Lyra's Travels

Awkward place for a pylon

Monday 1st August

My idea of 'doing' Standedge Tunnel is now probably not a runner. When I rang up this morning to book passage this coming Friday I was told they'd call back to confirm. They didn't, so after climbing through 8 locks I called again to be told it was completely booked up until the 12th of August. I don't want to hang around that long, and there is another consideration, there is a chance we may be too tall. The top boxes we have could turn out to be a bit too much and I don't want to get to the tunnel, wait a week only to be told I'm an inch or so too tall.

We are presently moored up in quiet surroundings 8 locks up from Staylybridge. As we started the climb out of the industrial area there were the ususal signs of our industrial past, with several derelict mill buildings, but some that had been converted to other uses like smaller units for starter businesses. There are also new water side flats, with people paying over the odds for a view of canal.
The city seems to end very quickly, and soon we were out in countryside with the locks coming at regular intervals. One of the interesting sights around here is a huge electrical sub station with one of the incoming pylons built across the cut.
Our options now are to turn around at the first opportunity and head for Manchester, or to go to the top just for scenery, then come back down again. We'll make the decision tomorrow.