A brief canal experience and we go looking for Wham!!

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We are starting to count down the days in Settle and we still have a few things to do to tick off our list.So today being beautifully fine and with warm temperatures promised we are going to return to Skipton and take a canal cruise to give us a taste of what life on the canal is like.
We couldn't recall what exactly was on offer from when we were in Skipton for their market day last Saturday but we did recall there were at least two companies offering trips on the canal.
We made it to Skipton just before 10am as thought that the trips would probably go on the hour.
There were two trips offered,one,a half hour jaunt up behind Skipton castle departing at 10.30am and another which didn't leave until midday but was an hour long ride.The latter one would have given us what we had hoped for but we opted for the earlier,shorter one as we had other things to do that weren't in Skipton and it would have meant waiting around for a couple of hours for the trip to start.
There were only two other takers for the short canal ride on the small narrow boat.One thing we must say is that these craft are very manouveable and it was amazing to watch the skipper get the boat out of the line of canal boats lined up and away up the canal.
The trip took us up a blind canal that had been built about 400 years ago to bring materials for building the castle and its outbuildings from a quarry.The canal was only about 7 foot deep although this is about the same depth as the main canal that runs between Leeds and Liverpool passing through Skipton.
Nowdays the canal is purely for the pleasure narrow boats and no trade is undertaken.The cost of hiring one of these canal boats for the week is fairly expensive but it would be a great experience.All of what you need is contained on the boat and you can live your life just gliding along through the countryside at a few miles per hour with your only impediment the occasional lock to take you with the rise or fall of the canal.
Our half hour was all over too quickly and after a quick call into Tescos for supplies top up we were back on the road heading home.
However on the way we stopped at Hellifield,a village about 6 miles from Settle to have a look over their railway station which had some smart architecture.
The station had two long platforms and a substanial building most of which was now being used as a cafe.Much of the platform area was covered by a large glass roof more like the type of stations found in a larger town or city making the Hellifield Station that much more unique for its location.
Last Sunday when we were returning from our day out in Liverpool we had passed through Wigglesworth and noticed a rather grand looking pub and decided that we would give it a try for a ploughmans lunch(if they served it) and a couple of pints.From there we also planned to take in the location of Wham more for the odd name rather than anything we had read that was special to see there.
Well we were foiled on both accounts!!First the pub was being redecorated and was closed for business an we weren't the only ones turning up to find it in this state as 2 other cars pulled in and left while we were plotting our course for Wham which was in the vicinity.
Wham is recorded on Stan's book of maps,which has been our bible for touring the English countryside,although the road was an unnumbered one.
The road would also lead us home to Settle according to the map.So off we set not sure just what we would find at Wham.
Road signs warned of "gates" and that didn't fully register at first until the road narrowed considerably turning into little more than a sealed country lane with passing bays.....another "Noddy" road!!!
The map indicated Wham was situated as the road turned towards Settle but after having to open and close a couple of gates to allow Gretchen to drive on we decided whatever there had been to Wham no longer exisited.We can only deduce that the one farmhouse we passed in the area Wham appears on the map must relate to the name although there was no sign showing it.
So with two disapointments in a row we tried for our third idea and that was to have lunch at the other pub in Giggleswick.
This time we were in luck although there was no ploughmens on the menu.Instead we had nachos and a couple of pints.Seems a strange mix for an English countryside pub.!!
Then it was home to prepare for dinner with cousin Ian and Chris.It had been great catching up with them when Eric and Rhona were here and then again when we went walking with them last week.Chris had to be in Settle to audition for the local reportary production of My Fair Lady that would be staged in about 3 months time.So it was an ideal time to cook dinner for them and chat away with Ian while Chris went off to her audition.
After dinner we spent another couple of hours talking away about the family background and we might now be a bit closer to finding out where my grandfather is buried in Scotland although the proof of this will be known once we get to Edinburgh and can check up the records at the reference library.
So at the end of the day we have been able to check off another couple of things on our list and be satisfied what we have been able to achieve.
Tomorrow however was to be a lenghty car trip to the east coast on the trail of Captain James Cook RN.

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