18^th October 2015.

Dear All,

Kate left after “Just Vegetating” Tuesday to help out at Hove as Andy has been abroad on business. To update the naming situation it is spelled Zander not Zanda and the preferred abbreviation for Albert is Bert or Albie not Bertie – but I expect he may well contribute to the discussion about that when he is older. He seems to be a “good doer” and eats and sleeps with equal enthusiasm. Amélie also seems to have settled better at school.

Bert

I did not join them as I had a Garden Club talk at Histon on Tuesday, attended the Brassica open days and RHS trial in Lincolnshire on Wednesday and supported a funeral on Thursday – thus missing the walk for the third week running.

“Just Vegetating” this week covered “Alliums” and everyone who was free came back for a second week – which is always encouraging!

The Seed Trade demonstrations are always a high standard and this year was no exception but some brassicas were running a little late. The “in topics” were broccoli which looks like Tenderstem which some are calling “Calabrini” and Cauliflower rice which is just finely grated cauliflower which can substitute for rice. Kate tried it on Amélie and she loves it.

Calabrini

3 Wise men with Cauliflower in Lilliput

Cauliflower & Broccoli Rice

Sakata Display

The funeral was for Dick Lawson the American husband of Carol who I used to take to work. He was from Georgia but enlisted in the airforce and flew regularly to Vietnam. The USAF were present and draped the coffin with a “stars and stripes” which was removed and folded with great ceremony and presented to Carol.

The “Biography” subject this week was William Cobbett of “Rural Rides” fame. He was a strange mixture of campaigner for justice for the rural poor but also a conservative who did not want things to change.

It was the annual quiz on Friday night raising funds for the Day Centre. There was a full house of about 70 and it seemed to go well. Rounds this year were: Seaside, 50:50, Close to Home, WW1, Missing Vowels, Flowers, Fleeting Fame, Flying Things, Pot Luck and Film Posters. Re-enactment at chosen venues is always available for a fee!

Yesterday was Messy Church Day. It is a lot of work and attendance was down yesterday due to a variety of reasons. In the afternoon I attended a briefing for our U3A Italian trip next month. The venue was billed as Milton but changed to Cherry Hinton sadly only half received the email about the change so it maybe does not auger well for the smooth running of the trip?

We are pleased that Mary seems to be responding well to her refit and we look forward to meeting up with most of you next weekend.

Love

Mike & Kate

11^th October 2015.

Dear All,

The long awaited naming of the baby took place on Friday when he was registered as ALBERT ZANDA ARTHUR RUSSELL to be known as Bert or Bertie – think Einstein not Steptoe!

Ben, Natasha, Bertie, Ameleie and Mary-Ann

We spent yesterday in Hutton helping Esther catch up as well as celebrate her birthday. We re-hung a gate, cemented some loose bricks, cut the grass, trimmed a hedge, tidied borders, emptied compost bins, stuck cloth on pew feet and fitted a new wheel to the wheelbarrow. After we celebrated with an Indian meal in Shenfield.

Birthday Goodies

Garden Straightening

We started teaching our U3A course again on Tuesday, the first session is always a bit interesting to see who turns up and their response to the course, but it seemed to go well.

Kate is also taking Spanish and on the Botanic Gardens course. I am on “Biographies” again and we started with Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington who came across as a thoroughly unpleasant individual.

On Thursday I was on RHS business at Wisley judging Kale, Brussels Sprouts and Leeks. Wisley was looking good in it’s autumn colours and for once the journeys to and fro were easy.

Wisley

Dahlia Trial

Leek Trial

You will not need reminding that this is the week to plant overwintered onion, garlic and shallot sets and we have also planted a new strawberry bed at the allotment.

There has been vigorous activity at No. 17 next door with a caravan installed and a minidigger in operation.

Love

Mike & Kate

4th October 2015

4^th October 2015.

