Arriving in Liverpool

Friday afternoon we arrived at Stanley Locks to make our way down into the Docks and through the Liverpool link. Passing almost underneath the iconic Liver building and through Albert Dock before mooring up in Salthouse dock.

More pictures availiable here

Land of the foaming pint

One thing that has been noticeable is that we are in the land if the foaming pint. Long spouts with "sparklers" being the norm produces a head that Guinness would be proud off, and tasty to boot.
Tonight in the Ship in Lanthom near Ormskirk for a pie and a pint.
On leaving we are rewarded with an evening view of the lock flight leading down from the main line towards Tarleton






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Ormskirk,United Kingdom

Liverpool link

08.15 and the boats moored at bridge 10 were on the move to the start of the BWB assisted passage at Hancocks bridge for 09:30.





The convoy arrived at around 08:50 and was soon accompanied by the smell if frying bacon all round.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Liverpool,United Kingdom

Parbold

A short day today with a leisurely start after breakfast at 10:30 and a grand total of 5 miles and 2 locks before we stopped at Parbold, initially for lunch but after a lamb burger and a few pints in the "Windmill" we decided to call it a day.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:W View,,United Kingdom

Wigan flight to Wigan pier

A reasonably start this morning and we arrived at the top of the Wigan flight at at 10.30. Having seen nothing else on the move we started down the flight on our own. About 5 locks down we wait to let a pair of boats coming up the flight use the locks that were in their favour and found that there were 2 boats coming down the flight behind us, a 36ft narrow boat and a cruiser so we wait a but longer and do the rest of the flight with them arriving at Wigan junction at 15.20, 4hrs 50 min for 21locks, not too bad.

One more lock and we pass Wigan pier and the BW office(closed) then 3 more locks and a few miles and we moor for the night at Crooke. There is a pub (still trading!) here but we decide to eat on the boat and have an early night.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Crooke Rd,,United Kingdom

Liverpool here we come

Arrived at the boat late last night (Friday) so time to unload the car and a swift drink before bed.
This morning (Saturday) time for a large shop to stickup the boat before returning the hire car to Bolton and getting the train back to Adlington.
The afternoon sent doing the various servicing jobs on the boat including repairing a bent hinge on the new sofa bed. While hammering parts of the hinge flat I must of worried the staff in the chandlery as they came rushing out of the fire door to see who was breaking in through the rear wall, oops ;)
the last planned job was to fill up with diesel, but when we were ready we discovered it was already 5pm and the chandlery closes at 4.30pm. Where has the day gone?
Eventually we left White Bear Marina at around 17.30 and stopped for the night at Red Rock Bridge. pizza and a bottle of wine on board before bed.
Tomorrow the Wigan flight all 23 locks so a long day. Hopefully we will find another crew to share with.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Arley Ln,,United Kingdom

Back Ashore

Now been back ashore for a couple of weeks and itching to get back on the boat, but unfortunately bills to be paid etc.

The Diesel drought finally broke at Snaygill boats on the outskirts of Skipton where we managed to fill the tank just before they closed for the night. A couple of miles further on we moored in the middle of Skipton and ended up eating in the Dog Friendly Narrow Boat Pub.

Leaving Skipton we continued up the flight at Gargrave where we stopped for a lunchtime pint in the Anchor Inn for a lunchtime pint.  Eventually we continued up the Bank Newton Flight to an overnight mooring at East Marton and another Dog friendly pub the Cross Keys.

On the Thursday Morning we completed the climb to the summit through Greenberfield locks and stopped at another Anchor Inn for a lunchtime pint. This turned into an extended session so we called it a day and moored up for the night.

On the Friday we completed the last couple of miles to the Northern (eastern?) portal of Foulridge tunnel arriving  at 9:15 minutes just  too late for a green light, so settled down to a late breakfast while we waited. Nothing came through the tunnel in the opposite direction and we got on our way at 10:00.

A long days cruising saw us mooring overnight at Rishton, where we rescued a young pigeon from under the landing stage. After a night in a warm dry box the pigeon took up residence in the cratch as a make shift aviary and was eventually well enough to fly on its way when we reached Chorley.

On the Saturday we dropped stopped at the Top Lock on the Johnsons Hillock flight where we had an excellent Indian meal in the pub the Top Lock for our last night on the boat.

Sunday morning we dropped down through the Johnsons Hillock flight and the last few miles to White Bear Marina

Andrew from the crew on this trip has posed an extensive collection of pictures on here