Chilly

Mallard ducks lined up alongside the canal basin in Skipton.  They were fluffed up because of the cold and looked a bit sleepy.  I think we should all be able to hibernate in this weather.

Skipton Canal basin

I think I've mentioned before that the Leeds-Liverpool Canal has a branch off it, in the centre of Skipton.  Called the Springs Branch, it was built in 1797 to transport lime from quarries.  Now it's a sleepy but pretty little backwater.  Where it joins the main canal it provides a spacious basin, where boats can turn.  It's always a busy spot and has a boat shop and chandlery where people can pick up supplies.  Several of the boats moored there were obviously in use and had stoves going full blast.  I like the way the smoke from their chimneys caught the low sunshine.  The Cray is one of Pennine Cruisers' hire boats, and the small boat behind that is, I think, Leo - the one that does short pleasure cruises up the branch behind Skipton Castle.  Beyond that is one of the big barges that were the original working boats on this canal.

Baa...rmy!

I visited Skipton again recently and found it overrun by sheep.  'Flock to Skipton' is an art trail of 26 decorated Dales sheep, scattered throughout the town, with the aim of attracting visitors and celebrating this Dales town's long association with the woolly wonders.  The sheep sculptures have been painted by local artists, schools and community groups.  As you can see, there are some colourful and interesting designs, linking in to Skipton's heritage and landmarks in unique ways.

There has been a rash of such projects in various towns - I think it all started with 'Superlambananas' in Liverpool in 2008.  It's a fun way of injecting some extra colour and interest into the town.  I wonder if we'd do this in Saltaire?  There is a story that the lions outside the Victoria Hall roam the village at night! - so perhaps we could have lions.  The Skipton flock is in town until 19 December.  I suppose then they'll be put out to grass!

Leo

Whilst I was in Skipton, I met up with some friends and we had a walk along the Springs Canal. This is a short branch attached to the main Leeds-Liverpool canal. It was built in 1797 by Lord Thanet, who lived in Skipton Castle, in order that limestone from the Yorkshire Dales could be brought down by a tramway to load onto barges. It's a quiet, pretty little canal these days (a far cry, I imagine, from its noisy heyday as a working canal). The path goes right behind the walls of Skipton Castle and then on up into Skipton Woods, which is a lovely green oasis full of birds and wildlife.

The narrowboat Leo, in my photo, does regular short trips up the Springs Branch and back to the canal basin - for £3 you can spend a very pleasant half hour watching the world drift past. The boatman is a neighbour of my friends - cue for a certain amount of waving and banter as the boat slid by!

Living next door to Alice

Time flies by - it seems only minutes since I went to the Canal Festival in Skipton but actually it was three weeks ago! Held every year, the three-day Festival is a colourful event, as narrowboats congregate in the canal basin from all over the place. They are all decorated up with flags, flowers and lights and make a cheerful sight. There are various stalls and sideshows, and live music playing most of the day. I haven't stopped singing "Living next door to Alice" since then! Some of you may remember that catchy little song from 1976. It was a hit for Smokie, a local Bradford band. I haven't figured out how to put sound on my blog but click on the Youtube video if you must... (Oh, do check out those amazing flares!) I don't think it was Smokie playing in Skipton, but someone doing a cover version - pretty good though!