A quick update….

Still not much to report from the far reaches of the Leeds and Liverpool. Towards the end of last week we headed off downhill to Skipton, stopping on route at Eshton Road to pick up a load of smokeless at the old wharf.

Coaling up, courtesy of Fred Green, Coal Merchant of Gargrave.
Heading out of Gargrave, Sharp Haw on the horizon.

The wharf buildings are now offices, and you have to tie up alongside the car park to load.

Apart from towing a solo boater through one of the swing bridges after he fouled his propellor, we had an uneventful trip to town, and moored up near Victoria Mill. It’s a shame, but the antisocial elements seem to be much in evidence along the canal here. During the night we heard voices out side the boat, and a scrape on the roof.
By the time I’d got out there was no one about, but loud voices could be heard further down the towpath. I couldn’t see anything wrong on the roof, so didn’t bother too much.

But by daylight the following morning I could see that the mop was missing. It wasn’t valuable, and probably finished up over someone’s wall, but it’s annoying none the less.

So I lashed the rest of the poles and plank to the roof brackets, and we turned around after filling with diesel at Pennine Cruisers. The gear was on the side furthest away from the towpath this way around, and any thing else loose was moved into the cratch overnight.

We had a very pleasant afternoon though, on Friday, with an ex work colleague and his wife coming for lunch. Fred and Mary are now retired, and live just the other side of Skipton. It was good to catch up with the news, we’d not seen them for a couple of years.

On Saturday morning we headed back to Gargrave, avoiding the floating bin in the canal near Gawflat Swing Bridge. That had been dumped in on Friday night.

Around the bin.
BW had been advised, but I expect it’ll be low priority as there is room to go around. I wonder if they charge the local authority for retrieval? After all, if it had been dumped in the middle of the A65, or the kiddies play area on the park, the council would have had to get it, wouldn’t they.

We moored up for a couple of nights below Holme Lock on the edge of Gargrave, before moving back up the 3 locks to the moorings above Higherland Lock on Tuesday.

The ducks are very tame along here, they peer in the windows expecting to be fed.

Teatime?
We’ve got a hire car for a few days; Mags had her first doctors appointment this morning (hurray!) and we’ll make use of it (the car), visiting family and friends in the area.

Locks 6, miles 10