9th June 2024

 

Dear All,

After our swim on Monday morning, I headed to Cambridge to meet up with Lawrie, Howell and David – mostly walking wounded from the Rambling group at Weatherspoon’s. I also managed a little shopping beforehand. In the afternoon I attacked the hornbeam hedge planted by our neighbours which is now about 8 ft tall and not in any way an asset to gardening!

The electric fence has so far been a success and Kate has been picking strawberries and raspberries each day. Otherwise, we have been harvesting new potatoes, Broad Beans, Mange Tout Peas and Spring Cabbage.

The garden and allotment are getting full up now as this week I have planted Sprouting Broccoli, Kale, Romanesco Cauliflowers, Winter Cabbage, and early Leeks and sown Fennel, Salsify, Beetroot and Radish.

We did not go on the prescribed U3A walk this week as I had an appointment in the afternoon at NIAB. Instead, we recced a local walk that we are due to lead next month round Over Fen and across the river to Bluntisham. David Cook cane with us. It was a good time to explore the Fen as there were plenty of water birds and the Bee Orchids around Barleycroft Lake were at their best.

 

 

The Hardinge Statue in Over, donated to their ancestor the Viceroy of India

 

 

Burling’s new breed Stabiliser Bulls

 

 

Cook’s ancient breed English White Cattle

 

 

Brownshill Staunch Lock Gates on the River Ouse

 

 

Ox-Eyed Daisies in the Hanson Wetland Reserve, Bluntisham

 

 

Bee Orchid

 

The NIAB appointment was to attend the retirement of Tricia Cullimore who had worked there for 52 years!

In the evening Over put on a commemoration marking 80 years since D-Day with a pop-up café, marching with various groups, music, speeches culminating with lighting the Village Beacon.

 

 

Speeches and Parade

 

 

Beacon

 

On Friday after Tesco’s John and I prepared the cricket wicket which looks quite well after a difficult spring. I then demonstrated modest woodworking skills making a wooden base for one of our recently donated water butt recycling timber from last week’s table demolition.

The web camera has captured badgers, deer and fox this week and a fox has just strolled passed out window in broad daylight while we were dining!

 

 

 

Night time visitors

 

Over had a good win at cricket this week beating Wisbech 3rds by 30 runs in mostly warm sunshine.

We have heard that the Firemen’s uniforms that Geoff and I took to the depot at Deeping in April should have started their journey to Moldova yesterday.

Regards

 

Mike & Kate

 

2^nd June 2024

 

Dear All,

Last Sunday evening Geoff and I did a presentation on our recent trip to Moldova followed by the distribution of some of the chocolates we accumulated as gifts. Kate and I have been donated an outdoor table and chairs set by Doris next door to Merv & Pat, Kate has been cleaning and varnishing them and I undertook the painful process of dismembering out old outdoor table – painful because it was a project I did with my Dad about 25 years ago so it had sentimental value – but age had caught up with it.

 

 

Replacement Furniture

 

We invited Derek and Joyce for coffee as they were on one of their regular jaunts from Nottingham, there was no mention of the painful episode when Joyce ran away and came for sanctuary.

On Tuesday we erected and covered the vegetable cage at the allotment and I planted Brussels sprouts. This week I have also planted a 4^th batch of Sweet Corn and dug the first potatoes from the garden. I was in the process of relocating a couple of water butts that Esther and Emma donated when we had a surprise visitor in the form of Tony Carman who we had not seen for about 10 years. He is an interesting character from travelling stock who could not read until late in life but is never short of stories which need to be taken with a pinch of salt!

We had a very interesting outing on Wednesday with U3A to Barcham Trees near Soham, They supply fairly mature trees to mainly local authorities in trade mark white containers. They get through 80,000 trees a year and have a vast array of specimens on show. Two members of staff entertained us for 4 hours and gave us lunch and a goodie bag with a glossy book and 4 other leaflets on growing trees.

 

 

Barcham Trees

 

Our Thursday walk started at Ousden, south of Newmarket and took in Denham and Dunstall Green. It was a very rural walk and despite intermittent drizzle the conditions were good with little mud and a cool temperature for walking. Highlight was spotting some Bee Orchids. I have never seen so much blackgrass in the wheat probably because it was too wet to spray at the right time.

 

 

Severe Blackgrass

 

 

Wild Rose

 

 

Bee Orchids

 

On Friday after the Tesco run, I posted parcels to Turkey and Hove then took Adrian to Oakington Garden Centre where he needed to stock up and purchased a new set of Wellington Boots. In the evening, we had a meal and CEEM committee meeting at Geoff and Janet Pakes.

Saturday was so cold it was hardly cricket watching weather but I fetched Dave from Bar Hill and we endured most of the match which went down to the last over. In the evening, we attended Over Players “Old Time Music Hall” which was very good. They have some outstanding talented performers and Richard Fenwick was Chairman.

 

Another memory of Dad is the row of Arum Lillies which used to be by the back door and ours are currently in full bloom liking the wet weather.

