12^th November 2023

 

Dear All,

Back to a normality week this week: Monday a swim then a Zoom session during which I had two interruptions: Adrian called then 2 guys turned up to change our TV aerial. Garden wise I planted Broad Beans and collected 6 bags of peat-based compost before it goes off limits. On Tuesday afternoon I started a new U3A course on the “Balkans”. I had missed the first two classes on the Definition, history and geography of the Balkans but the tutor had put a PowerPoint with 66 slides onto the U3A website. This week it was the first of two sessions on Albania where he had taught for two years. We learnt about Gjergi Kastrioti, King Zog, Enver Hoxha and Norman Wisdom.

Our Thursday walk started at Chrishall and took in Duddenhoe Grange and Duddenhoe End. It was fine overhead but a bit sticky underfoot. We caught a distant view of a herd of deer but not as many as we have seen before.

 

 

Leaving Chrishall

 

 

Basidiomycete Fungi

 

 

Roman Road

 

On Friday it was my turn to present in “Biographies” and my topic was going to be “Thomas Cook” the travel agent but the more I looked into it I felt I needed to include his son “John Mason Cook” as well as he was so vital in growing the company.

Thomas left school aged 10 and after having two bosses who were drunkards became a keen promoter of the temperance movement. He started his tours as an alternative for people rather than relying on drink for entertainment. His philosophy was helping the working classes to see the world and he had great vision in developing destinations all round the world. His son John was a hard headed businessman and thought business and religion should be separate and targeted the upper classes. The two had serious arguments and Thomas was retired on a pension. For more details I am available to elaborate at serious length!

 

 

In the afternoon I cleared the last of the Tomatoes and fertilised and dug the top glasshouse. On Saturday I finished digging the allotment then watched Over lose 2 v 1 to Whitchford.

Later I sorted through my vegetable seeds and reordered the gaps – the bill was over £100!

 

 

 

 

Regards

Mike & Kate

 

5^th November 2023

 

Dear All,

Going to Yorkshire at the end of October/beginning of November we did not expect to need sun tan oil or dark glasses and so it proved but although the weather was challenging it was not as dire as the forecasts.

We set out on Monday and stopped off at the RHS garden at Harlow Carr on the way. The autumn colours were spectacular there so it was very worthwhile despite grey and threatening skies.

 

Harlow Carr

 

The holiday was a special offer at an HF hostel called New Field Hall, Airton near Malham. They are keen to keep staff going between the summer and Christmas so our U3A group had taken advantage of a special cheap offer arriving Monday, walking Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday departing Friday. HF is an excellent organisation with skilled volunteer leaders offering walks of differing lengths and challenges, good food and transport to the walk venues. Altogether there were 53 of us from Cambridge so instead of the usual three choices they offered four walks each day.

 

 New Field Hall

 

Kate and I opted for the medium walks on the first two days which were 10 and 9 miles but included climbs which the fens do not necessarily prepare you for!

On Tuesday we headed for Appletreewick in Wharfedale. We climbed up to Trollers Gill then followed Trollers Beck down to the River Wharfe to Bolton Abbey. It rained for the first two hours then cleared up. When we were last in the area with Philip Shaw in 2009 one of our aged ladies slipped off of the stepping stones outside Bolton Abbey resulting in a hurried strip tease – this time the water was so high the stones were completely hidden!

 

 

Trollers Gill

 River Wharfe

  

 Wharfedale

  

Happy Walkers?

 

On Wednesday we were in Ribblesdale starting at Horton in Ribblesdale taking in three peaks and a view of the Ribblehead Viaduct. The three peaks were Pen-y-ghent, Woldside and Ingleborough. We set off in dry weather but at 1 pm the wind got up and at 1.30 pm were hit by a violent hail and rain storm while we were in the middle of open moorland. Not altogether pleasant but very atmospheric and my new waterproofs did a reasonable job!

 

Sink Hole

 

 

Woldside

 

Ribblehead Viaduct

 

 

Après Storm!

