Naughty WH Smith

Is this encouraging divorce?
Had enough of that marriage? Buy some new pages and start again.
Only joking - I think...

Unfair Sainsbury's

No wonder they got caught - how are they going to get away if they're skinless and boneless?

R.I.P. Mum

Mum died last week.
As a tribute, our Strelitzia decided to flower for the first time.
We bought 5 seeds when we were in Madeira - in the market at Funchal.
The stallholder explained in sign language that they flower after 9 years.
Two seeds germinated. One plant lasted about 5 years - and this is the other!
The seeds were sown in 2002 - there you go...

R.I.P. Mum

29th September 1924 - 8th October 2011

Ship canal, Anderton, Hadar

Manchester Ship Canal - quite a walk from our canal!

A glimpse of the Anderton Lift to the River Weaver which we hope to travel on next time.

The famous Hadar of blogging fame - with Marmite on the Buckby can.

Lymm & Grappenhall

Unusual carving found while walking around Lymm reservoir.

While we were then moored at Grappenhall, we walked to the Parr Arms...

...and the Rams Head.

House near the two pubs - not bad eh?

Lymm

We arrived at Lymm around lunchtime but found it such a pleasant spot that we stayed until the following day.

Stream from the reservoir in the village centre.

Market Cross.

Stella is the first moored boat on the left.

Escape from the Rochdale Nine

This is as we left the bottom lock - these poor souls had the ascent to come!

Start of the Bridgewater Canal

Rochdale Nine

This is where the canal suddenly dives under Manchester city centre and we begin to descend the dreadful Rochdale Nine locks.

It's like taking your boat through an underground car park.

All the water levels were completely wrong and working the locks was a nightmare. Some of the way there was no towpath at all so that involved crew being deposited right at the lock entrance from the bow of the boat. We were very lucky to be paired up with an old working boat called Larch which helped enormously by tying ropes to the lock gates and pulling them open against the flow of water.

All sorts of things...

Viaduct

Aqueduct (why is it not an aquaduct?)

I think SWMBO said this was a Speckled Wood

Nice duck house in the middle of Manchester