Wednesday 21/9 Bridge 109 to Withnell Fold

We had not been motoring for long when we ran out of oomph. The only place we could get to the side was in a bridge hole. So there we stopped while Lawrence went down and delved into the depths of the dreaded weed hatch. A deed a contortionist would not relish. Besides having to twist and crunch your body into strange shapes, you also have to immerse an arm, nearly up to the armpit in yucky cold water and then you have to grope blindly around the propeller and prop shaft for got knows what.min this case it was half a shopping bags worth of old plastic and some weed.

Besides today's aim of getting through Blackburn we also had the delightful task of tackling the 6 locks that make up the Blackburn Flight. They were in surprisingly good order considering the amount of crap in the canal and they area in which the locks were situated. However they were slow going because we had to use an anti vandal key to unlock every ground and gate paddle.

Blackburn impinges its urban personality on the canal for 5 miles.

A change from a church spire.

You know when the canal is taking you through a depressed area

Imperial Mill. Erected in 1900 it ceased spinning eighty years later. In 1910 there were 87,377 looms in Blackburn, operated by 42,000 textile workers. I don't know if there are any today.

Wall of what?

Another old canal side building

Eanam Wharf

Before tackling the locks Mike and Lawrence stayed with the boat whilst Tim and I did a quick dash to a nearby supermarket to stock up as at breakfast we realised there wouldn't be another opportunity to take on provisions for a few days and pubs and other eateries were going to be few and far between.

Halfway down the Blackburn flight we paused for water at Nova Scotia Wharf. While the tank filled Tim had a shower, Mike took the opportunity of using a 'real' loo and I disposed of The rubbish and recycling, so our time there was not wasted ( the Skipper sat in the sun and read his kindle).

This next pic is especially for our neighbour Ray, what is this I spy in the distance

And another for Ray, don't know if you can read it

At last we left Blackburn behind and we stopped for another quick lunch at Cherry Tree, where Lawrence had to go down the weed hatch again.

After Cherry Tree came Feniscowles and after Feniscowles we left the urbanised area behind us for the rest of the day.

We startled, what Tim tells me are, Swaledale mules beside the canal

The next pic was taken at 2.43pm and was the only other boat we had seen on the move all day. We were also the first they had seen

Not long after it started to drizzle

So it was on with the raincoats and only one more bridge to go and we were looking for our mooring for tonight.

And here it is. The visitor moorings at Withnell Fold

Opposite is is a former paper mill.

We were tied up at 3.00pm. Lawrence had a nana nap and Imwent for a short walk through the Withnell Nature Reserve and returned to the boat so Tim and Mike could take a longer loop walk along the tow path, up through some fields, and along a road back down through the village of Withnell Fold which took them a couple of hours.

We are only about 10 miles from Blackburn, but it feels like 100. I'm sure we could have left the boat wide open and it would have been untouched.

I cooked, yes me! Time and Mike were much peturbed when I pulled the sausages out of the freezer. "They need 24hours in the fridge to defrost" squeaking with concern. "No they don't" I said and proceeded to teach the gourmet cooks a thing or two about cooking frozen bangers. A potato and leek concoction and a salad accompanied the bangers. So surprised were they with the outcome, Tim suggested I could cook more often ☹️

13 miles, 6 locks, 7 hours (inc stops for water, lunch & shopping)