Burnley

I visited Burnley yesterday with Gone and Rookie.

Not knowing anything about the place we arrived and were meant to meet up with a friend but missed him. Not wasting a journey, we did a quick recce, avoided the scores of teenage mothers in McDonalds, donned waders and got into the River Brun.

There are three main culverted sections in the town centre. The furthest upstream we named "Treasure" owing to the huge amount of junk in it - a walkie talkie, a toy gun, two vacuum cleaners, a fridge door, a phone, a hubcap from a Mini, a wheel from a Mini, a car battery, part of an old style number plate (methinks a Mini was given a Viking burial a long time ago in Burnley).

Rookie in the treasure trove...

There are two rivers in Burnley, the Brun and the Calder. Both are diverted through the town by old stone grips which, judging from the style, must be from the early 19th century. Incredible how they're still working, practically unchanged today.

Downstream from Treasure we found a scuba mask and snorkel. Gone didn't take much convincing to get it on...

Further still downstream is a more modern twin tunnel concrete culvert.

After this we got to the roof of a nearby multi-storey car park after closing time. If you're reading this, NCP, get more vandal grease.

We then got to the roof of the Charter Walk shopping centre. Something my friend from Burnley said he hadn't done since he was drunk at 15.

One from Rookie...

If you're reading this Charter Walk shopping centre, get better security!