Dear All,

On Monday I had to take the car back to Marshalls to cure the oil leak. Typically they are blaming a faulty gasket on the oil filter rather than their workmanship but they have arranged for a company to clean the drive. However their first attempt has not made too much difference and they are due to have another go.

I met up with some old NIAB colleagues for lunch on Tuesday and on Wednesday travelled up to Spalding again for another recording session on the cauliflowers, 23 of the 27 varieties in the trial have now been recorded so one more visit should sort it.

We had a meal with some of the walking group at “Bedouin” a middle eastern restaurant in Mill Road. Seating was rather low (but not cross legged on the floor!) but the food was very different but good.

On Thursday I left Kate to lead the walk we had researched at Ridgewell and attended the National Carrot demonstration near Swaffham in Norfolk. It was good to meet up with a lot of folk that I knew from work days and to view the new varieties. There were 68 varieties on show and still one variety – Nairobi- commands 70% of the acreage.

Carrot Demonstration

We have been preparing for the annual quiz at the Day care Centre in a couple of weeks time. Kate has worked out all the questions and I have committed them to PowerPoint.

We had a Men’s Breakfast at chapel yesterday with a decent speaker and 23 in attendance. Then a first for mankind was a Village Food market on the Green. This was small but well attended with stalls for oil, meat, veg, fruit, bread and soap!

Kate has been busy with apple juice production. Both our trees are laden and the headline in the horticultural press last week was “Biggest Apple Crop in Living Memory”.

Apple Juice Production Line

This year’s celeriac is the biggest so far and chilli peppers have been harvested and strung.

Celeriac

Chillies

Our wee Muntjac has been around several days this week and even licked Kate’s hand on one occasion.

Rastus

We are due to be commissioned for “Street Pastors” this morning.

Esther, Natasha and Ben all visited Hove yesterday to pay homage to the (as far as I know) yet nameless one who is gaining weight rapidly. Amélie seems to have had a better week at school having made a friend “but doesn’t like it”.

Love

Mike & Kate

27th September 2015

27th September 2015.

Dear All,

We had two walks this week as on Monday we were recceing for leading next week at Ridgewell near Haverill. This began in drizzle but we did not get too wet. It is quite an historical area with King Charles connections and wartime airfields.

Ridgewell

On Thursday the normal walk was fairly local at Hardwick, Comberton and Toft. The sun shone but with heavy overnight rain and the season of ploughed fields there were some distinctly sticky sections.

Floods near Hardwick

Church Farm, Comberton

Comberton Village Pond

I had another trip to Spalding on Tuesday. I arrived early to record the trial with a local colleague before the rest of the RHS Panel arrived to judge varieties for the AGM award. The trial is excellent so the main problem is that most of the varieties look pretty good.

Learned Panel

On Wednesday our car was due for an MOT and service. As we had paid for a warranty package when we purchased it from Marshalls in Cambridge it needed to go back there. This was a bit of a nuisance as we had to kill 3 hours in Newmarket Road, Cambridge. It passed OK but since the service has been leaking oil and has to go back – so much for the most expensive service we have enjoyed! While in Cambridge we called on Cathy our old lodger. As usual things are not going well, she is off work with a severe urinary infection and probably diabetes complications and her car failed the MOT and is probably a write off after she spent £900 on it in the recent past.

Yesterday we were at Fulbourn Hospital for Street Pastors Training in Mental Health. It was interesting so I look forward to assessing you all when we next meet!

In the evening it was our Harvest Supper where the guest speaker was from “Jimmy’s” the hostel for homeless people in Cambridge. At today’s Harvest Thanksgiving the speaker is from “Jews for Jesus” – not a great harvest theme in my opinion but I expect a worthy enterprise.

Love

Mike & Kate

20th September 2015

20th September 2015.

Dear All,

Kate and I travelled to Sussex on Sunday afternoon to inspect our new grandson (as yet unnamed) staying near Rye on Sunday night and exploring Battle briefly in the rain on Monday morning en route to Hove. The baby seems to be thriving and had increased weight by Friday to 8lb 14oz.

