An unexpected canal and an impromptu trip to the seaside.

Would you Adam and Eve it? I can’t seem to keep away from canals even when I try.

On Monday I drove our Grandson Jacob up to just North of Preston to look at a college course he’s interested in.  It being a long way, I booked us into the nearest B&B Hotel near the college and I didn’t bother to read up on the place much, just checking the reviews on the booking site.  Well when we arrived and found our room, we pulled back the curtains and this is what we saw!

I hadn’t even realised there would be a canal there, let alone right outside our window.  It is of course the Lancaster canal that not many of us get to.  It looks nice enough although we didn’t explore it further. 

On Tuesday morning we had a couple of hours to spare so we drove the half hour journey into Blackpool to have a butchers.  I’ve never ever been there.  Now having looked at it, I can confirm that it has just about as much good taste and high culture as I expected.  To be fair, if you stand on the front looking out to sea, it looks pretty good. 

The actual sea wall and promenade look well kept and smart.   The tide was in and the sea was too rough to get onto the beach, and a man in a Landrover was progressing up the front chaining off any points of access to the beach.

Turn and face the other way and you get all the stuff you expect from Blackpool.

I’m glad I’ve been but I don’t feel the urge to return.  We did of course buy a few sticks of rock.  Well you have to, don’t you.

The college, Myerscough,  was very nice.  If Jacob enrolls on the course then maybe we’ll get to know the area better.  Maybe we could even get Herbie up there.

According to CanalPlan that would be 209 miles from Crick and take 99 hours and 14 minutes.  “This is made up of 126 miles, 5¾ furlongs of narrow canals; 75 miles, 1¼ furlongs of broad canals; 7 miles, 3¼ furlongs of tidal rivers; 83 narrow locks; 31 broad locks.” and “There are at least 15 moveable bridges of which 3 are usually left open; 69 small aqueducts or underbridges and 7 tunnels (Crick Tunnel (1528 yards long), Braunston Tunnel (2042 yards long),Newbold Tunnel (250 yards long) Harecastle Tunnel (2919 yards long) Barnton Tunnel (572 yards long), Saltersford Tunnel (424 yards long)  and Preston Brook Tunnel (1239 yards long)”

Oooh  er. At our average five and a half hours a day and one day off a week that would take us about six weeks for the return trip.  Not very good for collecting him to come home at the end of term then.

Aaah, if only it were that simple.  I just read up on the Ribble Link (the tidal bit) “There are only a limited number of crossings each year and it is essential to book well in advance, especially if you want to get a crossing on a good day.” and “The first crossing of the Ribble will almost certainly stress the engine, drive chain and some accessories more than ever before and that is when any incipient weaknesses will be discovered.”

Hmmm, I’m thinking we might take Jacob by car if he goes to Myerscough.