31st October 2010

31st October 2010.

Dear All,

Kate and I took part in the “Wallaby Walks” last weekend which are arranged each year to raise money for local children’s charities. We stayed in Leek and walked on Saturday pm round Titteswell Reservoir, Sunday the Goyt Valley and Monday through Ilam Country Park. Saturday was damp but the other days were frosty, clear and bright – ideal for walking (and photography!). We called in at Bolehill on the way back.

Near the Cat & Fiddle

Errwood Reservoir

The Roaches


Ilam




Tuesday was busy with work, 2 U3A classes and church groups. One of the classes was visiting the University museum of Anthropology and the other Astronomy. Wednesday it was “Maps in the Digital Age” which so far looks to be the most promising class.

Anthropology Museum


On Thursday we began our walk at Furneux Pelham and circled via Hare Street, it was sticky under foot and fairly strenuous. One of the ladies is an expert on Proust so a few of us have been trying to read “The Way by Swann’s” to discuss in the pub over lunch. It is tough going and I cannot quite see why it is so famous so far.
It has been good digging weather so I have broken the back of it and been incorporating mustard this week. Runner beans are incredibly still cropping and we have picked more raspberries this week than all through the year. Kate is continuing to juice windfall apples on an industrial scale as the trees have cropped so heavily this year.

Digging in Mustard

Friday I had to fill in a load of RHS forms justifying trials in 2012 and then had a Garden Club talk in Cottenham.
On Saturday we delivered the annual fund raising quiz at the Day Care Centre. Kate made up all the questions and I was quiz master. It takes a long time composing the questions, printing all the question sheets for the picture rounds and the answer sheets but it is quite good fun.

Quiz

Apart from the above it has been a quiet week!

love
Mike & Kate

17th October 2010

17th October 2010.

Dear All,

I started the new U3a term this week with two new classes (another starts next week) together with the continuation of the walking. On Monday it was “Cambridge Past, Present and Future”, we met at the Scott Polar Museum and had a talk about the 8 University Museums and a look round the SPM.

Capt Oates Sleeping Bag

The Discovery

On Wednesday it was “Maps in the Digital Age” which was very interesting with so many new developments and exciting sites on the web. Try www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk/ to see how your ancestors have spread out.
Thursdays walk started in Hildersham and included Linton, Hadstock and Abington. The weather was not great as it was misty and drizzly but being the first of a new term there were 48 participants. It always starts like this until our leader burns off the softies!
After the class on Wednesday I travelled up to Lincolnshire for the seed trade brassica open days around Boston and Spalding. There were seven in total but I only managed three.

Cabbage plot at Elsoms

Kale plots

On Friday we had a new fridge delivered, the car MOTed, cut the grass (again) dug some more garden, sowed over wintered broad beans, wrote a garden column and distributed 6 CDs of the College Gardens.
Yesyerday it was Chapel Cleaning Day with much dumping of “stuff” which inevitably accumulates. In the afternoon I watched Waterbeach 0 v 4 Over.
Sam Foster got engaged last weekend (what odds would you have got on that a few months ago?)
Esther should have flown out to Bulgaria this morning. They land in Sofia but have a 300 km journey after to reach their destination.
love

Mike & Kate

11th October 2010

11th October 2010.

Dear All,

Serious entertaining this weekend with Mandy and Natasha visiting from Derbyshire. When it comes to parenting skills Phil and Mandy are definitely more Ann Widdicombe rather than Pamela Stephenson in Strictly Come Dancing terms! It takes Kate some time to recover and you seriously wonder how things will work out!
On Saturday we travelled to Heybridge Basin near Maldon, to view Alfie, the new arrival in Kate’s sister’s family. He seems promising material as he went all day without crying.

Alfie

Sister Emma

Heybridge Basin

More digging this week and planting of over-wintered onions, shallots and garlic. Another talk this time to Cambridge Geranium Society who were aged but appreciative.
I missed the Thursday walk this week as I went to the National Carrot Demonstration at Papplewick near Nottingham. We drill the plots for the demonstration and there are also machinery and chemical exhibits. Last time we were in this area a huge hole opened up in the middle of the field as a mine gave way.

Carrot Plots

Kate and I did a walk round the Swavesey Pits on Thursday evening and we also walked Mandy and Natasha round Wicken Fen on Sunday afternoon.

Wicken Fen

We helped with a new Youth Group on Friday organising “Mini Olympics”. It was like rolling back the years but we both felt rather aged!
love

Mike & Kate

3rd October 2010

3rd October 2010.

Dear All,

Kate and I were in Hutton yesterday helping Esther catch up with her garden: clearing and replanting the raised beds, tidying the greenhouse, digging the borders and filling holes in the lawn. The lawn is becoming like a petting zoo with rabbits, chickens and cats. Esther is off the Bulgaria in a couple of weeks to help with a project assessing people with learning difficulties.
On Friday John Law and myself travelled to St Pancras to meet up with Chris from Southampton who accompanied us on the last Moldova trip. It was my first good look at the refurbished St Pancras and I was very impressed.



