Bank Holiday Boating

Bank Holiday Boating to Parbold

May 2018

Its not every year that we have two scorching bank holidays in May. Mind you, pictures from Birmingham suggest that whilst we were basking under cloudless blue skies on Saturday, much of the south suffered extreme thunderstorms.

 The two Andys

However, to go back a bit, our friends Andy and Fi came to join us on Friday evening. They left their car at Leigh and took a taxi to Castlefields, where we caught up on the news before we retired to the bed in the butty. The butty has an ok bed, but I forgot to take any antihistamine and that coupled with a small bed meant I had a sub optimal nights sleep. I cant complain about the surroundings because much to our surprise it was really quiet. 

Barton Swing Aqueduct

Saturday saw a 9.00am start and an abortive attempt to use the Castlefields elsan - forget it - its a  non standard lock.

Andy and Fi

Then it was out to Waters Meeting and north up what was the Bridgewater Mainline past Trafford Park and over the Barton Swing Aqueduct. We were now into new waters, as we will be till we reach the Aire and Calder in a months time. Worsley offered both an elsan opportunity and some good photos of the entrance to the navigable mines which extended for 100 miles.

Worsley

I think its fait to say that mining has played a massive role in the canal all the way from Barton to Wigan, with  flash lakes surrounding the canal and embankments built to combat the subsidence evidenced by layer after layer of extra cement on the canal walls.

Bridgewater stop plank crane

We pressed on to Leigh where Andy and Fi;s bags were offloaded, along with my now redundant mountain bike. We carried on to Pennington Flash where we met up with Jack and Heidi on the Pirate Boat. We walked back to The Waterside Pub which us under new management and offered both friendly service and keenly priced food. 

 The Pirate Boat

Sunday was a non moving day and we set up our small display alongside the Pirate Boat, and were rather surprised at the amount of jam we sold as word went round the locality. We took the opportunity to make 24 jars of Strawberry, Rhubarb and Vanilla Jam and whilst it was sunny, it was also very windy. With rain clouds threatening we closed shop at 4.00pm.

Monday was to be a big day and with temperatures forecast for the mid 20's I decided to be off by 7.00am, adding some water at Plank Land Bridge but cutting the refill short at 7.50 because the bridge wont work between 8.00am and 9.30am. I sneaked through on the dot of 8.00  and as a result has no one behind me all the way to Wigan.

Wigan

I did get a bit puzzled at Dover Locks and spent a while looking to possible sites for a locked arm. It turns out that the subsidence has been so severe that the canal has dropped making both locks redundant. The chambers remain but look like stop locks with the gates removed. Mining waste has been used to build up the levels and the the two lock rise has been moved into Wigan.

Appley Locks

Locks came as a bit of a shock to the system with two up and six down, with us linking into the western 30 miles of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Lazing on a Monday afternoon

The canal out of Wigan and down to Parbold was lovely, threading its way down a small tree lined valley. Beyond Parbold the canal opens out into farmland and suddenly we find ourselves in the land of the fat boat. All very reminiscent of London!

In the end we pressed on almost to the Rufford Arm Junction, and the 11 hour day today means an easier on tomorrow as we make for bridge 10, and our booked passage into Liverpool on Wednesday.

Cracking on to Castlefields

Moore to Manchester

May 2018

Helen has a way of finding people, a process which usually starts with a question like "when will we be in Lymm?". 

Relatives

Sometimes these questions relate to a location over 100 miles away which can be challenging, but the latest related to a long lost relative called Geoffrey and his wife Phyllis. A long and complicated family story links the two but when it gets to second cousins ten times removed I kind of lose the will. Suffice to say they are distant blood relatives who had never met. Somewhere the family jungle drums had been beating and Geoffrey got in touch to suggest a meeting when we passed their home in Lymm. This meeting duly took place and its always interesting to meet up with relatives like this, and put a bit of flesh of the bones of the Singleton side of the family tree. 

