22nd to 25th of July. Chilling out at Parbold.

On Friday we left Crooke and cruised the 4 and half miles to Parbold. At Dean lock, the motorway goes over the canal at a great height, above a railway bridge.

We saw Meandrine again at Applebury lock where they had found a lovely quiet mooring in the old lock entrance. Pete and Brenda helped us though the lock and we were grateful for their presence once again. We moored in the rather posh village of Parbold. It has an old windmill, a big church and a tea shop. House prices here are not that different from at home; Liverpool commuter belt.

Parbold windmill - now an art gallery (of course!)

Parbold church.

We stayed a few days and as it was dry and the bank was low, Robin painted some of the dents and scratches along the starboard side. The other side will have to wait until we come back the other way! The rather nice (and posh!) pub restaurant will also need to wait till then.  Jo had a bad reaction to a horsefly bite causing a painful and swollen leg so she didn't paint, just moped about :(

By Monday we really had overstayed at the visitor moorings and we moved on to Burscough. We passed the junction with the Rufford branch, which goes up to the Lancaster canal via the Ribble link. Burscough has a proper sized Tesco as well as general facililities. Tomorrow we take Harold to the Marina at Scarisbrick for a few days at home before we go to Liverpool.

21st of July. The Wigan locks are better with help.

We set off early and arrived at the top of the Wigan flight at 8.30am. There were two boats there already, who said they were going down together when one had finished on the water point. We resigned ourselves to going down after them and on our own and put the kettle on. However, just then another boat came past. We hailed it and we agreed to go down together. They headed straight for the first lock, bypassing the waterers, and we scrambled to join them. Our heros turned out to be experienced and lovely boaters Pete and Brenda from narrow boat Meandrine. We got into a good routine and got down the main 21 lock flight in four and a half hours.

Harold and Meandrine going into the bottom lock.

We stopped at the bottom to walk Scooby. Robin cycled into Wigan town centre, a rather sad place, for milk and crisps. He also got hot sausage rolls by way of breakfast which we hadn't had time for at the top! Then we continued on out of Wigan, passing the pier on the way. Its basically old wharf buildings, now renovated and containing a pub.

Wigan Pier

After a further 4 locks, we arrived at Crooke moorings, next to a nice pub. We went there to eat (very tasty and good value) where we ran into Pete and Brenda again, finishing off the evening very sociably. It felt very good to have got the flight over and done with just a bit of a sore back and two new friends.

20th of July 2016. To Red Rock Bridge.

Our evening meal in the pub was cheap and surprisingly nice. It was very scruffy but also very popular. Patrons in various shades of sunburn sat around the lock and on plastic chairs by the road enjoying the evening sun.

Patrons of the Top Lock pub enjoying a sunny evening.

On Wednesday the day started with the seven romantically named Johnson's Hillock locks. We followed converted flyboat Dee down the flight so it took a while. It was still very hot still and half way down we heard thunder which was followed by a dramatic hail storm. Jo was in shorts and sun-top preparing a lock and Robin on the boat between locks so we just got wet!

The hailstorm.

We met flyboat Dee again later untangling a plastic sack from her propeller. She is 84 years old and before conversion was one of the cargo boats made for and working this canal. We sneaked past and reached the mooring just ahead of her.

Flyboat Dee stuck while her prop is cleared.

After 8 miles and safely though Chorley, we moored at the Red Rock bridge, the short and inadequate visitor moorings which is the last safe place before the Wigan flight. We'll do the flight tomorrow; hopefully getting there before flyboat Dee. There's no other narrow boats going our way though, so it looks like we'll be on our own again. Friends and family are too far away to help and when we phoned Wigan CRT they said tough, ring this number if you get into trouble. The lock-keepers at Bingley five rise might have won an award for being the best in the country, but we reckon the Wigan team deserve one for being the worst. Maybe they'll prove us wrong tomorrow....

