26^th November 2017

Dear All,

On Monday Kate and I travelled up to Boston with Glynis Fenwick to meet up with Bryan Withers and Bill Chowings who are ex NIAB colleagues and Tony Hewitt and David Jeffrey ex RHS Veg Panel members. Bryan suffered from polio as a child which deformed his chest and has left him with serious breathing difficulties. The weather was overcast and did not show the flat fields of Lincolnshire at their best!

Boston Tea Party?

Meanwhile in Stockholm it was snowing so we have received several photos of children enjoying themselves in the first downfalls – I hope the novelty does not wear off!

“Just Vegetating” this week featured “Potatoes” with recipes for Homity Pie, Hassleback potatoes and Victoria sponge made with potato flour (recipes all available on request!) Amazon delivered a new shower support and a new set of cricket fence posts so these occupied the afternoon.

We went into Cambridge on Wednesday to begin Christmas shopping but did not get beyond Waterstones before the novelty wore off! In the evening we were back in Cambridge for the first of two First Aid courses laid on by Street Pastors taken by the Red Cross. Both courses were very good and targeted at the sort of situations we encounter.

Thursday’s walk started at Cottered near Buntingford and took in Cromer, Luffenhall and Rushden. It was a little muddy but not nearly as bad as our last visit there in 2015. The sun shone for most of the way and we always fairly close to woodland.

Cottered

Cromer Winmill

Luffenhall

Near Rushden

It was my turn to present at “Biographies” and I chose “Thomas Jefferson” mainly because when researching for “Just Vegetating” I often came across “first grown in America in Thomas Jefferson’s garden in Virginia”. His cv reads:

Land Owner, Planter & Gardener

American Founding Father

Principal Author of Declaration of Independence

Virginia Delegate to Congress 1775-1776 (before independence)

Second Governor of Virginia 1779-1781

Virginia Delegate to Congress 1783-1784 (after independence)

US Minister to France 1785-1789

US Secretary of State 1790-1793

Second Vice President of USA 1797-1801

Third President of USA 1801-1809

Founded University of Virginia 1819

Thomas Jefferson

Mount Rushmore

The big issues of his time were the American Revolution, Slavery, Indian resettlement and expanding the US through the Louisiana Purchase.

We had a second First Aid session at Histon on Saturday morning then I watched a 0 v 0 game at Wet Wratting in the afternoon.

Love

Mike & Kate

19^th November 2017

Dear All,

Not too much to report this week! After swimming on Monday morning I dug up the dahlias at the allotment, dug the land and clamped the dahlias in the greenhouse. Later that day I received a request from Moldova for 2000 euros to build a house. Financing Moldova has become more complicated as John Law has moved to Turkey. In the evening Dave Harrower and I went to watch a floodlight cup game between Cambridge City and West Wratting and it was rather chilly!

“Just Vegetating” this week featured “Legumes” with recipes for Mixed Bean Masala, Bean Burgers and Pea & Avocado spread.

On Wednesday evening Kate and I attended Over Garden Club to hear David Kerley a local flower breeder. He used to work for Unwins Seeds but left when he managed to breed a double flowered Petunia and has now 200 varieties on the go.

Thursday’s walk started at Northill near Biggleswade and took in Ickwell, Old Warden and the Shuttleworth Estate. It was a good walk with good weather and for the first time Philip introduced a third shorter walk for the aged and infirm!

Ickwell Green

Warden Warren

Warden Wood

Old Warden

In “Biographies” we learnt about “Catherine Tudor” a 16^th century Welsh landowner who survived four marriages, each one adding to her personal estate and wealth. In the evening we had a Deacons & Wives meal with some serious discussion about some on going issues.

Love

Mike & Kate

12^th November 2017

Dear All,

On Monday, after swimming we joined Kate & Gordon, Merv & Pat and Bob & Carol at The Old Crown, Girton for lunch to celebrate Gordon’s 65^th birthday. In the evening I had a Cemetery Trustees meeting where we were discussing making a better area for interment of ashes as well as raising the cost of dying by increasing the fees for a plot! At the same time I booked and paid for a double plot – which is rather sobering experience!

“Just Vegetating” this week covered “Salads – Fruit” and the recipes were Roast Stuffed Peppers, Aubergine bake and Mutabbal (a sort of Aubergine dip).

Kate and I lined up for a flu jab on Wednesday – so far with no ill effects. Our Thursday stroll started at Hatfield Broadoak near Stanstead.  Autumn colours had really kicked in so it was a very pleasant walk.

Hatfield Broadoak

Autumn

Our “Biography” topic this week was John Bowering who was a Devon wool trader who rose to become a political economist, MP and the 4^th Governor of Hong Kong – no I hadn’t heard of him either but the lady who presented claimed to be a distant descendant.

Friday evening I took a Garden Club at Barrow in Suffolk while Kate went to Street Pastors training on “Homelessness”. The effort that goes into trying to support these folk in Cambridge quite amazing and little recognised.

The Swedish family are now officially registered so can try to find nurseries and schools. Amélie now has a very gappy smile due to teeth loss and seems 6” taller in each photo.

Gappy Smile

Swedish Housing?

Love

Mike & Kate

5^th November 2017

Dear All,

We had another fairly lively session on the streets last night culminating in a pitched battle between a gang of travellers (probably from the Bonfire fair) and the bouncers at Revolution, one of the night clubs. One of the bouncers was taken away in an ambulance and a little blood was shed. Another fight featured two well lubricated ladies(?). As we were on Saturday rather than Friday the Nightlite café was in operation and we took the three worst cases there to recover. Unfortunately none of them responded well to tlc and medical support was needed probably due to drugs rather than just drink. Overall lively - but not as busy as our previous outing.

