Monks Wood

Y and I and of course the three dogs took a walk around Monks wood this morning to get out of the wind and the occasional wintry shower. In the wood there are areas that clearly show the ridge and furrow of the Medieval landscape - which is interesting as it is referred to as the the largest plot of ancient woodlands in Cambridgeshire.

The photo shows ridges across the access road



Here in the woods the ridges are 45 degrees to those above, indicating that this was part of a field system.



As with many woods there are also ditches that run along the edge of the rides or larger pathways - these are linked to woodland management - and can be as old as the wood itself.



Much of the wooded areas in in Huntingdonshire have been maintained and managed for hundreds of years as the are was a royal hunting ground from at least Norman times. The names of farms in the area relate to the hunting lodges - Blacklodge Farm, Holly Lodge Farm, Brook Lodge farm, Whiteleather Lodge, Woolley. But the place names also indicate an older history - Buckworth is derived from a Saxon's cheiftans name and literaly means Bucge's Wood - the same man is remembered in the name Buckden a few miles south on the A1 - Bucge's Valley. So while some of the woodland has ridge and furrow within it - this still could have been woodland for over 1,000 years. Although we are most familiar with the remaining 'Medeival' ridge and furrow in pastureland or 'sheep walks' of east anglia - ridge and furrow can be much older.

A busy week

This week has been the last week of teaching before the Easter Break - so it has been quite busy students wanting to see tutors before heading off for Easter to get final assignments finished and projects written up and although we will have a few weeks of teaching after Easter before exams there is a tendency to take stock. There are students that when we first met appeared to be the most basic of base earth that now are becoming stars - which is what makes this job so great. There others that have not fulfilled their early promise - but I feel we have got the best out of them; and of course there are those who are making their way along the bumpy road.

It is all of this that makes decisions about what I should be doing so very hard - two lovely second years whom I have not taught this year came to see me and ask if I would be taking them next year - which I hope I will. But one of the things about cancer is that it makes you want to get as much out of things as possible. I am very lucky because in my job I can - or at least should - be able to be very flexible, and I am trying. I have submitted two papers for peer review and should really be working on more; but it seems that we are being asked to do more and more - and frankly the systems in the university do not support our work well. I am a keen advocate of e-Learning and despite an generous budget and a wealth of equipment - there is no joined up thinking and the leadership that is required to make the cultural shift required to effectively implement e-Learning.

However this is not what I had intended to post - Grafham Water has opened and I hvae made several forays with some success. More importantly Y came back from her parents last week and announced that we needed a motor-home so she could accompany me when fishing, also I have still been getting tired and we could use it as a base for a day (or a weekend?) allowing me to fish and enjoy a walk or a meal with Y when convenient. (Y thinks that I might enjoy a bike ride - how wrong can she be?)

Anyway with the wonder of eBay an ancient, but very tidy motor-home now sits outside Owl Cottage - we shall see if it transforms our life for the better. I am being curmudgeonly - am secretly looking forwards to the open road Poop Poop!!



But this does not really sound busy - check my diary!

Friday - To Birmingham to see the Cirque du Soliel (Visit site) with Y and daughter - Birmingham has been transformed since my last visit.



Sunday - God parent to a beautiful baby boy



Sunday afternoon - Y's family and another cracking Irish chap!!



Tuesday - Y collects motor-home

Thursday Evening - the Old Rope String Band - with neighbours - a really fun evening - See for yourself

Slow Progress

Over the past few weeks I have been getting back to work and trying to regain what I was before all this happened. Last week I had a set back - having been working and enjoying my work, the pelvic pain started bothering me again and I found myself floundering and had to take time off work. I have been working on my fitness, which I was sure was a contributing factor and was still off the Tramadol. However, having been really down over the weekend, I decided to start taking the Tramadol and as is if by magic I was much better on the Tuesday.

It seems that I get into a vicious circle of pain - stress - which the Tramadol breaks - only thing is which comes first?

On a brighter not Grafham water opened at the weekend and I managed to get down for a couple hours. It was good to get back into it - but still feel after a couple of hours I have had enough, hopefully I will get back into it as the weather improves.