Glad you are enjoying yourself still!

Re Manchester...physically it is much nearer the West coast than it is the East...

However the water shed in this part of the UK does not run centrally north/south, but is off towards the east by a factor as you found out..The Calder eventually merges with other rivers and hit the sea on north east coast where as you needed to be going roughly North West to get to Blackpool!

Once you get out of the towns, the canals really do go through some lovely countryside...I've not been for many years, but I've an inkling to hire a barge and book a weeks holiday on the canals somewhere...



Men of Harlech[Linked Image]