27th March 2011

27th March 2011.

Dear All,

It has been a much quieter week with U3A on Easter holidays as well as no NIAB; however I have not been idle. Fortunately it has been a good week in the garden so I have been able to catch up with digging cauliflower, sprout and leek land, have had a really good bonfire and sown or planted broad beans, peas, potatoes, shallots as well as other seeds in the greenhouse including 10 tomato, 6 pepper and 11 herb varieties. I have spoken at two garden clubs this week, one at Peakirk, north of Peterborough and a new one at St Ives. Kate bought me a swivel office chair to go with the new computer desk; it came flat packed in more pieces that you could imagine for a chair! We have been gradually sorting and replacing all the papers that were in the old office, as well as finding homes for the books and paperwork I retained from NIAB – this has taken some time and is not yet quite complete. On Wednesday I had a tour of a local flower breeding nursery in Willingham. The owner used to work for Unwins but set up on his own once he had bred “Priscilla” a double form of trailing petunia, which is vegetatively propagated. He also breeds primroses, primulas and pansies and currently has over 70 listed varieties. His target for pansies is to produce frilly petalled trailing varieties. He has trailing and he has frilly petals but needs to combine the two.

Curly petals

Trailing

Primrose breeding Glasshouse

John Law and I met up in the evening to try and sort our next rip to Moldova, at present the flights are not proving easy to fit in with our schedule so we may have to rethink. Our walk on Thursday started at Widdington, south of Saffron Walden (which I had never heard of) and circled via Henham and Debden. It was a good walk in some sunshine and only 9.5 miles!

AmberdeneHall near Henham

Debden Green

I emptied one of the compost bins on Friday and dug some of it into the greenhouses. It is amazing how much compost you can accrue in a year. Our pastor David Smith has returned to South Africa for a months holiday so I have the services to load on “Songpro” which takes some time. The harpist who performed at our “Tea & Talk” last Sunday, called Lucy Bunce was very good, she only bought her lever harp which cost a measley £3,500 compared with her pedal harp which cost £15,000.

We watched “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” on DVD last night which was pretty good. We have been out to lunch with the Twiss’s opposite today together with the Whitfields.

love Mike & Kate

20th March 2011

20th March 2011.

Dear All,

It has been rather a busy and momentous week in Lake Wobegone – reaching 65, finally leaving NIAB, a lecture on Cambridge University, winning a quiz, walking 10 mile, attending a concert and meeting all the family.
The quiz was actually last weekend in aid of the Village Day Care Centre and a team of 6 of us streaked ahead on the last of 12 rounds to beat 14 other teams. It was so long this quiz that people were past caring after 3.5 hours!
On Monday our U3A group had a talk in the “Old Schools” about Cambridge University by Tim Holt the head of Communications. He has a team of 16 to deal with the press, commercialisation, branding and politics. Facts there are 18,000 students at CU, 12,000 undergraduates and 6,000 post graduates. It costs an average of £17,000 to keep each student so their budget is over £300m without research inputs. 7% of children attend private schools but CU intake is 41% from private schools. They have the lowest dropout rate for any UK university. 15% of the undergraduates are from overseas compared to 50% of the postgraduates. In the “Old Schools” there is a benefactors staircase where you can have your name engraved proving you donate over £1m. Enough facts already!
I had a good send off on Tuesday and was presented with a book on meat (as I am always on about vegetables), a vegetable chopping board, £200 in vouchers and the Bentley Nelstrop medal. I have spent some of the vouchers on a croquet set as a reminder. I also received 50 emails from growers, seed companies and advisors that I have worked with. Even though I have phased out gently it will still be a wrench after 42 years.



Presentation

I celebrated 65 years with the usual 10 mile walk starting in Woodditton and proceeding via Kirtling and Saxon Street. It was an expensive round in the pub! In the evening Kate cooked a romantic candlelight dinner for two.

Kirtling

Saxon Street Water Tower

On Friday I picked Kate up from work after lunch and we drove to Hutton to start wall papering for Esther (who was at an exhibition in London with Mary-Ann). We fixed the lining paper then the girls took us for a celebratory meal in an upmarket Italian Restaurant.
Saturday we finished the wallpaper then started on the garden. Ben arrived for lunch.
Kate had to call in at work then we attended a fund raising CEEM concert at St Neots in the evening. It was a bit of a rush but worth it as it was very well done.

Wall papering – start

finish



Garden Work? Party
We have folks round today to complete the celebrations and a Tea and Talk with a harpist at chapel this afternoon.
So it has not been dull if you add in an Events Committee Monday, last Astronomy and Church Business meeting Tuesday, lunch with an old colleague, fielding numerous emails about an RHS problem answering 50 retirement emails plus some gardening Wednesday. Just as well that I have given up work otherwise it would not all fit in!

love


Mike & Kate
PS I have a new mobile number 07535 876256

13th March 2011

13th March 2011.

