Beers and Piers

I was off down to Newton Abbot judging the South West beer competition.  The train fares were ridiculous, so I decided to drive.  Suprisingly I missed most of the traffic, and getting towards the Devon coast, I vaguely remembered somewhere from a family holiday in 1979 I think.

This was worth a small detour.
I also stopped at the seafront at Sidmouth, where we spent the holiday, to see if it jogged any memories...

Nope, don't remember a thing!
Judging at Newton Abbot was good, and we ended up drinking funny coloured liquids in one of the many cider houses

I had booked the Liverpool link for the beginning of May, so when I got home it was time to leave Wigan.

Passing Gathurst, this is a place where the canal locks and the river are crossed by both the railway and the motorway, one over the other.

 Sailing through great sunshine, I stopped just outside Burscough

 And in the evening sunshine, I polished the diesel to remove the last traces of water.

 

The following morning I passed through Burscough and the junction with the Rufford branch, heading off to the Ribble. I think the Ribble crossing is a trip for next year.

There is the old working boat Viktoria (odd spelling) at Burscough. 

Last time I was here, the Packet house was a superb pub - Now sadly boarded up.

After a windy trip down past Scarisbrick, and having passed through Maghull, I found a great peaceful mooring just outside the village of Melling