Worsley

Yesterday we went through Preston Brook Tunnel and onto the Bridgewater Canal. The tunnel is one-way and going north you can only travel during a 10 minute window from the hour till 10 past. We just missed the 10.00 passage so had a 45 minute wait which was no big deal as we had a few jobs to do anyway. At 10.45 the boat who’d blinded us with its headlights on Thursday turned up behind us. The woman started complaining about having to wait, said it made her sick as she didn’t see why she had to wait! I’d have liked for her to jump the queue and then meet an oncoming boat and have to reverse all the way out; that would have really made her sick, but would have made me smile.

We spent last night in Lymm and bumped an old business acquaintance who has now retired and bought a boat. It’s a small world on the canal, you never know who you’ll meet.

The weather’s been pretty mixed today with lots of heavy showers and unfortunately I found out my waterproofs are no longer waterproof. I need to buy some proofer and redo them soon. We were passed by lots and lots of boats going in the opposite direction today. It seems like all the Bridgewater Cruising Clubs are off on their Bank Holiday jollies.

Apart from some new graffiti under the M60 motorway bridge there’s not much to see on this stretch of canal, it’s pretty boring really.

At Waters Meeting we could have turned right and gone to Manchester but we turned left and cruised through Trafford Park. For once there were no drug dealers trading at the junction, maybe the rain put them off.

Waters Meeting junction

The sun came out just as we got to Barton Aqueduct but as usual it was fairly windy.

view towards Salford

view towards Irlam, M60 in background

When we were still building boats we used to launch them here at Monton Turn.

It’s nice to see that most of the rubbish has been cleared from the winding hole and the area around the health centre and light house has been tidied up too.  I’m not sure if they still shine the light on special occasions but they used to do it quite often and it looked really strange.

The stretch of canal from Monton to Worsley has been stirred up by all the boat traffic today and the water was looking particularly orange. It's the iron ore that came out of the mines at Worsley that makes the canal this colour. It's always been called "Rusty River" by locals, although they are trying to take the colour out by filtering the water through reed beds at Worsley.

We’re now moored in the heart of Worsley along with about 10 other boats. We used to live round here and I always said one day I’d moor my boat here, well now I have and I’m happy.