TNC On Tour 2003 Page 4

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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour

Tour 2003

4 - Sheffield to Broad Cut. Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation, New Junction Canal, Aire and Calder Navigation and Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Saturday 21st June 2003

Late up at 09:00.Will went out to get some mushrooms for the final week 1 breaky. Last excellent breaky from Will the chef. Peter Wright was first to arrive of week 2 crew, followed by Ed Mortimer (Martin Clark's boat mate for a day out on Tinsley Canal / S.&S.Y.N.), then Martin Wilson. Goodbyes then followed for departing crew Will Chapman. We eventually left Sheffield Basin at 12:55, for our booked 14:00 passage down the Tinsley Flight.
As Derek had said, the flight was open and the first couple of locks filled. We proceeded down, then was met by Dave the chief locky who assisted us down the rest of the Tinsley Fight as well as the now permanently locked Jordan's, Ickles and Holmes Locks. Being a Saturday afternoon there were a good few kids about , but all were good natured, though there was evidence of swimming going on.
We were out of Holmes Lock at 15:30 and soon were on our way, seeing how far we could get that night. We dropped Ed off at Station Road Bridge in Mexborough, being only a few hundred yards from the station, for Ed's return to his car back in Sheffield.
We had a few haphazard half bricks chucked in front of us as we passed through Conisborough. The Blunderbuss was readied for Conisborough Railway viaduct and was put on subtle display. All seemed quiet on top of the viaduct, but as we passed on small kid was seen looking down at us from downstream side - nothing was chucked.
Donny Lock seemed somewhat confused and both top gates refused to open more than half way. The gap seemed 6ft 10 ins wide and we just scraped through. We were wondering if this was to be our stop for the night, but the rest of the lock worked OK.
There were a few visitor moorings left in the lock-in Donny moorings, but our destination was Barnby Dunn, to avoid the stoppages the next day due to Dragon Boat racing. Long Sandall Lock was also confused, but BW knew about this and had put a note telling you to lower and raise top paddle again, after lock filled, another wait of several minutes. The lock would then decide that it was in fact full and allow the gates to be opened. The locky was about and he asked if we were going to Barnby Dunn for the Dragon Boat racing, we said no, we were trying to get past it to avoid any stoppages.
Neil also commented in the amount of damaged cars that had been dragged out of the cut and stored in the yard. He said this was now getting a BIG problem in the surrounding waterways. One of the cars had interesting damage, obviously caused by a barge taking the bonnet and roof completely off!
Eventually at 21:55 we moored up above Barnby Dunn lift bridge, seeing as there were no moorings below. Martin Wilson's excellent prepared completely from scratch Spag Bol was soon ready and we started on the second bottle of red wine. A coffee and a random selection from the TNC Islay collection (Ardbeg) then followed, straight to bed as we had another earlyish start.

Sunday 22nd June 2003

07:30 start on a horrible gloomy day. It was still warm and in the distance lightning flashes could be seem over the North Yorks Moors, no rain all day though. 08:45 we were back at Bramwith Junction and down the New Junction Canal again. It was fast through Syke House Lock / swing bridge seeing as some one was already coming up. The other boat kindly did the lock for us and we were soon on our way again.
We passed an oncoming Dumb (Selby Libra) and motor barge - a lady was steering! We met Aire and Calder Navigation at 09:20 and now started up towards Wakefield. A roving BW locky did Pollington Lock as he had just locked up Green sand barge - Gladys Lillian.
At Whitley Lock a queue developed from departing overnighters, Lucy Lu from Altofts and a couple of cruisers. The roving BW guy had departed seeing as Gladys Lillian did not need his services anymore and had stopped above. We were first out of Whitley Lock and by the time we got to Bulholme the rest of the boats had stopped.
We locked up Bulholme Lock with a new sailaway boat on trade plates, going to Fairies Hill Marina. Castleford Junction at 13:25, straight on for Wakefield. We met no one going up and had a good run to Broad Cut on the Calder and Hebble (16:50). We went out to "The Navigation" sharpish, seeing as they stop doing food at 19:00.

Ed Mortimer finally gets to Sheffield Basin by boat!

Good natured swimmer kids in Jordan's Lock. Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation.

Strawberry Island Boat Club, just below Doncaster. Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation.

Our mooring for the night just above Barnby Dunn Lift Bridge. Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation.

The community boat Sobriety, usually moored at Goole at rest below Barnby Dunn. Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation.

The evil Bagpuss stuffed toy that was nearly our undoing!!!

Selby Libra and motor barge on Aire and Calder Navigation.

Pollington Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation.

Leaving the small section of Pollington Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation.

Pollington Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation.

Car dumping in the South Yorkshire navigations is getting out of hand. Aire and Calder Navigation.

Whitley Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation.

Gladys Lillian has tied up above Whitley Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation.

Looking back at Whitley Lock and the M62 Bridge. Aire and Calder Navigation.

Approaching Kellingley Colliery. Aire and Calder Navigation.

The disused Kellingley Colliery loading staithe. Aire and Calder Navigation.

The now well known wild garden section of towpath through Knottingley. Aire and Calder Navigation.

The much photographed Ferrybridge Flood Lock. A1 Viaduct and power station in the background. Aire and Calder Navigation.

The now disused pan un-loader at Ferrybridge Power Station. Aire and Calder Navigation.

King's Road Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation, Wakefield Branch.

The old Stanley Ferry Aqueduct. Aire and Calder Navigation, Wakefield Branch.

BW Stanley Ferry Workshops. Aire and Calder Navigation, Wakefield Branch.

Stanley Ferry, the old and new Aqueducts. Aire and Calder Navigation, Wakefield Branch.

Broadreach Flood Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation, Wakefield Branch.

Looking back through Broadreach Flood Lock towards Stanley Ferry. Aire and Calder Navigation, Wakefield Branch.

Thornes Lock, Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Looking down from Broad Cut Top Lock at our mooring. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

The Tour Continues...

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