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Leeds - Liverpool Canal
  • Claire Booker
  • Chris Booker
  • Jonah Booker
  • Claire Booker
  • Chris Booker
  • Jonah Booker
  • Holly Booker

Leeds - Liverpool Canal

A 284-day adventure by Claire, Chris, Jonah & Holly Read more
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  • Trip start
    November 1, 2023
    Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Le Grand Depart

    November 1, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    The challenge to ride the Leeds-Liverpool Canal started next to the River Mersey. We had parked the car at Costco, perfect for a loo stop before heading round to mark the official start of the Challenge with the Liver Buildings as a backdrop. We knew it wouldn't be obvious where the canal started due to being in and around active dockyards. But had an idea which way to head.Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Everton's New Stadium

    November 1, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    On our drive in we clocked where the canal moved away from the Riverside and into Town. But it wasn't quite so obvious when we got to it. We turned off the road to check out how Everton's new stadium was coming along and 2 lovely local blokes who ran the Docklands Trail Visitor Centre soon sorted us out. Past the building work and round a corner should see us straight.Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Finally on the canal

    November 1, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    Having crossed busy roads and gone around building sites we finally found the official start of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. With a rather impressive set of locks. A bit of bike carrying over the locks and they're off!Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Motoring Along

    November 1, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    Once on the Tow Path it was all go. I was the support vehicle and planned to intercept Holly & Jonah at various bridges. However, on the first few I arrived there to see they had already gone through and we're ahead of me (we used WhatsApp live location). With heavy traffic and many, many traffic lights, getting ahead of them and intercepting the route was not as easy as I thought it was going to be. I had to think much further ahead to give myself enough time to arrive, park somewhere nearby and walk to the canal. The tub of Celebrations that Aunty Sylvia gave us was very welcome. Spirits were high and my fears of there being no tow path or local scallys nicking the bikes were completely unfounded.Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Aintree Racecourse 🏇

    November 1, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    I honestly didn't think they would be quite as speedy as they were. I managed to intercept them at Melling Road and show them the fabulous Aintree Racecourse. It was lunchtime, had just started to rain and we were now coming out of the built up area heading towards more open countryside. So we made a decision to end Leg 1 at the racecourse. Today was all about launching the challenge. After an hour on the bikes they had completed 14.4 km (9miles) and got rather muddy, so we headed to the swimming baths.

    Not sure when we'll pick up the next leg, it rather depends on weather. So, there could be a bit of a gap. But we will be back and we're fired up for the challenge.    Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Leg 2 begins

    November 2, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    Leg 2 picked up where we left off yesterday at Aintree Racecourse. The weather was good but we were very conscious that it could change, so would go for as far as possible.

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Maghull

    November 2, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    I thought I would be miles ahead of them for this stop but no! Yesterday it was traffic congestion and traffic lights that slowed me down, today it was level crossings. I parked at Home Bargains in Maghull thinking I would have time to nip in and grab some snacks and drinks for them. But checking their location I soon realized that I didn't have time and they were rapidly approaching. A quick photo of the swing bridge and they were here.Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Waiting...

    November 2, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    I've finally managed to get ahead of them with enough time to draft a post. The weather is starting to get quite horrible with a driving headwind picking up and the rain starting to get heavy.

    While sat here I got the notification of Holly's chain coming off. Checking where they were I realised it would be a while before I could reach them so they were on their own. It's a timely reminder that this is a genuine hard challenge that will push them outside of their comfort zone and build their confidence and resilience.

    Footprints will jump about a bit here but bear with us and read in order and hopefully you'll get the full story.    Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Mechanical Failure

    November 2, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    The attached video has commentary so you'll get the picture, it has sound too.

    This event, plus the rapidly deteriorating weather ended today's ride earlier than anticipated.

    The muddy legs tell their own story. Lunch in Subway was met with some bemusement about how 2 people could get so muddy.

    Grandma lives nearby so a hot shower was the obvious end to today's activity (sorry about the state of the towels!) 🚴🚿    Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Here we go again!

    February 12, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    It's half term so we're back in the North West on the Bike Ride challenge. A short back track to complete the section where we previously had a mechanical failure and they're off again. Today they have Chris accompanying them and Grandma & Auntie Sam with me as support crew.Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    The Saracen's Head

    February 12, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    Aunty Sam got the first check point, with bags of sweets to hand, while Grandma and I could scoot on ahead. All is good, the sun is shining and the weather is perfect

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Interception

    February 12, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    After setting the kids off on today's leg, we jumped into the cars and headed off to the Ring O' Bells pub near Burscough (more of which later) - all part of the exceedingly complex logistics plan! It was here that I hopped onto my bike and headed a few miles back down the canal to intercept the kids. I hadn't factored in how strong the (head)wind was today - I was definitely breathing a bit harder than the kids when we met up... #wheezyoldmanRead more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal
    1

    The Ring O Bells

    February 12, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    The Ring O Bells pub at Burscough is a perfect place to sit and wait. The car park is right on the tow path so the support crew could stay inside the car and wait for either the bikers to appear or for the pub to open. The wind is fairly light but quite chilly. However, it's on Holly & Jonah's back coming in this direction and they're staying warm by cycling hard.

