"Its not the leaving of Liverpool............"

A Renaissance .....Liverpool waterfront from Canning dock.                    All images strictly author copyright.

"Its not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me......." 
as the song goes........but the rubbish. First few miles out of  Liverpool is possibly the worst example of dumped rubbish that we have experienced during our travels on the canal system in the U.K.


Innumerable plastic bags grabbing at the prop' - large pieces of wood, sheets of hard plastic, three
floating LPG gas bottles in as many yards, supermarket trolleys, and under one bridge half a dozen road-cones waiting to foul the prop'   These are not helped by the extensive natural hazard of banks of weeds on each side.......I paint not a pretty pictured.

Liverpool together with Canal and River Trust has gone a very, very, long way to welcome narrowboats and indeed Liverpool welcomes visitors from all over the world...... In my experience Liverpool local authority seem to go to great lengths to keep the streets clean, but are certainly not helped by the 'somebody else will pick it up' mentality to litter dumping.

In regard to to the Leeds and Liverpool canal ( just the few miles near Liverpool centre are affected ) especially these days of  Canal and River Trust's successful volunteer campaign, it would not be difficult for Liverpool Council and CRT to join in partnership to provide funding for a boat to collect the very worse of the rubbish perhaps once a month.

Leaving of Liverpool - assisted passage boats return towards Aintree.

This is the second time we have brought the boat to Liverpool via the 'link' and would recommend it to anybody.  Liverpool waterfront is experiencing a fantastic renaissance and a thoroughly welcoming and interesting place to visit.  A great experience spoiled by the first impressions of visiting  boat crews on the canal approach to Liverpool.  

Boat crews returning from the Liverpool Link negotiate Stanley locks.