21^st April

There was a shower over night but we set off in bright weather and motored through the 5 Swing Bridges of Maghull to moor up at Bridge 9 ready for BW to pick us up in the morning and open the two main road swing bridges into Liverpool.

* Swing Bridge

 At 12.30 we had a call to say would we like to go half way this afternoon and make an early start on Sunday morning so that we could be in Liverpool to see the Odyssey.

We had to wait for 3 other boats to arrive (Cygnet, Nesta, Old Codger) and the convoy set off just after 2.00pm.

* The Convoy

Just after the first swing bridge we passed the Canal Turn,

Melling Road

, and Beecher’s Brook parts of Aintree Race Course.

The rest of the journey I nicknamed Coot Alley as every few yards there was a coots nest with chicks of a day old to a few days old. They are not as pretty as the Mallard chicks. Although the surface was full of floating rubbish the water was crystal clear so it must be fairly good quality for the ducks and fish to be so abundant.

We reached the BW service area at Litherland at 3.30pm and moored up for the night. Tesco was just the other side of the fence so we were able to do some more shopping and even managed to get some coal from their garage.

22^nd April

Left the mooring at 7.00am in sharp shower which soon stopped and it brightened up into a nice day. We reached the 4 Locks leading into Stanley Dock at 8.00am and were met by the BW boys who helped us through, as a special windless is required for the top gate paddles.

* Locks into Stanley Dock

We then entered the docks area with it high derelict Tobacco Warehouses and passed the Victoria Tower.

* Tobacco Warehouse

* Victoria Tower

We motored on through a series of canals, docks, and tunnels until we came to the Liver Building where we went through the last tunnel under the Liverpool Museum and lock into Canning Dock where we were greeted by thousands of people lining the dock wall.

* Tunnel under Liverpool Museum

* Canning Dock Reception

We had to wait while some of the preparations for the departure of the Odyssey group took place and then we could enter Albert Dock and finally Salthouse Dock where we moored up at 10.00am.

No sooner had we moored up than we went up onto the Dock road and watched the Odyssey pass by. What an incredible sight with 30ft high Models of a Girl and her dog as well as her uncle the Diver. They were made and operated by a French theatre company and the operators must have been athletes as they were swinging on ropes to operate the legs and arms of the models. Truly a moving experience.

* The Girl

* The Dog

* The Dog 2

* The Diver

* Diver Workings

* The Boat

There was also a boat battling its way through the waves and the letters written by local children were being fired into the crowd from a cannon.

*Cannon firing Letters

At the end of the procession the Odyssey came back to the quay where we were moored and so we had a grandstand view from the boat roof of them being lowered into the boat which would take them out to sea.

Over the weekend there had been over a million visitors and I must say the crowds were very friendly and so enthusiastic about the event.

* Grandstand view

* Lowered into Boat

* Abseilers releasing the Diver

Back on the boat we had the Mersey Fire Service Hover craft buzzing us and demonstrating how they used it.

* Hover Craft

23^rd April

A lazy day, after the last few hectic weeks and chance to recharge our batteries, and catch up with some washing.

In the afternoon we all went to the cinema to see Fishing for Salmon in Yemen, which despite my misgivings turned out to be a good film.

Our evening was spent playing cards and enjoying the sights of Albert Dock, it must be the fashion up here for girls to go around with Rollers in their hair.

20^th April

* Parbold

* Parbold Windmill

Left Parbold with its old Windmill on a nice bright day but still a cool wind blowing, heading for Burscough to purchase provisions from Tescos.

On the way we had to drop off the rubbish we had accumulated over the last few days, fortunately the skip was just being delivered but the driver would not take June and Carolann.

* Rubbish Drop

Continued on along the Leeds and Liverpool canal through very flat and fertile land which reminded us of sailing on the Norfolk Broads.

* Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Passed the Junction with the Rufford Canal which would take you to the Ribble Link with the Lancaster Canal.

Spotted this old Leeds and Liverpool Barge.

* Barge

Moored for the night at Coxhead's Swing Bridge on the outskirts of Aintree.

18^th April

The morning started with drizzle until noon so we did not start until after lunch. When we reached

Plank Lane

lift bridge, which is being converted to boater operation, there was a strong blast of wind across the new marina which pinned us to the lea shore. A hard blast on the bow thruster got us off (thank goodness we opted for one, makes life so much easier).

