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Ashton and huddersfield Canals


beardshave

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Just now, Goliath said:

Buffet Bar Buffet Bar nothing will beat the Buffet Bar! 
😃👍

I don't know, since it was took over a few years ago its always full of Rail Ale Trailers few of which drink proper beer and lots of the locals now drink elsewhere, including myself. The two Micro bars near the canal are good, with Bridge Beers being my first stop of the evening. Remember he does close early, you have to be in by 21:00 on a Saturday and he has you out by 22:00. The good news is the Crafty is only five doors away and next to the canal bridge

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1 hour ago, captain birdseye said:

I don't know, since it was took over a few years ago its always full of Rail Ale Trailers few of which drink proper beer and lots of the locals now drink elsewhere, including myself. The two Micro bars near the canal are good, with Bridge Beers being my first stop of the evening. Remember he does close early, you have to be in by 21:00 on a Saturday and he has you out by 22:00. The good news is the Crafty is only five doors away and next to the canal bridge

We enjoyed Bridge Beers so much we bought a caseful to add to the (already plentiful) beer stocks on the boat...

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1 hour ago, captain birdseye said:

I don't know, since it was took over a few years ago its always full of Rail Ale Trailers few of which drink proper beer and lots of the locals now drink elsewhere, including myself. The two Micro bars near the canal are good, with Bridge Beers being my first stop of the evening. Remember he does close early, you have to be in by 21:00 on a Saturday and he has you out by 22:00. The good news is the Crafty is only five doors away and next to the canal bridge

The ale trailers are right pain. I thought covid might have killed it off. 
They used to come flooding into the Commercial at Slaithwaite and spoil a good afternoon boozing. 
 

I remember the Buffet Bar from 30 year ago.(I lived in Stalyvagas for a short while) They had folksingers in. 
They’ve opened up other rooms and built a conservatory since. 

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4 hours ago, Goliath said:

The ale trailers are right pain. I thought covid might have killed it off. 
They used to come flooding into the Commercial at Slaithwaite and spoil a good afternoon boozing. 
 

I remember the Buffet Bar from 30 year ago.(I lived in Stalyvagas for a short while) They had folksingers in. 
They’ve opened up other rooms and built a conservatory since. 

 

Oh NO!

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16 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

 

Oh NO!

Oh YES indeedy!

And sometimes with a fiddle player. 

Good it still has it’s marble top bar. 
There’s a lot of paraphernalia in there for the railway geeks. 
On one of me last visits, I listened to 3 olddies arguing over some train or other and how much it could pull up hill or what or not. One of them disagreed and started shouted abuse at the others and said that’s it we ain’t friends anymore. Funny as anything. Thought there was going to be a punch up. 
 

 

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34 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Oh YES indeedy!

And sometimes with a fiddle player. 

Good it still has it’s marble top bar. 
There’s a lot of paraphernalia in there for the railway geeks. 
On one of me last visits, I listened to 3 olddies arguing over some train or other and how much it could pull up hill or what or not. One of them disagreed and started shouted abuse at the others and said that’s it we ain’t friends anymore. Funny as anything. Thought there was going to be a punch up.

 

 

No banjo though. Or bagpipes. Or piano accordion... 😉

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I think the Ale Trailers have been frustrated to a limited extent by the changes to the rail franchises. It's possible to get to Stalybridge from Manchester on Northern Rail and similar on the Eastern side but to go over the top you have to use Trans Pennine express which doesn't stop at many stations at all. 

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17 minutes ago, Cheshire cat said:

I think the Ale Trailers have been frustrated to a limited extent by the changes to the rail franchises. It's possible to get to Stalybridge from Manchester on Northern Rail and similar on the Eastern side but to go over the top you have to use Trans Pennine express which doesn't stop at many stations at all. 

The problem with this line has been how to maintain a service to the local stations along the line, historically served by trains stopping at most or all stations and therefore overall rather slow, with fast transpennine services which catch up the slower trains. There has long been a need to increase the number of transpennines, and the issue has been how to fit these extra services in. I don't know what the current service is, but I know that options for 'skip-stop' services were being considered i.e. local trains which would stop at (say) every other local station, with the next local train stopping only at the local stations missed by the previous train. This results in a lesser difference in end to end journey time of the local trains and the transpennines, meaning you can get more trains in total along the line. It also maintains the service connection between all the local stations and the main stations (Manchester, Ashton, Huddersfield, Leeds), but what you can't then do so easily is hop along one stop from one local station to the next local station, which was how the ale trailers operate. 

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I'm not sure what the solution is but it strikes me as ridiculous that services to Leeds and beyond start off from Manchester Piccadilly and travel west via Oxford Road and Victoria before heading towards Yorkshire. If they didn't do that they could offer a stopping service to Huddersfield and still arrive in a similar time frame as the current service. 

 

I have never tried to do the Rail Trail but I am picking off the pubs on it one or two at a time each time we fancy a day out.  Station Bar in Dewsbury plus The Commercial last time out.

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4 hours ago, Cheshire cat said:

I'm not sure what the solution is but it strikes me as ridiculous that services to Leeds and beyond start off from Manchester Piccadilly and travel west via Oxford Road and Victoria before heading towards Yorkshire. If they didn't do that they could offer a stopping service to Huddersfield and still arrive in a similar time frame as the current service. 

 

I have never tried to do the Rail Trail but I am picking off the pubs on it one or two at a time each time we fancy a day out.  Station Bar in Dewsbury plus The Commercial last time out.