Harold moored at Red Rock with Flyboat Dee coming in to moor on the bank behind us.

18th and 19th July. It all heats up in Blackburn.

On Monday we had a relatively short day, going just a few miles to get to a pleasant and safe mooring before Blackburn. Robin did some DIY on the boat and some paddle-boarding in the evening. There was a huge flock of geese living on the opposite bank. They flapped in and out of the water when disturbed and sailed along the canal in a great long line. There was a full moon and a nice breeze.

On Tuesday it started, as promised, hot and sunny and the heat built further throughout the day. Robin walked Scooby early and set off into Blackburn. As before, there was a lot of litter in the canal. Icebergs included a floating small chest freezer and an armchair. After six miles we encountered the six Blackburn locks and went down them in the scorching sunshine.
Hoping for ice cream and salty snacks, we stopped at Cherry Tree to visit the shops promised in our book. They turned out to be Eileen's corner shop where the ice creams were uneatable (someone left the freezer open the lady told Jo - after she'd bought one!).  She also sold her the shop's entire stock of crisps (4 packets), last 2 pinter of milk and only packet of cashew nuts.
Apart from a rope caught round the propeller (our own centre rope - oops!) and being run aground by the trip boat, the remaining seven miles all went smoothly. At 4pm, somewhat wilted, we moored at the top of the next set of locks, waiting on the water point for a spot to become free. We might try the pub for tea - cooking might just heat the boat up to boiling point. We have certainly had extremes on the Leeds and Liverpool!

Blue skies above Chorley locks and Harold waiting on the water point.

The boats on the other side went on after a while and we moved across.

17th of July. Harold among the hills.

After breakfast at the Wharf café, we made our way to the tunnel for the 11am window. We waited behind a day trip boat for the lights to go green.

Red lights at the Foulridge tunnel.

The tunnel took 20 minutes to get through and we were soon at the top of the Barrowford locks. It was pretty cold up there, with a very chilly wind. We wondered where the predicted heat wave had got to. Our tomatoes are looking marvellous but could just do with a bit of sun to finish them off.

Salad on the roof; a basket of leaves and our tomatoes.

At the top lock we met the lock-keeper, who was just going for his lunch... However, we got down the 7 locks safely on our own and stopped briefly at the bottom to take Scooby for a walk. No lower and without the wind and with the sun making progress against the cloud, the weather was looking good. Robin decided to press on to a mooring he had noted about 4 hours away and on the other side of Burnley. The sun came out and it was a lovely afternoon. The canal is high and winding on this stretch with splendid views.

 
The sun sparkled and made a silver river of the canal, joyfully disguising the occasional patches of weed and litter.

Robin's mooring turned out to be quite lovely. With 15 miles covered and some welcome sunshine it has turned into a most productive day :)

Harold among the hills.

The view from our mooring.

15th and 16th of July 2016. To Foulridge via Gargrave.

On Friday we made an early start out of Skipton. We saw a fellow paddle-boarder on the way; he had also paddled around Skipton the previous evening.

We now have just over a week to get through Wigan and to our marina so we had good intentions for making progress. However, it was really miserable and cold; Robin even put his winter hat on!

After 4.5 miles, 4 swing bridges and 3 locks we stopped at Gargrave for a Scooby walk. As soon as we did, the rain started and we decided to stop for the day, not having the heart to go on. Its July for goodness sake!

On Saturday we got up at the usual time and just as we were finishing breakfast the nice couple who we had shared locks with the day before came past. We set off after them and we shared the next 9 locks. Although cloudy, the morning was dry and this is a very beautiful stretch of canal.

Our companions stopped at East Morton and we went on to the three Greenberfield locks. Last time we were here, we moored at the bottom. This time there was a posse of WPs there, including this rather eccentric vessel.

It was nearly 4pm by the time we got to the top lock so we stopped at the little café there for a late toasted sandwich lunch. After that it was a 2 hour straight run to the moorings at the Foulridge tunnel. We are at the summit of the Leeds and Liverpool canal now and we enjoyed the views and some late sunshine.

