20th March 2016.

Dear All,

Thank you all for cards, best wishes etc. I don’t feel too different and look forward to seeing you all next weekend. On the day, Kate and I were leading the short walk starting at Nuthampstead. When we reccied a couple of weeks ago it seemed too short and we decided to add a loop but as it was freezing cold ending in snow we did not walk the extra loop. In the end it was not quite so straightforward as anticipated and we ended up doing 9.3 miles (the long walk was 9.6 miles!) and we ended up arriving back at the pub 40 minutes after the long walk. However it was dry under foot and mostly sunny and an interesting walk including an obelisk erected for a horse in the Indian Mutiny.

Near Barkway

Newsells Park Obelisk

In the evening we had a meal with Kate, Gordon, Bob, Carol, Geoff and Hilary at the Old Crown at Girton. On Friday night Kate and I went to the Theatre to see “Hobson’s Choice” which was excellent.

Birthday Meal

We have finished decorating the bedroom this week in accordance with the “Forth Bridge one room a year policy”.

Decorated Bedroom

I started shopping for Moldova on Wednesday and managed to plant onion sets and sow a few seeds outdoors.

The subject of the last Biography of term was “Sir Stafford Raffles” founder of Singapore. He started as a humble clerk in the “East India Company” which was the largest employer in the UK at the time and worked his way up to be Lieutenant-Governor of Java. He suggested settling Singapore when no Europeans were living there and was an enlightened Governor but fell foul of the EIC because he was anti slavery at a time when they were using more than a few. He returned to England and was knighted but had a serious brain problem and died aged 45. Because of his anti-slavery position, he was refused burial inside the local parish church (St. Mary's, Hendon) by the vicar, Theodor Williams, whose family had made its money in Jamaica in the slave trade.

Sir Stafford Ruffles 1781-1826

Over pulled off a remarkable victory today against Eaton Socon who were 2^nd in the league and 2 v 0 up at half time but Over hit back in the second half to win 3 v 2.

Love

Mike & Kate

13th March 2016.

Dear All,

It was Street Pastors last night, Kate was in the cafe and I was on the streets. It was not especially busy but several incidents which made it worthwhile. An Italian mother and 17 year old daughter claimed to have lost their money passports etc and were camped out in the shopping centre hoping to last until Monday when they had an appointment with their embassy in London. They couldn’t speak English so their story was incoherent and we had to go to a pub to ask if anyone could speak Italian. In the end our leader took them home for the weekend. Another youth was comatose on the pavement and barely breathing having been celebrating his 18^th birthday and had to be taken to A & E. Another scantily clad young girl was crying and shouting that she had been robbed of all her money and documents, she refused our help and ran off only to be seen with a man with his arm round her. Fearing she was vulnerable we followed her up only to find that the man, who did not know her paid for a taxi and sent her home – two heart warming incidents in one night!

The toughest part was driving home at 4.30am in thick fog.

Kate and I went to the Fitzwilliam Museum on Tuesday to see the latest exhibition “Death on the Nile” as well as view a few of the painting galleries.

Fitzwilliam Museum

Inside

On Wednesday a former Sutton Bonington colleague, Paul Rennie, came to stay the night. He had worked abroad with VSO and CMS in Zambia and Pakistan. He lost two wives to cancer and the third, Sue who was with him had also lost two husbands. As they did not leave until 10 am on Thursday we missed the U3A walk but did our own thing round Swavesey Fen. IT was saturated after a day of rain on Wednesday so was more like the Lake District than East Anglia.

Paul & Sue

Swavesey Fen

In “Biographies” we studied “Joseph Needham”, he was a Cambridge Biochemist who through working with Chinese students became fascinated by China and specifically why they had led the world in discovering gunpowder, paper, printing etc fell severely behind. He first visited China on a diplomatic mission while the Japanese were invading in 1940 and travelled over 30,000 miles collecting material which he aimed to publish in a book. He soon realised that one book would not be enough and after the 7^th decided work should carry on after his death so he managed to set up the “Needham Institute” at Robinson College, Cambridge. He and his wife believed in open marriage and after she died when he was 87 he married one of the Chinese students, who had been his mistress when he was 89! Needless to say being Cambridge a couple of the Biographies class had met him and filled in a few of the gaps regarding his difficult character!

It is the Forth Bridge decorating season again so accordingly we have been repainting our bedroom this week – same colours, refreshed paintwork so not too difficult.

Esther is in Bulgaria again this week teaching “Posture Management”

Love

Mike & Kate

6th March 2016.

