Friday 12 and Saturday 13 August 2016

Friday morning we took a walk into town – we found Leeds to be a bit of a disjointed City but had more architecturally interesting buildings than we thought it would.  Shopping centre after shopping centre – and I wasn’t in the mood for shopping!

The undercover market was fantastic – shame we did our food shopping yesterday otherwise we could have grabbed some bargains.

In the evening we went out with Sarah and Riggs we started with a drink in the sky bar of the Hilton Hotel – what a view – just a shame it was so cold so we moved onto Livin’ Italy for dinner then ended up in The Hop for a nightcap – all within 100 yards of the boat!  Nice to spend some social time with fellow narrowboaters.

Saturday we took a walk to Leeds Dock looking for the boatyard that we thought was there.  We need to buy a Calder and Hebble Handspike to operate some of the locks on the Calder and Hebble, but we couldn’t find the boatyard – we will have to stop at another one tomorrow.

We took a walk around the Royal Armouries – what an amazing museum and it was free entry! 

The one thing Steve and I are surprised about is that it is school holidays and we walked around a major City in England on a Friday and Saturday and to us it just doesn’t seem busy – it must be because we are used to London, as Sarah (who lives when they are land based) either in Bournemouth or New Zealand thought there were lots of people around!

The basin here is not Liverpool but glad we have seen it (Steve says he would definitely come back). We can now say that we have chugged the entire length of the Leeds and Liverpool – 127.75 miles, 91 locks and we did the bit from Wigan to Liverpool there and back (35 miles).

The outside of the Corn Exchange

and the inside - we thought it was going to be a theatre but no - a shopping centre!

The indoor market.

The Town Hall.

Inside the indoor market.

Back at the mooring - the wind blows so hard here that most people that try to get in give up!

Up in the Sky Bar at the Hilton looking down on Leeds

There's an angle I haven't posted before!

Where we came from.

And where we are going to.

And the railway which was right behind us in the basin but thankfully didn't keep us awake! 

Male bonding!

Dad - we found the Bierkeller - I wonder if it's the one you went to back in the 70's?

Another great building.

Inside the Royal Armouries. 

My night in shining armour!

His maid of honour!

The displays are amazing.

Marching out to War.

Livin' Italy in the corner and The Hop next door - all under the railway which we could hear rumbling overhead when we eating dinner!