As our schedule dictates we don’t need to be in the Aintree area until 26th we stayed in Worsley for the weekend and on Saturday enjoyed their Summer Fair on The Green, the star turn for my money was The Afterhours Rauchestra who performed swing & jazz classics through the afternoon.
There was a wedding reception at Worsley Court House (left) and the inevitable photoshoot was taking place on the towpath and on the steps where passengers used to catch the horse-drawn ‘Fly Boats’, the express transport of the day. Notice the orange tinted water which is caused by iron deposits leaching out of the mine workings (entrance arches centre picture) which were the reason for the canal being built.
If you’re interested in learning more visit canalscape.net from which the extract below taken.
This building, along with ”Top Locks” at Runcorn, “The Old Number One” at Preston Brook, The London Bridge Public House at Stockton Heath, The Old Number Three at Dunham Massey, The Watch House at Stretford and the terminus at Castlefield were all “stops” or way stations for a “Flyboat” service that carried passengers, perishable and urgent goods as well as cattle (rings were fitted inside the boat to secure cattle to) along the canal. The passengers boarded the boats via steps leading down to a boarding wharf. There are similar steps at The London Bridge Public House. The Packet House is a Grade Two Listed Building.
After a quiet day on Sunday we moved on to Leigh on Monday moving from areas dominated by the salt & coal industries to a cotton spinning area with the attendant mills along the canalside. As we passed under Leigh Bridge we were back on C&RT waters, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. We only intended to stay overnight but our fridge decided give up on us and so on Tuesday morning we were able to move across the canal where the road access is easier and the day was spent trying to locate a replacement.
We ordered on line from AO which was the only place who could promise next-day delivery! Megan, the lass who took our order was fascinated that we lived on a boat and she knew exactly where we are moored as she lives in Worsley. She also said we should try a Barm as it was a local speciality, so for lunch Joy ordered a Egg Barm in a cafe; it was a bit of an anti-climax as it turned out to be a fried egg in a bap. Apparently the bread rolls were originally made using the yeasty froth skimmed off as part of the beer brewing process.
Hence..
barmpot n. a crazy person; a fool or dolt. According to OED, barm, “the froth that forms on top of fermenting malt liquors; the head of a beer,” is used attributively as a formative to indicate a crazy or feeble-minded person or idea. This is, obviously, related to barmy or balmy ‘crazy.’
So here we sit so we are hoping for an early afternoon delivery and then we have to make up time, which could be tricky as there is problems with a lock on our route, let’s hope they sort it out today.