Motored on to Scotman’s Flash and moored up over looking the lakes on both sides.

Graham and I walked into Wigan to find the BW Office where we needed to fill in the forms for the Liverpool Link trip. Nice new offices on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal but only open to visitors between 10.00 and Noon.

19^th April

Left the moorings at 08.15 in order to get to the BW office for 10.00 and moored below lock 87 so that we could fill up with water whilst waiting for the office to open.

Documentation completed we motored on past Wigan Pier and its heritage centre and out into lovely countryside mooring up at Parbold a small village with a few shops and an old Windmill at the side of the bridge which is now used as an art gallery.

We had a few April showers on route but the evening turned out lovely.

13^th April

Graham went down to Kings Lock to have his heater serviced at 9.00 and we waited until the Andersen and Middlewich hire boats had cleared the lock on their way back to base and then went down and breasted up with Autumn Years so that we could buy a new Calor Gas Cylinder and fill with water. The junction soon became busy with boats travelling in all directions so we left Autumn Years and bimbled on down the next 4 locks and found a nice mooring just outside Middlewich.

 At the top of the first lock we spotted this clutch of mallard chicks on their first outing on the water.

 AY joined us a short while later when the service had been completed. It was so warm that we sat out on the bank drinking tea and reading our books.

14^th April

Early start as we needed a pump out (not a nice subject but very important to boaters).

After finding several out of order we eventually obtained one at Anderton Marina who used an excellent new machine.

On the way we passed the first of the Flashes, just like the Norfolk Broads, even had boats hidden in the reeds.

* Are we in Norfolk

Hiding in the Reeds

We passed by the Anderton Lift with nobody using it

* Anderton Boat Lift

 and then through the Barton and Saltersford Tunnels (must remember to take off my photochromatic glasses before entering). The Tunnels are all one way and entry is timed in each direction to ensure that you don’t meet anyone coming the other way.

Moored up just short of the next tunnel.

15^th April

Woke up to a frosty morning and whilst having breakfast we had a flurry of snow, can you believe it, 25 degrees when we left Brinklow and now Snow!

Set off through the stop lock to reach the Prestonbrook Tunnel for 9.00am as boats going north can only go through on the hour.

*Preston Brook Tunnel

The tunnel is 1229 yds long but you can just see the other end an amazing feat of our ancestors.

*You can see the end

Motored on along the Bridgewater Canal, I had forgotten how lovely it is.

* Picturesque Bridgewater Canal

Spotted Miss B Havin, a Sandhills boat and left a message about the owners group.

* Fellow Sandhills Boat

Passing through Lymm as it was busy with weekenders we moored up on the Little Bollington Aquaduct over looking Dunham Massey House (NT) on one side and the Pennines on the other.

* Our view of Dunham Massey

In the afternoon we walked through the aptly named under bridge passed the Tea shop, the Swan with 2 Nicks pub and the Bollington Mill into the Massey estate grounds.

* Tea Shop Little Bollington

We went into the Water powered Saw Mill which was working and had a demonstration of how it was done 400 years ago.

* Inside

We explored the estate grounds and amongst the herds of deer spotted this white one.

* White Deer

Continuing our circular walk we entered Dunham Town with its Brewery and down passed the Axe and Cleaver Pub where the Hells Angels were having a BBQ and Bash after having their bikes blessed. There some great bikes and the band were excellent, you could hear them 2 miles away.

* Hells Angle Bash

Found a real farm shop and bought some excellent Rump Steak for dinner. They rear their own beef pigs etc and obtain the fruit and veg from local farms.

* Little Heath Farm Shop

16^th April

We were going to stay another day at Little Bollington but the weather forecast for Tuesday did not sound too good so we decided to move on. Whilst we were having breakfast we spotted in the field below us Buzzards, Foxes, Pheasants and a multitude of birds, June was in her element.

* Buzzard

As we sailed through Sale we spotted a very unusual sight on the canal, a coxed 8. Further down the straight we found Trafford rowing Club and several other sculls out on the water. They must use the 2 mile long straight as there race track.

* Coxed 8

A short while later we crossed the River Mersey at Barfoot Aquaduct, almost a stream at this point.

