We spent 2 great days in Leeds. In the armouries mooring.  Mick did the Museum, yet again, but there are only so many spears and fancy pistols I can gaze at.

 I went off window shopping, but we both did the Leeds Market.  Bought some of the best ham I have ever eaten, tasted great and was cut thickly .It was also from  the outlet of a very good yorkshire butcher, well so they said, but having sampled their produce, we were happy to agree.

We decided to leave on Thursday. We had thought about hanging about until Saturday and sunday for the Waterfront Festival, but voted against it. Don’t ask us why. !!  we don’t know. Maybe we are sad. !

So a long day ahead of us on the Aire and Calder Navigation, with its enormous locks ( most will take 15 x 60ft narrowboats), and its possibilities of meeting “summat big” on each corner. ! It has the odd commercial traffic. They have priority at all times.  Oooh, its quite exciting. 

It’s a normal big river, a little boring, with trees and vegetation right down to the waterline, but it still has a remote beauty about it.  We saw kingfishers, and flocks( or dives) of young cormorants, grebe etc.

Also a great river for the 1^st mate to go below and do housework, make a cake and all that sort of stuff.  By the time you have cleaned the boat, made him a Lemon Drizzle cake, prepared lunch and poured him a beer, you haven’t really missed much.

Most locks are electric and push button.  Then you arrive at Castleford. Every time we have done this stretch, we have sanksedoodled straight through the ‘open’ flood lock, but with the rain we have had. Not this time,pal.

Lockie put us through this very big lock, but it has a very small drop. Some woman on a boat wanting to come through was having a chat with the lockie, and she went away muttering, but when the gates opened to let us out, this big guy was on his way in. As she said/ “ I don’t want  to go in  there with him”.   Nothing personal, of course.

So onto Castleford Cut and  down to Bulholme lock, well its  not very far, but could we make up our mind as to go on, or moor up. NO.

But then ,  Mick said “ whats the matter with the lock-keeper?”  “ he opens the gate, then he closes it, now he’s opening it gain, and now he’s closing it” whats goiung on?.

Then I turned around.    Aaaah.  Maybe that was some sort of signalling on the lockies part, sort of “  Get out of the bloody way, “  perhaps.

Finally moored up at Old Whitley Bridge.  Its lovley, and  2 big barges have been passed again to give us a bit of excitement. Then Iooked over the hedge. DOH !.  It seems to be some sort of yard, with big security lights. Mmm yes, and there are big articulated lorries parking up(  don’;t  they move early in the morning ?), and the other side of the yard are…………………………………2 train tracks.  One for the local passenger/commuter train( small), the other is for FREIGHT( don’t they move through all the ungodly hours of the night and morning ?)

Right, pass me another glass of wine.  Hey ho.  Tomorrow, Stainforth. 

sorry, but i am having a real problem putting photos on.