Pumping out in public!

Kim, Joe and I went for a little excursion into Skipton this morning, leaving poor Barry uploading the blog photos as we’re getting behind and he’d taken so many shots yesterday.

People may think it’s a little strange that we still spend time doing the blog when we have visitors on board, but the problem is that if we don’t keep on track as much as possible we know we’ll miss those moments we want to keep a record of. It’s fabulous to have so many people reading about our experiences, but we’re really just selfish and doing it for ourselves!

The view back down the canal at Skipton

Looking the other way into Skipton

The other piece of information we haven’t yet shared with everyone, is that we made the decision last week not to sell Northern Pride. We've loved it so much we want to come back again next year; we’re not sure when or for how long, it'll depend on how much and how soon we can save up! Although we could wait and see and then buy another boat when we return, we think that for the money we spent we've a splendid boat with lots of extras that we’d be unlikely to find again.

Anyway, moving on to today's adventures ...

We thought we’d have a pump out before we left Skipton as we’ve had so many people on board recently the red light was bound to come on in the near future and we didn't want to get caught out. As there was no BW one available, we went along the canal to Pennine Boats, even though it was more expensive. It turned out to be the most peculiar thing because the pump out was in a drain right in front of a popular tourist spot, on the entrance to the arm of the canal going up to Skipton Castle, close to a café. What a surreal experience it was, having your s--t pumped out in front of a crowd! To be very explicit (sorry!) it apparently stinks out the café every time! The pumper-outer man (in orange below) said it used to be a boat yard before it was a tourist spot, and they’ve just kept it on; hilarious!

Joe keeping an eye on the job(s)!

Left to Leeds, right to Liverpool, from the Springs Branch - a short extension arm from Skipton to the castle if your boat is 35 feet long or less

A very busy little corner as Northern Pride has her business seen to in the background

Looking up the Springs Branch towards the church & castle

Back under way heading westward and upward

Another charming chimney in Skipton

Row upon row of terraced houses in the north of England

Tiny back yards with adjoining alleyways - not a garden in sight

Innovative mooring pin markers

No! Not Barry in the morning

This chap was quite happy on the canalside, the only sign of life for a while!

These purple flowers are everywhere - probably noxious weeds then!!

There were further amazing sights to be seen as we skirted along the Dales, though the weather wasn’t so kind to us today. We had a short stop in Gargrave, a quaint village on the outskirts of the Dales and part of The Pennine Way. Barry and Joe visited the famous sweetie shop and stocked up on blueberry bon-bons, aniseed balls and liquorice bombs!

Group photo in Gargrave

Bridge into town over the River Aire

The main intersection of Gargrave with the sweet shop on the left

Sandra checking out the window display but not tempted to try them out!

Another happy customer??

Brightly coloured window box

One for Neville

These different lock paddle levers made for interesting work on the next set of locks

Many of them were either extremely stiff to move and you felt as though you would fall into the canal on opening them, or else they were broken

.

As we got closer to our mooring for the night, the canal meandered snake-like alongside the hillside for a few miles, with stony walls for canal banks. It was a shame the weather wasn’t sunny, rather than a grey and cool evening; but it was impressive nonetheless. There were many boats moored up randomly along this stretch, possibly in order to set off walking in the Dales.

.

We stopped at East Marton by 8pm, and Joe and Kim treated us to dinner and a bottle of wine at The Cross Keys – though we only just made it in time as the chef was closing the kitchen! It’s been a tough afternoon, back working the locks again …

The Cross Keys pub

Still skirting the Dales

I’m not sure that we’ll be able to describe in words and pictures just how stunning the scenery in this part of the country is, but we’ll give it a go!

A friendly start to the day with a visit from a family of swans

This fella thought he could eat our boat - fat chance!

This was his teenage cygnet, who tried to climb up the side of the boat for bread!

This morning Barry and I went to East Riddlesden Hall, just across the road from our mooring, but oddly it was closed on Thursdays & Fridays! Barry had visited the Chandlery at Apperley Bridge yesterday trying to get something for the engine and it was closed on Wednesdays! Ah well, we wouldn’t have paid the ₤5.25 entrance fee anyway, so just had a mooch around the pond and gardens.

This erection on the towpath caught Sandra's eye, an upturned cannon


The mounting platform at East Riddlesden Hall designed to enable guests to alight into their horse-drawn carriages

East Riddlesden Hall, the film location for Wuthering Heights (1992)

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-eastriddlesdenhall

It was a more relaxing day as there was a stretch of 17 miles without locks, yaay! Unfortunately however, an abundance of swing bridges made up for it. It still took us a couple of hours to reach Silsden, so it was a good job Corrie made the decision to get on her bike yesterday evening.

First swing bridge of the day leaving Riddlesden

The backyards of the some of the terraced houses in Riddlesden

Crazy roof lines looking up the hill

'Jake' the Burmese cat who travels along the canals with his owners and even leaves the boat sometimes as long as there aren't any dogs in the vicinity

Jakes home, 'North Star', heading off

Don't shoot me I'm only the photographer ...

Kim & Joe were on swing bridge duty

Our journey took us on the outskirts of the Yorkshire Dales, and I walked a lot of it to be able to see and feel its magnificence. We looked across at the hills and vales on one side, with shaded woods on the other that must be gorgeous in the spring when the bluebells are out. You could almost see fairies frolicking, it was so surreal. The little villages have made the most of the canal with lots of pretty housing alongside.

On the hills across the valley towards Keighley

Lots of reminders of the past industrial influence

We travelled through some lovely shaded glades ...

which reminded us of the Llangollen Canal

There was an Emerdale Farm feel about this area

Stone walls everywhere

Bet it wasn't as clear as this 30 or more years ago

Sandra & Joe helping out a fellow narrowboater with the swing bridge

They weren't really naked behind the wall, it just looks that way!

A nice mix of town and country

You wouldn't even know there was a canal here

This was as busy as it got on the water all day, not a lot of traffic about

Some well kept back gardens through Silsden

The view where we stopped for lunch, looking towards Airedale

Looks like an old mill town

Kim and Joe are not looking too happy as this bridge was used by the farmer to move his cows and Joe hadn't put his shoes on!!

Magnificent Mill buildings at Farnhill

Kim & Joe taking their share of the driving

Another fairytale glade

Another scattered village ...

And another mill ...

and yet another ...

The light was just amazing

A memorial on the side of the canal to seven polish airmen killed in 1943 when a Wellington Bomber crashed during training. Surprisingly it's been kept tidy and well-maintained for so many years

http://www.leedsliverpoolcanal.co.uk/photo.php?gallery=keighley&photo=1356

Incredible that the canal can keep such a level course (no locks for almost 17 miles) with all the hills around ...

Some being quite high

On the way we found a boat for Maggie ...

and one for my 'bro Andy!

Entering delightful Skipton

We reached our destination of Skipton early evening and had a night on the town! Well we visited a couple of pubs, one with live music that Kim and I sang along to joyfully and Barry and Joe chipped in reluctantly, eventually! Then we were off to ‘The Woolly Sheep' down the road for a couple. Skipton is a market town, and used to be known in Saxon as ‘Scip-tun’, which means ‘sheep-town’! Barry had a bit of a Timothy Taylor's ale tasting session here, discovering the differences between the six from the friendly barman.

The balmy evening sing-a-long

Kim & Joe at The Quay

Beer tasting with a certain style & Finesse

The 'Timothey Taylors' were very agreeable

The eyes don't look too good

Kim & Joe at 'The Woolly Sheep'

What a magical day, it’s what life's all about, and makes me appreciate all the good things that are in ours …