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Coal and Cotton Rally


Phil Knowles

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Hello. I have been lurking on this forum for a long time, long enough to remember Moley, Maffi and even John Orentas. I thought it was about time I posted something, especially as posts I have been reading keep disappearing into the Politics forum which I currently can't read

Anyway, I wondered if anyone on the forum went on the Coal and Cotton Rally. This was a cruise from Leeds to Liverpool organised by BW. It was to be the last time boats would be able to use the commercial docks to access Salthouse dock via the Mersey. The link was supposed to open in 2008 for access, but it was delayed a year.

Some of our friends did the whole trip, but we joined at Wigan, via the Leigh Branch

We moored at Wigan pier, which was open then. In the Orwell pub we meet to ex-working boaters, Henry and Phyllis. They we taking their boss's boat to Liverpool so that he could cruise it on the Mersey

 

d Wigan-6.JPG

d Wigan-1.JPG

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21 minutes ago, Phil Knowles said:

posts I have been reading keep disappearing into the Politics forum which I currently can't read

You should be able to with a couple more posts I believe.

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On the 8th June the flotilla was taken down the Stanley flight and assebled in Collingwood and Salisbury docks, before setting off through the commercial docks

 

 

h3 The Docks-1.JPG

We had to keep together as there were several swing bridges which the port authorities would only open for a short time.

Eventually we arrived at Langton lock. The walls were very high and it was not easy keeping control with a few other boats hanging on to you.

Langton lock.JPG

Eventually, the gate opened and he Mersey was in front of us.

i The Mersey-01.JPG

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We had to lookout for the Mersey Ferry

i The Mersey-09.JPG

 

Waiting for the half-tide lock to be ready

 

waiting for lock.JPG

The lock is finally open and boats can go in

i The Mersey-11.JPG

We had to wait awhile in Canning dock

j In Liverpool-3.JPG

Finally we were able to transit Albert dock on our way to mooring in SAlthouse Dock

Albert dock.JPG

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I think it was the only widebeam present. They wern't all that common in the North in 2007

 

We all moored for 10 days in Salthouse dock

salthouse dock.jpg

 

They were building Liverpool One at the time.

We were able to explore Liverpool and its surroundings.

We visited the tall ships and the assult ship HMS Albion which were moored in the commercial docks and open for visits.

We also went to Crosby beach to look at Anthony Gormley's installation "Another Place"

 

k Crosby Beach-5.JPG

Gormley 07.JPG

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Finally, we made it back into the commercial docks

 

m Back in the Docks-2.JPG

Passing the  assault carrier HMS Albion on the way

HMS Albion.jpg

We had intended to go through the Ribble link, but 2007 was the year of the summer floods and the Ribble was impassable

So we went to Bugsworth basin instead

z1 Bugsworth (Pt I)-5.JPG

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