Bustling towpath

We have been blessed with some cracking weather and the sun kept on shining as we completed our trip into Manchester.

Distinctive Bridgewater stop plank cranes

The Bridgewater may be broad and wide but it isn't well blessed with services. I made use of one of the few sanny stations just outside Lymm and then settled in to the task of passing long lines of moored boats. I sometimes think that the raison d'être of the Bridgewater is to attract as many moored boats as possible - link linear car park. It has ever been thus.

Sale straight

The other thing about the canal is its straights, and none more frustrating than the drag through Sale there the canal runs as straight as a die for nearly two miles - which is the better part of an hour at our rate of progress. We broke the tedium with a stop at the visitor moorings, paying both Farm Foods and Sainsburys a visit thus stocking up for the coming weekend when we have visitors to stay.

Sale Boat Club has a "do" on this weekend on a  cowboys and indians theme, and when we called at Stretford Marine Services they assumed we were attending. They couldn't have been more helpful and offered all sorts of inside info on the area, and also provided what I believe is the cleanest and nicest elsan I have ever encountered. 

A lonely MoBike

Then is was on past a whole series of landmarks which make the journey progress nicely. Waters Meeting, Old Trafford, Throstle Bank Bridge, Pamona Lock and then finally, like Birmingham, you pass lots of urban regeneration and you burst onto Castlefields. Another local feature are the Mobikes - you find them everywhere. I saw one miles from anywhere and I was at a  loss to guess why it has been abandoned. A walk along the Rochdale 9 revealed two more which had recently been fished out of the canal. I don't see how this scheme is viable?

Two more rescued from a watery grave

Time has passed since Castlefields was regenerated and whilst some bits are showing signs of wear, the trees are all maturing and it is adopting a softer feel than when we started visiting. Longstanding readers will be aware that I have a particular affection for the wooden boats made by Taylors of Chester and it was therefore pleasing to see another example, Lady Avon, moored in the arm.

Lady Avon - a classic from Taylors of Chester

We moored in Merchants Wharf and when we arrived we had quite a few mooring options, options which were all taken on Thursday after which few slots came free. 

You are nearly there when you see this

Helen took herself off to see her mother in Hull and I was left to mind the boats and occupy myself. Occupying myself included a walk along the Rochdale 9 and not much else beyond reading and generally chilling out. I don't often get an opportunity to do not a lot but somehow, in all that, I still found time to make 24 jars of Raspberry and Rhubarb Jam.

I was a bit concerned to find an request to contact Peel Enforcement attached to the boat on Friday morning, and I was left wondering what we had done wrong. We haven't set up shop, we absolutely have not been speeding!, we haven't overstayed either on the canal or in Castlefields. In the end I figured it was because we are moored to a railing stanchion in the absence of a bollard or ring (crucial ones have disappeared over the years). I duly sent them an e-mail and had a lovely reply from Gill just pointing out that as we are a trade boat we would need a license if we wanted to open and also the supplementary fee applies if we returned from Liverpool within a month. I was aware of both issues, but letting us know in advance was helpful.

Rope Guide wheel at Princes Street Lock

And so we sit in Castlefields awaiting the arrival of our friends. Hopefully the bank holiday celebrations this evening wont be too loud and we will set off for Leigh aiming to trade with the Pirate Boat on Sunday at Pennington Flash. Arrrrr

Tunnel Vision

Tunnel Vision - Anderton to Moore

May 2018

As you may have gathered from my previous posts, towing through tunnels has proved to be something of a nemesis. Yesterday offered plenty of opportunities to practice with no less than three tunnels between Anderton and the Bridgewater Canal at Preston Brook.

Having managed to get through all three without touching the sides was a bit of a triumph and something which provoked a word of compliment from Helen - and I didn't think she had noticed. The trick is to keep the front of the cabin exactly in the centre of the tunnel as straying even a foot from the mid line courts disaster. This exact approach is made even more  challenging by the sinuous line in two of the thee, caused by the canal builders being wildly out of line in some places. Keeping the bows in the centre means swinging the stern (and butty) to and fro like crazy but with lots of concentration we made it.

