From user@twaldron.softnet.co.uk Wed May 5 21:45:03 1999 Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 20:21:59 +0100 From: Terry Waldron Reply-To: canals@blacksheep.org To: mailing list Subject: Trip Report: L&L : Part 1 - GIGs [The following text is in the "ISO-8859-1" character set] [Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set] [Some characters may be displayed incorrectly] Boat: nb Stella Crew: Sue and Terry Route: Bridgewater, L&L, Aire & Calder, Calder & Hebble Dates: 24 April 1998 to 10 May 1998 25 April: Spotted 'Frugal' sporting Cutweb and moored at Lymm Cruising Club. No signs of anyone onboard. 26 April: Met up with David Long who helped us up through the Wigan Locks. Sue steering for first 13 and me for the last 8. David full of very good information on the canal and its past, the canal features and the immediate landscape along with its history and the sights to be seen in the distance. It was very interesting to meet up for a chat and very helpful to have David assist us. >From a recent posting by David you may have read that we towed a Dawncraft all the way up, it had no reverse and would have severely hampered our progress if Sue had not decided to tow them. We attempted to keep our distance from them so as not to cause damage but in one lock the rubber strip fendering came adrift. It took about 3 1/2 hours to go through, would have been quicker on our own. 1 May: Moored on the arm of the new Marina at Apperley Bridge. Went and knocked on Mark Wickett's door, went to the Dog & Gun for a few beers and a good natter, mostly regarding canals and narrowboats. 2. May: Saw Mark and Catherine Wickett before we left Apperley Bridge. Saw Ruddy Duck (no Cutweb showing) looking very clean with it's fairly recent new paintwork shining. Met up with Neil and Sue Butler at Newlay Locks, who were to be our guests for a Cutweb Cruising Weekend GIG. They both appeared to be travelling light until Sue said we needed to stop close to her car in Leeds so that we could go shopping and load up with their sleeping bags etc.. Neil and Sue ready to go now both armed with windlasses and handcuff keys, only a couple of locks before we broke out the beer for a refresher. 3 May Neil and Sue onboard as guests and additional crew. Stopped for lunch (liquid - of course) at the boat - Allerton Bywater (more in next Part of report). Moored Stanley Ferry. 4 May Neil and Sue onboard as guests and additional crew. Dewsbury Arm spotted nb Owlet - Stewart Kirby not in sight. Moored Mirfield and went for a meal at The Railway (more in next part of Report), thanks Sue I enjoyed the meal very much. Neil and Sue caught train from Mirfield back to Leeds. 8 May Drove from Salterhebble locks to L&L Rufford Branch to meet up with Iain and Ann Street, went for a meal in the Rufford Arms (more in next part of Report). Stayed overnight on Copperkins II, thanks Ann and Iain. Ann and Iain offered to take us up the Rufford Branch, unfortunately had to decline as we had promised to go back to the Sowerby Bridge Boat Festival. 9/10 May Sowerby Bridge Boat Festival - not a Cutweb in sight anywhere.