    The Ring O Bells actually turned into the lunch stop. Fish finger sandwiches and soup of the day. Aunty Sam had to leave us here but Grandma continues on.    Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Parbold

    February 12, 2024 in England ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Fully refueled and refreshed, they're off again. A short hop on to Parbold where the bikers were taking photos of an old windmill and and swing bridge, while the support crew get to appreciate the vista from the top of Parbold Hill. Onwards towards Wigan!Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal
    2

    Gathurst Viaduct

    February 12, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Getting to Gathurst on the outskirts of Wigan, was a drive along memory Lane, these are the roads where I learnt to drive, taking you right past the famous Heinz factory and this stop is just down the hill from where I studied for my A' Levels.

    Under the Viaduct where the M6 roars overhead and past beautiful canalside cottages. Spirits are high and the weather is glorious.    Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    The Approach To Wigan

    February 12, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    The bucolic Lancashire countryside (a phrase I never thought I'd write) turned very urban, very quickly as we hit the outskirts of Wigan. However, it wasn't all shabby warehouses, barbed wire and graffitied bridges - no, we also got to admire the DW Stadium, home to Wigan Athletic and the Wigan Warriors. However, the highlight had to be the kids' very first sighting of a Greater Amphibious Traffic Cone, living free in its natural habitatRead more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Wigan Pier

    February 12, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Wigan Pier was where we were aiming to finish today, After the previous 2 legs I thought this may be ambitious but achievable. Turns out everyone was up for just keeping going!

    Grandma and I kept out of central Wigan as the bikers were always going to be moving way faster than we could in the car. If we weren't going to finish there then we would see them on the other side.Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Bloody Locks

    February 12, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Now I get it's exceedingly difficult to get water to climb hills, but how hard can it be to build a tunnel under the Pennines? I'm sure the Wigan Lock Flight is an exemplar of Victorian civil engineering, but 23 of them in very short order means a shocking amount of climbing when you've been pootling along on the flat all dayRead more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Where are we?

    February 12, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Having checked out a potential finish point at Redrock, thinking there was a big pub to finish at, we discovered that the pub was derelict and not actually a good finish point. So the support crew found a random spot to intercept the riders and suggested a different finish location. This meeting point had potential but everyone was keen to press on and the Marina Café in Adlington was agreed. So, on we went.Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Fredericks Ice Cream Parlour

    February 12, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    We needed to find an end point where Grandma, Holly & Jonah could wait in comfort with some refreshments while Chris and I drove back to the Ring O Bells to collect the car. One idea was the Marina Café in Adlington but when Grandma and I arrived there they told us they were about to close 😱

    However, they advised us to get everyone to continue for a few more bridges and go to Frederick's Ice Cream Parlour. It was open until 2200hrs, served drinks, pizza and of course Ice Cream! A perfect place to end a truly epic day! Only a mere 46.09km!    Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Start of Leg 4

    February 13, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    This morning we picked up where we left off yesterday, minus the Ice Cream 🍨

    I popped into the Marina Café who had pointed us in the direction of Frederick's yesterday to use the loo, say thanks and grab a coffee. The lovely Jayne from yesterday was there again and asked how the journey was going. She then told me to take some chocolates for Holly & Jonah to have when I intercepted them. If you're ever in Chorley then pop in and set hi to Jayne!Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    Just missed them!

    February 13, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    There's a fine art to trying to find a good point to do a safety check point and intercept the riders. You can't have it too close or they're too fast and will always be ahead of you. Too far and you're sitting waiting while they have long stretches without a check point. Just 30 seconds earlier and this would have been a Goldilocks check point. I arrived just as they passed under the bridge I was parked on. By the time I got out of the car and called them, they were disappearing into the distance!Read more

  • Leeds - Liverpool Canal

    A muddy old start

    February 13, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    As we did yesterday, once we'd set the kids off on their way, I drove down route, parked up and rode back to meet them. I'll be honest, this bit was hideous - the ground was super boggy, I was riding into the wind and I rapidly realised I may have slightly over-exerted myself yesterday! Once we joined up and I was pointing back in the right direction, everything became a tad easierRead more

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