leader cancelled the Thursday walk having studied the weather forecast for the day. The previous time we walked in a heat wave we were lined up for a serious talk at the start and advised to drink plenty of water, take frequent stops and not walk too fast – then he set off at full steam at his usual pace! Instead I went to the funeral of James French the son of ex NIAB colleagues who had sadly committed suicide. The funeral was at the new Crematorium at Great Chesterford and was packed, one third of the attendees seated, one third standing at the back and one third outside – and it was very hot – not just because it was a crematorium!

We prepared a cricket pitch on Friday only to have the match rained off again yesterday. It seems to have been a dry summer with most of the rain reserved for Saturdays.

Yesterday was our annual chapel outing to the seaside, this time to Walton-on-the Naze instead of the usual Hunstanton. The weather forecast was not too encouraging and it rained most of the way down and most of the way back but was not too bad there. David had kindly arranged the hire of the Martello Road church hall that we had used before on our previous visit in 2009 and we met up with Dave and Jen at the Naze tower just before departing. The weather had been good enough to allow a stroll to the end of the pier and beach games.

Walton Pier

George & Merv

Beach Game

Spectators

When we arrived home Ben was here having biked up for the evening wedding reception of one of his school contemporaries. It had taken him quite a long time as he needed running repairs on the way.

We are off to Ian Gordon’s 80^th celebrations at Granchester Red Lion this lunch time

Love

 Mike & Kate

21st July 2019

Dear All,

For some reason the swimming pool was very quiet on Monday and Kate and I had it nearly to ourselves for the first 30 minutes – and it is much more enjoyable if you are not weaving in and out and avoiding bow waves. It was the last week of mid-week cricket matches this week as the youth leagues finish with the school term. I prepared three wickets on Monday and from now on it should only be one for Saturday games, however they are expecting excitement from the World Cup victory (?) and arranging another Kwik Cricket tournament next Tuesday.

We were down at Hove on Tuesday/Wednesday as Mary-Ann has started work again at the Archaeology Dept. and we looked after Albert and collected Amélie from school. Wednesday was warm enough to visit the paddling pool and have lunch at Fat Boy Slim’s café on the sea front. The kittens are still the centre of Amélie’s life although they have to share the limelight with the tropical fish she had for her birthday. Andy has been in the US all week.

Mud Cocktails

Tarzan of the Paddling Pool

Kitten Therapy

Our Thursday walk started at Wicken and bordered Soham and Burwell. It was a new route which did not include much of Wicken Fen. One of our number developed a balance problem after 5 miles or so and had to be helped along a narrow rough stretch between a dyke and fence. We met a large herd of Konik ponies with foals and both Kate and I got bitten by horseflies.

Near Soham

Konik Ponies

The lady next to the cemetery allotments died earlier this year and the hedge between us became very overgrown so we purchased a cordless hedge trimmer yesterday to remedy the problem.

Over beat Cambourne yesterday chasing 196 and racing to finish before the rain.

We are planning to sort Esther’s garden on Monday and I am meeting up with Ben to attend the Test match v Ireland on Wednesday, sadly he has had yet another bike stolen this week.

Love

 Mike & Kate

14^th July 2019

Dear All,

We had a gathering of the clans yesterday to mark Kate’s brother Philip’s 60^th birthday and his daughter Natasha’s 21^st and graduation. We met at Stamford “Cosy Club” which was large and noisy and the hosts were over 30 minutes late and some of the guests (Irish!) over an hour late so it made for a long evening. Mary-Ann, Andy, Amélie and Albert came up Friday evening and Esther and Emma Saturday lunch time and all stayed last night. It was also the Over Carnival fund raising picnic yesterday with some stalls and bouncy castles etc. in addition we had been invited to a birthday party and a wedding – it never rains but it pours!

Philip, Lenin (Natasha’s boyfriend) & Natasha

Amelie & Albert at the Picnic

On Monday four of us travelled to Chelmsford to watch Essex dominate Yorkshire. The sun shone for most of the day and it was a good day out.

Essex batting

We had a company come and give us a quote for re felting the flat roof recently and we accepted the quote last week anticipating a delay while they booked a date. However on Wednesday they phoned to ask whether they could come that day as the A14 was blocked and they couldn’t get to their planned destination. We agreed so it was largely completed that day. Later I had a saga replacing our car radio. I went to Halfords in Cambridge and the first three models that I chose were not in stock, so I purchased the fourth anticipating that it would be fitted as promised in their advert, however they did not have anyone available to carry this out. I thought I could do this myself and they looked up their computer to assure me that I did not need any adaptors or extra wires. When I tried the fitting it was not straightforward, so I took it to the local garage – who told me I did need adaptors and I would have to go back to Halfords. They advised that the Huntingdon branch was more clued up than the Cambridge one so I drove there having to follow a tractor all the way from Willingham to St Ives then hitting a gridlock at St Ives. The Huntingdon branch was indeed better than Cambridge and sorted the problem albeit after a 30 minute wait

.

Flat roof

On Thursday our walk stated at Guilden Morden and was largely sunny and warm. Highlight was stumbling across a nest of newly hatched partridge chicks which blended in with the vegetation remarkably well.

Guilden Morden Pump

Partridge chick

The garden is still producing well with apricots ripening and French Beans beginning. I have also harvested garlic and shallots this week.