St Pancras


John Betjeman and me

Kate joined the walkers on Thursday for a local trip from Elsworth via Knapwell, Childerley, Lolworth, Boxworth and Connington – only 9.5 miles this week! And fortunately the best weather of the week.
I visited an old NIAB colleague, Dick Knight on Wednesday as he wanted some onion data and examples for his gardening club at Bourne. He was with us when we visited W.E. Sherwell-Cooper’s garden at Arkley Manor many years ago. Sherwell-Cooper was gardening correspondent to the Christian Herald amongst many other journals and was used to accolades from admiring elderly ladies. Dick and I were a bit critical of a few aspects of his garden so he asked “What are your names?” Dick said “Knight” and I said “Day” so he turned on his heel and stalked off as he thought we were taking the mick!
Kate’s sister became a grandmother again this week as daughter Sue produced Alfie Thomas on Tuesday (as planned!) She is now converting to Catholisism to get here eldest into the local convent school!
Winter digging got underway this week and squash were all harvested for winter storage. Runner beans are still cropping and parsnips and carrots in full swing.
On Monday evening we had another meal out with some of the local walkers at the “George & Dragon” at Elsworth.
Ben has put some of his Madagascar photos onto Facebook, some examples are shown below.

Ben and local


Ben and wildlife



Local resident

Kate has just been heading up the catering for a post dedication lunch, last week’s dinner guests had Jonty dedicated this morning and brought about 30 guests with them.



Jonty

love

Mike & Kate

26th September 2010

26th September 2010.

Dear All,

We have been entertaining again today, Ray & Rita, Jane Gregory and a new young couple Rachel & Will Addison plus baby Jonty who have recently moved into the village and started attending chapel.
This has been Harvest weekend with a supper last night with a local farmer, Geoff Pake as speaker reminiscing about harvests past. This morning we had Stan Crees from “Operation Agri” with a presentation about their agricultural projects worldwide. As usual the decorations were very good.

Harvest 2010

Yesterday Kate and I visited Anglesey Abbey a National Trust property at Lode near Cambridge. The dahlias and cyclamen were the main attractions in the gardens and we explored the house for the first time.

Anglesey Abbey

Our last college visitation on Monday was to Murray Edwards Hall formerly New Hall. Unlike its namesake in Oxford it is fairly recent (mid 60s) and has only just been named due to a generous donation from the Edwards family, Murray being the first President. The head gardener is a lady and they try to keep a modern theme to the gardens.

Murray Edwards Hall

I had another Garden Club talk this week, this time at Burwell. They were a responsive audience but again fairly mature.
Wednesday we had an interesting Day at Wisley judging 50 Squash varieties and 20 Pak Choi.

Pak Choi trial

Winter Squash trial

The Thursday walk was south of Newmarket starting at Burrough Green proceeding via Kirtling, Dullingham and Stetchworth. The weather was not great as it rained for half the trip.
On Friday we had a CEEM Board Meeting at Little Paxton. Pete one of the founders has resigned but we swore in a couple of new Board members.

love

Mike & Kate

19th September 2010

19th September 2010.

Dear All,

On Monday our college garden group were addressed by a man from the Cambridge City Parks Dept. They look after 80 open spaces in the city totalling over 500 acres including 45,000 trees and spend £45,000 a year on bedding plants. You can graze a cow on their common lands for £42 per year and they provide a pinder to look after the cattle.

Jesus Green, Cambridge

We were grading set onions all day Tuesday wearing a mask in a cloud of dust. Church groups resumed in the evening after the summer break.
I had a call from Jane Ryall midweek, she used to work at NIAB and Kate and I stayed with her parents in Northern Island for our 25th wedding anniversary. She is back home having donated a kidney to her elder brother John. It is the third he has received and the previous donations are still in place so he now has five kidneys!
This weeks walk began at Walkern in Hertfordshire and was a circular via Benington – beautiful village, and Burns Green.

Benington

Friday was cricket pitch winter maintenance day which is a major operation involving a scarifier, aerator, reseeder, soil barrow and levelling lute.
Saturday Kate and I returned Geoff and Doreen Barnes to Fressingfield beyond Diss. It is an interesting village with some fine old buildings and a chapel shaped like a coffin – to remind man of his mortality! There is also a large organic agricultural and forestry project which I had heard about and we went to have a look at that as well.

Wakelyns Agroforestry

Back of the Dog & Fox, Fressingfield

Love

Mike & Kate

12th September 2010

12th September 2010.

Dear All,

We have been entertaining today hence the late delivery of this bulletin. Geoff and Doreen Barnes are staying at a remote cottage in the back lanes of Cottenham Fen for a week and as they cannot drive have needed ferrying as well as entertaining. They have been here all day and we also invited Mary Watts and the Kitsons for lunch.
My allocation of U3A classes came this week. Last year I applied for 5 and due to over demand only got on 2; this year I thought I would apply for 6 hoping for 3 but have been offered 5! These are:
1. The Past, Present and Future of Cambridge
2. Astronomy
3. Maps in the Digital Age
4. Family Genes
5. Walking (again)

As I was not planning to go back to full time education I have dropped “Family Genes” so will only be involved for 4 days!
Feeling fit I actually went for a run on Monday but I don’t think it will last.
It was the start of the Garden Club sessions this week and I was at Coton on Monday talking about “Oriental Vegetables”.
Tuesday we held a Sweet Corn open day at NIAB – pity none of you are close enough to benefit!

Sweet Corn Trial

Kate joined the walkers on Thursday as we finished the “Stour Valley Way” from Stoke by Nayland to Cattawade. This was probably the best section passing through Dedham and Flatford in sunshine.

Stour near Flatford

Flatford Field Study Centre

On Friday I helped collect 70 bags of Ongar loam ready for the cricket pitch winter treatment this week – not a bad trade selling 25kg bags for £4 a throw.
I was judging again Saturday this time at Great Shelford. The standard was better than the previous week but the number of entries down due to the earlier drought.

Large Onion Class

Kids Animal from Veg Class

I finished reading “Troubles” by J.G. Farrell this week and we watched “The Bicycle Thieves” on DVD last night – both are recommended, has any experienced either of these?

Love

Mike & Kate