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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2020 19:02:15 GMT
Come on quaysider ... us in the cheap seats (no twatter) are waiting on an update ... I'm getting arthritus from having my fingers crossed so long. Are we nearly there yet Mark ? Rog Can you see his tweets without having an account from this link ? mobile.twitter.com/MarkEllisBowes
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Post by Trina on Jun 13, 2020 19:36:29 GMT
If you type Narrowboat Ellis twitter into Google(as I said earlierπ)-the tweets are there without you being on twitter.
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Post by quaysider on Jun 13, 2020 20:07:15 GMT
ahem - a few of you have hit the nail on the head re. the gin...
EARLY arrival at Blackburn a side, (perhaps 7.30am was a tad optimistic) the lockies arrived at 9 am and unlocked for us AND Pete (from the dark side) turned up and had us through Blackburn in no time... a thoroughly loveley and typical "boaty" day... back like it was in the old days before covid and closures took hold...
On to Johnsons Hillocks in good time, where afore-mentioned Pete, was already there, with locks set ready - complete with his family and another mater to help out.
We raced down the locks in good time... a little bit of a stall half way down whilst we waited for other "experts" to bring 2 boats up badly... whilst I sheltered in a lock out of the wind until they finished faffing around.
The chug onwards to Wigan was beautiful - arriving around tea-time, where we tied up right at the lock entrance, said our hellos to the boat we are sharing with tomorrow and THEN spent the last few hours, drinking GIN samples provided by Pete (or rather a mate of his who makes the stuff) until the rain arrived and sent us back to our respective boats... it felt rotten not having anything on the boat to say "thank you" but I'm going digging in the bilges in the morning as I'm sure there must be something lurking around I can use as "thank you" currency...
THIS is how boating SHOULD be.
Tomorrow - after we are down the locks and tied up at Pennington Flash, I'll construct a positive tweet to reflect the good things about the journey... ok - the canal is still full of crap at Burnley but once through Blackburn again, it returns to a lovely canal
Thanks for the support ... early night now in readiness for our descent tomorrow...
I still can't believe we've actually made it through to the top of Wigan - ... most certainly we would'nt have done so in such good time (if at all) without the help of boaters.
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Post by dyertribe on Jun 13, 2020 23:07:07 GMT
Excellent ! Or as we say hereabouts .... bendegedig!!!!
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Post by thebfg on Jun 14, 2020 1:05:58 GMT
Well done. Although you've had some mammoth days it sounds like you enjoyed yourself.
Followed you on Twitter too, I am sure I had done it before. But oh well.
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Post by quaysider on Jun 14, 2020 6:12:37 GMT
It's a bugger isn't it? -Adrenaline/coffee and gin fueled few days and can you sleep? can you buffalo!
Probably only managed an hour or so on and off last night... what with the snoring, boat banging on the shelf cause I was too lazy when we got here to put out the shroppie wheels and intermittent rain and noise coming from polish night fishermen.
Still, morning has arrived once more and a few clouds lurking but nothing too menacing. From what I can gather there are 6 pairs of us going doing and perhaps now, a solo boat that appeared over night.
I'd forgotten what a nice bit it is between cherry tree and here - certainly worse places to be stuck if it hadn't have gone ok. AND a resident boat lift at botany bay too so IF a crane out was required, that wouldn't be too expensive either...
The gins sampled last night are made by a chap (boater) called Peter Booth - he's not got his website online yet (www.redrosebrewery.co.uk) - I know THAT feeling, but when he does, it'll be worth a look and buy a few - the bramble (I think the southerners call them blackberries) was particularly nice.
ON route to here, we also passed my friends Greg and Frankie - vegan but we don't hold that against them cause their proper good folks (and came to help me up from Manchester last year after the Rochadale on my own)... THEY are making a dash for Skipton today - they made it from bottom of Johnsons to bottom of Barrowford by 10pm. If things go their way, they might get through Gargrave before the locks are locked tonight... I believe they've palled up with another chap doing the same so that'll have been 3 brave idiots who made the up and over journey in record time...
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Post by patty on Jun 14, 2020 8:30:57 GMT
Fab updates..Thanks Mark... I am so pleased u r on the move and that boating has become a reality for you again... Enjoy xx Patty
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Post by dyertribe on Jun 14, 2020 8:58:51 GMT
Wot she sed. X
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2020 10:34:23 GMT
Looking forward to the last chapter ... and of course the required happy ending Rog
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2020 10:41:59 GMT
It was always going to go ok - Quaysider is just a drama queen!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2020 10:48:26 GMT
You have much more faith in the L&L swing bridges than I ... the damned things are always failing and you can lose hours just waiting for someone to come and reset ... then onto the next hoping it'll work.
To make it across the L&L is an achievement in itself ... within 72 hours is quite impressive.
Rog
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2020 18:22:08 GMT
Jane's done the twitter link Trina so we are aware quaysider 's made it to Pennington Flash. Hope it all went well for the crew of Ellis ... the inland waterway world is their oyster now. Just hope that come July they're free to 'ply their trade' and start making some moolah Rog
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Post by quaysider on Jun 14, 2020 19:53:41 GMT
Righty ho - HERE we are at Pennington Flash. A good run down Wigan flight - Pete was first in the queue (double breasted) and made excellent progress with a minimal crew... WE followed on with 6 helpers that were more used to a natter than working a lock ... NO matter, David had them organised in the end and we left the flight about 12.15 for an impromptu "socaially distanced" picnic. I won't moan too much but there were 2 older boats (by that I mean full of people who have been boating for years) who refused to help tow a broken down boat out of the flight... THEY were all behind us - once through however, we did the decent thing and hitched them along side to get them to a nicer place for the night... where they then tried again and have gone on ahead... by the sounds of it, we'll be their back up crew as we follow them along in a few days. Lovely woman and her son who bought a wreck of a boat and are taking it "home" to refurbish... smashing folks - FULL of life and enthusiasm for the canals AND the boat which needs gutting. What with Pete, them and Ted and Judith on Goldilocks, we've had a smashing day. JUST shared supper with them (socially distant of course) and have now gone back in doors as rain as arrived. HAVE the bug to keep moving now we can so might head for Nantwich and then come back for Hospital visits in July... we'll see.
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Post by Trina on Jun 14, 2020 20:19:57 GMT
Great news & a great day Mark.Can't believe folk wouldn't help the poorly boat-we'd have helped without even having to think about it !Hope you've treated yourself to more ginπΈas you deserve it !πx
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Post by patty on Jun 14, 2020 20:49:53 GMT
Fab Mark..glad u got there..and great that u helped fellow boater..have a large gin...
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