Dear All,

We were in Derbyshire with 17 of the U3A ramblers last weekend staying at the “Izaac Walton Hotel” in Ilam. We met in Matlock on Saturday and walked to the Heights of Abraham via Starkholmes - 7 miles in a drizzle.


Matlock Bath



The Izaac Walton

However the weather improved and Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were almost cloudless and sunny. On Sunday we started at Ilam and walked 15 miles via Rushley, Musden Wood, Leasow and Mappleton. On Monday another 15 miles along and across Dovedale then Milldale, Alsop en le Dale, Parwich and Tissington.

Dovedale

Lathkill Dale

The eldest member of our party, a tough 78 year old lady, fell crossing a style in Dovedale, and ended headfirst down a steep slope cutting her head in a bush and bleeding profusely.
On Tuesday we drove to Youlgrave and walked Lathkill Dale in the morning. This is Kate’s favourite dale as it is unspoilt, compared to Dovedale and retains some wildness. We finished at lunchtime after 7.5 miles and dropped into Bolehill. Mandy and Natasha both look better but the house is a complete tip which Kate finds upsetting.
I went to work on Wednesday and then another 10 miler on Thursday starting at Hempstead via Radwinter and Great Stamford.
I finished decorating the office and we ordered a new computer desk (as recommended by Jonny). This was delivered on Thursday and assembled on Friday so all the contents of the office need sorting and returning from the play room.


New Desk

I cut the grass for the first time on Friday and sowed a few seeds and planted shallots, garlic and early spuds.
On Saturday Kate and I travelled down to Ripley near Woking in Surrey for the retirement Dinner of an eminent vegetable breeder. It was a surprise for him and I was given a presentation as well. We stayed in Woking but got up early and returned to Over in time for the morning service – if only the M25 was always like this morning!

love


Mike & Kate

27th February 2011

27th February 2011.

Dear All,

Kate has been struggling with a cold this week and even came home early a couple of days – shows how poorly she must have been!
Our U3A visit this week was to Cambridge University Press which was started in 1584 and claims to be the oldest printer in the world. A new venture started in July 2009 called “Print on Demand” whereby any old book that is out of print can be scanned and reprinted. At present a committee decides which books should receive this treatment but they are susceptible to suggestions. They have access to the over 9 million books in the University Library and they choose books of “Enduring Scholarly Value” which are out of copyright (70 years after the authors death) and in good enough condition to handled. They are currently scanning 50 books a week and have a list of 2,422 titles available. For more details go to http://www.cambridge.org/clc The list contains numerous masterpieces but the leading seller so far is an 18th century book of “Cambridge Jokes” – not one of which is remotely funny!



Scanner



Reprinted books

In “Astronomy” we studied Supernovas and Nebulae as well as looking at recent photos of Aurora.

Crab Nebula

Aurora

I have been gradually adding to the fruit area and purchased a dwarf cherry tree this week and planted a new row of autumn raspberries between the showers. I have been setting up germination tests for the seed we have received from Suttons for Moldova and sorting which are worth sending.
Our walk this week started at Debden and proceeded via Saffron Walden and Audley End back to Debden for a Nepalese meal in the pub – 11 miles. It was heavy going underfoot again but would be a good summertime outing.



Near Audley End

near Debden

We had a meal at the Gregory’s on Friday night to celebrate Jane’s 60th birthday. Stephen has retired but still spends most of his time in Ireland on two part time projects in Belfast and Dublin. He thinks if they eventually sell the house in N.Ireland they will have to move to bigger accommodation as he has so many books.
We cleared the computer room yesterday with a view to redecoration and new furniture for the computer and accessories. I went to work with Kate in the pm before descending on Homebase for all the necessary materials.
Entertaining today with the Howard’s and Fosters (Snr) in lieu of a Bulgarian couple who dropped out late on.


love


Mike & Kate

20th February 2011

20th February 2011.

Dear All,

It has been slightly warmer this week so I have started a bit of gardening: digging after carrots, parsnips and celeriac, pruning autumn raspberries, planting onion sets and sowing cabbage, cauliflowers, broad beans, peas, beetroot and cut ‘n come again salads in the glasshouse.
I have been to work a couple of days as we held a leek open day in the middle of the fens on Wednesday. The site was in the middle of nowhere but over 50 visitors managed to find it, and as it happened Wednesday was the best weather of the week.


Leek Open Day at Stretham

On Tuesday we lifted the leeks in the morning when it was rather chilly then I had a group of organic growers from Devon to entertain. In the evening I was at Houghton and Wyton Gardening club. I was a bit late due to the Devon group being fairly garrulous and the gardeners were all sitting relaxed with glasses of wine- no two clubs are the same.
On Monday our U3A group had a visit to Donarbon the waste recycling centre for Cambridgeshire. Since I was there about 2 years ago they have invested £42m on an automatic sorting system for black bins. This removes magnetic metals, other metals and plastics automatically and then grinds up and composts the remainder in a 200m enclosed bay that is continuously moved for 7 weeks to remove methane before being put into landfill. They also compost green waste outdoors in the same way as David and food waste in enclosed high temperature units, both of which produce useable green compost. In addition, they have wood and building site recycling areas and an experimental anaerobic digester. It is all quite impressive but is about to be sold to a Spanish company.

