JohnEW2912

In the 7 seasons we have had our boat we have yet to have any problem with kids on the Ashton, which we have done a number of times. We had a supermarket trolley on the cill this year near Asda but that can happen anywhere in the country. We've been up and down the Wigan flight and through Blackburn and Burnley most years without a single problem. The only problem we have had with violence was when my son (then 17) and a few of his mates were taking the boat through Pagefield lock outside the DW Stadium in Wigan (nee JJB). This is always the lock where you will find kids hanging around and swimming in warm weather. One kid spotted that they had left the mallet on the bow, picked it up and smashed both the glass window and the wooden frame of the cratch before legging it. The only time we have had anything stolen from the boat was in that well known den of iniquity the Whitchurch Arm, where someone had the gall to nick a gas cylinder from the front locker - we now have it padlocked when we leave the boat.

Tony, Leave some time for the stretch of the Trent and Mersey from Preston Brook to Anderton - it's a nice a stretch of canal as there is.

Not that it really matters now Tony, but it's not the Trafford Centre proper that is right by the moorings, but a large Next store. The centre proper is behind it, probably another quarter of a mile away. Enjoy Lymm - one of our favourite stop over places. I can personally recommend the Turkish restaurant and Lymm Bistro if you're eating out, Thai OK also. If not, the deli is also very good. Surprisingly I've never been in any of the pubs but there looks to be an interesting selection.

Thanks for your company over the Rochdale last week (and in pubs and restaurants!). It's a shame that we couldn't have had some better weather for the journey but I'm sure it would have been worse without each other. We got back safely to Scarisbrick yesterday (Tuesday) in considerably better weather. From home in Preston it looks even better today so I hope you are enjoying the Bridgewater. Let us know if you come back up north next year - you still have all the Leeds and Liverpool and Lancaster to explore. They are both a lot easier than the Rochdale 9!

We spent 24 hours on a Keralan houseboat as part of a tour of Southern India last February. They are a very popular tourist attraction in the Kerala backwaters and you will not be alone. It was fabulous but we were out on the backwaters all the time and not what you would compare to UK canals. The backwaters are pretty large expanses of water rather than canals. There are smaller canals in parts, particularly near Kottayam but often the houseboats are too big to navigate them. I assume you have a small boat if there's just you and the crew so maybe yours will fit but you might want to check that. The smaller canals will definitely be the most interesting if you can get at them.

Good points but I'm not sure it's a good idea for a first timer to have the Rochdale 9 as their first real locks - could put them off for life!

I would think your schedule is pretty adventurous, given it's your first time and you will be going in late September / October when there will be a lot less daylight than now. The Cheshire Ring is a pretty busy week's cruising and will not provide much in the way of time of to enjoy the places you travel through. It will also make it tight for a side trip up to Bugsworth Basin at the end of the Peak Forest, which would be highly recommended. If it were me I would go for the Cheshire Ring, the Upper Peak Forest to Bugsworth and the Caldon Canal as a perfect fortnight's trip, with spare time to enjoy yourself. Whilst the Llangollen is beautiful at its western end, it is very busy as well - you will not be alone. If you are keen to do the aqueduct (and it is wonderful), how about the Llangollen, the Montgomery and Chester for a fortnight's trip. If you have any spare time you could go south down the Shropshire Union for a while as well. As for places to visit, if you do the Cheshire Ring allow some time to visit Manchester - excellent moorings in Castlefield. Bugsworth as mentioned above. Lymm on the Bridgewater is an excellent overnight stop. The Caldon is probably my favourite canal of all, at least when you have shaken off the Stoke urban area. The best pub on the Cheshire Ring, if you like real beer and cider, is the Blue Bell at Hardings Wood Junction. Note that it's closed at lunchtimes and all day Monday. There are several very good pubs on the Caldon. The Navigation at Bugsworth is another fine pub. I'm less up to date with the Llangollen but my memory suggest some good and some not so good pubs. Ellesmere is a lovely place for an overnight stop. On guides I would get the relevant Nicholsons guide if I was only having one. It's best for maps and detailed information but Pearsons is a more interesting and quirky read. My guess would be that Andersen Boats provide one of these on the boat so I would ask them and then buy the other one (or save some money).

