Over the
years, 15 to be exact, we have taken so many children away on boat
trips that it is
impossible to estimate exactly how many.
Many have
gone on weekend trips which consist of 3 days,
others have gone on 4 day trips and were introduced to the Bingley
Five Rise, which is a staircase of 5 locks and is considered to be one
of the seven wonders of the waterways. We have taken 9 day trips,
which have usually involved travelling to Leeds and giving the
children a taste
of city life, city shops and a visit to
the Royal Armouries museum.
We have also
taken 16 day trips which are the best trips ever.
Those trips
opened up all of the Leeds and Liverpool canal and beyond.
We have been
to historic York twice which is the most beautiful city, especially
when seen from the river, yes, river. We abandoned the relative safety
of the Leeds and Liverpool canal to go onto the Aire and Calder Navigation with it's 500
ton sand barges, 600 ton oil tanker "Humber Energy", and Tom Puddings delivering coal to
Ferrybridge power
station also the river Aire
and the mighty tidal River Ouse. These are a lot wider and deeper
than the canal but if shown the greatest respect can be as safe as the
canal. Then to enter York city by river is the most mind blowing
experience and I would recommend it to anyone.
The first
time we went to York we took the children for a walk around the city
walls. there is nothing better than walking around the walls, for 3
hours, on a hot summer day, take my word for it, the children who did
it still talk about it with reserved affection. We also took them on
the ghost walk, a trip around York, in the evening, with a guide, who
told them all about the resident spooks (with their heads tucked
underneath their arms
the spooks that is, not the guide's) who frequently
haunt the houses and streets of York. Another place of
interest in York is the Minster. The
most beautiful medieval gothic cathedral it takes your breath away and
the children took it in their stride to enter such a magnificent
religious building.
On
another tip to York the children visited the treasurer's house which
is built on top of an old roman road and is said to be haunted by roman soldiers marching through the cellars.
Another 16 day trip
that we did consisted of the Trans Pennine crossing.
This was a trip of 254
miles 184 locks and 118 swing bridges, from Barrowford to Leeds
then to Liverpool and
back
to Barrowford having a form signed at certain stops along the
way to prove that we had achieved it. When we returned we sent the
form to the Inland Waterways Association and in return received
a brass plaque to display on our boat.
The children loved it
and the trip included the 21 locks of the Wigan Steps (twice) which took about
4 hours to work through and the best fun of all, building rope swings
at the 250 acre Haigh
Hall country park. It took us some time to realise
that some of these children had never experienced rope swings!!! But
to hear the howls of laughter that came from the children was worth a
million pounds. To see, and hear them having fun gave credence and
validation to our project and they played for hours on something so
simple, that
most would take for granted.
With the new boat, it
is our hope that we will take it to the limits that a broad beam can
go on the canal and river system of northern England and create more
situations where children can have safe, unadulterated fun.
others have gone on 4 day trips and were introduced to the Bingley
Five Rise, which is a staircase of 5 locks and is considered to be one
of the seven wonders of the waterways. We have taken 9 day trips,
which have usually involved travelling to Leeds and giving the
children a taste
of city life, city shops and a visit to
the Royal Armouries museum.
back
to Barrowford having a form signed at certain stops along the
way to prove that we had achieved it. When we returned we sent the
form to the Inland Waterways Association and in return received
a brass plaque to display on our boat.