14^th June 2020

Dear All,

Another mixed week weather wise as we have enjoyed several showers without thorough soakings. Our electrician finally made an appearance and changed 6 strip lights to LEDs and updated our fuse box.

Kate has been busy mask making this week so can now augment her ex work Tesco shopping mask with a homemade suitable for public transport version!

Our U3A “Biographies” is planned to go ZOOM for the autumn term and as the weather was cold and damp on Wednesday, I began preparation on my choice for this year “Cornelius Vermuyden”.

We substituted a bike ride for the normal walk on Thursday but it was very windy and hard work along the road to Willingham and back along the footpath and Furtherford. We did a longer walk on Friday starting at St Ives and walking to Houghton Mill, Hemingford Abbots and Hemingford Grey.

St Ives

 

The Thicket

Houghton Mill

Yesterday we did a familiar walk down Lowburyholme, the flood bank, Webb’s Hole and Overcote. The outstanding features were watching House Martins feeding chicks in the nest holes in the Webb’s Hole sluice gate and the sheer volume of Mallow blooming in nearly every hedgerow.

House Martin nests

Mallow

As I reported last week Overcote is having a facelift and it is attracting the crowds, we counted 22 cars there with numerous water-based activities.

Overcote

In the garden it has been a serious spraying week for aphids, rust and blight. Strawberries and raspberries continue to crop very well and cauliflowers, broccoli, cucumbers, peas and carrots have been harvested and the first tomato.

With love

Mike & Kate

7^th June 2020

Dear All,

It has been an interesting week weather-wise as we changed from being too hot with every window open to actually lighting a fire last night. The rain has been welcome if a little hesitant here. The badger fencing has worked so far with no further damage but there is a long way to go. The last area of free space has been filled with leeks this week at all three sites. This used to be an easy crop to grow but thanks to Leek Moth and Allium Leaf Miner it is necessary to spray and cover from the outset. Walking or biking has continued nearly every day. On shorter walks this week we have seen the changes at Overcote where paths and a launching strip have been improved and a house that disappeared over night in Lowburyholme.

Overcote

 

Lowburyholme

We were joined by four of our walking friends for the Thursday outing – observing social distancing of course, and crossed the river and circumnavigated Barleycroft Lake. There was as usual plenty of bird life but the outstanding feature was large patches of bee orchids.

Lawrie, Kate, Elly, Maureen & David

 

Bee Orchids

We have managed to get all the cash successfully transferred to Moldova this week but it was far from straightforward.  I have been composing a newsletter which I will circulate after running past my colleague. I had an email from John Law in Turkey – he has just received 3 months’ worth of mail on one day.

Jackie has very kindly sent me a face mask in exchange for seed.

Wanted for Masked Hold ups!

With love

Mike & Kate

31st May 2020

Dear All,

Well it seems like more of the same this week: walking, watering, ZOOMing and gardening. The main addition for us has been a trip to Kate & Gordon’s at Haddenham – the furthest we have been for 10 weeks to replace some tomato plants and a battle with badgers at the allotment. I have grown potatoes for about 60 years and have never had a serious pest problem but I suspect because of the drought the badgers have discovered my patch at the allotment and dug about a quarter of them. I think they are probably looking for worms but also chew the seed potatoes as well. This week we have replaced a puny low fence with 1.5m chicken wire dug in at the bottom and weighted down. In addition, we have placed petrol-soaked rags around the edge. It worked Friday night but we haven’t checked today as yet. Frustratingly they have not touched potatoes on the other allotments which are not protected at all.

Badger damage

 

New Fence

For our longer walk this week we drove to Earith bridge and walked round the lakes there. We intended starting by taking the footpath along the Old Bedford River but it was closed. In general, it was not as good as recent walks as the lakes are mostly owned by private fishing syndicates and sealed off with wire fences. The highlight was the vast numbers of Damselflies. The previous day walking in Over Fen there were masses of Banded Demoiselles.

An unusual sight was an Allan Williams turret. It is a Pre-Fabricated Defence Structure built of Steel. It was manned by two crew members with a Lewis Gun, who entered through the entrance tunnel The turret could be rotated through 360 degrees giving a limitless field of view of fire. 199 Turrets ordered and built. Designed to be used for all types of light weapons: Bren, Lewis, Boys, Hotchkiss & Browning.

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Damselflies

  

Earith Lakes

 

Allan Williams Turret

Banded Demoiselle

This week in the garden I have planted cabbage, cauliflowers and leeks while strawberries and raspberries are coming on stream, together with calabrese, broad beans and mange tout peas.

