Famed Netter Rises From the Depths

The famous Cornish netter Lady Hamilton, which sank in a collision at the mouth of the Helford River last autumn, was last week relaunched in its new finery after a magnificent rebuild for skipper Chris Bean and his family fish business based on the Lizard.

A big crowd at Gweek Boatyard saw the 30-footer craned back into the water. After a blessing by Newlyn Mission superintendent Keith Dickson, a little help from skipper Bean allowed his grandson, Taro, to crack a bottle of champagne over the vessel's bow to celebrate the start of her new career.

Known throughout the UK as the source of high quality fish, much of it used for Japanese cuisine, the vessel underpins the income of more then eight people. Her produce is delivered daily to sushi restaurants in London, arriving hours after capture and held in slush ice to remain at the highest level of freshness.

Boatbuilders Barnaby Sheppard, Mark Harris and Carl Austin have spent the last few months rebuilding the salvaged vessel, and Chris Bean said: "They are true craftsmen, their work is first class and the boat is going back into the water looking better than it did over 30 years ago."

The boatbuilders described how the impact to the port side travelled through the forward bulkhead to cause equal damage to the starboard side, but said the boat spending a couple of weeks on the seabed had caused very little added damage.

The engine, switched off before sinking, has been flushed through and is still operating normally. "Only time will tell if it is still OK for long use, but we hope so," said skipper Bean.

Mr Harris said: "We operate individually, but often together. In this instance Chris Bean asked whether we would tackle what appeared to be a major rebuild, and we said yes.

"It was not a question of whether the work could be carried out, but whether it could be done within the time framework we faced, which was very tight.

"Five planks were pushed out on the starboard side and quite a few damaged on the port side. There was a lot more damage on the starboard quarter, perhaps from when she struck the seabed - a lot of that damage we didn't see right from the start.

"We replaced many planks, plus several steamed oak frames and considerably more repairs. It was a big job but she has a very good hull, is very seaworthy and a good design - very much in a typical Cornish 'tosher' style, built very well and tightly seamed right through.

"She is stronger from when the boat was built, particularly in the deck structure, because bearers across the working deck are much stiffer and more robust and instead of a straight laid planked deck it is now plywood sections - far stronger."

Many fishermen wondered why Mr Bean and his family bothered to raise and rebuild a wooden boat built over 30 years ago, but he said: "There was no question of whether she was to be salvaged from the seabed; not only has she been with me since her build at the Looe yard of Pearn & Sons in 1972, she is the pivot of our business and well known among the fish trade.

"And if a boat like the Lady Hamilton has served us so well for so long I had no reason to want any other boat, Also, she's an iconic image to the owners, chefs and customers at many restaurants - to dismantle that and buy another second-hand boat didn't make any sense."

On launch, Lady Hamilton shone in the sun, demonstrating a top quality rebuild - and she will soon once more begin netting for high- priced fish like red mullet.

But, no... zees are not zee rice, zee vialone, carnaroli o zee arborio... no no no, it eez zee oats... you is avena laugh!

No no no greenbean, you have stepped over zze line.

Not bad, i gotta say.. a bit bouncy. Enough salt in the bacon and perhaps a bit of pre-soaking will soften the meal up.

For that true Atlantic Europe taste, some proper grown up lamb, some leeks... but consider the addition of some extraordinary, cliffhanging samphire. 

Fit for dragons i'd say. Found this driftwood dragon washed up on the beach at the end of a rainbow.

Springfields

Manorbier Asparagus - Merllys Maenorbŷr

OPEN DAY 

Guided Walk - Cook & Taste

Sunday April 29^th 5.30pm

Download Poster 

Mum, and other stall holders had warned me that selling at Riverside Market in Cardiff on a match-day is not much fun. On the river, opposite the Millenium Stadium, the usual sunday morning city centre calm becomes a scrum-down as the roads are closed, buses diverted and upto 70000 fans head down the embankment to the game. The commited regular customers who come to the market faithfully week in week out either come early on these rare days to avoid the crowds or they stay away and wait until next week.

I thought it would be a good idea to be positive and try to turn a problem into an opportunity. Make something of the occasion, take the chance to show off the market we are proud of, extend the conversation that already exists between the consumer and producer, but also marginalised community; the homeless, the developing world producer, the immigrant and refugee ethnic community. Many - most of those rugby fans are a new community, new actors, new audience to the market, lets show 'em what we've got.