Dear All,

There is a character in “Lake Wobegon” – Clint Bunsen, who would only get ill when everyone else had taken their turn. Well Kate and I have been a bit like that this week – it was a quieter week so we have both succumbed to decent colds! We did a recce on Wednesday hoping to shake off the beginnings of snuffles but what started in sunshine developed into a very energetic cold wind and ended in a snowstorm. This brought the colds on quite well so we had to miss the Thursday walk this week.

Before the recce I had been back to NIAB to study their soil steam sterilisation technique as one of our contacts in Moldova is planning to buy a sterilisation machine to offer as a service for tunnels and glass houses. The machine is like a mobile boiler which heats water under pressure and pumps the steam under a heavy plastic sheet. The soil has to be worked and moistened to allow the steam to penetrate 8”.

Steam Steriliser

I have done a little sowing and planting this week much of it under protection in the greenhouse but managed to slide some early peas out of a gutter and cover them with cloches.

Our “Biography” subject this week was “Constantine the Great” a formidable organiser but ruthless having disposed of his son, one wife and mother-in-law on the way. Somehow he managed to embrace Christianity mainly as he saw it as a way of bringing peace to the Roman Empire. His other masterstroke was moving the capital of the Eastern Empire to Constantinople. He was preceded by Constantius his father and succeeded by Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans I – they were not very imaginative with names! He lasted 31 years as Emperor after a period in the previous century when there had been 9 emperors in 54 years.

Constantine the Great

Watching Over was hard work yesterday as there were swirls of hail and they were thumped 5 v 1.

Today is Mervyn Howard’s 75th birthday and he had a gathering at the Social Centre last night. He is looking very fit for 75 and tomorrow he and Pat are off to Barbados.

We have just returned from a baby dedication this morning followed by a shared meal. The parents are South African Matthew and Rachel, Grace Jane was born only 2 weeks ago.

Love

Mike & Kate

28th February 2016.

Dear All,

It has been a fairly busy week. On Monday after the warmest swim this year, Kate accompanied me to Bishops Stortford where I was addressing their U3A Garden Group. It is quite a large group and I have been a couple of times before. After we walked along the river and explored the town a little.

In the evening a small group of us had training on how to update the chapel web site with Stan our Bulgarian computer man.

Bishops Stortford Castle Mound

On Tuesday I joined some ex NIAB colleagues for a regular meal and catch up at Girton. NIAB have just taken over the fruit work at East Malling.

The grass at the allotment had dried out enough to allow an early trim on Wednesday and I harvested the last of the Brussels sprouts. The mild winter has meant that rots came in early, last year they stood until mid March.

Thursday’s walk was much easier than the previous week. We were at Revensden just north of Bedford – much less mud and water with nearly 100% sunshine.

 This was followed by my 5^th and hopefully final trip to the dentist for a bit so am now the proud owner of a newly capped and root filled tooth with a much lighter bank balance!

In the evening we had a chapel conducted tour of the Sedgwick Museum in Cambridge. It has an extensive collection of minerals and fossils which can be overwhelming but with an enthusiastic guide it is much more palatable.

Sedgwick Museum

Our Friday Biography featured John Churchill, later the Duke of Marlborough. He was awarded Blenheim Palace by a grateful nation after leading a coalition of Dutch, German and British against the French. In the afternoon Esther joined us and we travelled up to Derbyshire to help celebrate Natasha’s 18^th birthday. Natasha has grown immensely in confidence and happiness partly due to helpful school teachers and a lot to do with Esther who has spent time entertaining her and showing her the ropes. The party was held in Alderwasley Village Hall which is a renovated old stone chapel building. There was a meal followed by a disco which drowned all subsequent conversation, so grumpy elderly relatives did not quite make the end!

Before that Kate, Esther and I walked to Alport Stone which included some very boggy fields. We then joined Bill, Sue, Helen, Emma and Alfie for lunch at their cabin in Darwin Country Park, north of Matlock. On the way back to our residence at “The Bear” we stopped off at Scarthin’s Book shop at Cromford which is a local highlight.

This morning we explored Wirksworth before returning.

Challenging Walk

Alport Stone

Party Girl

Middle Peak Quarry

Love

Mike & Kate

21st February 2016.

Dear All,

No swimming this week as at Half Term the pool times are adjusted for lessons so instead Kate and I went to St Ives as she wanted to be rekitted for Natasha’s 18^th birthday party in Derbyshire next weekend.

On Tuesday we had some negotiations with our new neighbours as their plans showed the boundary – which has never been properly marked - as some way into our garden. John Law came for lunch to discuss the next Moldova expedition as he was speaking at the Women’s Meeting.

Wednesday was free so we ventured to Hutton to carry out some early season gardening jobs for Esther, mainly emptying he large compost bin together with a few other receptacles, cutting the grass etc. Esther was at work but managed to pop home for lunch.

