On the Tourist Trail

Yesterday
The final run down to the Ellesmere Basin can’t be said to be pretty because it goes through an area of both past and present industry – Stanlow Oil Refinery makes its presence known, there’s a timber yard, distribution centres, scrap metal yard, piles of old vehicles, lots and lots of electricity pylons and two motorways ……and that’s just for starters!  Interesting though.
For a small fee we organised to go through the three locks, which act as a sort of spread-out-type of staircase, and moor in the lower basin which is definitely in need of some attention but is preferable to mooring at the top.  Boaters beware – you need to make sure that the bottom lock is completely empty and the middle one only half full to ensure that you don’t end up with a flood!  The paddles of the middle lock are REALLY stiff!


The  Waterways Museum is SO well worth a visit.  It’s full of things to see, read and hear and is really well presented.  All the old photographs are amazing.  I find aspects of social history particularly fascinating.  In the foreground of the museum site is The Manchester Ship Canal and in the background, The Mersey.


Today:- we have been to Liverpool.  Check out:-  http://www.visitliverpool.com/   We thought it was about time we took a ferry across the Mersey!  We took a 30 minute train ride to Woodside Ferry Terminal and, as we approached the ticket office, saw a sign telling us that there were to be no ferries to Liverpool  today! What!  Why?  Because a Cruise Liner – the Queen Mary – was due to dock in Liverpool.  The ferries run regular River Explorer cruises which last for an hour but don’t dock everywhere so we did that and it was covered in the price of our day travel ticket.  LOTS of people were lining the banks both sides of the river waiting for the Queen Mary to arrive.  After our cruise, during which we had really good views of Liverpool’s waterfront, we joined the crowds and watched the ship come in being heralded by a fountain of water from an awaiting tug.  She is enormous!  The sun was shining and the Mersey so calm – what a result!
        
We then got back on the train, went to Liverpool via the tunnel and saw her again berthed by the Royal Liver Building.  That whole area is par of a Heritage Site, lovely and was full of tourists all doing much the same as us.  We saw where narrow boats can now moor in Salthouse Dock close to Albert Dock.  Unfortunately we weren’t able to walk around the Albert Dock area together as dogs were not allowed in.  We walked all around the Cavern area and the main shopping area and were glad for the sit down on the return train journey!
What we saw of Liverpool we liked.  It was heaving with visitors and people were all so friendly and ready to help with directions and general information.  The main areas were very clean and well kept.  I think it would be a good place for a city break as there are so many different things on offer to do.  Maybe one day we’ll get there in ‘Ellen’.
                            

All in all, what a nice way to mark the passing of another birthday – my **th!