Hapton to Riley Green

We cast off yesterday early doors, well 8.30am is early for us and headed off from our rural mooring. It's a fairly gentle potter through Clayton-Le-Moors, Church, Rishton & Norden with the odd swing bridge here & there for a bit of exercise. It was very warm & humid ....

Soona, in her 'trying to keep cool' mode outside the bathroom

We had intended to stop in Blackburn to do some shopping but probably due to lack of research beforehand, we went straight passed the only decent mooring ( realised too late & just too hot to faff about going back) I did want to call in at B&Q but nowhere handy to moor, not that felt safe anyway as a few groups hanging around, drinking in the sunshine... they would probably have been fine & we were probably being judgemental but possibly the heat was making us grumpy!

We stopped at the service point which according to Nicholsons is after the 2nd lock.. no it isn't! It is after the 4th lock, anyway we grabbed a quick sandwich whilst the water tank filled ( we were going to have a nice lunch in town but hey never mind...)

All in all Blackburn ( just like Burnley) just doesn't feel at all welcoming to boaters, rubbish in the canal & graffiti everywhere, it would seem that any efforts made to smarten things up, & there have been some, are quickly defaced & spoiled. Once out of the bottom lock it's not long before things start to improve & the canal becomes pleasant again.

Feeling in need of something nice & cool we stopped by bridge 94 at Cherry Tree, as according to Nicholsons, there is a 'useful shop' well we did find a off licence after a bit of a walk ( can you see a pattern here!) but they sold ice creams & we felt much better after a magnum apiece.

We moored up outside the The Boatyard Inn in Riley Green at 5.30pm after a long hot days cruising & this time Nicholsons had it spot on! Mark had showered whilst we were stopped at Cherry Tree & I had had mine just before we arrived so no time was wasted in mooring up & heading across to the pub for a meal,

No microwaved,run of the mill bar food here & it was delicious, so suitably fed & watered we headed back to Poppy for a bit of TV & an early night, by which time it was raining which was cooling things down nicely.

After a good nights sleep we were woken at 7am by heavy rain which has now eased & the sun is peeping out. We are just wondering whether to stay here again tonight & have a lazy afternoon or move on to Withnell Fold, decisions, decisions.....