 

 

Pen-y-ghent

 

The forecast for Thursday was dire and several folk opted out of walking but in reality, it was not too bad, I guess the valleys all experience different weather so forecasting must be tricky?

We were walking around Malham climbing initially to the Cove then passing the Water Sink where the overflow from Malham Tarn disappears underground. We picnicked by the Tarn then circled round to Gordale Scar and back through Janet’s Foss Wildlife reserve.

 

 

Stone walled fields above Malham

 

 

View of Malham

 

 

 

The Dry Valley

 

 

The Pavement above Malham Cove

 

 

Malham Cove cliff face

  

Gordale Scar

 

We left quite early on Friday and visited Saltaire village in Bradford. Saltaire is a Victorian model village situated between the river Aire, the railway, and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Salt's Mill and the houses were built by Titus Salt between 1851 and 1871 to allow his workers to live in better conditions than the slums of Bradford. Some of the mill buildings now house shops, cafes and a permanent Hockney exhibition.

 

 

Mill chimney

 

 

Main Mill

 

 

Hockney Exhibit

 

On Saturday Kate began the day getting stung by a Queen wasp. I managed to harvest a few vegetables but more rain meant all local football matches were off again.

Our rainfall total for October was 141mm and the pond is still flooded.

 

Regards

Mike & Kate

 

CB24 5PD

29th October 2023

 

Dear All,

We have spent most of the week in Aldeburgh helping Esther celebrate her 50 years. We began the week with a swim then delivered a chest of drawers to the Burrells who moved to Norwich on Tuesday. We left for Suffolk after lunch through scenes of heavy rain and flooding during the previous weekend. The venue was a four-storey house on the seafront with six bedrooms nearly all en suite. Albert gave us an estate agents tour of the property and we met the assembled cast: Esther & Emma, Mary-Ann, Andy, Amḗlie & Albert, Emma’s sister Clare plus husband Rory with their children Immy, Toby & Judah and grandmother Ruth.

 

 

Gunfleet the blue house on the right.

 

Kate and I did a tour of the town and walked up to the Britten memorial the Scallop.

 

 

The Scallop

On Tuesday Emma, Mary-Ann and Albert all braved the sea which was a little calmer than the day before. Later we were joined for lunch by Kate’s sister Sue and husband John then in the afternoon we walked in the opposite direction to the Martello Tower and boat club.

 

 

Hardy Crew

 

 

Martello Tower

 

Ben arrived by train after 9 pm and was picked up from Saxmundham station by Emma and Mary-Ann.

Wednesday began with another swim by the hardy members joined by Ben then most of us walked to Thorpeness where Amḗlie and Albert demonstrated their skill in a rowing boat!

 

 

Skilled Mariners!

 

There were plenty of games and puzzles in the house to keep everyone amused and the children developed the skill of decorating stones from the beach some of which they displayed for sale on the wall opposite the house and accumulated a surprising level of pocket money.

 

 

First Jigsaw

 

 

Stone Craft

 

On Thursday Esther and Emma treated Ben, Andy, Mary-Ann and myself to a tour of Adnam’s Brewery in Southwold. It was a very informative tour and concluded with a taste session of seven of their beers. I didn’t realise how many different hop varieties are used to give a range of flavours.

 

 

Brewery Diagram

In the afternoon Kate and I walked along the bank of the river Alde then back through the marshes.

 

 

Marshes

 

We had been largely self-catering throughout the week but in the evening, Andy treated us all to a meal in Prezzo’s

 

 

Prezzo’s

 

 

Albert savouring the chocolate dip

 

Rosie and Helen arrived in the middle of the night around 2am.

Friday the sun shone for the early swim and Kate and I departed after lunch dropping Ben off at Wickham Market station.

 

 

Calmer Sea

 

 

Rosie & Helen crafting

 

On Saturday we squared up the garden and allotment ready for going to Yorkshire on Monday! Over beat the previously unbeaten Newmarket Reserves 1 v 0 in a very good game to go 2^nd in the Cambs Premier league. In the evening Pat & Merv had booked us in to “House of Games” in the church hall which was quite enjoyable but a bit rushed.

 

Mike & Kate