Arnside

 

The majestic sweep of the coastline at Arnside, thankfully one of least over visted places in Westmoreland and the Lakes never fails to impress me as do the the shops that are not so overtly touristy.

You feel more as if you're visiting where other people live, enjoying their way of life rather than one centred just about visitors and there are few born and bred locals still about.

A touch of steam

 

Carnforth station isn't just an attractive railway station on the West Coast Mainline serving Scotland, the North West and Midlands but the home of a lovely hertitage railway centre where you can see various engines and carriages but from time to time see live steam that soften seems to have "soul" than current modes of traction.

Onwards to Malkins Bank

 

Continuing along the canal towards Wheelock we come to the small village of Malkins Bank most of the original houses of which were connected to the coming of the Trent & Mersey canal built in terraces while today it is mainly a dormitory village serving the town of Sandbach.

Some mainly diary farming takes place in surrounding fields.

Here we see the lockgates closed awaiting passing narrow boats

Continuing along

 

Continuing with Monday's theme, along the same canal we have the two main uses of canals today, those vacationing on their barges passing through  in this instance towards Wheelock near Sandbach while others take steady walks along the towpaths.

Whatever option you take it certainly can be relaxing.

Pastoral haunts

One area not that far away that I enjoy going to is Hassall Green just out of the sprawl of this area near Sandbach, Cheshire that you can access via the Salt Line , a former railway line I did play along as a boy that transported Brine Extracted Salt towards Stoke and the major ports of the North West of England.

This intresting church is St. Phillips which is actually a corrigated tin structure famously painted pink, erected as the village population grew and the Church of England didn't wish to lose followers to the Methodists who were massive in our area.

When we talked about the former railway being a way of transporting salt, so was the Trent & Mersey Canal of which Lock 59,shown here is a good example of the locks you encounter along this stretch that runs very close to that of the M6 Motorway linking the Midlands with the North West so really the whole area is a transport hub with trains along the Stoke-Nottingham line and from Crewe to Manchester (plus loads of places) completing the picture.

Resting points

 

Getting toward the end of the month and the annual break around North Lancashire and Westmorland where lush grass meets stone paths and streams where picnics may be held.

Making posts

Today we'll be doing things a bit different having been out this morning as the computer that wasn't working properly has been replaced by something a bit better

Naturally being a Chromebook I have to set up my account again which is quite straightforward as you sort out your Wifi connection first and then enter your account details which having comfirmed it is really you puts everything in place.

Well almost as I have transfer over some of my vintage pictures by hand that I had backed up and any photos get transferred straight from camera to Chromebook as needed.

It's a Chromebook Plus 14 inch model which means it comes with A.I. theykeyboard is backlight and has more Ram to help with very busy websites that can "gum up" your machine as you try to read them.

The modern cub uses technology for projects and generally keeping in touch and having a great quick to get going  machine really would help.