Jo, accompanied by Scooby, has her feet up while enjoying the view at the sharp end.

At about 5.30pm we crossed into Lancashire (will the weather be any better now we have left Yorkshire?). Tomorrow we go through the tunnel and up the Barrowford locks where we pause for the night before making a run through Burnley on Monday.

12th - 14th July. Skipton :)

On Tuesday we left Bingley and headed for the mooring at Kildwick we had used on the way up. It was only 8 miles but the 13 swing bridges on the way slowed us down a bit. We saw this magnificent bull contentedly relaxing in a field with his ladies.

A bit further on there was what appeared to be a bomb in the water. It turned out to be a hay bale, no doubt rolled down the hill by local kids.

Airedale appeared between the trees, a mixture of fields and crags and large villages with chimneys left over from an industrial past. 

We moored at Kildwick and went for an evening walk up the hill. We found the imposing Kildwick Hall with lovely knot garden and got this view of Harold moored neatly by the church in the valley.

The next day we continued on to Skipton, a mere five miles and five swing bridges away, and found a mooring just past the basin and near the alley to Morrisons (another visit there is required). Jo had a shower to wash away the long walks between swing bridges and headed into town for some civilisation. 

Skipton basin.

We spent a couple of days stocking up, cleaning and washing. Robin paddle-boarded around the basin, enjoying having his leg fully healed and water-tight again.

Robin sets off!

We now have some long days to get to, and through, Wigan by the 22nd when we have booked a few days berth at a marina for Harold so we can have a short break at home before venturing into Liverpool docks.  

10th and 11th of July 2016. Back up the Bingley.

On Sunday it rained on an off throughout the day and we managed 9 miles through 10 swing bridges and up two 2 rise and one 3 rise and one single lock.

At the Field 3 Locks.

It was a full day, setting off at 10.30 and mooring up at 6.30 with no breaks except for short dog walks. We work harder than you might think! We shared part of the journey with a nice couple on their boat Border Rose II who have a mooring in Shipley. They recommended the food and beer at The Fishermen's Inn above the Dowley gap locks so we headed there.  Robin stopped at the Saltaire Brewery shop, which is right by the canal and open on Saturdays, and restocked his beer cupboard. Unfortunately the food at the Fisherman's was disappointing, but the beer was good and it was a 25 foot walk from boat to pub!

On Saturday (more rain) we had just a mile and a half to get to the Bingley locks. However, it took until 3.30pm to actually get up the locks, what with waiting about for lock-keepers and for other boats coming down.

Scooby waiting for the lock-keeper at the Bingley 3 rise.

It was good fun though, with lots of gongoozlers about asking questions. Although we shared the locks with a very annoying man whose companion did not get out to help the lock-keepers and who ignored Robin (the two steerers are close side by side in locks and its usually a good chance for boat gossip).

Harold coming up the Bingley 5 rise.

We found a mooring at the top and stopped for the day. There isn't another good mooring for a long stretch. Jo walked into Bingley for milk. Bingley is a bit of a sprawl, almost joined onto the larger Shipley, and has a railway, a main road and the canal cutting it in half.

Harold reaching the top of the Bingley 5 rise.

5th - 9th of July. A lovely time in Leeds.

We have enjoyed a few days of city living in the centre of Leeds. It was showery and windy, with gusts swirling around the tall buildings and making fun for all the narrow boats trying to manoeuvre in and out of births. Fortunately everyone mucked in and helped each other with encouragement and judicious use of ropes. This boat on Granary Wharf had its jumper on :)

We moved to the Leeds dock, taking in a stretch of the river Aire on the way.

The river Aire in Leeds.

