Canoeing on the River Severn

Annual family canoeing trip on River Severn

First 2015 blackberries ripening

Forestry equipment surrounded by curious Apley cattle

Testing water quality on River Severn

Only about once a year do we get the chance as a family to get out our canoes & enjoy the River Severn. Usually we take friends in a second canoe, but today we just took 1 canoe & it was just like a page out of Wind in the Willows (the unabridged version of which I’m reading to Francis now). It’s been a heavenly English summer’s day & the river was very low. I passed some Apley hives of bees making our very popular Apley honey, spotted the first blackberries, met a lovely holidaying family (who very kindly helped unload the canoe) & had a fascinating chat with a couple testing the water quality (temperature was 18.5 degrees, it was 93% oxygenated I’m afraid I’ve forgotten the conductivity reading). Some other canoeists passing under Apley bridge, just as I drove away over it.

Alan with topper, after working in Apley Park woods

Grading potatoes

On my way home, I passed Alan (our woodman) who’d just been ‘topping’ in the Apley Park woods & a forestry vehicle surrounded by curious Apley cattle.  I checked the ponies had enough shade (how blissful at least to have enough sunshine at last !) & jumped the fence to watch the potato sorting for a few minutes. The potatoes are grown on Apley’s land & made by McCain into hash browns at Wombourne (not far away, in Staffordshire). Great that it’s all kept so local & food miles are minimised.