Ship Canal trippers left marooned

Forty-nine luckless Saddleworth travellers were left all at sea on a day’s outing.

Members and friends of Saddleworth Civic Trust travelled by coach to Liverpool’s Pier Head for a return sail on the Royal Iris to Salford Quays via the Manchester Ship Canal.

Initially, the trip was delayed for nearly an hour entering the ship canal at Eastham because of three outgoing freighters.

But troubles really started when the ship came to a complete standstill near the newly-built footbridge at the Lowry centre.

Charles Baumann, the Trust’s programme secretary and organiser, said: “We were told because of the bridge problems we could not go any further

“The footbridge could not be raised and engineers were being sent it. They said that on a trip two weeks earlier, the bridge could not be raised and, like us, they were marooned.

“We waited about an hour,” he said. “Then we were informed we would be disembarking on a dis-used site close to the Imperial War Museum.

“However, gates to this site were locked and so we were delayed again until a health and safety inspector arrived to unlock them.

“The coach then had to be brought from Salford Quays coach park to collect us.” Mr Baumann, who has been programme secretary for four years, added: “It’s amazing the Manchester Ship Canal, with all its old locks and bridges still functions after 120 years and yet a comparatively new footbridge caused so much trouble.

“But, in spite of all the delays ad problems which lasted nearly three hours, everyone had a good time.”