Boothestown to plank lane- then onto Wigan

Having spent the night in Boothestown we headed for plank land but the bridge was closed! But no panic as the nice workers are opening it at 12 to let boats through. Time for a cuppa and some cake in the glorious sunshine. Off we set then ended up Crooke for the evening just passed a marina.

Visit by the queen.....

Well, the queen visited Manchester whilst we were there. Tim and I nipped into town later on just as she had left and saw lots of pe.ople all dressed up to the nines.... We left Manchester on the Sunday and managed to get over the aqueduct...freeeeeeee, not that Manchester was bad! Deffo going back ....

Still in Manchester

Well we did decide to stay, Tim and I did our trip to Crewe to get his glasses and my contacts the latter not really
Happening at all. the next day we dropped the car off at the Boat& Butty in Runcorn and got the train back.
Kal caught the biggest pike I have ever seen but can't post a picture with my iPad!
We're heading off tomorrow as the aqueduct should be open....had a fantastic time in Manchester, spent far too much money but what the heck.......

Manchester

Well we did think about staying till yesterday but have extended it till Monday.....Will we change our minds on Monday..
We have been finding our way around the city centre via the 3 free buses that run 7 till 7 and are now really good, even giving other people directions!
today we went to the science museum which was really good but we only managed half of it as our guests didn't arrive till the afternoon and it wasn't something we had arranged. Kalvin did well entertaining the kids , and even continued into the evening with Amelia, Dot &Colins grand-daughter who came to stay with them for the weekend...Dot & Colin have to be the best cruising companions anyone could ever ask for.....
Tim travelled back with Steve and Denise to pick our car up from Lymm so we can get to Crewe thor our glasses and contacts from the opticians....Both tired now...it's been a long day.

Time to move on again.....ha

Well we decided to stay in Lymm another night, nobody else seemed to be moving so unusually for us we snuck another night in. My brother Peter and his wife Liz called with some coal and they had a little look in Dot & Colin's boat for ideas for their own.
Anyway next morning Dot &Colin left a little before us to head for the élan and ther The Old No 3 for water. We met up with them there and filled up our selves. Tim fixed our canopy and we had a light lunch before heading off just down the way at Dunham Massey for the night.
Next morning we were away for 10 and intended travelling past worsley but we never made it as unknown to us......how did that happen....the Barton Aquaduct is closed until the 24th March ! 9 days to pass.......we did a quick turn around and are now in castlefields basin in Manchester..What a lovely surprise that was. We're looking up at the Hilton Hotel....yuk.
Intend to do a lot of tourist stuff discovering Manchester...

Still in Lymm...

Well what a lovely day it has been..nice relaxed morning...made some soup then Tim chopped some logs whilse I jumped a bus back to stockton heath to pick the car up cos Tim wasn't happy with where it was parked.
Arrived back to find Tim having coffee with Dot & Colin. Nipped in for a chat then left for soup and rolls. I then called in to get one of Dots new curtains that she wasn't happy with and fixed it for her. One down 7 to go
Listened to crewe match too, won 4-3 against Gillingham

Lymm...

Well we didn't get up as early as we would have liked for starters and then finding the shops we needed wasn't happening so we untied and set off for Lymm. Just as we're arriving and mooring up behind Dot & Colin I get a phone call from Jonathan saying his leg has gone really painful, different than it had been...I suggested ringing the hospital for reasurance which I did for him but they insisted he came in, Jon wasn't too happy but thankfully managed a lift and after a check over, came home really happy as he had been chatting to all the other patients and the consultant had checked him over and he's fine....Dot & Colin popped in for a coffee and after Tim & I popped to the shops.
I made some scones and passed some to Dot as she passed walking the dog...just a quiet night tonight then on our way tomorrow...

The continuing saga...

After our lovely evening with Dot & Colin we rose a little later than usual. I am sure they had been up ages.......they called round to say they were heading to Lymm so we said goodbye and catch up later...We still had things to sort out so we got a couple of buses to get back to the car and went to visit Jonathan in Widnes...looking very comfy I must say but still struggling. Spent a few haikus with him then we headed off calling in at my brothers to pick up our post on the way...
Back on the boat I was getting all worked up for not being able to be there for my son but that's something I have to live with but just wish that side of things were easier..
Had to give Dot & Colin a ring to say it was too late to move now and we would see them tomorrow.
At around 10 pm my brother turned up to show us his new car....very nice...chatted till midnight then shoved them out and went to bed..haaa

The continuing saga...

After our lovely evening with Dot & Colin we rose a little later than usual. I am sure they had been up ages.......they called round to say they were heading to Lymm so we said goodbye and catch up later...We still had things to sort out so we got a couple of buses to get back to the car and went to visit Jonathan in Widnes...looking very comfy I must say but still struggling. Spent a few haikus with him then we headed off calling in at my brothers to pick up our post on the way...
Back on the boat I was getting all worked up for not being able to be there for my son but that's something I have to live with but just wish that side of things were easier..
Had to give Dot & Colin a ring to say it was too late to move now and we would see them tomorrow.
At around 10 pm my brother turned up to show us his new car....very nice...chatted till midnight then shoved them out and went to bed..haaa

jonathan home

Up this morning with good intentions to get moving then Jon rang to say he could go home so we changed plans of dropping car off getting back and moving the boat to going to the hospital to get Jon home.we did the latter with great accuracy and left him in the capeable hands of his future mother in law...a nurse..we then spent an hour with my other son who decided he wanted to change his car then set off back to the boat. We got cruising straight away and moored behind Dot And Colin on Ascot in stockton heath. Went in for a needed coffe but spent the whole night chatting.....ahhhhh lovely

Broken leg

What a few days we have had. Got up Sat jumped a bus then walked to my friends who let us borrow her car to go and get our car from Nantwich. All went welland we called into crewe to have another go at putting contact lenses in. That went well but just couldn't see out of them ! Anyway Kal and I went to meet Matthews, my son who plays footy for crewe alex, girlfriend from the station and Tim took the car back. After thematch I noticed a couple of strange numbers on my phone and one from my other sons, jonathan, girlfriend. After trying to get hold of her she eventually called back only to tell me that he had broken his lower leg. Double open fracture!
That drive home was the longest drive.
Spent the last 4 days at the hossie. He had op on sunday to have a titanium rod hammered down theinside of his tibia/ shin bone. He has no plaster cast or bandage, its crazy and tgey had him up next day. He is traumatised. I am emotionally drained. Will keep everyone posted...

getting back to crewe

Well having reached runcorn were now trying to get to crewe for an appointment and to go back to nantwich to pick the car up which we want to leave in runcorn ready for our caravan rallies. Well its a pain let me say and the expense is rediculous. Decided to borrow a friends car so just a bus joyrney to widnes to pick that up. Here we go !

anderton to preston brook

Got up late for us today..9am workmen started to remove stoppage ahead of us so we took the girls(dogs) for a walk before preparing to move on. Left Anderton around 1.30 and had a lovely cruise up to preston brook and managed to time arrival at the tunnels perfectly... It was nice to see familiar places again..