Leeds dock has been redeveloped and is very civilised. There is a water taxi to Granary wharf (near the town centre where the Hilton and the station are) for commuters, trippers and boaters alike. However we mostly walked the city, shopping and looking around. The huge national armouries museum was right next to our mooring at Leeds dock and Robin had a nose in there. 

Harold in Leeds dock (on the pontoon on the left)

Eventually we decided we had better leave. We will go backwards rather than forwards, with several river and canal complications making it a better option for us this year. We'll go back to Skipton initially and head for Liverpool. On Saturday morning we set off early in rain. There were showers on and off all day but help from lock-keepers at the two 3 rise locks and a comfortable mooring at Rodley by mid-afternoon made it bearable.

3rd and 4th of July. Idiots on the canal and Harold at the Hilton.

On Sunday we had breakfast at the nice café at the top of the Bingley five rise, a staircase of five locks which go straight into one another with no pound in between. It takes the boats almost 60 feet down.

Looking back up the Bingley five rise.

Lock keepers organise and help work the flight so it's possible to admire the view and the engineering.

The last view of  Airdale before we descended down into it.

Shortly after the five rise is the Bingley three rise. Same arrangement but with three steps. There are several of these (and some twos) between here and Leeds. Some have lock-keepers but most don't and they are more complicated and harder work than singles. At the foot of the three rise is the Damart factory. 

We went on to the next locks, the Dowley Gap two rise and moored up behind a hire boat which was also waiting on the lock moorings. Robin took Scoobs for a walk and Jo went to investigate the locks, which appeared to have boats going down. However disaster had struck and the levels weren't right so that when they had opened the middle gate to let the boats through, one had got along alright but the other, called Oliver, had been swamped by water coming from the ground paddle entrance (which should have been below the water level). It was in real danger of sinking and the engine had cut out. Robin came to help and we got a rope up and pulled the boat away from the water spurt but it stuck on the cill of the middle gates. CRT were called and the lock-keepers from Bingley headed down on bicycles to help. We checked the lower gate paddles and found that one ground paddle was still partly up so that as soon as the middle gate was opened, water had been escaping out of the chamber. We stopped it and the CRT guys arrived and managed letting water back in safely so they were re-floated and could be pulled into the bottom chamber and let down to the lower level. 

The two boats, with the back one stuck halfway. CRT are on the scene now though and have taken charge!

It was all a bit dramatic and what was really galling was the guy on the other boat - who had left the paddle open according to Oliver's crew - didn't help at all but just stood about eating sandwiches! What a w**ker. When the bottom gates were opened and we were pulling out Oliver, he just sailed off without so much as a sorry. The CRT guys helped get us and the hire boat safely down and the last we saw of Oliver was him on the lock moorings being pumped out by a CRT generator.  The CRT guys were excellent, really quick and sensible and caring.  Apparently Oliver is 60 feet long (Harold is 58), the maximum these locks can take (we are used to ones long enough for a 70 foot boat) and it doesn't give much room for manoeuvre, something for us to remember when choosing which canals to travel.

We went on and did the next lock with the rather dozy hire-boat crew. The top lock gate was very leaky so that Robin got showered with water and some got in our engine compartment. Fortunately not enough to  do any harm. Robin hoovered out about 120 litres the next morning. We lost the hire boat there - they clearly felt that it was ok to settle down for lunch on lock moorings. We saw the boat from the lock incident earlier (he was sitting in his deckchair on the bank without a care in the world). Robin took down his  license number just in case (force of habit!).  

The sun was shining and we pulled over and bought an ice cream at the café boat in Saltaire and admired Titus Salts impressive mill buildings.

Saltaire.

It was a lovely sunny day and we would have liked to stop. However, as we went on we struggled to find a decent mooring. Some of the ones in our book weren't at all appealing!

We didn't fancy this one!