Donarbon sorting unit

Turning green waste

Sculpure from cans & bottles

Recycled products

Our walk on Thursday started at Baldock and circled via Ashwell, 10.5 miles, hilly and sticky underfoot so quite hard work.
We went to see “The King Speech” on Saturday night and it lived up to its billing despite criticism from Simon Hoggart!
Thanks for communications from Harrow and Beaumont this week. Mary asked about Kate Foster, she is home after the operation and making some progress but has a long way to go. We visited on Friday night and she fell asleep while I was showing her the Dolomites photos – shows how ill she must be!!
Thanks for my birthday card Dave and Jen – it was the only one I had, perhaps because it was a month early!

love


Mike & Kate

13th February 2011

13th February 2011.

Dear All,

For those who didn’t know Kate and I are to become grandparents. Mary-Ann and Andy are expecting a baby in early July and there is photographic evidence to back that up! I understand it predicted to be a girl so Andy Gray and Richard Keys are unlikely to be required as god parents. All advice on parenting and naming to Mary-Ann and Andy, any tips on grand parenting to us.


20 week scan

We had a great week winter walking in the Dolomites with Graham and Mary. As I hope you will have seen from the post cards it is a beautiful area. We enjoyed a week of perfect clear blue skies and the hotel and food were excellent. The area is brilliant for skiing but does not cater so well for winter walking, so it exercised our local tour guide (Graham) to find interesting accessible walks – which he did of course, even though they often involved 6 or 7 buses. There were lowland valley walks but higher up is more interesting and these tracks they do not clear or sign very well. We used rubber boot grippers with metal studs which were a huge help especially when the path was icy.


Dolomites


Scott and Shakleton

Relaxed explorers

Snow paradise




Pelargrino



Ice road Truckers!


We stayed at Campitello which is 2 hours 15 minutes up the Fassa valley from Verona. The last day we had time in Verona to explore the Coliseum and stand under Juliet’s balcony.

Juliet’s balcony

Verona Coleseum

Having spent Saturday night in Harrow we travelled to Terling on Sunday morning for the christening of Kate’s sisters second grandchild Alfie, followed by lunch at Hutton with Esther, Mary-Ann, Mandy and Natasha.
Otherwise it has been back to normal, work, Astronomy, Cambridge Present we had and audience with the City’s new MP Julian Hubbert, which was quite interesting and walking. Thanks to a week of high altitude training walking seemed a bit easier this week even though it was 10 miles in constant drizzle starting at Gt. Abington just south of Cambridge.
Kate and I erected the frame of our new fruit cage yesterday and this morning our church group lead a Family service which seemed to go quite well.
I had another surprise at work this week as I had been awarded the “Bentley Nelstrop Medal” for contribution to NIAB. I thought it was for up and coming young scientists so it was not expected (and as I was away I still haven’t received it any way.)

love


Mike & Kate

23rd January 2011

23rd January 2011.

Dear All,

Kate announced her intention to retire at work and they were surprised and asked her to stay until she had trained a replacement. An advert was drafted straight away so the process is underway.
I had a very interesting visit to the Cambridge CCTV Unit with our U3A “Cambridge Present” course on Monday. They have 138 cameras in the city centre and refer 5000 to 6000 incidents to the police each year leading to 1500 prosecutions and 600 fines. In addition, they trace 600 missing persons a year. The picture quality was impressive but there are only two people watching 30 screens at a time.

Guildhall CCTV Unit

Too many meetings this week: Youth planning Monday, Church business meeting Tuesday, CEEM Board meeting Wednesday.
On Wednesday I planned to zip into Cambridge on my way to Newmarket to buy a waterproof coat for the Dolomites. Unfortunately there was a power cut in the centre and all the shops I wanted to check were closed. The car park was free however so not all gloom!
I was going to Newmarket to address their U3A Gardening Club, 45 aged attendees, 90% ladies – the men must all be doping race horses.
Our Thursday walk involved catching a train from Whittlesford to Stanstead Mountfitchet and then walking back to Newport with a pub stop at Ugley halfway. Walking on an empty stomach was easier than with a full one so it was a “walk of two halves”. We caught the train with 30 seconds to spare such is the quality of military planning!

Tough Going near Stanstead

On Friday and Saturday I repaired the garden table which I made with Dad about 15 years ago. It is a bit like Triggers broom, it is completely original but every piece has been replaced over the years.

Table under Repair

On Friday evening we were invited to dinner with another couple of walkers: she is Dublin Irish and he was a professional trumpet player and currently a producer with the BBC.
Last night Kate and I were guests at the Day Care Centre helpers meal because of the fund raising quiz we present. It was a decent meal and we met folk we had not encountered before.
We should be in Italy with Mary and Graham this time next week so no bulletin.

love


Mike & Kate