Shallots

Apricots

Love  Mike & Kate

7^th July 2019

Dear All,

We were on the streets again last night – hence the delay in publication! It was unusual to be on two weekends running. It was fairly busy as there was a musical festival on Parkers Piece but not too many serious incidents: a young woman with three children under 6 who had lost her phone and identity and a German lad who was so drunk he didn’t understand my German!

Earlier at Men’s breakfast we had a man who worked for Smith, Klein, Glaxo and was responsible for breathing aids and respirators – he was excellent.

It has been a busy week for cricket pitch preparation with games on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and a youth tournament today. Ironically it rained Saturday afternoon so the match was abandoned – the first rain we have had for a couple of weeks. I was called into action for the first time on Wednesday and took 2 wickets and had 2 catches dropped off my bowling – must be close to being Over’s oldest ever wicket taker!

We had the annual allotment swap inspection with the Fenwick’s on Tuesday. They have 7 allotments on a different site to ours some of which are down to hay and Christmas trees.

Part of Fenwick’s empire

Kate, Glynis & Richard

On Thursday we led a walk from Horseheath – not a favourite location in winter but much better in the summer.

Rough going near Horseheath

Near Shudy Camps

Harvesting continues – onions, currants and raspberries to the fore this week.

Autumn onions & Elephant garlic

Kate pricking out

Eucomis

Love

Mike & Kate

30th June 2019

Dear All,

Phew –what a scorcher! I hope you all came through yesterday unfrazzled? The rain and the heat have meant that the garden is moving fast and needs some keeping up with. We picked three buckets full of broad beans and Kate has harvested several punnets of red currants this week. Kate has produced a new broad bean offering when they are over mature by shelling and mashing them and turning them into mushy broad beans. Raspberries are also cropping well and I have had a whole row of cauliflowers variety Boris (no comment needed).

Wednesdays Red Currant harvest

We had a whole car full for swimming on Monday being joined by Jenny, Carol and Dennis (a new chap from chapel). In the evening I had a Cemetery Trustees meeting and decided not to put up the cost of dying!

On Tuesday we drove up to Saham Toney in Norfolk, near Watton to visit Bill & Joyce Chowings with Glynis Fenwick. Bill was my boss at NIAB and preceded me as Head of Vegetable Trials. He is keeping fairly well but Joyce had dementia so he has a full time job looking after her and the household chores. They took us for a meal at a local country club which was very good but as we were the only customers it was a job to see how they keep going.

Bill, Joyce, Kate, Mike & Glynis at Barn Hall

We were walking north of the county on Thursday starting at Glatton near Stilton. Numbers were low as several are put off travelling on the A 14 at present but it was a good walk as we saw Red Kites, a Buzzard, clouds of Meadow Brown butterflies and a patch of bee orchids.

Washingley

Bee orchid

Kate in the Barley (without Theresa May)

Stilton village sign

Stilton Bell

We had young Arthur again on Friday to allow his mother some respite and I managed to start an ancient rotary mower that has been in the cemetery chapel unused for about 30 years.

We were on Street Pastor duty on Friday and were expecting a busy night as it was pay day and warm but it was fairly quiet until inevitably knocking off time when we found a young lad comatose outside Lola’s. As we could not rouse him we had to call an ambulance fearing it would take ages to appear, but in fact it arrived in 30 minutes which was as well because he was deteriorating.

I was asked to play cricket yesterday but declined due to getting to bed at 4.45am and with scorching heat it was a wise decision. It was a low scoring game as Over defended 104 by dismissing Chippenham for 90.

David is away today so I am 12^th choice to do the talk this morning – no peace for the wicked!

Love

Mike & Kate

23rd June 2019

Dear All,

This week we hosted the U3A “Just Vegetating” crowd for lunch and a look round the garden. 15 came and were very appreciative of the food.

The garden has responded to the recent rains and has been bountiful. We have picked two bucket full of Broad Beans, peas, cabbage, strawberries and raspberries as well as lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, calabrese and new potatoes.

Thursday’s walk was a contrast with last week; shirt sleeves, dry underfoot and larger numbers. We began at Barley and took in Barkway and Nuthampstead. The crops were mostly looking good including several with Phacelia margins to encourage insects.

Barley Fox & Hounds sign

Phacelia border

View towards Great Chishall

Kate has had another busy week on the Pastoral care front including attending a weekly “Anger Management” session with a lady who needs it – but applies everything to others! And on Friday we had baby Arthur all day as his mother is a little depressed and not coping very well. Fortunately he is very placid and easy to manage but this makes his mother think there is something wrong with him!

I was judging Stapleford Produce show on Saturday – this is rather small so not too arduous but getting there was fraught as the A 14 was closed as they were blowing up an old bridge. This also meant we have had a couple of noisy nights as traffic is being diverted through the village.

Stapleford Show

Bar Hill Bridge

Over Garden Club had an outing to Beth Chatto’s garden yesterday. Fortunately we did not join as we have been a few times before. An elderly lady fell and an ambulance was called as they suspected a broken hip. However the ambulance took over 4 hours to arrive so they all had a rather long day.

Our new cricket square mower was finally delivered this week – a snip at £2,950 second hand! – but it does do an excellent job.

Love

Mike & Kate