Sale to Manchester

It was just over two weeks ago we left Sale only travelling a mile or so mooring up near Watch House Cruising Club at Stretford, then it was onwards to Manchester.

Moored near Stretford

Storage containers on our way into Manchester

Passing right next to Old Trafford

On getting to Castlefield in Manchester it was full, we had just turned at the end and were deciding what to do when a guy very kindly said he was about to leave so we hung around for 10 minutes or so and took his space.

There's LJ second one up on the right

Quite surprised to see the police patrolling on horses

After a day or so looking around Manchester we walked the mile to Piccadilly station and headed off on the train at a much faster speed than we are now used to down to Poole to visit Jess and Lee.

We were down in Poole for nearly a week enjoying the lovely weather and even got a stroll in down to the beach in Bournemouth before having a great time at Koh Thai restaurant. I also managed to get a visit in to Eileen who was our neighbour for 17 years when we lived in Poole.

Bournemouth Beach

Evening stroll along the cliff top looking towards the Isle of Wight

The week flew by and it was time to get the train back to Manchester, the countryside zoomed by and we spotted quite a bit of the canals from the nice air conditioned train.

Back in Manchester we decided to stay another few days, the Ashton Canal has been closed as lock 10 in the flight had been damaged and the gate needed replacing, it's due to open on Sunday and as it's quite a way back the way we came to get to the Macclesfield Canal we sat it out.

We were out and about during the days, except one, the afternoon before we met up with a friend and managed to have too much to drink, James and I staggered back to LJ at 8pm after an afternoon session and it took us that evening and the following day to recover.

Manchester has a brilliant tram network

The John Ryland Library was worth a visit it was like stepping back in time.

A couple of days were taken up looking round the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), what an interesting place, definitely worth a visit and free too.  I could say so much about it but as pictures speak a thousand words I let these do the talking ....

One of the buildings of the MOSI

This is a replica of the Baby, the world's first stored-program computer from June 1948

Computer from 1985

Then into the cotton mills, to watch a demonstration

And down the sewer

Station platform

Using this would have taken a lot longer to get to Poole

Next came the cars

And planes

I would love this car

The 1830's Warehouse

 Next up the Rochdale 9 !!!!!!!