gongoozlers at Lock 3 or 5
Got up at 0700 to be greeted by SUNSHINE! Today was the only day of our two weeks on Willow that it didn't rain., and we actually spent much of it off the boat. While waiting for our daughter to take us for another day in Southport, I wirebrushed the rust and mud off some of the ferrous haul of the previous few days: mostly mooring pins.
At 1030 we found ourselves in one of the many churches in the town, where our daughter's boyfriend was leading the service. From there we went for lunch to the house where he lodges. Then we all - daughter, boyfriend, hosts, Jan and myself - returned to the boat to lock up the remaining six locks of the Rufford Branch back to the main line of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
daughter's boyfriend operating a Jack Clough to open a ground paddle
At the top lock we watered up, then cruised to Parbold. Here, to celebrate the absence of rain, we had a barbecue. The Poundland bbq wasn't terribly good, containing rubbish briquettes. I'm sure they used to have proper lumpwood charcoal. With the bbq we cracked open the first bottle of wine of the holiday!
Later in the evening I went to the Windmill pub looking forward to a pint of J W Lees, probably the first since my days at uni in Salford three decades ago. But, as related previously, the pub kept old-fashioned Sunday hours and was closed.
Fished and caught three mooring pins. I think I have enough now.
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