Saying good-bye to the north west

The excitement of the Bridgewater Canal opening a day early on Tuesday was over shadowed by the unfolding news from the terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena. Such shocking news and so, so, sad as Tarleton, where we’ve spent 4 months over winter, lost two young girls in the attack. Saffie was 8 years old and in the year above Nikita at Tarleton Community Primary School. It’s such a small village school the pupils all know each other. We helped at the school Christmas fayre and the Macmillan cake sale and attended all the assemblies over winter. The poor headmaster had to address the press. Heather’s found it really difficult going to & from school, trying to avoid the huge amount of film crews, photographers and police at the school gates. The other girl, Georgina, was 18 years old and did a placement at Magnus & Lance’s nursery over winter as part of her course. Heather & the children attended the vigil and placed some of their glass painted jars with a candles in. The villagers have put pink ribbons on all the trees and lamp posts. Saffie’s mother remains critically ill in hospital.

Thanks to Colin of the Wool Boat for the Pics http://thewoolboat.co.uk/

So today we are moored on the Bridgewater Canal. We made an early start with Carole and Colin, from The Wool Boat. Just as well as it’s getting pretty hot. Colin reports for some of the canal press and wanted to take photos of the workman finishing on Tuesday evening and he was thrilled it actually opened and he could snap the first boats through, John tagged along too. We are only able to stay on the Bridgewater Canal for 7 days with our CRT licence, so over the next couple of days we’ll be heading for Preston Brook where it ends. We need to go back to Braidbar Boats as we have a couple of bits that need seeing to. On the way we think we’ll be passing through Middlewich when their folk and canal festival is on, so it’s be rude not to attend.

Liverpool seems such a long time ago now. We had glorious weather for the whole time, apart from the day we left, it was pouring & very windy. We paid for a few extra days there as Ada & Dale wanted us to view the venue they’ve chosen for their wedding. The train to Milton Keynes is less than 3 hours and Dale was here to meet us. It was an action packed weekend, dinner at his parents house on Friday. We were up bright & early to meet the wedding planner, who just happens to be our niece Alice. We rather over stayed our allotted time at the venue, however, we got to taste the type of food they want for the evening buffet and then on to see my sister Louise. Then we all went to Dunstable in the evening. Edmund was in Luton visiting friends, so we all met up for a Wetherspoons breakfast before saying our good-byes.