'It's a Rum Life' THE STRAW BALE STORY

''It's a Rum Life''

Northcote Diary Volume One 1984 to 1994

 THE STRAW BALE STORY

This must have been about 1993....it was a bad time all round!

It was during the time that we had no helpers. We had no money either !

The National Lottery had begun and drained all the spare cash that families used to go out on day trips. Over a hundred and fourty million pounds every week had been taken out of the National Economy and put into gambling.

Small animal sanctuaries up and down the Country were feeling the draft.

We were told by our accountant that we were insolvent after our income had dropped by £18,000 in the last year. Our previously paid staff had to go virtually overnight and Ruth and I were left on our own with over fifteen really big horses including old Goliath and his pal who needed really special care.

We owed our vets over £10,000 and they were being marvelous. They had real confidence in us and kept coming, at that time several times a week. Our total debt grew to £38,000 and eventually Ruth began to pay this back bit buy bit from her own nursing income. In the meantime she helped me clean out several horses before beginning her own work at 8.30 each morning.

The morning of this particular incident, we had no straw for bedding and I contacted a farmer friend down on the fens to see if I could call and collect some that same morning just as soon as my stable tasks were finished.

A MESSAGE

At this point I must mention that I remember quite clearly receiving a message in my head saying, something like 'leave it for today'.

In another story you will have read about my 'Easter experiences' and my introduction to Christian faith.

Sufficient to say that I did not pay heed to that message. All I could see in my thoughts was that the horses would have no bedding for that night. I had to do something about it. So I coupled the old Land Rover up to my even older single axle straw trailer and began the journey.

Admittedly, due to the fact that the Land Rover had no road tax disc or current MOT certificate and the trailer brake controls had been broken for several weeks I did decide to take the more minor roads.

THE CONFRONTATION

Duly loaded with a full compliment of 10 large round bales of straw, I started my return journey. Just before approaching the turn off for the minor roads

I had to make another decision. Did I take the quieter roads that were very uneven and undulating and run the risk of loosing a bale or two or did I take the smoother route along the main A16 trunk road.

The A16 won and there began the next problem. Just approaching Keal Hill

where the fens joined the Lincolnshire wolds there are two lay- byes, as I approached the first, a policeman suddenly appeared, as they do and waved me into the lay-by.

'Pull in here for a few moments please sir, ' he said. 'Just to let that long line of traffic behind you get past.'

'Oh and while you are here we will just take a look at your vehicle.'

The tax disc, or rather lack of it was the first thing to be noticed. This prompted me to say,' well you might as well know the truck has no current MOT either!'

Everything they checked on the vehicle worked perfectly.

The load was secure, but the trailer brake cable that was in two pieces was tied up with string. This caused a raised eyebrow or two, but the fact that the landrover is a strange beast and falls between two catagories in the Department of Transport Contruction and Use regulations got me off that problem.

The horse centre name was plastered all over the doors of the truck cab and the officers duly cautioned me that they would be reporting the fact that the vehicle had no tax disc or MOT.

'BUT' after I had gone to great lengths to explain all the circumstances, they did say that if I could buy the Tax disc within 12 hours they would not report that particular problem, which would just leave the MOT.

With that I continued back to the centre where on unloading the trailer, the picture you now see was taken. There was some chance for a laugh despite all the drama of the day!

But you do see the question remains......the message I received earlier that very morning had been proved to be quite correct. This only helped to increase the strength of my Faith!

Ends copyright RKS