Heading for Cheshire

I'm now moored between Sale, Greater Manchester, and Lymm, Cheshire. I had one more day in Manchester and whiled away a couple of hours in the People's History museum and found it very informative. After that I walked up to the cathedral and was disappointed to find it closed for renovation. I had a stroll around the Northern Quarter and enjoyed a coffee in the craft centre. The only place I would've liked to go to but didn't have time for was MOSI, the science museum. When I got back to my mooring at Worsley it was really busy (unlike when I arrived there on Tuesday). I walked down to the Barton swing bridge which takes the Bridgewater Canal over the Ship Canal. Here are a couple of pictures of it, one taken from each of the canals:

Mooching around Manchester

I can hop on a bus 100 metres from my mooring and less than forty minutes later I am in the centre of Manchester. Here's Olivia on her mooring:

I went to the art gallery and was still there at 2pm. There is a lot of good art there alongside some wacky ideas for "art". I walked down to look at the Castlefield moorings but they were quite busy so I have decided that I don't need to move on to them. I walked along the canal to Salford Quays. It's good to see them being used by water skiers and swimmers. I didn't have much time to have a good look at the Lowry gallery but I did think that some of his sketches were excellent and his early work is much different to that for which he is famous. As usual I am always exasperated when everything closes at five or five thirty leaving two or three empty hours before the need to eat. I watched the swimmers for a while before getting the return bus.

In Worsley Woods

Salford Quays

The Lowry Centre

Now on the Bridgewater canal

I'm having a short day today to balance out my ten hours of cruising yesterday. I did 23 locks, most of them on my own and several of them very heavy or problematic. Luckily there were usually some dog walkers around that offered help. I then had to travel a few miles to find a decent mooring. I was absolutely k***kered at the end of the day. Now I have quite a few days of lock free canal to look forward to. While I'm in the area I am considering going into Manchester for a couple of days.

Wigan 21 tomorrow

I'm gearing myself up to go down the Wigan flight tomorrow. Anyone want to help? Looks like I'll be up early in any case. There are two boats heading this way that I have shared with before so I'm hoping to catch one of them. Yesterday I only did a short cruise and then walked down to Chorley. Visited Botany Bay which is an old mill rejigged to house retail units. It's worth a browse and the coffee was good. Chorley itself has a big market and again worth a browse. Apparently they have interesting markets on other days of the week. I promised myself that I wouldn't buy any more coats BUT one of the charity shops had a Jasper Conran jacket so I had to have it. I also got some fluorescent tent pegs! I'm sure that they will be useful. I had a go at splicing my snapped rope. It's not the prettiest but should do as a spare rope. Today I went down the Johnson Hillock locks with a young couple from Leeds who are having a year travelling the canals. Then I just plodded on until I arrived here. There's a nice country park here.

Riley Green

I had to bid a fond farewell to my friends Phil and Michelle as their boat has broken down. We were setting off but they could not get any propulsion. They called an engineer who predicts gearbox trouble but could not visit until after the Bank Holiday. I started off down the flight of six locks and the first two were nice and easy. However I then got stuck on rocks at the entrance to the third lock. I had to let water down from the previous lock. In the meantime I got chatting to a "little old lady" who tried helping to free up the boat, warned me not to stay overnight in Blackburn and advised me that the "ne'er do wells" at the bottom lock were alright (I.e. not on drugs and would help me with locks). At the fifth lock I managed to snap one of my ropes. It was sheer thoughtlessness my part. Luckily I carry spare ropes. True to my friend's advice there were several blokes at the bottom lock. I got talking to Denver, a Canadian, and Mick, a local. Denver had followed a girl back to England but it hadn't worked out. He still had hope but at the present time had got stuck in Blackburn. Mick was unemployed and both seemed lost. Very sad. Last night I moored at Riley Green, a nice, quiet rural mooring with a marina and pub the other side of the bridge. I had a good and long overdue walk down to the next flight of locks. I got talking to a chap who was walking the whole canal (not all in one go) and it was reassuring to find that some people find little projects to do in contrast to the guys I'd met earlier.

