Recycle, Reuse, or Rubbish

Getting rid of 33 years of accumulated "stuff" hard decisions have to be made. The question is asked "can we recycle this", "can someone else use or reuse it", "do we need it on the boat", "can we find room for it on the boat", "can we sell it" and finally the death knell - "is it rubbish"!

We are fortunate in having a kerb-side recycling collection here in Cornwall, which will take most things that can be recycled. We are making full use of this and I am sure the fortnightly collectors are cursing us for bags and bags of paper, magazines, cardboard and material over and above our usual bottles, cans, plastic etc!

However a trip to the dump is a 30 mile round drive including a return trip across the River Fal on the ferry! Almost an outing. The dump is primitive compared to the highly organised one in Devizes - worth a visit to marvel at its organisation and level of use. Roll on living on a narrowboat when one cannot accumulate - we hope!

Rubbish is very topical on the news - fortnightly collections for all eventually I suspect. How much of the uncollected or unwanted will end up in our canals? Reading the article in Canal Boat today about the trip into the BCN brought back memories of our trip on the BCN (Birmingham Canal Navigations) 2 or 3 years ago. Our tally was only some rope, wire and finally somebody's waterproof jacket at Tipton locks, bringing us to a standstill, or should it be "floatstill". Down the weed hatch went BJ. His calls for "scissors" then "bread knife" and last but not least "screwdriver" had me occupied but also an observer of grunts and groans as it gradually came free.

The worst and the best on the BCN? The top is Tipton Junction. I am not sure about the second photo. Can anyone identify it please?

Some may say I am now writing rubbish so I shall stop. A garage cum house sale - here we go and plenty of time spent on EBay!