The re routing of the trains via the new Ordsall curve to Victoria was to stop the airport trains to Yorkshire having to cross the throat of Piccadilly station which along with the Yorkshire to Liverpool trains crossing over effectively shut the terminus platforms at Piccadilly for approximately 15 minutes every hour. The Liverpool trains now go over the original chat moss line from Victoria and that freed up the Oxford road corridor allowing the Airport trains to go via Victoria making more time for local services out of Piccadilly, including the Transpennine trains that do stop at Stalybridge. The frequency of trains was upped a couple of years ago with the expectation that the line would be electrified but this was paused for a few years and is only now getting back on line, with the faster accelerating and breaking electric trains it is expected that the current level of trains can be kept on time with them stopping at more of the intermediate stations. 

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OP here. Thanks for all the advice. Much appreciated. Currently stuck at Milnsbridge  with stoppages between 7e and 1e. Could well be scuppered as far as getting boat back to Sowerby Br by Saturday. Waiting on CRT to let us know if and when. Pubs in Milnsbridge all seem shut so prob cabbing to The Sands House for libation and dinner.

Might have to do the same tomorrow.   And Friday. Hey ho.

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30 minutes ago, beardshave said:

OP here. Thanks for all the advice. Much appreciated. Currently stuck at Milnsbridge  with stoppages between 7e and 1e. Could well be scuppered as far as getting boat back to Sowerby Br by Saturday. Waiting on CRT to let us know if and when. Pubs in Milnsbridge all seem shut so prob cabbing to The Sands House for libation and dinner.

Might have to do the same tomorrow.   And Friday. Hey ho.

That's bad luck, especially the lack of pubs 😞

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I assume the OP has contacted CART to try and ask for a passage, since he really needs to get the boat back to Sowerby Bridge? Stoppages website says:

 

21/09/2021 12:26

We are still waiting for improved water levels on the Huddersfield Broad Canal and it is still currently closed.

We are currently allowing Lock 1e for upstream passage only until conditions improve on the Huddersfield Broad Canal.

Downstream passage is only with permissions from the local team as water management is needing to be considered and monitored during this time.

Please phone the Customer Service Team to enquire and to arrange on 03030 404040

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1 hour ago, beardshave said:

In regular contact with CRT of course but no positive news as yet and time is running out AND crew are revolting. But then they always have been🤪

Did you pick up some beer from the Empire Brewery in Slawit? I found it made the crew less revolting... 😉

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25 minutes ago, beardshave said:

No. Missed a trick there. Been told to turn round and go back to Slathwaite. Might get some then.Shame. One if the last canals I have yet to complete. That's life.

Are you going to go all the way back to Ashton so Shire can turn the boat round from there? Getting a Standedge booking could be tricky... 😞

 

If you're stopping at Slaithwaite, suggest dinner at the Monsoon Tandoori followed by beer in the Commercial.. 😉

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12 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Nah, an exquisite burger at Rumpus who helpfully stock Saltaire beer 🍺

Fear the Beast with Funky Fries, Halloumi Fries to share and a bottle or three of Saltaire Blonde :) 

Book early to avoid disappointment.

 

My better half likes Om on Carr Lane, and i’ve heard good things about Destination Indian on New St. but not been yet.

The Northern Sole Cafe on the towpath side (used to be Lock 39 Cafe i think) is also recommended.

My daughter likes the Rose & Crown at Cop Hill, but thats a bloody steep and long walk.

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14 hours ago, beardshave said:

...Been told to turn round and go back to Slathwaite. Might get some then.Shame. One if the last canals I have yet to complete. That's life.

spacer.png

 

Gosh, I can hear the sighs from the SC office from here,:  everyone is being messed around by this water-shortage / maintenance-deficit of the HNC.

 

Picture is from a presentation in 2017 of the historic difficulties in setting up a hirefleet in SowerbyBridge basin. Given to the C&RT-Partnership for the NE.

 

Separately from that, we have experience of the effort put into planning these trips, organising the Standedge times, fitting in with continual changes, floods and droughts ... it's vastly frustrating for everyone, and as a completist myself, very irritating to have completed only two-thirds of a 'missing link'.  Commiseratons.

 

Oh, and any offers of a ride from Bardney to Boston (R Witham) gratefully received here, btw  🙂

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2 hours ago, PeterScott said:

spacer.png

 

Gosh, I can hear the sighs from the SC office from here,:  everyone is being messed around by this water-shortage / maintenance-deficit of the HNC.

 

Picture is from a presentation in 2017 of the historic difficulties in setting up a hirefleet in SowerbyBridge basin. Given to the C&RT-Partnership for the NE.

 

Separately from that, we have experience of the effort put into planning these trips, organising the Standedge times, fitting in with continual changes, floods and droughts ... it's vastly frustrating for everyone, and as a completist myself, very irritating to have completed only two-thirds of a 'missing link'.  Commiseratons.

 

Oh, and any offers of a ride from Bardney to Boston (R Witham) gratefully received here, btw  🙂

We were hirers from Shire Cruisers from their early days, before the re-opening of the Rochdale or the HNC, so they managed without either.  They kept a boat (which we hired) on the detached part of the Rochdale at Hebden Bridge.   I regard myself as very fortunate to have traversed the HNC so many times without undue difficulty during the period 2006-17 before the present closures.   

I've not seen that picture of Nigel Stevens before.  I don't suppose the presentation was recorded and can be accessed? 

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10 minutes ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

... I've not seen that picture of Nigel Stevens before.  I don't suppose the presentation was recorded and can be accessed? 

spacer.pngSadly not. In the style of "History of the world in a hundred objects" Nigel did his presentation of the History of Sowerby Bridge Hiring in (somewhat fewer) Objects, and it worked very well. Maybe he could be persuaded to do a repeat performance for some good-waterways-cause. Should have thought of it during lockdown for yet-another-Zoom presentation. Oh well ...

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