Monday 27 August.

John had his breakfast in bed this morning.  We woke early and it was not raining.  So I decided that we should crack on.  Also it could also be payback time to the Party revellers who kept us awake last night when they cruised back from a local beer festival.  They probably were not happy with us running the engine and moving past them at just after 7.  Christine walked for a good part of the journey to Wigan.  The 6 locks to Wigan were not easy to manage.  The anti vandal equipment is used on all moving parts of the locks i.e. that meant you needed to use the key up to 6 times per lock.  Also most of the gates are very rotten and do not move well.

Once we reached Wigan Pier the heavens opened.  I had been looking forward to seeing the Pier at Wigan and I was not dissapointed.  (Well John was. Just two bent rails from the end of a tramway!) At one of the locks when it was raining heavily in the waiting spot for lock operation, a plastic boat had tied up leaving us no real room to park to operate the lock. 4 people stood in the cockpit of this lovely boat with steaming cups of beverages warming their hands.  At no point did they offer to move as they watched us navigate the weir to get into the lock.
I hope they enjoyed the experience of watching two experinced boat handlers move into the lock.

We did not stop in Wigan, well only to empty the loo, and we cruised on further through Leigh and then onto our mooring spot outside a pub in Astley Green.  Big disappointment as the Pub does not have WiFI.
I have to say at this point that the Northern ladies do general get overdressed.  In the pub on Saturday they were all dressed up and even the plainest of dressers had pearls all over her Jumper.  Well this morning as I was walking with my stout walking boots full wet weather gear I passed a young lady in full make up wearing gold sandels in the thick mud. Say no more.Today we did around 17 miles.