Rye was an interesting place to visit – a bit like a film set with narrow streets and attractive period buildings.

Rye Landgate

Amélie has found her second week at school understandably tougher than the first week as she has been every day for the full hours – all that and a new sibling to contend with!

Tuesday was “Putting the cricket pitch to bed day” as we had the county trailer with necessary equipment to scarify, fertilize, reseed and apply 50 bags of soil. We just beat the rain so it should receive a good start.

On Wednesday I was at Spalding to help record a RHS cauliflower trial. It is being hosted by Elsoms Seeds and as it contains 27 varieties will involve several trips.

Due to this appointment I missed Mary Watts’ funeral which Kate attended. On the same day Doreen Barnes, wife of one our former elders died.

Our Thursday excursion started at Wicken and touched Soham before circumnavigating Wicken Fen. It was largely sunny and sound underfoot but at 11.25 miles plenty long enough.

Wicken The Maids Head

Wicken Fen

I caught up in the garden and allotment on Friday.

The weekend has been fairly hectic starting with setting up for Messy Church on Saturday morning, followed by Messy Church then clearing up. Then it was our turn for “Nightlite” in Cambridge. The start was quiet but after we had more than our fair share of the homeless including one who had to be forcibly ejected followed by an American services lady who needed to get home to Mildenhall with no cash and very little clarity. We were home by 4.15 am but this morning we had a dedication followed by a shared lunch. Next there is a “Tea & Talk” (more food – Kate is on overtime!) the speaker is from CAP (Christians Against Poverty).

Love

Mike & Kate

13th September 2015.

Dear All,

It has been a big week in Hove this week as Mary-Ann and Andy produced a son yesterday at 10.20 am and Amélie started school on Tuesday.

I understand that the labour was not especially long but not without some difficulties as after triage the baby was showing some distress and had to be helped out with some suction. He (as yet unnamed) was 8lb 10oz which might explain the above. Both were thankfully OK last night even if one of them was rather sore!

Amélie started school at the age of 4 years and 2 months which seems a little premature but they manage these things very gently these days and I believe she has only put in two mornings so far and the school is just across the road. It is a bit different from being put on a bus to Thorpe!

Kate had spent the week in Hove again but had returned on Friday.

Our Thursday walk started at Offord D’Arcy this week on followed the River Ouse to Little Paxton Nature Reserve. It was sunny all trip and an excellent walk.

Offord Mill

Offord Church & River Ouse

I was judging at Shelford yesterday. It is a good show but with fairly fussy organisers who fiddle with the rules. The controversy this year was “Apples should not be polished” which is fine but some varieties are naturally shiny and it is very difficult to tell whether they have been polished or not – and of course it is always the best exhibits that you have to disqualify! It is good to get away before the exhibitors arrive!

I have planted Spring Cabbage this week both here and on the allotment and prepared an area for a new strawberry bed.

Love

Mike & Kate

6th September 2015.

Dear All,

Kate has been in Hove from Monday to Friday pending the imminent baby appearance but no news as yet. Esther is there this weekend and Kate plans to return tomorrow.

I bought a strimmer last week and spent a couple of afternoons tidying the overgrown graves in the cemetery. We have a contractor who cuts the grass and the hedge but many of the graves are neglected and become overgrown.

Strimmed Graveyard

I restocked the fish tank this week and already have a few baby Mollies.

Our Thursday walk this week started at Ashdon and being led by ex Squadron Leader David Cook was fairly brisk!

Ashdon

Yesterday was the last week of league cricket matches. Both Over teams won their last matches but finished 3^rd from bottom in their leagues so could be narrowly relegated. There are still end of season matches next weekend then we have the winter maintenance to organise.

For those that knew her, Mary Watts died this week after a long period of weakness.

Sweet Corn is doing well, beans and courgettes slowing down, and figs an unprecedented glut – I picked 24 on Wednesday.

Love

Mike & Kate