The Curse of the Demon Electric …..

Here we go again but let’s look on the bright side!  It was on our last day in Liverpool that our electrical shoreline went ‘Kaput’!  Every time we plugged it in, it tripped out.  If this had happened on our 1st day in Liverpool ……… well, let’s not even think about that one coz it didn’t!  Another thing needing to get fixed, however.  We spent last weekend moored near the haunting remains of the shaft headgear of the Astley Green Colliery.  At one time there were dozens of collieries in this area – this one was the last to close in 1970.  It is now a small mining museum.



Dave, the manager of Bridgewater Marina, had a look at our electrics on the Monday morning and put us in touch with a liveaboard electrician who arranged to meet up with us outside The Trafford Centre!  Result!!  OMG!  What a place!  So posh!  So huge!  So easy to spend your money!!  Sandra and I had a good helping on Monday afternoon and then went back for seconds on Tuesday!  Not wanting to be too over-whelmed by temptation, John and Ken didn’t even get as far as the entrance!
As promised, Roger the electrician arrived and it didn’t take him long to assess the situation.  As is usual ……… a new part is needed.  However, the necessary replacement part was soon sitting on a back shelf in Midland Chandlers at Preston Brook awaiting collection by us.  We have now done that and the plan is for Roger to meet us when we are down on The Weaver to get things back in order.
Yesterday we spent all day having a good wander around the nature reserve at Moore.  What a lovely little reserve.  Not so little actually – there are 12 hides in total all over-looking different types of habitat.  Throughout the year a programme of free events is organised – birds, bats, insects, fungi, trees, wild flowers and grasses – nothing is forsaken.  What a lovely resource to have on your doorstep. 


In order to reach the reserve we had to cross The Manchester Ship Canal at Moore Swing Bridge.  When we went to see this on the journey up we decided that, as there is now so little freight movement on the canal, it would be highly unlikely to see the bridge in operation.  WELL!  At 10am on our way to the reserve a large ship from Ireland had to pass through.

AND ……..

On our way back at 3pm’ish a very large ship from The Isle of Man was heading south.

How amazing was that!

                            
Today, this is the view from our galley window:-


It’s where the breach happened last year.


“Ellen” and “Kesandra” are snuggling up to each other!








On a personal note – no 75 is no longer in the Blake family.  It was sold today.  Almost 60 years of personal memories and another 14 of inherited memories will, for me, always be there.  I’m sad and emotional today because, I suppose, not only is it the end of an era but yet another tie with my mum, dad and brother has been broken.  It just has to be.