Turning left at Waters meeting we passed Kellogs factory with the smell of cornflakes and eventually reached another unusual sight, the Barton Swing Aquaduct which took us over the Manchester Ship Canal, another fantastic feat of Engineering.

* Baton Swing Aquaduct

At the very pretty village of Worsley we stopped for water just short of the arm which went off to the right and would have taken you directly into the Mines of the Duke of Bridgewater, the reason the canal was built.

* Worsley

Just passed Astley we moored up and sat in our chairs on the bank enjoying the afternoon sun and Carolann’s Tea and delicious Fruit Cake with lovely views across to the Pennines and the first Swallows skimming the water for insects.

17^th April

Overnight the wind and the rain swept over the boat, I had to get out of bed and tie down the boat poles as they were making so much noise we could not get to sleep.

At about 8.30am the rain stopped and the sun came out so we decided to move on a short way to Pennington Flash Nature Park stopping at Tesco in Leigh to obtain some more provisions. Great mooring spot overlooking the lovely lake with all it’s wild life and sailing club.

At lunch time we had a down pour with hale and strong winds but this soon disappeared and we able to go a 2 hour walk around the lake in sunshine which continued into the evening.

* Pennington Flash Park

11^th April

Set off with a nice bright morning if a little cool, passing through Nantwich which was busy with boats on the move and then passed the junction of the Llangollen Canal.

We then turned right at Barbridge Junction onto the Middlewich Branch and continued for a few miles to moor at a lovely spot just passed Aquaduct Marina.

I had a look around the marina which seemed to have all the facilities a boater could want even a tractor and trailer to haul boats out onto hard standing for blacking etc.

12^th April

Again we had a lovely bright morning to urge us on our way to Middlewich passing the now converted stable block and mooring between bridges 29 and 30 so that we could stock up on provisions at the local Tesco.

We went down to Kings Lock Chandlery for Graham to see about having his Webasto C/H unit serviced and for us to buy a few bits and bobs. He has a really good set up there with test rigs and computer monitoring systems for the Webasto.

Later when I went for a walk I spotted the Mallard we had seen earlier with her 13 chicks on the bank, all 13 were tucked underneath her.

13^th April

Graham went down to Kings Lock to have his heater serviced at 9.00 and we waited until the Andersen and Middlewich hire boats had cleared the lock on their way back to base and then went down and breasted up with Autumn Years so that we could buy a new Calor Gas Cylinder and fill with water. The junction soon became busy with boats travelling in all directions so we left Autumn Years and bumbled on down the next 4 locks and found a nice mooring just outside Middlewich. At the top of the first lock we spotted this clutch of mallard chicks on their first outing on the water.

 AY joined us a short while later when the service had been completed. It was so warm that we sat out on the bank drinking tea and reading our books.

8^th April

Set off for the Audlem locks having filled with water, got chatting to a Kiwi who was over here to see where he was born and was living on a narrowboat.

Moored in between locks 2 and 3 with great views over the Shropshire countryside.

Walked a mile down the locks to Audlem to have Sunday lunch at the Lord Combermere, food was good but the service was a bit slow.

9^th April

As expected the day turned out wet so we spent the time sorting the draws and hidy holes out and cooking ready for Graham and Carolann coming for dinner.

10^th April

Early start to tackle the 13 locks down to Audlem. Quite busy with hire boats coming up the locks on their way around the Four Counties Ring.

Passed the Shroppie Fly Pub and Art and Craft Centre.

At the bottom lock we met Chris and Lorraine coming up. We moored up below the locks and they joined us for coffee. It was great to char about our trip up the Avon and Stratford Canal last year. 

Continued on to Hack Green passing some lovely scenery and the Overwater Marina where we spotted Yew Tew the boat built prior to ours. After lunch we walked to the Secret Bunker hidden behind Hack Cottage.

River Weaver

Hack Cottage

 Very interesting exhibition of the bunkers set up to protect the government in the event of an atomic bomb during the cold war. I don’t think many civilians would have survived.

* Commincatiosn Room

Returned to the boat and as the weather was now nice and sunny decided to polish the starboard side of the boat. Caught Carolann cleaning the windows.

* Carolann Windows.

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