Eh? The locks on the Wigan flight have the push button type which just needs a turn of the key to unlock. It's those to the west of Wigan which have the old fashioned handcuff sytle.

Our boat is also in Adlington and we will be back to move it either tomorrow night or Saturday morning, off towards Blackburn and beyond. Although I've stopped in Adlington many times I've never been in the White Bear. I can heartily recommend the Spinners Arms for a fine range of real beers although it doesn't serve food. It's on the main road towards Preston - turn left by the Co-op and it's on the right, next to the curry house in the old chapel, which can also be recommended. As for Wigan locks, we go up and down them most years and it seems to take us 4 hours whatever we do - I guess we must be a real man and woman! I find them pretty straightforward to be honest and much easier than say the Rochdale 9 in Manchester. Running out of water in the upper pounds is pretty common.

Our local paper in Preston is reporting the murder of a 56 year old boater by the Th'Owd Tithe Barn in Garstang last night. A 72 year old man from Blackpool has been arrested. It is believed that it was linked to a dispute over mooring rights

Unless Marple is in its own time zone I doubt it will be dark at 9pm tonight!

We came through there on our recent trip out and both the barriers had been left unlocked by whoever was there before us. All it caused me was some frustration trying to unlock something that was already unlocked but I can see how it could very easily cause a nasty accident with a strong gust of wind - not exactly unheard of in West Lancashire.

We've had no problems with kids on quite a few trips up and down the Ashton in recent years. The last time was 10th June, when the only problem we had was an ASDA supermarket trolley resting by the bottom gates meaning we couldn't close the gates or get it out with anything we had. The BW lads were there within half an hour and had it out in 10 minutes (thanks lads). In front of us a guy and his dad had bow hauled their boat up from Castlefield as their prop had gone and the outboard he had borrowed to get him up to Portland Basin had packed up as well. The bloke had bow hauled single handed up the Rochdale 9 which I think deserves some kind of award. I would have thought they would have been sitting targets for kids but they had no problems either. They were very grateful for a tow from us when we caught them at the top lock though.

That's exactly what we have done. Have only been there from Easter but no problem with the facilities - everything you would expect, as there were at Fettlers in Rufford. Both marinas seem to have incredibly popular cafes. There's a regular bus service from Ormskirk to Southport along the road next to the marina, but the Rufford marina has Rufford station next to it, which is a bit more convenient (except on Sundays!).

Reedley marina (www.reedleymarina.co.uk) is advertising its rates both permanent and visitor moorings so presumably has space but it's not especially cheap - £1,725 for a 50' annual or £40 a week for a visitor. Depends what you mean by cheap of course.

An update - the pub at Boothstown basin has closed. It is hoped that it will reopen but if and when I don't know. Also I think I recall that one of the pubs in Worsley is also closed, but it still remains a good overnight spot. Further west Parbold is probably the pick of the mooring spots west of Wigan if you want facilities. For a decent curry stop at what used to be the Navigation at Gathurst - now a decent curry house. If you want some rural tranquility try just below Appley Bridge lock. After Parbold the scenery flattens out but despite a few closures there are still plenty of pubs, almost one at every bridge west of Burscough. Burscough is nothing special as an overnight stop but is probably the best place for provisions with a Tesco and a Co-op within easy walking distance.

It's just an urban stretch of canal. I see by your route that you have come via a virtually all rural route save for the better side of Wolverhampton, the edge of Manchester and Wigan. Most urban canals have places where there is more rubbish than we would like and I don't think that Blackburn and Burnley are really any different than other urban stretches of canal. I pass along this stretch most years and will be through there later in the Summer and have yet to have to visit the weed hatch there. The stretch still has the mooring with the best view anywhere on the canal network that I know - between Clayton-le-Moors and Hapton I think.

