The journey from Slattock top lock to Littleborough wasn’t without its hassle and excitement.  In the form of rubbish being picked up in our propeller. !

In one hour Mick had 3 visits down the “ hatch”, all in very grubby areas around Rochdale. Loads of thick plastic, clothes , ropes and rubber jonnies. !!!!  Yuck. After handling all this and wearing gloves, you really felt like a good, hot shower. !   and for me, I felt like disinfecting my boots !!! 

Sounds a bit over the top, but folk here haven’t heard of dog poop bags. And signs saying dog fouling prohibited and £100 fine incurred, well, that’s just one big joke.  You could make £1,000 per lock for sure.

Anyway, we started heading towards lovely scenery and getting away from the urban madness, and at a sweet little swing bridge, Mick heard an ominous rattling from the prop.  This time, on investigation it seemed to be a lot of high tensile steel, all wrapped up in a large tent, that was now wound nice and tight around the prop, and stopping us dead in the water.  Thankfully, the bloke we are travelling with is an engineer, and happened to carry BOLT CUTTERS( these will now be purchased for Trundle as soon as !!!!).  2 hours later,our  2 skippers with cuts and gashes from the steel, managed to free us. The cuts were attended to, and we carried on the Littleborough, and that evening we went to a pub that had been recommended by chum Richard. !  Great beer at £1.60 per pint. A lovely, old pub that hadn’t been messed with, dogs very much welcomed, and some nice conversation with a one time canal volunteer called Ian, 

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Wednesday (today) and we have pushed on to the summit. Hard locks, but a good challenge.  Views getting better.  Now moored at the summit, and after having not seen sight of another boat, I felt our centre rope( holds the boat into the side of the canal) straining, and looked out to see Hotel MotorBoat and butty passing by in the……………………RAIN..

Tomorrow, we make our descent towards Todmorden, and hoping to get to Hebden Bridge for the week-end.  However, there are many, many locks in between, so am keeping fingers crossed that we make it. !!!!

 Ermintrude

 Locking Pardner, John

 always wash behind your ears, son

 Gerroffff

 Down the hatch

 Who's had a drink of milk, then ???

 Toby , 13 years old with Finlay 12 years old.  Toby is a " Highland Fighting Terrier ".  the story will be told later.

 The summit 

 One tent and loads of steel being yanked up, with the help of mooring hooks, and mooring pins.