NB Aqualife: Friday 23/9 Haigh Country Park to Astley Green

We left our mooring at 7.30 and went past this attractive bridge

And under this one with L saying don't take me

For Rhondas information a bridge hole is where the canal narrows to go under a bridge. Sometimes the 'hole' is barely wider than the boat.

We reached the top of the ill reputed Wigan 21 and tried to take on water. No tap fitting, apparently it has to be removed by CRT each night otherwise it gets nicked! So water fill aborted it was straight on to setting up the first lock while Tim was sent down to start setting up the next lock.

The procedure:

Unlock (with the anti vandal key) the ground paddle, wind it up. Unlock the gate paddle wind it up. Mike does the same on the other side. Wait till the lock fills. Open the gates, AL comes in. As AL comes in, wind down the gate paddle and relock, wind down the ground paddle and relock. Mike does the same on the other side. Close gates. Walk to other end of lock, unlock gate paddle, wind up gate paddle, Mike does same on his side. Wait till lock empties. Open gates. As AL leaves lock, wind down gate paddles and relock. Shut gates. Waddle quickly down to next lock, which hopefully Tim has full with gates open to receive Al; which unfortunately was not always the case for a variety of reasons - some locks wouldn't unlock, some gate or ground paddles were broken, or simply Tim had got distracted by a friendly dog or a bird singing in a tree etc. And of course there were the occasional stiff and heavy gates, or gates that wouldn't open fully that impeded progress.

After a few locks we realised we were catching up to someone going down ahead of us. By the 11th lock they had given up and were waiting in the lock for us to join them. It was Mira and Ian from yesterday. From there on down to the bottom, with Ian and the three of us lockwheeling we flew down the rest of the flight. The only hiccup being when Mira got drenched from the waist down by a leaky gate in the third last lock.

We took 3 3/4 hours to complete the flight. If it had just been Lawrence and I on our own it would have taken at least 5 1/2 hours. So a huge thank you to Tim and Mike.

We then just had the two Poolstock locks to get through and we were done with locks for the day. Yipee.

Just to make sure you really appreciate our achievement, the Wigan 21 drops the canal 200 feet in just over 1 1/2 miles. Here's a pic of the page from our guide

Each one of those v shaped marks is a lock.

Scotland Flash caused, like many other flashes around these parts, by severe mining subsidence. The canal had to be built up with pit waste while the land on either side has sunk considerably.

And on the other bank, Pearsons Flash

The aim to make Plank Lane Lift Bridge was achieved, with 30mins to spare. The CRT man arrived at 1.50'and came along the towpath giving instructions to those boats wanting to go through. Engines on, cast off and get into a line down the canal. Only when we were all lined up and the laggards harried into position did he go and lift the bridge and we were waved through, any boats leaving too big a gap were angrily waved at to close it. We were third in line. On the other side were even more boats waiting to come through. I presume the lockie closed the bridge after the crocodile which we were part of had gone through and then went and did the same with the boats on the other side of the bridge.

A canal themed sculpture, a little after Plank Bridge

Another flash

And then another sculpture

Coming into Leigh

Lawrence spotted a canal side pub, I said no keep going we need water and the supermarket. However as we were going past the pub I spotted an Aldi sign beside it. No stop, I yelled Lawrence, so with much understandable verbal abuse thrown my way, Lawrence put AL into reverse, glided by a suitable mooring while waiting for a response from AL. Eventually she stopped and Lawrence expertly reversed her to the mooring.

Well, we were all so hungry after the mornings exertions, we were moored, money and shopping bags in hand and boat locked up in about 2 minutes. Up the towpath and across the bridge we charged, like a band of marauding Vikings. We fell through the pub door, pulled ourselves into some semblance or orderliness and went to the bar to ask if they were still serving food. They were, we were delirious with joy. And, they meal was really delicious. They actually knew how to make a really good salad.

After lunch and a visit to Aldi, we said goodbye to Ian and Mira who were staying put for the night whilst we were pushing on to moor in more rural surrounds.

There were several vast textile mills in Leigh. Most derelict, but some have been converted, and one still makes carpets and fake grass!