Liverpool

On Friday we continued to explore Liverpool.  Its a vibrant city.  After lunch we did some retail shopping, not long before John had had enough, so after a food shop and returning to the docks, Ali returned for some retail therapy on her own.  It was a lovely day.  Late afternoon saw hordes of people coming down to the docks as the Olympic torch was arriving across the River Mersey into the Pier Head.  In the evening we were visited by Johns cousin Brian and his wife Sue, they haven't seen each other for over 30 years, we had a lovely evening in one of the bars in Albert Dock.

We had an earlier than normal departure from Salthouse Dock yesterday as we had to be through Albert Dock before 8:15 as the tidal barrier had to be raised at 8:15 as there was a high tide.  We were first in the convoy and into Mann Island Lock, we then retraced our route through the docks and through 'Sid's Ditch' (one of the BW lads, Sid, who helped us through the locks and bridges, played a large part, with his colleagues in the excavation of the channel through the docks.  Again the BW team were excellent and went beyond the call of duty helping us through further swing bridges in Maghull.  We moored for the evening at Halsall, where apparently they started building the Leeds Liverpool Canal.

We haven't moved today due to the weather, its been blowing a gale and throwing it down all day.  We will have a long day tomorrow as we have agreed to share the Wigan flight with another boat on Tuesday morning.

Our Mooring in Salthouse Dock

Leaving Salthouse into Albert Dock

Looking back to the Liver Buildings

Resourceful Moorhen

Our BW 'out crew'

John & Brian

Sue & Ali

Halsall Bridge Moorings

(this was empty when we went down!)

20 miles 6 locks 9 swing bridges

Fellow bloggers Indigo Dreaming have been part of the Jubilee River Pageant, see http://indigodream.wordpress.com/ for their latest update.