We are NOT scrap dealers, we DO NOT collect scrap so how is it about once a year or so we have a trailer load of scrap to take to the scrap merchants?
It happens because Him Outsides motto is always accept anything offered as it might come in handy and if you don't accept you won't be offered anything again.
So
Friend to Him Outside " I've got a couple of rolls of netting that might be OK for you". Him Outside " OK, bring them round and I'll have a look" Netting is rusting and no good so it is put in a heap tucked away behind the shed.
Another friend" I've got some metal pipes in the garage that came from a gazebo/awning/somewhere or other they might be useful to you for making a fence" Him Outside " OK bring them round and I'll have a look". Pipes are too thin for fence posts so they are put on the heap.
Another friend " Do you want that old shed that's falling down at the bottom of the garden, it would be good for kindling wood, but you will have to clear it out first". Him Outside " OK , I'll bring the trailer down, clear the shed and the knock it down and bring it back here" Shed contains various old things - lawn mower, bits of old tools, and the roof is rusting tin. Everything is added to the heap.
Neighbour says " Do you want that old bike frame, you might be able to take something off it to use" Bike frame is useless so it gets added to the heap
A Camper arrives on site, unfolds his folding chair and finds it is broken, so leaves it beside the dustbins for us to clear up. The frame is metal and it gets added to the heap.
Daughter moves house " Dad, there's some stuff in our shed and we don't know what to do with it" Dad " Don't worry, chuck it in the back of the car and bring it round and I'll sort it out for you"
You get the idea?
Then there are all the cans from the bins - steel, and even better, aluminium, ( kept separate) old brake discs removed from the jeep, a 50 gallon drum once used for water - now rusty, old nails cleaned out from the Rayburn and woodburner ( once in pallets that we have burned) the list goes on.
So about once every year or so we load it all up, fix it all down with a big net and trundle off to the scrapyard and come home later with a cheque that will be tucked into the ISA for winter. The price of scrap metal has fallen compared to what it was a few years ago but it is still a handy amount.
Thank you to Pam, Bridget and Gill for comments yesterday. If anyone didn't like my rant about foxes they kept very quiet about it. And yes Him Outside also pees on the compost heap, it's well known as a good compost accelerator!
