Three Sheep Cheese Boat

04/06/2026

Mama Beanie has landed!

After much excitement, a road trip and approximately 47 times asking “How far away to go now?” … Mama Beanie is officially onboard.

Today’s agenda appears to include:

📸 Taking photos of absolutely everything
🚤 Inspecting the boat
☕ Tea & coffee
☕ More tea & coffee
🚶‍♀️ A wander around the top of the locks scoping out trading spots
📸 Taking more photos of absolutely everything

I should probably point out that I inherited my inability to walk past something interesting without photographing it.

The evidence is literally standing behind me with a camera around her neck. 🤣

Welcome back onboard, Mama Beanie ❤️

🐑🐑🐑🧀

03/06/2026

Right then Cheesters, let’s talk about the weather.

This coming weekend is my last planned weekend in Foxton until October and the forecast appears to be having a bit of an identity crisis.

One minute it’s sunshine. The next it’s drizzle. Then sunshine again. It’s like somebody at the Met Office started pressing random buttons.

🌦️🤷🏼‍♀️

So here’s the plan…

I’m keeping a close eye on things and will probably make a final decision fairly last minute. If there’s a decent weather window, particularly on Saturday afternoon, then I absolutely want to be open.

After all, Foxton is still Foxton. The locks will be there. The Sculpture Trail will be there. The boats will be there. And hopefully the cheese will be there too. 🧀🤣

And if you’re nearby and simply must have your cheese fix, don’t forget you can always message me an order and collect it.

Exhibit A: Rob from Blisworth last year, pictured collecting his cheese despite the weather doing its best to put him off. Our improvised umbrella technique may not catch on, but priorities were spot on. 🤣☔️

Where there’s a will, there’s a whey.

(I’ve waited all week to use that line.)

🤣🧀🐑☔️

03/06/2026

Road Triiiiip!!!

Off to collect Mama Beanie today and I’m ridiculously excited.

It’s been far too long since she’s been onboard and, more importantly, she hasn’t even seen Beanie in her new orange suit yet! 🧡🚤

I’m expecting the full inspection:
✔️ Boat tour
✔️ Comments on my housekeeping
✔️ Questions about whether I’m eating properly
✔️ General motherly supervision

Captain Jackson is also preparing for the royal visit. Whether he’s excited or simply hoping for extra biscuits remains unclear.

Wish us luck. There may be singing in the car. There will almost certainly be snacks.

❤️

02/06/2026

Sometimes you just need that one friend.

You know the one.

The friend who makes a series of life choices that instantly improve your own reputation.

Daisy's Bakin Butty The Floating Cafe filled that role admirably.

Today’s contribution involved attempting to gracefully leapfrog a row of concrete bollards.

I use the word gracefully in the broadest possible sense.

Meanwhile there was a young woman nearby who found herself trapped in the awkward position of trying not to laugh while also trying very hard not to make eye contact with us.

A battle she was losing.

The good news is Daisy survived.

The bad news is any hopes of an Olympic call-up have probably been dashed.

On the plus side, I spent the rest of the afternoon looking like the sensible one.

Which doesn’t happen very often.

🤣🤣🤣

02/06/2026

The sheer, unfiltered judgement.

I have informed Captain Jackson that I’m off for lunch with Daisy today and that he will not be accompanying me.

This news has not been well received.

Apparently I am abandoning him.

To be clear, he’ll be left on a comfortable narrowboat with food, water, treats, multiple beds, and absolutely no responsibilities whatsoever.

Yet somehow I’m the villain in this story.

Judging by this face, he’s already drafting a strongly worded complaint to the RSPCA.

“Dear Sir/Madam,

My human went for lunch.

Without me.

Please send help.”

🤣🐾

02/06/2026

Apparently I ruffled some wet feathers yesterday with my light-hearted complaint about the weather …

I’d just like to reassure everyone that I have not, in fact, become weather-soft.

May I present Exhibit A and Exhibit B…

The time we spent five days stuck in a cutting at Chirk.

Five.

Days.

In mud.

And before anyone asks, yes, that is the Co-Pilot in the second photo.

Why is she covered head to toe in mud?

Because she dropped her axe in the canal.

And apparently her chosen recovery method was:

“Become one with the towpath.”

🤣🤣🤣

I seem to recall this involved laying down in the mud, reaching into the cut, retrieving the axe using a hobbled together fridge magnet system and emerging looking like she’d lost a fight with a peat bog.

The good news is she got the axe back.

The bad news is I don’t think her dignity was ever recovered.

So no, a bit of rain isn’t going to bother us.

We’ve survived Chirk.

We’ve survived axe retrieval operations.

We’ve survived dropped phones, thunderstorms, gunwale incidents and superglued teeth.

A little drizzle barely even registers these days ☔️🤣

🐑🐑🐑🧀

01/06/2026

Fancy being a guardian of a piece of history?

Hyperion and Hyades are for sale.

♥️

Boats for sale! 🌟

My boats Hyperion & Hyades are now listed for sale on Apollo Duck. Would prefer for them to go as a pair, so if you’re interested in being the next custodian of an original pairing with bags of history check out the ad.👇
https://www.apolloduck.com/boat/harland-&-wolff-little-woolwich-for-sale/829550

It’s been wonderful having these two and learning all the skills that go with single handing a pair of working boats but I desperately need a studio space that stays dry all year round😬. Paper does not like the damp.

I’d love to try a bit of horse boating which is something I haven’t tried yet so I may try to get involved with that🤷‍♀️ otherwise, it’s on to the next adventure😃.

Comments turned off, if interests in the sale please see the ad.

01/06/2026

Erm… excuse me…

Where has the warm weather gone? 🤨

One minute we were having bank holiday BBQs, eating ice cream and wondering if we’d accidentally been relocated to the Mediterranean.

Now I’m sat here contemplating a hoodie.

Again.

I’m beginning to think British Summer is just three nice days followed by a strongly worded apology.

Anyone else feeling personally betrayed? 🤣☀️🌧️

01/06/2026

Well… I don’t think I did too badly 🤷🏼‍♀️🪢

I haven’t spliced rope for about five years and, naturally, when I decided to have another go I discovered I couldn’t find my fid.

No matter.

A proper craftsman has the right tools.

A boater reaches for the nearest screwdriver and cracks on 🤣

So after an afternoon of head scratching and muttering, I present … two end-to-end splices.

Are they perfect?

Absolutely not.

Will professional fender makers be losing sleep tonight?

Also absolutely not 🤣

But they’re neat enough, functional, and I’ve remembered a skill I haven’t used in years.

I’ll call that a win.

Next week: watch me forget how to do it all over again.

🐑🐑🐑🧀

🪢🚤🤣

31/05/2026

Go outside and look at the moon!

You’re welcome.

🌑