Scrap, Lambs and What is a Houseboat?

Scrap - where does it all come from?  Last week we decided it was time to get rid of the rather large pile of scrap that had been accumulating over the winter as part of the Spring clean.  There were at least three bikes in the pile and I hadn't ridden a single one of them! With the car weighted down with a tonne of batteries and a full trailer of scrap strapped on we set off for the local scrap yard. 

On arriving at the yard we drove down a very narrow alleyway of scrap about 20 feet tall on both sides with no way out having been hemmed in by several tipper trucks and white vans. There was a large mechanical grab moving piles of scrap around which alarmingly kept getting a bit too near the car for my liking and I was fully expecting the grab to pick the car up and move us onto the nearest pile!  After moving on and off the weighbridge several times with much arm waving going on in different directions, unhitching and rehitching the trailer and attempting to do a 50 point turn in a very narrow space and getting offered some money for the car we were sitting in - I don't know how they thought we were going to get home; the scrap and batteries were added to the pile and we left a little lighter! The price for scrap metal at the moment is very good so it was worth the wait and it just goes to show that nearly everything can be recycled and reused!

 

The last couple of weeks have been taken up with lambing and we now have twenty five Herdwick lambs out in the field.  The Herdwick sheep traditionally lives out on the Cumbrian Fells, so they are quite a way south in Northamptonshire. It's all got too much for this lamb, so it's decided to have a sleep on mum.

Sadly one of the ewes died, so her two lambs were orphaned but we do have a willing helper who likes to give them their bottle feeds.  They will hopefully go out into the field with the rest of the sheep shortly as they are getting very bouncy now and want to play!

I think we can safely say that Spring has arrived: it has warmed up, there are lambs playing in the fields and the daffodils have eventually come out after spending weeks tightly wrapped up.

We were rather puzzled this week to find the Environment Agency has reclassified our butty Naples as a 'Houseboat' for licensing purposes.  Naples is a 1929 Small Northwich butty, originally horse drawn she worked with a number of different motor boats carrying all sorts of cargoes until her retirement. Now I am sure the people at the EA have thought very hard about this but I do have a couple of questions for them about their definition of a 'Houseboat' (a licence for which, unsurprisingly, costs about 10 times more)

This is a picture of butty Naples

And this is a picture of what I generally think of as a houseboat

 

 

 

They are both unpowered craft over five metres as per a class 12 category. But are they both  'Houseboats'? Hopefully we will find out soon.  

Sammy & Sumo Finally Get Away for Easter plus a Chilly Trip on the River

Once it had stopped snowing and the 'Beast from the East' had gone into abeyance briefly, there was a quick flurry of activity to get the boats ship shape for the first hire of the season over Easter.  Painting, fixing, cleaning, hanging of curtains, checking inventories was all well underway.

Boat Preparations Well Underway

The only problem was the river was still closed to navigation due to the recent high flow.  We had everything crossed in the hope that the Environment Agency would remove the Strong Stream Advice before our boats were due to go on holiday on the Easter Monday.  Crossing everything and having a chat with the weather gods worked and on Sunday morning the Strong Stream Advice was cancelled and not a moment too soon!

 

On Monday it was all stations go and our customers arrived and loaded their belongings onto the boats. Once the handover had been completed it was time to set off down to the lock with Dan for the demonstration of how a River Nene lock works.

 

Off on Holiday

After passage through Upper Barnwell Lock, it was decided that Oundle Mill would be a nice place to stop for an evening meal and out popped the sun for the remainder of the evening.

 

Sammy & Sumo moored at Oundle Mill

As the sun was out for a couple of days we thought we would take the opportunity for a trip out and have a look at what was happening out and about on the river.  So we popped in our day boat and headed off towards Lilford.  Jack, our furry friend decided to come along for the ride as well!

 

Jack & Dan on Board

Once out on the river the wind was whipping up the water and it was decidely choppy with a wind chill of about -20 (or that 's what it felt like) and the dog looked a bit sea sick.  It was nice to be out on the river even though it was rather chilly.  Here's a short video of us bumping along on the waves.  To get the full experience, stand in a cold room with a fan on maximum! Excuse the shaky camera, it was difficult keeping upright at times!

 

 

 

We carried on up the river, past Lilford Hall, a stately home in the Jacobean style built around 1635 for the Elmes Family before passing onto the Powys Family who were granted the title of Baron (Lord) Lilford. by William Pitt the Younger.

 

Lilford Hall

The geese were very busy along the river bank, although it might be a bit cold to start sitting on a nest yet! This Canada Goose didn't mind having its photo taken, although the Greylag Geese in the background were more reserved.  You can see the Church at Pilton up on the hill overlooking the river.

 

We passed under the bridge towards Lilford Lock and decided it was time to turn around and head back as Dan's hand was frozen to the tiller by now.

 

Pilton Bridge with Lilford Lock in the Background


Despite the cold there are definitely signs of Spring appearing along the river bank, the green shoots of the reeds are starting to reappear and I spotted some pussy willows whilst investigating a tree.

 

Pussy Willows

 And finally .......

 

One of the local swans who likes to knock on the boat hatch for a bit of breakfast, dinner and tea.  Mind your fingers!