The Joys of Spring

Well I haven't posted anything new for a couple of weeks. This isn't because I haven't been out laning, its more that I don't want to publish reams and reams of the same old thing, so I might sometimes go a while between posts.


So here we are, looking at exploring some of the lanes south of Hatfield, but starting at our Bunyon's Chimney lane at Wheathamstead.


So called because this chimney once formed the centre of a cottage where Bunyon lived, this chimney, a listed building, marks the beginning of our first lane of the day.



We have visited this lane before, but it was a little drier then. This time saw the water gushing down the steeper bits like a small stream, and as you can see there was a little of the slippery stuff too. This picture doesn't really do justice to the lane, but hey I work with what I've got!






Spyderman was out with us today, in fact he ended up doing most of the navigating and the hard stuff which doesn't seem to be unusual. He knows his way around though and many of the lanes we visit are places he's visited often in the past.


He got a phone call just as we were about to start this lane, seems like Mike, the new guy from a couple of weeks ago, wanted to hook up with us at Hatfield. Arrangements made and its off to Hatfield!


Now you may think that we have these country runs out because we are hooligans hell bent on ruining the enjoyment of walkers everywhere.


That's not strictly true. Despite the filthy looks, and even the odd person flagging us down in the street to tell us how we shouldn't be here the children get to enjoy a lovely day in the countryside, the dog gets a good run out. Irritating walkers who decide to use a lane that allows cars, and then complain when one turns up... well that's just a bonus.


Of course there are occasionally parts of the lane that are difficult to traverse! This one doesn't look stuck but he's done something called "Cross Axelling". Now I've never heard of this but apparently 2 wheels off the ground make driving a little difficult (over simplified but to the point!)

Of course he needs a little tug... and we all like a little tug from time to time and thus he was liberated.

Now I could claim that I suffered no problems through all this, and I have to claim that I do think my driving technique is improving each time we go out. It's not perfect but hey.... I'm new at this!


Take this hill for example, not too steep and long but do you think I could get up it? not a bleedin chance, once again a tug to get up the hill! Bloody ell last time I had this many tugs in a day I was fifteen years old!

So its a short one this one... a few lanes, a country drive, lunch at the pub and a dirty, filthy, mud infested, scratched car.

Well what else would we do at the weekend?

One last thing, I actually went out a bought some tow strops and a few shackles. We live in the south of England so it was away to Skorpion Racing and a very respectable £30.00 on some 14 tonne Shackles and two bloody great strops. Anyway, how poetic, the first person I get to christen my new gear... spyderman, the same vehicle and driver who dragged me out of the shit that first night! Now I have to confess that he was not really stuck just a little inconvenienced, but the poetry of the situation appealed to me as I am sure it will you!

More next time