Sunday 31 July 2016

Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 July 2016

Typical that, on the morning we had decided that we would get up early and get through Blackburn before all the scallywags were awake, I could have stayed in bed!  We slipped lines at 7.30am, it was a beautiful sunny dewy morning.  It soon clouded over again though! 

We arrived at the bottom of the Blackburn flight of six locks at about 9.30am and managed to get through the first four with only a couple of polite good mornings from some bike riders and dog walkers, at the fifth lock there were two youngish guys smoking a joint as big as your nan’s rolling pin (and it was only 11am) but they were harmless enough asking how the locks worked and telling Steve that I was probably stronger than him doing all these locks!  They didn’t offer to help though!

We had been warned about the rubbish and weeds in the canal and had to do a prop clear out in the third lock - a canvas bag!

Through the last lock and we had decided that we would stop at a place called Church but when we got there we didn’t fancy staying there so I called the boatyard up the canal where we are leaving the boat for a few days whilst we dash back to London to see if we could come in a day early.

We got to one of the swing bridges and Steve got off to open it and I chugged through but could feel that something was stuck around the prop so I coasted through the bridge and we did another prop clear out.

Sunday was nice to have a day standing still in the boatyard to get a few chores done.


Leaving Withnell Fold.

You can't hide behind that tree!

Approaching Blackburn. 
Blackburn Rovers!

Handy having a fridge door behind the lock gate!

A long way from the Mill Hill we know!

Steve coming up to the sixth lock.

The weed is really thick here - causing all sorts of problems for propellers. 

Looking back across Blackburn.

This wallpaper factory have chosen a telephone box to advertise their goods!

Duck Deck!

Back out into the countryside.

Aqueduct over the M65.

Can't quite work out whether this poor goose was born like this or whether something has happened.

Nearly half way - when we hit 63 miles we are exactly half way between Liverpool and Leeds by canal.

Wouldn't fancy my chances leaving by this fire escape!

You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours!

This is what was caught round the prop - a pair of trousers!

No comments:

Post a Comment