WE MOOR our boat at Snaygill on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, writes Joe Turner.
And have done for the past three years, living not too far away at Skipton, and your stories of the swing bridges on this canal prompt me to write, I might add for the very first time, as something that I do not usually do.
Not knowing what they were doing
But the bloody (if you can use that word, but it demands it) swing bridges are a menace. Just recently we had a few days off so took a little cruise up past Skipton to find Brewery Swing Bridge was not working and ringing CaRT was told it was being worked on, but there was nobody there and we were stuck for a day and half before we saw a soul, two in fact with neither knowing what they were doing.
We could have had a taxi back home but thought we had better stay as not knowing when it would be open having been told to watch stoppages notices!
Anyway we got through eventually and enjoyed our cruise as we were taking some of the family, then getting back to Brewery Swing Bridge to find it was not working again! (This time I know you will not include what I write.) (Sorry too much—Editor.)
Repair not lasting
Anyway, it proved what I said about them not knowing what they were doing, the repair not lasting.
Boaters also stuck told me they had been there for two days, so we secured the boat and rang for a taxi as we all had to get back.
This was not the first time alas, as having fairly long cruises our log shows we have been stopped by swing bridges five times in all, but speaking to fellow boaters have been told we were lucky as the mechanical swing bridges are always breaking down as the people they send to repair them don't know what they are doing, which I thought was true if the Brewery was anything to go by.
One thing for sure, we are getting off the Leeds & Liverpool, it's no fun.