Part 4 Midsummer sanity?

So already it is day 10 and we are in the middle of a heatwave, perfect weather for this new life!!

Some days will be hard ....

Some will be pure joy.  The deed is done!!

First day was plain sailing up to Cooper Bridge where the Huddersfield Broad meets the Calder and Hebble Navigation.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.6826336,-1.7350976,174m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

The day was fine and sunny.  A light wind which means more manoeuvring of the tiller to hold the boat straight but a nice days' sailing and the shape of things to come ... we got to the outskirts of Huddersfield!!

Snaking round the back of the industrial bits of Huddersfield, past the playing fields and onto the river.  Anchor out, life-jacket, no problem!

We moored, walked up and down the towpath, watched a light rain shower, ate and wondered what next!!

We are heading to Ripon first.  The idea is to travel all the UK Inland Waterways, exploring as we go.  This is estimated to take us up to 2 years but, I suspect, may take longer.  I don't want to dash through to achieve a measurable goal without enjoying the spontaneous discovery of gems - be they natural, man made or, indeed, human 😍 

Day 2 took us on to Shepley Bridge.  We stopped at Mirfield en route to enjoy some of Lidl's pastry delights and stock up.  Walking on to Shepley Bridge found space on the visitor moorings, collected the boat and moored up for the night.  

It was at this spot that we had the boat out of the water a few weeks ago for blacking and to fit anodes .... something to do with electrical current and staving off the inevitable rust when you put a big steel box into water and leave it there!!

Thanks Gordon at Shepley Bridge Marina.  The boat will stand up to a couple of years of my driving!

We were entertained by a local club taking some teenagers out on paddle boards .. I was sorely tempted.

Morning and a taste of life on the canal .....

First job was the Flood lock, levels were all fine and on up the river we went.  We snuck through Thornhill, Dewsbury and stopped for lunch then on through to moor just before Broad Cut Lock between Beeston Lock and Hartley Bank Bridge, still on the Calder and Hebble navigation.

This is the most beautiful place to moor up ... well in my limited experience ... and certainly an idyllic place to spend midsummers day.

So good, in fact, we stayed 2 nights and Midsummers Day we walked back to Horbury Bridge and had a pint, then walked the other way and had another pint at the Navigation Inn and fish and chips for tea.  First day of just wandering, listening to the birds, chatting over a pint, discovering the 'Deliverance' style anglers club pathways, taking photos and then sitting on the well deck in the warm evening sun.  Bliss.  Loving it so far.

Made a break for it at the weekend to see UB40 at Sherwood Pines with old friends and left Jay in charge of Minnie and On A Whim.  That's it for now.  Again, all comments and tips greatly appreciated.  

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