Happy Easter

It’s a dull, cool & drizzly Easter day here in Burscough and the fire’s glowing. We’ve been moored opposite The Farmers Arms for a few days. We’ve been able to pop to two knit & natters at the pub and our last will be this coming Thursday and then we’ll be heading to Liverpool.

John made us some lovely hot cross buns. We had Easter fairy cakes for breakfast yesterday when we had 6 Overells over. Jason’s sister and her fiancée are up visiting. Heather’s working most of Easter.

It’s SO good to be out cruising again, but it’s feeling quite odd. The four months over winter went very fast while we were on the Rufford Branch.

Last week we strolled back down the Rufford Branch to give our friend a hand up the locks and through the bridges as he’s single handed. 

We’ve spent a few days in Parbold. We’ve missed walking up hills over our flat winter, so we set off to walk up Parbold Hill. We have driven up & down the hill several times as it’s the road that runs off of the M6 at junc 27 on our way to Heather & Jason’s and the views are amazing. We took the off road route along the canal and up past disused quarries and up Fairy Glen. The glen was beautiful, 

but there’s room for improvement when ALL the bluebells are out it’ll be stunning. We retraced our steps and went up to the view point at the brow of the hill. We then headed back down for some refreshment at the huge Railway pub where it was lively while everyone watched the Grand National. We wished we’d backed the same winning horse most of our family had in the race, ‘One for
 Arthur’ (which was my dad’s name). Then on Sunday I risked life and fingers picking the shooting tips off of stinging nettles, which John’s turning into wine, however, it’s could take a year to clear in the demijohn, now that’s too long to wait really.

 

 

We had a fair journey to the nearest launderette last week at Maghull on the outskirts of Liverpool. We’re missing using the machine at St. Mary’s Marina and Heather’s house. We met a couple of youngsters on bicycles who enjoyed a ride on each of the 4 swing bridges through Maghull. Plus, we retrieved several fishing floats from trees on the off side and gave them to the lads. We were moored by the football ground and watched the Maghull reserves play a game.

 

 On our way back from Maghull we moored at the Saracen's Head a couple of days near Halsall cuttting, where the building of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal commenced in 1770.

 

Spring’s really in the air and there are lots ducklings appearing. We’ve seem a family of 21, yes 21 ducklings. The blossom is blooming and the trees are budding. Our little oak tree’s leaves are going to bursting fourth very soon too.