Exploring the Canal

Today was another lovely day as we decided to take a walk down the local canal. The canal is quite popular in our area, especially at weekends and holidays like today, when the children are off school.

Visitors to the canal can pay to go on the canal boat 'Madeline' which was built by a local school. Passengers can even take turns in steering the boat.

One of the benefits of walking, cycling, or jogging beside a canal is the lack of hills! This makes it accessible for everyone. The flat terrain is perfect for a steady pace to enjoy the scenery without too much effort.

The lovely named Bladder Campion! I can remember all the kids at school popping the balloon shaped plant.

The signs of summer are the foxglove. It looks nice but can make you ill as it is a poisonous plant, but the bees love its nectar. I can remember as a child watching the bees popping in and out of the bell-shaped flowers.

The oxeye daisy is another flower that is quite common here, usually found on the roadside, grass verges, fields, and wasteland. The blooms are said to be so bright that they 'glow' in the evening, so get nicknamed, 'moonpenny' or 'pennymoon' to name but a few.

The canal has been lovingly restored by staff and volunteers. I'm pleased that people are showing their appreciation by using it.