Coal Mining

The canal is still closed although the river water level continues to drop, more slowly than before. By the end of today we are convinced that it can only be about 9 inches above normal water level for the canal - but still no sign of amber on the marker board. Careful comparison of photos over the past two hours suggests that it fell another couple of inches. Hopefully tomorrow will bring better news especially as more heavy rain is forecast for the weekend. If we do not get away in the next 48 hours, it will be a very long stay. If we can go via the Leeds and Liverpool, that is is now our preferred option but does involve navigating the River Aire as well as the River Calder, before reaching Leeds.After that would be on canal only.

We decided not to waste the day and took the bus into Wakefield. After consulting the helpful Tourist Information Centre, we opted for the National Coalmining Museum, just outside the city at Overton. It was a 25 minute bus ride away.

FREE ADMISSION was not the only attraction! (but it helped!) Even the underground tour was included in the admisssion ticket price! Although it was not always easy to decode the foreign accent (Yorkshire mining!) it was still a worthwhile experience and a chance to see what working condiitons were once like - despite modern Health and Safety regulations which mean that we could only have a taste of what it must have really been like.

It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon and evening by the time we returned to the boat so (were it not for the background concern about now soon we can get away from here) it was no hardship to sit and read for a couple of hours and to walk around the nearby water nature park.