A Quick Flash!

Just a quick post today, our route being a now familiar one through Wigan and down to Leigh. It was warm and at the end of the afternoon the sun came out.

We've moored at Pennington Flash, the canal is on an embankment, with the flash below us.  The flash is a lake formed after subsidence around old mine workings, and now a nature reserves.
 
Once we had moored up we went for a walk around, trying out the hides for bird-watching, but all we could see were mallards, coots and canada geese, same as on the canal!

A lovely spot.

11.5 miles, 8 locks, 2 bridges 

Who do you think they are?

Yesterday as we were leaving Liverpool and I was running round the docks with the camera trying to get the best shots of Tacet on her way through, there was a film crew setting up with a bunch of guys getting positioned and ready to sing.

They were causing a bit of a stir and interest, and as I had the camera in my hand, I joined in and took pictures too.
But I’ve no idea who they were!



They were filming for ‘This Morning’ so I guess it went out on yesterday’s programme, they were rehearsing ‘All you need is love’. If you watched it or know who they are, let us know then I’ll at least be able to label the photos correctly!



Today has been another grey day, and we haven’t come far, stopping at Burscough for a Tesco shop and then tying up in a spot we noticed on the way down, a quiet mooring at the bottom of the two old Appley locks.

It’s nice to be out in the countryside again, this is the view from the side hatch today.









I have been looking at all the rose hips on the way today so when we had stopped I set off a-gathering and soon had a good bowlful.

Now it has been turned into Rose Hip Syrup, a good source of vitamin C for fighting off those winter colds.
9 miles, 4 swing bridges

Cruising the docks

 

Yesterday we felt the need to be on the move, so we had a mini cruise around the south docks to the Marina.

 

 

It was a bit of a grey day, we dodged the showers, but the photos are a bit grey.

 

 

 

 

 

Wapping quay, the buildings are now apartments.

The Liverpool Watersports centre had some rowing eights and sailing dinghies out.

 

The Fire & Rescue service were practicing water rescues too.

 

The marina is full of sailing boats and large pristine white cruisers.

 

 

 

 

The other side of this lock is the Mersey and the way to the MSC and Ellesmere Port if you have the necessary paperwork, perhaps we’ll do that one day…….

 

 

 

Then today, we have made the return trip along the Link and back up to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.  We were expecting to get wet, heavy rain was forecast, so the waterproofs were dug out and we set off, back through Albert Dock and Canning Dock to the first lock, with the lockies waiting for us.

 

 

Joining nb Kingsley in Princes lock.

 

 

 

 

With a last look back at the Liver Building…….

along the link with the wind turbines, keeping the docks supplied with energy……..

and the dockers clock, with its six faces, looking out to all directions for synchronising the timepieces of the sailors and dockers.

Then it was back up the locks, again with a team of volunteers and lock-keepers to do the work for us.

We waved goodbye to the lockies at bridge 9, and soon after the rain started, but we were ready for it, so carried on, working with Kingsley leap-frogging at the swing bridges, it made things easier and we didn’t stop til Halsall at about 5 o’clock.  A good day’s travelling.

 

20 miles, 6 locks, 1 tunnel, 9 bridges

City of Culture

Liverpool was granted the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site mainly for its impressive waterfront and the commercial port from the time of Britain’s great global influence. 
In 2008 it was also the European City of Culture.
Here are some of the sights we have found over the past few days, cultural, historical or otherwise.

The Bluecoat is the oldest buildings in central Liverpool and was built as a charity school in 1717.  Nowadays it is an arts centre, showcasing arts, dance, music and literature.

 

 

 

Everywhere you go there are reminders of the Fab 4, here along Mathew Street, the Cavern Club, where the young, new Beatles group were discovered by Brian Epstein.

“Liverpool is the Pool of Life”
C.G.Jung 1927

 

 

 

 

 

Liverpool has the oldest Chinese Community in Europe, dating back to 1834 when ships began to arrive from China trading goods such as silk, cotton and tea.
The wonderful arch marking the entrance to Chinatown was completed in 2000 in time to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

We liked this old warehouse building with the painted sign advertising the wares once available here.

The Maritime Museum, at Albert dock, has some interesting exhibitions, including “Seized”, about the Border & Customs work and history; “Titanic and Liverpool”, telling the untold story of the ships links with Liverpool, as well as the International Slavery Museum, the Old Docks Tour, and ships to explore, there’s loads to see and do.

These three boats moored in Salthouse dock, The Joker (as from Batman), Yellow Submarine and a sinking Titanic are all apartment hotels, available to hire for a stay in the city.

One of many Superlambananas around the city, originally created for the European City of Culture year, they are decorated in many styles and dotted all around the city.

 

 

 

Along Hope Street between the two cathedrals and just opposite the Philharmonic Hall is a wonderful pub ‘The Phil’, amazingly ornate and decorated in the style of a Gentleman’s club, it’s a real treasure.
 

 

We enjoyed a look around and a visit to the loos!

 

 

 

Once again we have enjoyed our stay in this wonderful city, it is clean, easy to get around, lots to do and lots of it free!  Our moorings are in the heart of it all and it hasn’t cost us a penny to stay, with water and electricity available and our rubbish collected daily; luxury!

Eating Out and A Tadaahhh

 

Is always easy and more tempting when in a city, so many choices.  We usually favour eating at lunch-time, and Asian Buffets are our favourites. We had a three course lunch with  a very good selection the other day for £6.50, but there are even cheaper alternatives too…..

The pound shop idea has spread to the food business, with Pound bakers, good deals on all bakery goods, packaged in £1 bags.  Eat4less we have seen before in Birmingham and their baquettes are very tasty for 99p.

The Poundcafe was new to us and although busy with a long queue, we had a very acceptable breakfast, with 4 breakfast items for £1. It made the tea/coffee seem pricey at £1 too, but our breakfast bill came to just £4, not bad. We know how to live it up!

Today we have done a few more jobs, a bit of boat loving, inside and out.  We are conscious now that getting and keeping Tacet to a good clean condition is important as we prepare her for sale. We did fit in a quick visit to the shops, a pair of trousers for Ian, with a slimmer waistline; a pair of boots for me, to replace the favourite pair that were falling apart at the end of last winter, and were thrown away, about June that was; and a quick visit to Lakeland for their fantastic oven cleaner. We were all done in about 30mins!  Shopping is not our favourite activity.

And now for the Tadaaahhhh!

Last night I finished the patchwork quilt that I have been working on over the past two and a half years whilst we have been living aboard Tacet.

Over 1,000 hexagons, stitched by hand, with the filling, backing and borders now added, stitched by hand too. We won’t use it here on board, but keep it for our new home, wherever that may be!