Down the 'Rochdale Nine'

The morning after Polar came back to the boat, it was time to leave our moorings in Piccadilly Village and travel right through the heart of Manchester to the Bridgewater Canal. 

This sounded very exciting but we bears were rather worried when Grizzly explained we had nine very big double locks ahead of us, which are the last of the Rochdale Canal, which runs right across the Pennines.  He said they often have lots of water flowing through them which floods over the back gates when you try to empty them, and some have funny gate opening gear with chains and pulleys, so we were relieved that he had found another boat who could share with us, with a kind and friendly couple, called Mrs Jackie and Mr Steve, on board, and a small dog called Dexter. 

We were also very lucky that a nice man called Mr Ian, who volunteers with the Canal and River Trust, came to meet us as we reached the first lock.  He had his bicycle with him, so he could get ahead of our boats and start opening locks for us.

We bears sat in the cratch, where we could see what was happening but were safely out of the way.  After the first lock, we disappeared under the road, very near Manchester Piccadilly station.  It looks very interesting in Polar's picture, but it was very smelly and nasty.  Somehow, we managed to lose Mrs Jackie near here and although Polar went back to search for her, she couldn't find her anywhere!

Because there isn't any way on to the towpath for quite a long way. Mr Ian and Polar had to work the next locks without her.  We were all very pleased when she found us again, especially Mr Steve.

We met some boats coming up, which was good because it meant the locks would all be full up ready for us.  I think they might have been full anyway, however, because there is so much water pouring down this canal.

The Rochdale Canal goes through some well-known areas of Manchester, including Canal Street, and there is a huge amount of work going on to make it nicer and safer for people to use.  We were very glad we had Mr Ian with us because, at the moment, there are several sections where the towpath doesn't join up and you have to get back on your boat to get from one lock to the next.

Looking out as we came through one lock, we saw a huge glass tower rising up right beside the canal.  We bears had never seen such tall buildings so close up! 

Hanley Bear said we were very close to where we had gone on the trams and trains a few days earlier.  He pointed out the railway arches around Deansgate as we went underneath them.

There was even more water pouring down the canal now.  When we got to the very last lock, Mr Ian opened the paddles at both ends to let some water drain out of the pound, so we could get Uppie and Willoughby through the very last lock and out into the Castlefield Basin.

 After all their hard work steering and working the locks, the humans went for a drink, while we bears had little naps. Polar and Grizzly had told us there was still a lot to see and do in Manchester and they were right.

We had a very exciting afternoon ahead of us, at the Museum of Science and Industry, which I will tell you all about in my next post.

Train Rides with Grizzly

While we were moored in Manchester, Polar had to go home to work and to water the greenhouse plants.  We bears stayed with Grizzly and spent two exciting days travelling on trains, old and new.

On the first day, Grizzly took us all to Blackpool.  This was so he could travel along a new section of electrified railway, from Manchester to Bolton and Preston, and not to go to the beach or go on rollercoasters, although we did see Blackpool Tower.

 

There were trams in Blackpool as well, but we didn't get to ride on them.  Grizzly said we would come again, with Polar, and have a proper day out here. 

Soon, we were back on the trains.  Grizzly managed to get a quick look inside the cab of a Class 319 electric, which he told us was the first type of electric unit to run through the Channel Tunnel.

One of the places we stopped at on the way back to Manchester was Wigan, which has two stations.  Hanley Bear was pleased to visit because he remembered when Wigan beat Man City in the FA Cup fifth round in 2018, as he had been cheering for them.

Grizzly decided we would take the train from Wigan over to Liverpool, through St Helen's, as that was another recently electrified line.  He got a photograph of us with two famous Liverpudlians at Lime Street Station and promised to bring us back for a proper visit to the city.

The next day, we caught the tram to Bury for a day out on the East Lancashire Railway.  Here we are with the driver of a Standard Class 4 steam locomotive.  It was too hot in the cab for bears!

Grizzly found us a table in the buffet and bought a bottle of beer for us to share with him, because we were thirsty bears.

 

We had the bubbles on the top and Grizzly drank the actual beer, and we all enjoyed looking at the old stations and rugged countryside the line runs through.

Before we got off the train, we went to say thank you to the staff in the buffet car who had looked after us.  We think the people who volunteer on steam railways are marvellous and do an excellent job.

Hanley wanted to see the locomotive again, so Grizzly took him up to meet the fireman.  He was very kind and careful not to get coal dust on Hanley's fur or clothes.  Grizzly told us that Polar's dad used to drive engines like this one.

