alafloat

Under Manchester centre. its like an underground car park for boats




This is the Lock keepers cottage were my great grandmother was born






Hi

Today is my birthday and I have at last got on the net I have so much to catch up on.
We left Marple on our way to Manchester in a thunder storm poor Noreen was so wet, she looked as if she had fell in we could not have been wetter if we had jumped in. that said we broke a record and did all 16 locks in 2 hours, we were so wet and down that we decided to continue on to Ashton the canal passes over many of my old haunts as a kid especially Romily which brought back many nostalgic memories. Reaching Ashton we needed Diesel, I had phoned ahead to make sure the yard could take 60ft on getting to the yard we found to get into the yard we had to negotiate a passage only just wide enough for the boat with a chicane in it. the diesel point was already occupied by a boat being refitted, it was a bloody night mare, it took us nearly two hours to get fuel on board then extradite the boat from the yard in reverse.
The two nights we spent in the Ashton Basin were quite uneventful although we shared our moorings with the local wineoes, they are a lot quieter in Ashton you even get a nicer type of wineo, Danny joined us in ashton for the 27 locks into Manchester, We left at 07.30 in the morning to avoid the gangs of marauding kids we were told existed on this part of the canal.
We met none for me it was a ride down memory lane as a lad I walked that canal to school and shot rats in the bone yard, fished in Prices Basin, and kissed girls under the bridge. It was a very nice journey the first 16 locks were relatively easy, we the joined the Rochdale canal we left the narrow locks behind and joined the wide locks, the last nine into Castlefield were a nightmare all the locks were flooded that means they were receiving too much water and the locks were almost impossible to open because of the weight of water. traveling under the city centre was an experience a very weird one, we shared our journey with a couple called Brian and Chis who were great. A big thank you goes out to Danny for his help what a great guy. The weekend end in the centre of Manchester was great, it was very cosmopolitan a different world from were we are use to mooring it was more like Venice, if you have not seen the new basin at Castlefeild you must its well worth a visit. We had Lal visit and and Tom and Shirley for Sunday lunch, we even managed to get to St Josephs for Sunday mass. Monday we had two of Noreen's old school friends they joined us for the first part of the journey to Wigan they terminated there passage at Worsley. Next stop was Aldi in Leigh, this is great we can get the boat almost up to the front door Noreen's idea of heaven.
I have not said but we have been having a little trouble with the batteries they are not holding the charge anyway I called out Andy the engineer he met us at Plank lane Leigh he confirmed my theory that at least two of the batteries were poorly. I phoned our boat yard and they agreed to bring them out to us.
Wednesday was the big infamous Wigan flight, 26 wide locks in one go, we were Lucky to join up with another couple Kattie and Bob they have a lovely 30ft so going in and out of the locks together was easy, again we flew up the locks in 4 hours breaking another record and PB.
As you can see in the last week we have done about 67 locks and covered about 30 miles not bad for two old farts.
We are now on old stomping ground we are in Blackburn taking lots of visitors we hope to be here for a few days or at least until the sun comes out again.
Noreen has had tele for the last three days so she is happy I am now back on the net so I am happy.
I will try and now send some pics


Stay cool


Buggerlugs