Blackburn

We moored at Rishton last night and had a wander round the town. It has several shops, cafes and takeaways. The smell of curry infiltrating the boat was almost irresistible. This morning Phil had an enormous full English at the little Canal View cafe. It cost him all of £2.50! Michelle and I joined him for tea and toast at virtually no cost. A lovely man runs it and I hope he is able to make a living. Had a fabulous cruise down to Blackburn where we moored at Eanam Wharf. I popped into town and had a look around the cathedral which is light and modern. Then I found the museum/art gallery. It had some interesting areas including the ubiquitous mill machinery, illuminated manuscripts, an Egyptology section with a mummy and some paintings which I thought were nothing special. Perhaps they would be of interest to the locals. I am moored close to a Caribbean pub/restaurant which plays reggae all day and in particular, Bob Marley. Luckily I like reggae. There is some anomaly about whether these are "official" moorings. The guide books and the pub say that they are but a community boat came along and told Dream Angus that they were moored on their private mooring and made them move. I am moored within a secure area that is accessed by the anti vandal key, so when the guy came to lock them up I asked him and he said we are welcome to moor there, so someone is confused and Dream Angus are not happy. I'm still of the opinion that visitors are not embraced by the powers that be on the Leeds and Liverpool canal.

West of Burnley

Once through Barrowford locks the rural landscape disappears as we enter the towns surrounding Burnley. I'm travelling with Phil and Michelle (who are on Dream Angus) for a few days and we moored on a wharf in Nelson. It meant we could take advantage of the Morrisons to stock up on provisions. P&M have three large dogs on board including an Afghan hound. He attracts attention wherever he goes.

We should pass through some more rural country before reaching Blackburn. Lots of blue-green algae in the canal here along with several footballs, drinks bottles and such urban detritus. These horses were in a field at Nelson:

I hear that the locks have reopened

I spent my time getting acquainted with the local area. Firstly I went to Colne which next weekend has a big Rhythm and Blues festival. Oh that it had been this weekend. Then I went to Pendle Heritage Centre where I found out a bit about the witch trials. Yesterday I got a bus and train into Bradford to visit the media museum. It has seven very busy floors. I didn't go into the interactive kid's areas and still had plenty to see. Today I'm saying cheerio to Barlick and will see what the rest of the Leeds and Liverpool canal has to offer. The past 24 hours have been wet and windy here but it's forecast to improve.

Now in Lancashire but stuck for a few days

I had my week of grandchildcare which involved Ikea, a zoo, an assault course, kayaking and Monsters university! Back on board for R&R. Day 1 went really well covering 9 locks and 6 miles with a lovely family of grandparents with 11 year old granddaughter and 14 year old grandson. Our competent crew:

Next day I did three more locks and only two miles, then I heard that the next set of locks, Barrowford, are closed until at least Monday. Well there could be worse places to be marooned. I've just walked up Weets Hill which has views for miles. May go for a mystery bus tour tomorrow.

Finished with swing bridges for the time being :-)

I spent Sunday looking around Skipton. Had a walk towards Skipton Woods and found this:

The museum was closed but I went to the castle and had a very nice couple of hours. The castle has devised a self-guided tour with lots of interesting information about the life and times. In addition a twelve century enactment group were around so I watched some archery, swordsmanship and the cooks preparing food in the kitchen. The "queen" was also present and haranging the crowd to pay their taxes.

Caroline came to join me again last Monday to help me with the last few swing bridges. Here are the sorts of views we are surrounded by:

Spent the next two days walking parts of the Pennine Way - headed South on the first day and North the next. Got soaked during the second half of the second walk and got soaked again later when I walked to the pub with Phil and Michelle off nb Dream Angus. The next day I took the bus to Settle for a mooch around. Would have loved to have a trip on the Settle-Carlisle railway but just didn't have the time. I'll add that trip to my "to do" list. No blogs from me for the next week as I do a stint of childcare with the boy. No doubt he will be keeping me busy entertaining him (or vice versa).