 

 

Arum Lillies

Regards

 

Mike & Kate

 

26^h May 2024

 

Dear All,

After a rather chilly swim on Monday, we had a message to say that sister Mary was in hospital with a very high pulse rate. It turned out it reached 140 instead of the normal 60 so she was kept in an observation ward together with two Indian ladies speaking Gujarati and a Spanish lady who used the floor as a toilet! She was home later in the week but her pulse was still about 100.

We travelled to Witcham on Tuesday to purchase an electric fence in the next round of Days v Badgers! It occurred to me that we could probably buy strawberries for the rest of our lives for the cost of the fence – but that’s not the point is it. In the afternoon I attended Jonny Wayman’s funeral at the Crematorium together with about 300 others. I was captain of Over Reserves when Jonny made his football debut. Meanwhile Kate did a recce of a few areas of a walk we were due to lead later in the week, unfortunately the heavens opened and she returned home looking like a drowned rat!

We had a serious downpour that night and I recorded 32 mm rain so that our garden returned to its familiar water-logged state for about the 6^th time this year.

 

 

 

Floods

 

Before the deluge I had sown salad onions and radish in the garden and peanuts and corn salad in the greenhouse.

Norman Ingle was here for lunch Wednesday followed by church group at Kitson’s. They have had a trying few days as eldest son Matthew had a brain operation, younger son David fell off his bike and broke his wrist, Bob’s sister-in-law died the previous Friday, Bob is suffering from mild dementia and mother living with them is now 102 years old and understandably is often forgetful.

The walk Kate has recced took place on Thursday starting at Dry Drayton and took in Bar Hill, Lolworth, Boxworth, Knapwell woods and Childerley Hall. It was an interesting walk but the recent heavy rain meant that mud was back on the menu especially in the woods. We also traversed some of the tallest barley that I have seen recently and this was mainly responsible for Kate’s soaking on Tuesday.

 

 

Bar Hill Circle Path

 

 

Boxworth

 

 

Knapwell Wood

 

 

Giant Barley

 

On Friday I managed to assemble the electric fence and started new potatoes from a pot.

 

 

Electric Fence

 

 

Charlotte Potatoes & Aquadulce Broad beans

 

We also collected an outdoor table and chairs from Doris next door to Merv & Pat who is having a clear out.

I was called up to play cricket on Saturday but was slightly relieved that the opposition cried off. Instead, I collected still car less Dave and we watched Over 1^st thrash St Ives 2nds by 8 wickets.

Ben has moved on from Botswana to Malawi via Niagara Falls.

 

 

Niagara Falls

In Malawi he has been helping a friend who he met on his trans Africa trip and is now working in conservation. The picture shows the construction of a firebreak.

 

 

Firebreak

 

 

 

Regards

 

Mike & Kate

 

19^th May 2024

 

Dear All,

In my excitement at being back home and writing a report last week I was remiss in omitting Esther & Emma’s sterling efforts while I was away. They set about decorating and cleaning with great zeal and skill as well as keeping Kate company for three days. We are very grateful and I have nearly located most of my belongings!

 

The back bedroom

 

After swimming on Monday, we were back into Cambridge for what I think is our 5^th Covid jab at the Grafton Centre, it is all much more relaxed than the early days. Later we booked a holiday in Sicily for the end of September.

Our car was finally fixed on Wednesday after 3 weeks and as we had to replace all four tyres this week it has been rather an expensive time for the pleasure of motoring!

On Wednesday evening Kate and I celebrated 53 years of marital bliss with a meal at the Three Tuns at Fen Drayton.

Our Thursday walk reverted back to the wet times of spring with mist and drizzle for most of the morning. We started at Therfield above Royston and probably had less rain than Over where I recorded 12mm. It was a good walk with country lanes and a profusion of blossoms.

 

 

Gathering at Therfield

 

 

Cow Parsley in Sandon churchyard

 

 

Sandon Church

 

 

May Blossom

 

 

Red Chestnut

Ben has been sending back some excellent photos from his Safari in Botswana. He seems to have seen nearly every target animal in the first two days.

 

 

My own wildlife pictures captured on the Nightcam last night are not quite so dramatic!

 

 

A busy week in the garden planting outdoor cucumbers, squash, marrows, pumpkins, gourds and lettuce while sowing melons, lettuce, parsnips and swedes.

Over had their first home cricket match on Saturday and were thrashed by 8 wickets – could be a long season!

Regards

 

Mike & Kate

 

12^th May 2024

 

Dear All,

The early part of the week is covered by my report of our time in Moldova which I won’t repeat but send separately. On Friday it was catch up in the garden time. As is usual things had changed considerably during our week away but thankfully there was no frost and Kate had kept everything going very well. I planted out more Runner and French beans, a second lot of Sweet Corn and Courgettes. Earthed up spuds and sowed Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Winter Cabbage, Kale, Cauliflowers and more Sweet Corn then pricked out Leeks and trained Tomatoes. I then sorted photos from the trip.

Saturday was the big wedding day of Philip and Laura who got engaged during their CEEM trip to Moldova in January. The Wedding took place in Willingham and the reception featured eastern European food and wine. The bride’s dress was made in Ukraine and featured 20 flowers embroidered on it to match the 20 vases of flowers on the reception tables.

 

 

 

Happy Couple

 

 

Bride’s dress

 

 

Guess Who?

Regards

 

Mike & Kate