With love

Mike & Kate

24th May 2020

Dear All,

The heat and lack of rain have meant we have spent quite a lot of time watering this week as several crops and flowers are newly transplanted and not well established as yet.

Watercan line up

My other gardening project has been to construct another compost bin at the allotment from pallets. I have also been forced to fence potatoes for the first time as they are attracting attention from badgers at the allotment.

Patented Compost Bin !

It was so hot on Thursday that we postponed our longer walk until Friday. This time we crossed the river at the Staunch again then headed along the river bank towards “The Pike & Eel” then to Needingworth and back around the gravel works and Barleycroft Lake. The main feature this week was the profusion of Dog Roses.

  

From the Staunch

  

Dog Roses

Needingworth Lake

Terry and I had a ZOOM session with Moldova this week as we sort out the mechanism of transferring money. They have only recorded 221 deaths so far but like many other countries are sceptical about the truth of the statistics. Their restrictions were eased on the 15^th May and they are allowed gatherings of 50 as long as they are outdoors and socially distanced. They held their Sunday service like this last week. The “Meal Deal” for children has not been able to meet but they have been taking food round to the neediest.

Philip is busy making plans for U3A walkers to resume in groups of 6 and rotating round a series of local locations. We think he is a little ahead of the game at present! U3A have contacted us with options for this autumn’s classes which will not meet but may continue on-line or be postponed. We have opted for postponement for “Just Vegetating” but will probably try ZOOM for “Biographies”.

With love

Mike & Kate

17th May 2020

Dear All,

We continue to be relatively fortunate during the lockdown in being able to walk each day, be occupied in the garden and allotment and have remained healthy. I realise it is much tougher for those working from home, home educating or not feeling well. We do however miss seeing children, grandchildren and friends.

Highlights this week include decorating, wedding anniversary, another new walk and a couple of mega planting days.

The paint we purchased before the lockdown could not be restrained in the pot any longer once the weather turned cold and windy at the beginning of this week. Kate did all the preparation and I applied the paint in the back bathroom.

Preparation - Before

During

 

After

On Friday we managed to remember our wedding anniversary this year as we clocked up 49 years. The celebration consisted of this week’s long walk and a Fish and Chips take away – we know how to live!

We did the longer walk on Friday this week due to the interruption of decorating but found another excellent route across the river to Barleycroft Lake. This was teeming with bird life and both on the lake and on the Over RSPB reserve there were large creches of goslings – up to 50 in one group.

Gosling Creche – Over Fen

 

Creche on Barleycroft Lake

Barleycroft Lake

After three nights frantically covering all susceptible plants in the garden, at Ken’s and on the allotment we have decided that it is unlikely that there will be any more frosts, so on Friday afternoon and Saturday we planted Sweet Corn, Brussel sprouts, Sprouting broccoli, Kale, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Squash, Marrows, Courgettes & Pumpkins. Another frost now would be interesting!

With love

Mike & Kate

10th May 2020

Dear All,

Kate duly celebrated her lockdown birthday on Monday thanks to all contributors. She actually shares the date with 3 other Over residents. We topped the day off with an Indian take away.

Birthday Loot

The barter system is flourishing locally as John Lane exchanged a trout for some seeds and Mervyn swapped a bottle of port for some tomato plants! On Tuesday evening Glynis tapped on our window and said “Why aren’t you out covering your susceptible plants as there is a frost warning?”. We then spent an hour covering strawberries, Runner and French Beans and potatoes in the garden, in Ken Elsom’s garden and the allotment. In the end it was only a slight frost but it did touch a few uncovered plants.

Garden

  

Allotment

Kate braved Tesco’s again on Wednesday lunchtime and it was fairly quiet and civilised. She managed to find most things with the exception of bread flour.

Ready for Tesco’s

 I have been asked to write an article for the RHS “Garden” magazine on the recent Winter Cabbage trial. I completed this on Wednesday but it is for the November issue so do not hold your breath!

We made an early start for Thursday’s walk and headed down Fen End towards Willingham, then did a complete loop round the gravel workings to Earith then back along the Rothschild Way which runs parallel to the river. Rothschild was a wealthy industrialist with an interest in conservation. He purchased Wicken and Wood Walton fens and donated Wicken to the National Trust. In appreciation a route between the two sites was named after him. We heard bitterns booming again and saw sand martins as well as several swallows.

Gravel Workings

Scotch Thistles

Rothschild Way

We held a low profile V.E. day celebration on Friday by drinking wine on the front drive. There were several bunting strewn gatherings in the village and 3 veterans – including Ken whose garden I tend were given special presentations by the British Legion.

VE Day party!

With love

Mike & Kate