Preston Brook tunnel

At each of the timed entry tunnels we were caught up by other boats and rather than subject them to my glacial speed of subterranean transit, let them through in front of us. At least that took the pressure off and they were out and away whilst I was still at the mid point looking at the arrows which point both ways.

The Cut Glass Boat - but no one was home

We have, as you have noticed, been enjoying some cracking weather. I put this all down to the two bags of coal we bought from John Jackson on Roach - and I observed at the time that the purchase virtually guaranteed it wouldn't be needed! Had we passed on the coal we would have been shivering in our waterproofs for the last two weeks - you know I am right...

Waiting for the tunnel

Preston Brook offers a Midand Chandlers outlet and we took the opportunity to buy two extra LED lights to replace the rather puny nine bulb down lighters we installed a few years ago. They are dead easy to fit and offer masses more illumination in both the bedroom and the main cabin. At last I can read in the evenings.

An old strapping post

We hummed and harred about the Runcorn Arm, eventually deciding to spend the time at Anderton, which was very fruitful. Whilst we didn't go far up the Runcorn Arm we did pay it a short visit, at least as far as the water point where we refilled our tank after a big washday extravaganza in the morning. The tap wasn't exactly super fast and was so little used that I had to put in a mooring pin to hold us in place - not something you do too often on CRT waters!

Proof we entered the Runcorn Arm (just)

We spent the night in Moore, just beyond the Daresbury Research Laboratory - hopefully far enough away that the jam does not glow in the dark...

Tuesday saw us undertaking the first making session of the voyage, bottling 48 lots of Wild Garlic Vinegar, which have been infusing away in the butty for the last couple of months. Its good to get the preserve making ball rolling again and Helen is already setting me the task of making Raspberry and Rhubarb Jam whilst she is away and I am left in Castlefields, Manchester for a couple of days.

Smartly presented workboat on the Bridgewater Canal

As we trundled through  Stockton Heath we were busy waving at a little girl on the towpath who did the shy wave back from behind her dad's legs, when he spotted the butty and asked us to stop and tell him what we had on board. One thing led to another and before we knew it he was walking away with 6 jars of preserves he didn't know he wanted. I love flag down sales more than any other.

Our boating movement was limited to the three and a half hours it took us to get to Lymm where, if all goes according to plan, some more of Helen's relatives will seek us out for a flying visit.

Salford Quays

Salford Quays

13 November 2010

We paid Salford Quays an unexpected visit today.

I was addressing a recruiting meeting of a well known fast food franchise (I was lovin it) and it happened to be on one of those rare child free weekend. We elected to see this commitment  as an opportunity, so Belle went with me, settling herself down in a corner to read her course book and watch a Shakesperian play in Italian.

After I had 'done my stuff' we drove into Manchester and decided to take a look at the Lowery exhibition on Salford Quays. Lowery - an interesting artist and one who is best appreciated when you can see a significant body of his work on one place.

His is a very unusual style, strange matchstick like figures painted on a white background. There is an evolution over the years but the theme remained the same. Perhaps the interesting thing is that his paintings are all people centric but rarely singling an individual out and instead giving an impression of crowds against an industrial backdrop. They aren't happy images, they all seem bent down and wearied by their scurrying to and fro, little ants living meaningless lives.

Lowery was a sad man himself, panting stark seascapes consisting of just water and sky, or maybe a sea with a rocky tower depicting himself - standing against the storms which would ultimately wear him away. Happy stuff!

We emerged into a sunset, giving me just enough time to get some moody shots over the water.

Salford Quays, Manchester

Salford Quays, Manchester
April 10th 2010
Easter 2010 Part 12

I had hoped that this hastily rearranged trip to Manchester could include a trip into Salford Quays and the River Irwell but alas it was not to be.

