[L]ife on a narrowboat proved to be a lot of fun for five 1st Crosscrake Girl Guides, two Guides from Barrow and three Leaders. For their long weekend on the “Spirit of Guiding”, they had intended to travel on the Rochdale Canal. Unfortunately the dry weather meant that there was insufficient water to fill the canal locks and the canal was closed. Instead, the Guides learned how to steer the boat and operate the 10 locks on the Calder and Hebble Navigation.
Making knots and traditional rope work, encounters with inquisitive swans and their cygnets, buying provisions and picking blackberries, writing diaries and decorating mugs all featured during the weekend, whilst one of the highlights of the trip was an exploration of the Cromwell Bottom nature reserve where the girls looked for kingfishers.
Guide leader Mary Shaw praised her charges for their resilience, particularly when things didn’t turn out quite as planned. She said that: “The girls loved being on the canal where they enjoyed the countryside. The best thing was working the locks where the girls turned into an amazing team.“
