Dutton Breach

We have returned down the Bridgewater to the Trent and Mersey without  incident and have moored on the centre point of the Dutton Breach, responsible for closing the canal from September 2012 until May 2013. Pushing our luck? 

The view from Duttons Breach, Trent& Mersey canal

It is a bit of a shock to the system as The Bridgewater is mostly straight ( apart from the tunnels )and averages 60 feet wide, whereas the T & M is of normal canal proportions and bendier. The former has no locks whilst the latter has lots. If you wish to learn how to handle a narrowboat I would suggest the Bridgewater. 

The day started with showers but finished with sunshine and a very cold wind. We are an hour or two from Sadie's disappearance spot so should arrive tomorrow morning,but still no news.

OldfieldBrow. Bridgewater

We had a food stock-up at Asda next to the Trafford centre and waited for our laundry delivery which arrived, neatly folded,around 1.30 pm. To begin our trip to where Sadie disappeared we needed to turn the boat round, which our laundry-son helped with before commencing work. We set off late afternoon and filled with water at Stretford marine services, where the facilities and staff are excellent. From there we made Oldfield Brow where we moored for the night. Oldfield brow is the very edge of Manchester suburbia and nothing to write home about, but it will do for us tonight.

Views from Barton aqueduct , Manchester

Trafford centre

Early afternoon yesterday I received a surprise phone call from my friend ( who had apparently just bought a British SIM card ) and we arranged to meet later next to the Levi shop on the third floor.

Luckily by the time of the arranged meeting my youngest son had arrived. He works in the Trafford Centre and knows his way around,finding the Levi shop quickly. The next surprise was that, unknown to me, my friend had brought his wife. ( a very pleasant surprise, so not a problem ). We showed them the boat and caught up on many years news, before going out for a lovely Italian meal. A brilliant evening and well worth the difficult arranging. Moral of the story; never give up on a good friend.

Manchester extremes

Cool night, warm sunny morning. It must be the UK. Lynne has organised boat cleaning ( again ) in readiness for our visitors. The Queen could come aboard this minute ( pre-clean ) and would remark how immaculate the boat looks, whilst rolling on her industrial rubber gloves. I am on window cleaning duties having been given very clear instructions.

Jacque Cousteau

 True to Manchester's reputation for rain we sit in Salford in very heavy precipitation, having cruised through the stuff for 2 hours getting thoroughly soaked, thanks to my New Zealand friend, who by definition is as tight as a duck's backside. Thus we can currently only communicate by text as his cell phone contract is Thailand based ( ? ) and calls apparently cost a fortune for both parties. Have you tried making arrangements to meet by text in a city neither of you know and one party is on a narrowboat? I thought not.

Anyway, via a series of misunderstandings on both sides I spent the morning getting soaked unnecessesarily. If I die of pneumonia Lynne has promised to sue on my behalf.

We got very wet once again when we moved mooring in Manchester for the last time ( hopefully ) to our present spot right next to the Trafford centre, one of the first and probably the largest shopping arcade in the country. I'll text my friend to tell him where we are and arrange a meeting point ( ? ) for later.

Bridgewater/ Manchester/ Leeds& liverpool

Our mooring spot

A quiet night and a sunny morning with very cool breeze . We carried on with the Bridgewater canal until it mysteriously merged with the Leeds & Liverpool. In Manchester, canal bridges miss being named or numbered, unlike all others in Britain. We passed Astley Green Colliery with the old winch wheel still intact and Pennington Flash Country park lake created when old coal mines collapsed,and turned at Plank Lane lift bridge, where, inevitably  a huge housing estate is being built. We hope to meet my friend in Manchester tomorrow so intend mooring somewhere closer to our liaison point, yet to be arranged.

The above recycled lock gates I think must commemorate the 75 miners who perished in the 1908 disaster at Maypole pit. There is no sign or label to clarify.

Manchester

The usual weather story of cool, overcast in the morning and sunny/warm in the afternoon which coincided with our arrival in Manchester.  The Bridgewater canal remains vastly wide and very straight through the city, passing within metres of the Trafford shopping centre. Having accidentally found a place to fill with water, empty cassettes and dump rubbish we progressed to our meeting place with our youngest son - a canal-side pub/restaurant of course. We moored overnight there.

Our first impression of Manchester is favourable. They seem to have perfected the knack of keeping old warehouses and industrial units in use and good condition, whilst replacing obsolete ones sympathetically and maintaining the overall ambience of the canal area. Top marks to those responsible.

Stoke take note.