There were lots of swing bridges and with these and the locks it was quite a tiring day. We pushed on through the Field three rise where we met a boat at the bottom whose crew were clearly pissed. Jo advised him to read the instructions but got short shrift! They must have got the boat safely up but goodness knows how. The next day a lock-keeper said they'd been leaving paddles up and were clearly drunk earlier in the day. After yet more swing bridges and the Dobson two rise, we finally managed to find a mooring at Apperly Bridge. It wasn't great but it was next to a park for Scoobs. Besides its was gone 7pm and we'd had enough.

Tired as we were, we could still appreciate these pretty cottages in the evening sun at the bottom of the Dobson two rise.

On Monday we made an early start as we knew there is no safe mooring between the next locks and Leeds. After the dramas of yesterday it seemed a good idea to leave extra time! We were the first out so the canal was crystal clear and we saw huge carp and pike lurking about. The Newlay and Forge three rises both had lock-keepers so were very civilised. We learned that one of them had a boat and was going to give Oliver a tow to a boatyard that evening as his engine is still not working. We gave him the name and license number of the culpable boat to pass on. They might be able to claim on his insurance.

After that is was a clear run into Leeds with just a few locks and swing bridges but no dramas. Lots of the canalside has been redeveloped or refurbished so it wasn't as depressing a city approach as some are.

Refurbished old mill buildings in Leeds.

We moored at Granary Wharf, next to Leeds central station and the Hilton Hotel. If Robin can be persuaded to trim his beard we'll go to the posh pizza place over the way for tea. We plan to spend a few days in Leeds for a rest and to decide where to go next.

Harold in his smart central Leeds mooring.

2nd of July. Not the easist day.

After a wet evening, night and morning we set off late and rather reluctantly from our mooring in Kildwick. The wind, rain and mud is getting to us rather. We went through all this in February and were hoping for something different by now!

The view of Airedale on Jo's evening walk

Robin had chatted to a neighbouring boat and they had suggested we set off together but when we knocked for them in the morning their fire was lit and they were tucked up for the day out of the rain. By the end of the day we rather wished we had done the same.

There are no locks on this stretch but lots of swing bridges. We had issues with these as the day went on. After just a mile or the boat caught in the wind as Robin stopped to pick up Jo after a swing bridge. The stern headed across the canal towards boats moored on the other side and Robin on the middle rope couldn't get him back. Jo took the rope and Robin headed along the side of the boat to get on the helm to sort things out. However he was wearing his waterproof but non-grip trainers and slipped off. He discovered its impossible to get back on the boat from a muddy canal and was helped out and back on board by the boat owners on the other side. Eventually we managed to get the boat secured and Robin into the shower. No injuries this time fortunately, except to his pride :(

Looking back at the site of the captain's dunking.

After a cup of tea, we set off again. After half a mile or so we encountered a day boat with half a dozen or so drunk men on it. We kept over the correct side of the canal but they just kept coming at us. Robin put Harold in full reverse and they still managed to hit us full on and damage the paintwork on the bow. Fortunately Harold was the bigger boats and just rocked a bit. They were lucky not to tip their boat over! Later Robin phoned the hire boat company to let them know and we await any outcome.

This was followed by several incidents with swing bridges; one so stiff it took Robin and a passer by to open, another broken and we had to wait for CRT to come and open it. At another an impatient takeaway delivery driver took exception to waiting and got a bit shirty. During all this we got views over Keighley.

Keighley

We had identified a mooring in our book at Riddlesdon and stopped there. But there were no other boats and a housing estate quite close. It just didn't seem too safe and we decided discretion is the better part of valour. This meant pushing on to the top of the Bingley locks. We went past this converted example of the type of boats that used to work this canal.

We eventually arrived at Bingley just before 7pm and nabbed one of the last mooring spots.

Harold in his mooring at the top of the Bingley locks.

You can just see the Damart factory and it's chimney on the left which we will go past tomorrow.

Robin opened the kitchen cupboard to get a glass out for his well-earned pint and a glass (disturbed by the earlier crash) fell out and smashed everywhere. That's enough for one day.