It wasn't even hard to dream up a terretorial, national, pride in your country, heritage, team kind of line. floating in the rafters at the theatre we have a dragon ex sea monster rucksack-worn giant that could be borrowed. The  Draig Goch --- Red Dragon of Wales... stretching it's wings, light and bright swooped along the river capturing in a view the market, thousands of people, the stadium, and something to be proud of and give joy. That's not to mention the tremendous,  gourmendous treats on offer..

And a table full of daffodils. That was at the core of it all. I wanted to sell daffodils, and if my regulars wernt all coming... though many (including readers here) did... then how about some "big fat yellow ones" to take to the game, along with flags and hats and all the regalia?? Regalia that included.. to my bemusement.. yard long plastic inflatable daffs. Thousands and thousands of them!!

Bemused... to miffed, as fans turned down my generous offer of real Welsh daffs.. "well iss gay innit.. you can't hit the Irish man in front over the head with 'em... an besides these are really welsh ennay?" and depression sets in as i realise these automatic plastic worst of chinese tat inflatable daffs are sponsored by Really Welsh, Emmit's brand new hope.

And here the story takes a twist as we see a little inside  the "buy local"  game.

The multiple retailers are falling over themselves at the moment to garner a share of the now mainstreaming enviro market. Amongst initiatives to reduce packaging, erect wind-turbines on top of stores and carbon neutralising comitments are the endorsements for local... or at least locality-ised procurement. This is a big story and greenbean looks on wide-eyed as it plays out before us. But Sunday, yesterday, I found myself in the thick of it's inflations.

Listen (right/click) 

I want another slice of rhubarb tart
I want another lovely slice
I'm not disparaging the blueberry pie
But rhubarb tart is oh-so-very nice
A rhubarb what? A rhubarb tart
A what-barb tart? A rhu-barb tart
I want another slice of rhubarb tart
The principles of modern philosophy
Were postulated by Descartes
Discarding everything he wasn't certain of
He said, "I think therefore I am rhubarb tart"
A rhubarb what? A rhubarb tart
Rene who? Rene Descartes
Poor mutt, he thought he was a rhubarb tart
Rhubarb tart has fascinated all the poets
Especially the Immortal Bard
He made Richard the Third call out at Bosworth Field
"My kingdom for a slice of rhubarb tart"
Immortal what? Immortal tart
Rhubarb what? A rhubarb Bard
As rhymes go that is really pretty bad
Since Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee
Laid down the axioms of abstract art
Even Jackson Pollock and Piet Mondrain
Prefer to paint a slice of rhubarb tart
Wassi who? A Wassi-ly
Kandin who? A Kandin-sky
And how he get in there for a start?
Read all the existentialist philosophers
Like Schopenhauer and Jea-Paul Sarte
Even Martin Heidegger agreed on one thing
Eternal happiness is rhubarb tart
A rhubarb what? A rhubarb tart
Jean-Paul who? Jean Paul Sarte
That sounds just like a rhyme from Lionel Barte
I want another slice of rhubarb tart
I want another lovely slice
I'm not disparaging the blueberry pie
But rhubarb tart is oh-so-very nice

John Cleese

mm, mm!! little baby rhubarbs are popping up, shiny pink and tart sweet announcing their arrival.

Oven steamed, according to Nigella and in Mrs Beetons shortcrust pastry and baked in the hot rayburn with a reduced glaze of the left over juices (plus a wee dram!!) oh so yum! delicate and fruity even on this, officially most depressing day of the year!

New Year's Day, Cornwall, England

A Japanese feast

Chinese cabbage, carrots, oriental lettuce, daikon radish and  mooli from the garden

Extraordinary condiments sent by Mutsuko's mum with visiting freind Kanae 

Dried soy bean whey (yuba) from Cornish-Japanese Kim

Delicious, hyper-travelled dry mushrooms from  Winnie via Greenbean (hi winnie, arigato!)

Mutsuko's Mum's famous chewy rice balls

Some green stuff called komatsu

Dylan's whiting fished off the Lizard with skin-on

Cooked at the table in 

One giant bowl of fish stock..

like a big fondue.. all in

stick-chopped out with oohs and ahhs and giggles and mmms

into a bowl of sour miso stock

stick-chopped in expertly by 5 - 8 year olds 

and savoured