“Just Vegetating” featured “Salads – Green” with recipes for “Everyday Green Salad” and “Fennel salad with pistachios and oven dried grapes”.

On Wednesday I visited Colin King and old football and cricket colleague, who is suffering from Motor Neurone disease and has deteriorated at an alarming rate from a fit jogger and cycle rider to a state where he can only shuffle and speak through a computer.

In the evening we had a rare outing to the cinema with Bob & Carol to see “The Death of Stalin” which was excellent.

Our Thursday walk started at Wickhambrook south of Newmarket in a fairly affluent area of thatched cottages and high hedges. It was a 40 mile drive each way for us but an attractive area.

Meeting Green

Dunston

Near Dunston

Gifford Hall

“Biographies” featured “Maria Montessori – the first woman to graduate from Medical school in Italy but most famous for the schooling method that bears her name which teaches children to be independent and self reliant.

I harvested some sweet potatoes this week and they have performed better than ever before.

Sweet Potato

Love

Mike & Kate

29th October 2017

Dear All,

Yesterday Kate and I drove up to Burston, north of Diss, Norfolk for a Commemoration event for Don Pollard, his obituary was in the Guardian on the 1^st September. He was married to Joy Larkcom who I have helped with the revision of some of her gardening books. We visited them when they moved to Cork in 2007 and went to Cuba with them in 2008. Don was at one time chairman of the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers Union and the driving force behind legislation to control gangmasters. He was also an active member of CND and repeatedly arrested for protesting at Lakenheath and Molesworth. The funeral had been held in Ireland but over 150 turned up at the Burston Strike school, which is famous as the scene of the longest running strike in British history and is now a museum and Union HQ (it’s all in Wikipedia!)

On Monday we were down at Hutton tidying up for Esther. She had experience a tough weekend with Kian – one of her Respite care lads as he had screamed for several hours of the night.

“Just Vegetating” this week was “Brassicas” with recipes for Kale crisps, Cauliflower rice, Cabbage stir-fry and Cauliflower curry.

Wednesday saw me at the dentist having a chipped tooth patched up – seems a frequent occupation these days! Then serious digging at the allotment as a green manure crop of mustard was dug in.

Thursday’s walk was local starting at Elsworth and circling Cambourne and Knapwell Woods. Cambourne has been designed more sympathetically than most new settlements with plenty of trees and green corridors.

Elsworth

Cambourne

Knapwell Woods

The “Biographies” topic this week was “Isaac Singer”, he was a Polish born Jew who escaped to the USA and wrote over 20 novels and many short stories eventually winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1978.

The vegetable patch has cropped very well this year, we are still picking tomatoes and peppers and also have decent fennel, celeriac, parsnips, cabbage, sprouts, leeks and kale.

Celeriac

Fennel

Mustard pre Digging in

Pepper harvest

Love

Mike & Kate

22nd October 2017

Dear All,

Highlight of this week was the annual Quiz as part of the chapel’s support for the Day care centre. I think this was the 8^th we have presented, Kate thinks up all the questions and I am quizmaster. There were about 70 participants at £6 per head plus a raffle so it raises a little cash which they need as they are losing a substantial local government grant.

As usual there were 8 rounds of 10 questions plus two marathon rounds of 20 questions, one in each half of the quiz. I know you will be itching to try some of the questions so here goes:

Round 1. Window Shopping Q8 Which coffee chain has most shops in the UK? a. Caffe Nero, b. Starbucks, c. Costa? (answers at the end of the letter)

Round 2. Link Words Q5 Which word links: Bran………….washer

Round 3. Here Today Gone Tomorrow Q1 What was the nickname for Teddy boys crepe soled shoes?

Round 4. Firsts Q8 Who was the first Roman Emperor?

Marathon round A. Addresses Q4 Who lives at 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield?

Round 5. Well Travelled Q5 Where in Britain was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 2017?

Round 6. Body Parts (thanks to Esther) Q3 A useless actor and a bit or twine?

Round 7. A Bit Dated Q10 How many years since the death of Elvis?

Round 8. Pot Luck Q10 What is Britain’s fastest land animal?

Marathon round B was pictures of food plants so you are spared that one!

We covered “Alliums” in “Just Vegetating” this week with emphasis on Onions and Leeks.

On Wednesday there was a ceremony at the graveyard to inter the ashes of Lily and Michael Firth who died within 100 days of each other.

Firth Clan plus

The Thursday walk started at Litlington NW of Royston and took in Guilden Morden, Steeple Morden and Abington Pigotts. It had rained the night before and was the first really sticky walk of the season. Needless to say it involved crossing at least 5 ploughed or cultivated fields.

Near Litlington

Abington Pigotts

Tough going

“Biographies” topic this week was “William Wilberforce” who I guess you will know all about? After I met up with a couple of ex NIAB colleagues Paul Nelson and John Beckett, the latter of whom I had not seen for 40 years.

Mary-Ann seems to be finding her way round Stockholm a little and has discovered a library with English books and English story time and an English speaking playschool as well as exploring several parks. The temperature was down to 4°C. Their address should anyone need it is: c/o Maim, Folkingagatan 59, 11622 Stockholm, Sweden.

Love

Mike & Kate

Quiz answers:

Round 1 Costa 2000, Starbucks 792, Nero 620

Round 2 Dish

Round 3 Brothel Creepers

Round 4 Augustus

Marathon A The Simpsons

Round 5 The Lake District

Round 6 Hamstring

Round 7 40 years

Round 8 The Hare

Never mind I expect you would have got the other 111 questions correct!