alafloat

Having successfully conducted our business in Manchester, and delivered our car back to Rufford on Tuesday we left Reedley having had a much needed pump out ( all them visitors using the loo) taken on fuel and water we where off travelling again we departed early as we know we had bad weather forecast, seven locks at Barrowford plus the Foulridge tunnel to face. However as all good plans go I did not factor in the Floating settee, two arm chairs and something under the water that I hit whilst avoiding the former (which still have no idea what it was) probably a Gas Cooker all this only an hour from our start in Nelson. Plus the fact that have way up the Barrowford flight the locks ran out of water But the CRT team where on hand and after a hours wait we go back under way and then the weather closed in I became rather agitated with fighting the wind and extremely strong by-washes my are like Hercules now. We where intending to make East Marton just before the Bank Newton flight of locks Nevertheless with the wind the rain and my temper it was thought wise to call it a day at the Yorkshire end of the Foulrige Tunnel.

This enforced stop was quite fortuitous as the day before when I park the car up in Rufford I left our phone in the car, Matthew had called in and collected it for us and then brought it over to foulridge (are you all still with me or should I slow down??) anyway Mat came with the phone with Lorraine and Thomas and we all went out for a lovely meal.

This morning dawned quite the opposite to the forecasted weather, it was still and bright so I decided "come on get up we are off!! OK at 6.30 in the morning maybe its not what you want to hear But I never new Noreen knew words like that. So after a discussion we set off at 9.30 hoping to make the bottom of the Bank Newton flight or even the top depending on time. We set off quite steady and were getting a few miles under the hull only once again to be thwarted by the weather. Having got through the three locks at Greenfield I knew we were not going to make Bank Newton for the weather had really started to close in so started to look for a convenient mooring. This I managed to find, yes! at East Marton where we should have been yesterday. That’s Boating for you Though I am glad Buggerlugs is our boat and we have as long as we want; to do what we want, today we witnessed many boats fighting and struggling with the wind because they were hire boats and have to be back by Fri/Sat they all looked done in especially the wide beams they really struggled. Me when it no longer becomes a pleasure I moor up.

That all sounds quite horrific But really it wasn’t because as you leave the industrial towns of Burnley, Nelson and Colne behind a whole new vista opens up the rolling hills and high moors pop up around every corner the hedge rows give way to the dry stone walls the whole canal takes on a new feeling one of quiet calm and tranquillity Now that’s not to take anything away from the industrial canals of the towns as you pass the old wharfs, warehouses and mills which there are many still visible today you get that feeling of hard graft, toil and

wonderful northern spirit and inventiveness that the industrial revolution was built on.

Not sure what happens from here we will wait and see what the weather brings tomorrow if its fine we head on if not we just chill

God Bless everyone

Buggerlugs