From Wigan the best places to stop overnight are: - Adlington - good visitor moorings on the off side and a large number of pubs and a few restaurants. Spinners Arms the pick of the pubs but no food. Wheelton - below Johnson's Hillock locks. A formula pub by the canal and a decent restaurant at the Red Cat up the road. Wheelton - top of the locks. Visitor moorings on the off side above the top lock. Make sure that you check there's space before you go up the lock as it's often full. If it is full you can moor below the lock. Top Lock an excellent choice for beers right by you. A better choice for food andn also excellent beers is the Dressers Arms but it's a 20 minute walk. Riley Green - always plenty of space to moor. You can moor outside the Boatyard Inn but a better choice is the Royal Oak 10 minutes walk up the hill. Blackburn - only spent one overnight there at Eanam wharf, which was fine. Rishton - visitor moorings fine. We have left the boat to its own devices for 24 hours here with no problems. Range of pubs and restaurants including the very simple Rialto Italian next to the canal bridge - BYO beer or wine and you could be in Venice (if you drink enough). Beyond Clayton-le-Moors - excellent rural overnight stop just past pipe bridge 115A, with as fine a view as you will find anywhere. Hapton - moorings by the centre of the village. Rose Grove - BW yard with full facilities on the off side - very secure. Burnley - outside the Inn on the Wharf on bridge 130B. Safe with a decent pub outside and easy access to the town centre including a large Tesco. Barrowford - below the bottom lock, on either side of the canal. A bit of motorway hum from the M65, which you are never very far from from Riley Green to here. Barrowford - above the locks. Nice spot but limited space. Foulridge - decent moorings at the north end of the tunnel, if a bit gloomy and scruffy. Choice of pubs in the village. Salterforth - visitor moorings by the Anchor pub. As you would guess we have been up there most years and have yet to have any problems.

Sorry to come to this thread late but only heard yesterday that Triton had gone - we were away at the time. We have a Triton boat with a John White shell built in 2003 - delivered with some modest extras for c£750 a foot. As the other poster said it's not of the very highest quality but we are very comfortable that we got good value for money. We have a had a few small niggles that we have had corrected but overall are very happy with Nellie. When we bought the boat I assumed that after about 5 years we would be hankering for a new boat and design that would iron out all those things we had not thought about at the time but we're not. Nellie is what Bernard called a semi-trad plus i.e. it has a sliding steel roof over the engine compartment. This makes the back end very secure and obviates the need for a cover but does mean that there is no seating by the tiller as with other semi-trads. This doesn't bother us but might trouble you if you like to socialise round the tiller.

I got my renewal reminder two weeks ago with the late payment fee outlined. The renewal is due on 1st May - up to then the usual 10% discount, normal fee if paid in the rest of May and and extra £150 if paid in June or after. I don't really have a problem with it as you get plenty of notice except in a year when the BSC is due. I was caught a couple of years ago by leaving my inspection too late and then not being able to get the minor repairs done in time and lost my 10% discount - it could be a lot more expensive next time.

Still, six boats a day would have been a veritable traffic jam in any recent year....

Indeed it should, or for a family audience, Dingles is an acceptable alternative.

There are lots of football grounds near to the network. Off the top of my head: - Blackburn Rovers - L&L Burnley - L&L Wigan - L&L Everton - L&L (not that close but walkable or take the Soccerbus from Sandhills station) Liverpool - L&L (not that close but walkable or take the Soccerbus from Sandhills station) Manchester United - Bridgewater Manchester City - Ashton Wolverhampton - BCN Aston Villa - Birmingham & Fazeley Birmingham City - Grand Union Coventry City - Coventry Fulham - Thames Tottenham - Lee Navigation Stoke City - Trent & Mersey Northwich Victoria (new ground) - Trent & Mersey Nottingham Forest - Trent Notts County - Trent Bristol City - River Avon Lancaster City - Lancaster Partick Thistle - Forth & Clyde Glasgow branch I'm sure there are plenty more. I have been to watch football by boat four times, three to Ewood Park to watch my team Blackburn Rovers and once to see them play Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford.

Does anyone have any information on the microlight crash at Little Heywood today/ The plane came down on the West Coast mainline and brought cables down and according to the reporter on the scene on Radio 5Live the canal which is alongside the site is also closed with debris.

The gate you're referring to is by the bridge on Sir Matt Busby Way, which is the closest access point to the stadium, but it's always locked except for an hour or two around matches when the LS Lowry uses it to drop off / pick up their customers. If you go up another 100-200 yards from there towards Castlefield you can get access from the towpath to the road at all times.