IMAGES FROM THE 'CUT'

September 2019 and a trip up the rivers and canals to Skipton and back and a few pics to remember it by.

A chainsaw sculptor's boat at Castleford.  He used to have a big range of wonderful animals lurking along the bank at Woodlesford and elsewhere. 
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I guess this will be his at Woodlesford 

Some original security on a boat at Woodlesford - central heating radiators being recycled.

Catching supper in Woodlesford Lock 

An egret at Rodley.  I used to see one on the Aire and Calder going upstream after Castleford but not this time. I think this is a Great White Egret.

  Morning at Apperley Bridge

There are some excellent boater's facilities there with a pristine shower, toilets etc.  One I can recommend.

Lovely early autumn morning on the Leeds and Liverpool canal near Farnhill.  Bit of mist rising from the water.

This lady came sailing past in Skipton on a Shire Cruisers hire boat called Westmorland while I was loafing in the sunshine on the back of the boat. What you can't see was a cameraman at the front and one on the cabin top facing her.  She looked familiar but I had to ask - ?

 She is Jennie Bond participating in a series for TV called Barging round Britain.

 Going under the road bridge at Skipton.  And they are not barges they are narrowboats - but who cares.

Bill Oddie shown here is another of the TV celebrity participants along with Ann Diamond and Pete Waterman.

In contrast to the splendid Apperley Bridge facilities, Skipton, despite the very busy waterway here, sports this stone hut with smell to go with it.  The mountain of rubbish piled over the full bin outside and seen behind Jennie Bond above, lived there and grew all the time I was there.  Fortunately Gallows Bridge wall helped to support it.

Skipton and the small trip boat - half an hour for £4 per person I think.

 Some boat names from my Skipton visit.

There is a big ancient woodland behind Skipton Castle with walks through it and this sculpture, made by willow weaving, is apparently portraying a medieval huntress.

There is also this carved Kingfisher seat.

And a pond covered in algae or something that looked brilliant in the sunshine.

Frank and Lizzie with Bella, the larger dog, who travelled in their narrowboat 'Fiddlesticks' (he is a musician) in the same direction with us, relaxing at their home mooring on a farm outside Skipton.  Bella was an abandoned puppy from Romania, where apparently there are many, who passed through Polish hands and learnt Polish before her final home in the UK and is now bilingual I suppose, having had to learn English since, as I doubt anyone taught her Romanian. 

This bike appeared to have a home-made plastic chain guard dripping inside with black oil.  But maybe one can buy them?  I can't imagine why a bike chain needs this amount of lubrication. 

So while on the subject of bikes -

Walking around Skipton I discovered what appears to be the official Colombian participants for the 2019 Road World Championships.  The event was due to pass through Skipton a few days later.

Having a rest during a practice run.  Seeing a touch of peacock blue lycra in the distance, my first thought was that my brother had arrived since he sports form-clinging bright blue to display his competitive edge on a bike, but no, this was the real thing, a national team.

 Better looking than him too!

Going down Newlay locks near Kirkstall on the way home beside the Shire Cruisers hire boat Westmorland, last seen being driven by Jennie Bond in Skipton.  

I don't know if they realised they were following in the footsteps of a celebrity as it had passed up these locks with her and the other celebrities just over a week previously to Barnoldswick where they picked the boat up.  

Now these hirers have to get the boat back to Shire Boats boatyard at Sowerby Bridge and are about two days away from heavy rain when the river system flood gates closed thereby closing off the Calder and Hebble canal system and their route. If the river rises then flood gates are shut and no passage is possible. The C&H is an alternation of river and canal.   There was a broken lock on their way too.  I wonder if they ever made it in time?  

We were locked in at Castleford, just after we arrived there, by the rising river system due to the continual rain.  It is as good a place as any to be stranded though.  Such is boating on the combined river and canal waterways in the North of England. 

At the beginning of the inundation, particularly in the hills, the short stretch of canal, the pound, between two river locks at Castleford was not managed and overnight it rose up over some lower moorings.  We had moved for the night to where the bank was higher as the water was about to flood over the stone parapet.  A fibreglass cruiser that had been moored behind was hung over the edge of the bank of its mooring next morning when finally the level had been lowered but I managed to get it off and back into the water.

 One of the days at Castleford while waiting.

At last - off again

The morning of setting off home at last - 23 October - over three weeks of waiting.  A beautiful Autumn morning.  The coal chute - I doubt it is the original though, on the left.  A reminder of the days when people did things.

This boat seems to collect soft toys and just about everything else as what you see is just a small example when seen from the other side.

About to come off the river at Woodnook Lock on the Wakefield Branch of the C&H

Cooper Bridge lock with the Shire Cruisers boat Gloucester who we accompanied for most of the trip home, which made life easy as they were a strong team.

Nearly home almost a month later than intended.
Passing under Brearley Bridge on the Calder and Hebble navigation.

The following day the flood locks were closed again as more continuous rain arrived.