After our train journey, we went back to Manchester by tram and helped Grizzly to do some shopping, and made sure there was a nice tea waiting for Polar when she got back to the boat.  She gave us all hugs and told us how pleased she was that we had enjoyed ourselves and been good bears for Grizzly, then tucked us up for the night as we were in for another busy day in the morning. 

A Grand Day Out by Tram

Having reached the centre of Manchester, via the eighteen locks of the Ashton Canal, and moored in Piccadilly Village, the next day it was time to explore.  Grizzly said it would save all our paws a lot of wear and walking if we used the trams.

We bears had never been on a tram before and we didn't know whether we would like it but a very kind driver showed us that if we sat right at the front, we could look out through his cab and get an excellent view.  The trams whizzed along very quickly and smoothly, like little trains, but often ran along lines in the road in between the other traffic.  We thought they were marvellous.

Polar and Grizzly had bought all day travelcards so we could go anywhere we wanted, although small bears don't need tickets at all.  The first place we visited, at Hanley's request, was Manchester City's football ground, which we had seen from the canal on our way in.

 Hanley was rather sad that he couldn't have a tour because they were getting ready for a rock concert there that evening, but he was glad he had seen it.

'Stoke City will be playing here again soon!' he said confidently, as we left. 'Maybe Grizzly will take me to an away game here?'

From the stadium, we travelled right through the heart of Manchester.  The tram got busy with lots of people travelling for work, to do shopping or for a day out, like us.  Polar pointed out the Castlefield Basin, where the Bridgewater Canal came into the city and the huge Manchester Ship Canal.  

Our tram went to Salford Quays and Media City, where there are television studios and the Lowry Theatre and art gallery.  Polar and Grizzly decided to go in for a cup of tea.  They had to have their bags checked - imagine how surprised the security man was to see us all looking up at him!

While our humans had their cup of tea, we had a run around the corridors of the theatre, which were quiet as there wasn't a show on just then.  We saw a poster for Michael Rosen's famous book about silly people trying to catch a bear, which was now a stage show.

'I wonder if they've cast the bear yet?' I said to Hanley and Endon.  We all practised growling and snarling, just in case the producer was around looking for this most important member of the cast, but nobody saw our audition.

Our next destination was Old Trafford, Manchester United's ground.  We walked over a bridge that can be raised to let big boats underneath, and Grizzly pointed out a strange-shaped building that is the Imperial War Museum North. 

On the way, we saw where they were building another tram route, which will go past the football stadium and right out to the Trafford Centre.

'There will be over a hundred tram stops when that's been built!' gasped Endon.  'We'll have to come again and visit them all.'

'We can come back when Stoke City play Man U,' Hanley Bear said cheerfully, sure that it would be soon.   

When Hanley Bear had finished looking around outside Old Trafford, we jumped back in our bear bag and Polar carried us towards the next tram stop, which was next to the cricket ground also called Old Trafford.  

There was a Cricket World Cup game happening, between Afghanistan and England.  While we posed with a huge model of the cup, Grizzly made friends with some of the Afghan supporters.

Our next tram took us a long way out of the City Centre to Manchester Airport.  Manchester has a tramline and a railway line right in to one of the terminal buildings, which must be very useful for people going on holiday who don't want to take their cars.

 Grizzly and Polar hoped there would be a café where we could sit and watch the planes but there isn't.  We had to go up to the top of the car park to see them!  We bears have never flown anywhere.  We don't know if we would like flying but we would probably have to try it, if we wanted to visit our online bear friends in America or Australia.  

After our plane-spotting adventure, it was time to get the tram back into the city centre.  It was nearly teatime and lots of people were making their way home from work or out for the evening, so there were extra trams running.  Sometimes we were really close to the tram in front of us!

We went through to Manchester Victoria railway station, which is an interesting mixture of new structures and Victorian architecture.  I found a great big bee statue and learned that the bee is the symbol of the City of Manchester.

Meanwhile, Polar and Grizzly had found we could have dinner in the old station restaurant, which had a big glass dome in the roof and lots of fancy tiles on the walls.

'I bet those were made in Stoke!' said Hanley.

As we were thirsty bears, Grizzly let us have a very small sip of beer with our dinner, then it was time to set off again. 

We had a short walk so Grizzly and Polar could show Hanley where the National Football Museum was.  He was very sad that it was closed and asked if we could visit the next day.

'Not tomorrow, little mate,' said Grizzly.  'Polar has to go home to work and I'm going to take you all out for a day on the train.'

Our day on the trams wasn't quite over as we still had to make our way back to the stop at New Islington, travelling with all the Metallica fans going to the rock concert.  We thought it might be a noisy night at our mooring in Piccadilly Village but it was nice and quiet and we all slept very soundly indeed after such a busy day.