Not the greatest day!

So we set off this morning at 9.00 and it was pouring with rain - and I mean pouring! This continued all day long only stopping about 20 mins. before we moored up! It's not raining now but it's very greay and cloudy and everything is damp. Bruce and Hilary, our new found friends on NB Tree Sparrow, spent another day with us only peeling off just after the summit where we parted company, exchanged details and went on in the pouring rain. Eventually we arrived at the summit and worked our way through the 'highest broad lock in England'.

At one of the next locks I found this! I think it's meant to mean no overnight mooring but it did seem something of an oxymoron to me!

The scenery was beautiful on the summit - if it was sunshine and blue skies I guess it would be spectacular but the hills were only just visible in the clouds!

Just to prove we really are up here!

On towards interesting scenery and foreboding architechture.

Eventually we arrived at Todmorden where there is an interesting guillotine lock.

Now thereby tells a story! We managed to work through the lock and exit. I went on to the next lock to set it and my father didn't arrive! Eventually word came down that he had broken the electric mechanism! I allowed the lock to be taken and reversed up to see what was wrong. The guillotine gate refused to shut and made a loud grinding noise that drew the whole of Todmorden out to see! Just then a local gentleman arrived who lived in a canalside cottage and told us that this always happens! He keeps 5 spare keys at home and promptly organised us! We phoned BW and told them what had happened and that when they recover the key they were to drop it into this chaps house, the man gave us one of his spare keys which we tested on the nearby sanitary station before travelling on - cunning plan!

The following lock and the offside wall was thick with green slime. Dad had gone on to set the next lock, I brought the boat in, stepped off the boat, slipped on the green slime, fell back into my boat and gracefully slid between the boat and the lock wall into the canal! Wahey! I'm a proper boater now - I've fallen in!! Apart from winding myself, scraping my shin, bruising my knee and denting my pride I'm fine!

Tomorrow on towards Sowerby Bridge where we hope to Meet James and his family from Leeds. I used to farm with James and have kept in touch ever since and it would be good for them to visit the boat. En route we have to stop for food shopping as the cupboards are bare, and stop for diesel and a pump-out hopefully! 38.5 lock miles today - not bad!