So after 4 months of lockdown and moored near Bagganley Bridge 78 on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal we can cruise again. We won’t be going too far afield, as we need to have our second injections next month.
This spot was ideal for when we were homeschooling.
The three grandchildren came to stay Easter week and were out picking wild garlic for our beef stew as soon as they arrived.
We headed off to get diesel and spent a couple of nights near the young River Douglas, Adlington (or river duckless as one of the wee ones calls it!!!). They used to live at the end of the River Douglas where it was tidal, very muddy and joined to the mouth of the River Ribble.
As we set off we realised it was going to be gloriously warm for a few days, which meant we had to do an emergency sun cream shop after we'd only been cruising for a short while. We moored at Cowling slipway. This was a prefect spot to sort out the bow locker.
The children had a great time litter picking, magnet fishing and doing chalk drawings on the concrete.
The crew could hardly wait to see the river and as soon as we moored John took them down to a little ford, where they paddled way above their wellies!!
Just the other side of the river valley was a motorbike scrambling track, very entertaining to watch as there was a big hill climb in view of the boat.
The disused Lancashire Union Railway, now a cycle path runs parallel with the canal, so we had to explore that.
It goes through some large cuttings and under an aqueduct under the canal.
Once again we had a kiddies bake off, each making a batch of 6 hot cross buns.
While we were busy in the galley kneading the dough we didn’t know there was an emergency occurring at the bridge ahead of us, until the air ambulance circled very low over us as it was landing in a field. We understand someone had tripped, fallen into the canal and broken their ankle.
A good while later the land paramedics passed us with all their kit. They had asked for the air ambulance as the nearest place they could park was 2 miles away!!
As the helicopter stared up to leave it must have startled some deer as they ran past in the field.
Once the emergency was over we headed off towards home and under what we have named ‘paramedic bridge’ to get diesel.
As we knew we were going to be cruising off, we went up Healy Nab, on the edge of the West Lancashire Moors to watch the sunset over Chorley.
We could see the Ribble estuary, Southport, Blackpool and the wind turbines out in the Mersey estuary.
The last few days of the holidays we spent between the house and boat. We had a rather chilly breakfast in the park opposite the house. We couldn’t sit on the seat as it was too icy!!
Most afternoons we spent at the boat and the kids climbed the towpath trees beside us.
Last weekend we hired a van and helped Ada & Dale move about ½ a mile from their rented house to their very own first home.
I had a lovely lie in yesterday watching the water reflections on the ceiling.
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