Still waters of Salford Quays

Sculling beneath the swing bridge

A call to the Bridgewater Canal Co informed me that access is only permitted during the cruising season, which starts on 1st May. This was a disappointment but not the end of the world as it offers a reason for a return visit - as if I need one.

A vista worthy of Holland

Whilst a floating exploration was not possible, we embarked on a bike trip which was planned to include the Quays and provided some excellent views of this lovely area. The Quays are huge but to my mind they are of a more human scale to their counterparts in London.

We spent a happy couple of hours having a look at the docks, both those with access to the main waterway and those closed off, till sore bottoms drove is back to the towpath of the Bridgewater Canal and the comforts opf Wand'ring Bark.

Modern Sculpture outside the Quays

Castlefields Manchester

Manchester Castlefields

9th April

Easter 2010 - Part 11

The iconic Hilton Hotel - so good I saw it twice.

Manchester Castlefields offers rich pickings for night time photography.

A seat for reflective moments

I had a bit of a field day, scampering round the basins and snapping off shot after shot. Mind you, I was a bit disturbed to see a tramp shuffling into the empty Springer behind us.

Tramp steamer

I will let the photos do the talking for this post.

Castlefields Moorings

Thelwall to Manchester (Castlefields)

Thelwall to Manchester (Castlefields)

Bridgewater Canal
Easter 2020 - part 10

9th April 2010

21 miles - 7 hours

A glorious day, the wamest of the year so far.

Just as I was tentatively stripping down to a tee shirt and replacing my fleece lined trousers with some regular jeans around the corner came a boat complete with a bronzed lady  on the roof clad only in a bikini top and shorts. It's warm, not not that warm.

Barton Swing Aqueduct

Whilst this was a no lock day, the flat Bridgewater Canal does have a plethora of aqueducts and therfore involved numrous stops to capture images for my on line  collection. Actually, they are called underbridges hereabouts which is a very practical and accurate alternative description. I photographed 10 aqueducts in all if you count the Barton Swing aqueduct, to which we made a diversion to pay homage. Our excursion over the Manchester Ship Canal wasnt without incident as I sort of crashed when turning and for some inexplicable reason the Morse control went incredibly stiff. It was near impossible to put the boat into forward or reverse so the assemby was dismantled and engine oil was poured down the cable sheaths. This didnt completely cure the problem but it was loads better and there appeared to be nothing seriously wrong. I suspect that a cable is fraying inside its sheath and that at some point it will fail - time will tell.

Manchester Ship Canal

Whilst there were very few boats on the move, the spring sun brought the towpath walkers out in droves and the waterside parks in Sale were rammed with pasty white flesh seeking exposure to the first rays of the year.

Worn bollard at Barton Swing Aqueduct

We had hoped to gain access to Salford Quays via Pomona Lock but a call to the Bridgewater Canal Co soon put paid to ths ambition. In short, no we can go into the docks - not till May the 1st at any rate. The cruising season into the docks and the Irwell is limited to May to Sepember with no exceptions, so that is an adventure which will have to wait for another visit.

Itchy Feet at Castlefields

We motored into Castlefields at 5.00pm, passing Alwyn Ogbourn on his "Itchy Feet", a boat we saw being fitted out beside the Hudersfield Narrow Canal last Easter. Alwyn was busy working on the boat and judging by the amount of exposed wiring he was having a few teething problems, in addition to the three tons of ballast he had to add to the bows to get the trim right.

The Manchester Hilton (and Wand'ring Bark)

Castlefields is an excellent city centre mooring and we opted for the well populated southern arm near the Old Grocers Warehouse in preference to the noisier Potato Wharf where "Irwell" runs its generator all evening and its poorly baffled exhaust causes a racket to echo off the railway viaduct arches overhead.

Manchester Castlefields

Whilst I feel fairly safe in Castlefields, there is an ever present threat of having ones ropes untied so, like other boaters, we also padlocked Wand'ring Bark to one of the rings for good measure.