8th September 2019

Dear All,

On Monday morning it was back to swimming after the holiday break which we take because the times change and the numbers swell. We had Arthur and Grace again for the morning and I attended the dental surgery to find that the dentist was on sick leave – a fairly frequent experience!

On Tuesday we had an allotment session and I started clearing a patch of brambles behind the chapel. This is an area that used to belong to next door but somehow got transferred to us and nobody told us. We have a very solid safe at the chapel and the key has been mislaid so a locksmith was called to open it, it took 2 hours!

Bramble patch

Going

Our car was MOT’d on Wednesday after brakes had been changed – so an expensive day.

Thursday’s walk was local starting at Oakington and taking in Rampton and Westwick skirting the new development at Northstowe. In the evening we had an Over Show committee meeting to review this year’s show.

Oakington

  

Northstowe

  

Westwick Park

On Friday I prepared the last two cricket pitches of the year for a couple of post season friendlies. Kate has been fence painting then in the evening it was Street Pastors again. It was reasonably quiet but enough interesting incidents to keep us amused!

We are off to the Black Mountains in Wales on Tuesday for a few days walking – weather permitting.

This week’s star plant is Phacelia which is a magnet for insects of all types but especially bees.

Phacelia plus Bee

With love

Mike & Kate

1^st September 2019

Dear All,

We had a 70^th birthday celebration on Sunday for Glynis Fenwick and 1^st birthday BBQ for Arthur Burrell on Monday – as Tony Hancock might say “Friends of all ages – none in the middle!”

It has been a painting week, Kate has smartened up the bay windows and I had freshened up the bottom shed. Both efforts had an edge as Kate up a ladder still brings back unpleasant memories and while standing in a compost bin to paint the shed I discovered that it also contained a wasp nest.

Smartened Bay Window

Waterproofed Shed

Star plants in the garden this week include Rose cv Blessings, Spanish Flag and a self-set Nicotinia sylvestris. Also the fig trees have been productive.

Rose cv Blessings

Nicotinia sylvestris

Spanish Flag

Fig

Our Thursday jaunt started at Burrough Green near Newmarket and touched Stechworth and the River Stour. There were some impressive maize crops and autumn ploughing was well underway.

Near Stechworth

Vast Maize field

Over lost their last cricket match of the season narrowly by 9 runs in the last over but the football team are performing well on their return to the top division currently unbeaten after 5 games and lying in 2^nd place.

We are expecting Dave and Ana Garlick from Ecuador this afternoon.

With love

Mike & Kate

25^th August 2019

Dear All,

It was the first Wisley meeting of the year on Tuesday judging Dwarf French Beans and outdoor Cucumbers and checking Fennel and Spring sown bulb Onions. The journeys to and fro were thankfully without problems which is a rarity. Wisley is undergone numerous changes with a completely new entrance, several new buildings and the prospect of rearrangement of trial sites. The Beans were hard to sort with 40 varieties and mainly small differences but the cucumbers were much easier with fewer numbers and larger differences.

 New Wisley Entrance

Panel judging French Beans

Hydrangea paniculata

We entertained Grace and Arthur again on Monday while their mother Rachel went for a hospital consultation. Kate had thought through entertainments for Grace and it went quite well.

Arthur tackling Sweet Corn

I have had three sessions strimming the graveyard this week, there is a contractor who mows between graves but there are many neglected graves which get overgrown.

Our walk this Thursday began at Halls Green not far from Stevenage and took in Graveley and Warrens Green. Harvest was not as far advanced as locally where it has almost finished.

Near Graveley

It was the chapel BBQ yesterday at the Kitson’s so the weather was kind with a reasonable turnout.

Expert Chefs

Burrell family

Both Over cricket teams won yesterday and with only one game left for the 1sts both teams will finish mid table. With Ipswich and Colchester winning and England cricket team showing a little fight it was a good sporting day yesterday!

It is Glynis Fenwick’s 70^th this weekend so we are back to Swavesey Windmill to celebrate this afternoon.

Ben found his first days cycling in the Balkans challenging due to the heat and climbing. The temperature was 38°C and he travelled 50 km without find anywhere to get water. He ended up cycling 10 hours covering 100 miles! He arrived in Dubrovnik and has been to Mostar and Sarajevo. Some of the scenery is spectacular. Meanwhile my fellow cricket pitch operative John Lane sets out for the US next week planning to cycle from the south to the north following the Mississippi, having completed  east to west 11 years ago. You could feel tired thinking about these guys!

With love

Mike & Kate

18^th August 2019

Dear All,

It has been a relatively quiet week mainly gardening, cricket pitch preparation, walking and a bit of woodwork. I have renovated the garden table that Dad helped me build many years ago – it is now like Trigger’s broom with no original timber left!

The garden continues to be productive with Sweet Corn coming on stream together with tomatoes of all shapes, colours and sizes. Kate has been busy stringing onions as well as sorting the flower gardens.

    

Over began their football season on Tuesday night drawing their first game back in the Premier League.

I invested in new walking boots on Wednesday as my old ones were wearing in the heel and producing blisters. Kate and I did a short walk round Over Fen on Tuesday and our main walk on Thursday started at Stapleford and took in Wandlebury and the Gogs.

Over Fen

Wandlebury

Wandlebury Granery

View of the Gog Magog Hills

Mary-Ann and family have enjoyed? A few days damp camping near Swanage and Ben is off cycling round the Balkans for two weeks.

With love

Mike & Kate

11^th August 2019

Dear All,

Kate and I spent most of last week in Hove helping mind Amélie and Albert now that school holidays have arrived and Mary-Ann is back at work. We drove down on Monday evening when it was relatively quiet and made record time. Albert was at nursery on Tuesday so we took Amélie for a picnic near Devil’s Dyke and explored the South Downs. The weather was fine and with plenty of flowers and butterflies to chase Amélie was very happy. After we drove down to Shoreham-on-Sea where there is a wonderful array of houseboats of all shapes and designs.

Butterfly Hunter

South Downs

Shoreham-on-Sea

Sussex v Glamorgan

In the evening Mary-Ann and I watched Sussex v Glamorgan in a floodlight T20 cricket match which Sussex won very easily.

On Wednesday we took both children to Newhaven, Paradise Park. This has an excellent mixture of Museum, scientific exhibits, Dinosaurs,  Plantarium, Sussex heritage trail, train ride, crazy golf and play-ground so it was not too difficult to keep them amused.

Paradise Park, Newhaven

Plantarium

Sussex Heritage Trail

Albert was at nursery again Thursday so we took Amélie to the South Downs Heritage Centre at Hassocks which has Farm exhibits, a food hall, garden centre and art gallery. After we took another picnic up Wolstonbury Hill which had great views and even more flowers and butterflies. We left for home at 8pm and had another good run.

Farm Machinery, Hassocks

Walking towards Wolstonbury Hill

Summit of Wolstonbury Hill

John Lane and I prepared a cricket pitch in damp conditions on Friday morning but both teams managed to lose yesterday in rather trying windy conditions. Later on Friday we picked the first Sweet Corn and plenty of Tomatoes, Runner and French Beans.

We were on the streets Friday night but the combination of wind and rain resulted in a rather quiet night with few incidents – which also makes for a long night and plenty of walking.

With love

Mike & Kate