Thursday’s walk was a challenge of mud and water, probably the stickiest, wettest walk we have enjoyed for a year or two! It started at Cottered near Buntingford. It had rained heavily in the night and the soil was largely a special sort of adhesive clay. The beginning of the walk looked like a canal so I guess we should have been warned. However the sun shone for most of the morning and the pub was efficient but with a chaotic bottle necked car park.

Cottered – The Start

A typical headland!

Herfordshire clay

Whose turn for boot cleaning?

I had a Garden Club talk at Waterbeach in the evening and the chairman’s opening remark was “I used to play hockey with Tom Webster from NIAB”. I have since phoned Tom to inform him and he sounded much better than before Christmas. He spent a month with his daughter in Exeter over the New Year and now his son Tom Jnr. Has come to live with him.

Friday’s Biography was “Edwin Smith” a renowned photographer who trained as an architect and fancied himself as a painter. This was followed by the last “Visual Perception” class. It has been well delivered but the subject matter is amazingly complex.

Edwin Smith  

             Rural scene

 Beauty in Ordinary Life

Yesterday Adrian called for coffee followed by an old missionary couple who are looking to move from London. Their last posting was starting a hospital in Madagascar.

Yesterdays match ended Over 0 v 0 Fowlmere and will not live long in the memory!

Love

Mike & Kate

14^th February 2016.

Dear All,

Happy Valentine’s Day – I hope that cheers you up?

We have been to Hove this week as Andy was in Dublin for a couple of days. Amélie seems to have settled into school now and looks to be enjoying it. On Wednesday her school had a service for Ash Wednesday and Kate and I attended as Mary-Ann was accompanying Bert to the doctors for a series of injections. The school seems to be very well run with older pupils looking after younger ones.

Later we pushed Bert along the sea front and walked to Brighton and back. The sea had been very active with deposits of stony beach on the esplanade. Later the injections upset Bert but generally he is very cheerful and the proud owner of one tooth!

On Monday our swim was distinctly cool as the pool heating had been playing up again. It was rather reminiscent of the North Sea in June! Afterwards Kate went to Addenbrookes to sit with Jim Burr who had been readmitted.

On Tuesday I delivered my 200^th Garden Club talk to the Cambridge U3A Garden Group at Comberton before departing for Hove.

Kate has been suffering with her third cold of the winter but determinedly walked on Thursday. We were at Stansfield in rural Suffolk, it started frozen underfoot but as it thawed became soft and slidey and decidedly hard work .

Near Stansfield

The Hunt

Only one hour at the dentist’s this week as he prepared for a cap – hopefully only one session to go. This was followed by “Biographies” this week “Oliver Cromwell” then “Visual Perception” which is very high powered but interesting.

I watched Over pull off an unlikely 1 v 0 victory against Lakenheath yesterday in bracing conditions for spectators!

Love

Mike & Kate

7^th February 2016.

Dear All,

Our pastor David Smith started a month’s sabbatical this week having been in office for 10 years. This means there is a certain amount of delegated duties to perform in keeping things ticking over.

The swimming pool was back in operation this week and noticeably warmer than of late. I had my usual 1.5 hours smiling at my dentist on Tuesday – all 5 roots now successfully filled – just two more appointments to fit a cap!

Kate and I had an expedition to the Garden Centre on Wednesday to spend some of our accumulated tokens. Compost, seed potatoes, onion sets, dahlia tubers and a stock of chemicals were purchased.

We called on Jim Burr who had been in hospital in a very unstable state. He seemed happier at home than in hospital but early this morning he was rushed back in.

Our Thursday exercise started at Hinxworth near the A1 and took in Caldecote, Ashwell and Newnham and included the John Mills Sculpture Park.

The Three Horseshoes, Hinxworth

John Mills Sculptures

On Friday Kate dropped me off at “Biographies” while she went DIY shopping. The subject this week was “Jim Clark” the Scottish racing driver/farmer who won two world championships, 25 Grand Prixs and held 33 pole positions from 72 races before he was killed aged 32 at Hockenheim.

Kate then picked me up to attend the Requiem Mass for John Dunn one of our walking colleagues who collapsed just before Christmas. It was the first Catholic funeral I had been to and was not impressed as the priest was not very clear in his delivery and the service was long and hardly mentioned John.

We were on “Street Pastors” patrol on Friday. It was fairly quiet but that seems to make it seem longer! The main excitement was that the street dweller who attacked one of the SPs on New Year’s Eve and was banned from the City Centre between 6pm and 6am was in evidence the weekend before so we were warned to look out for him. He seems to have a personal dislike of SPs and is obviously not completely sane.

We have been out to lunch today at Rachel & Will’s – hence the delay in publication!

Love

Mike & Kate