Hi folks!

In September 2024, we will canoe from the west to the east coast of England along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal over 14 days to raise money for MIND and the British Heart Foundation.

This team page links our Hearts and Minds Canoe Challenge with the two charities that we are supporting. From this page you can access either or both linked pages and donate to one charity or both.

Mark and Charlie.

Please donate to help us to help others.

Day 1: Liverpool Water Sports Centre to the Blue Anchor, Aintree via The Albert Dock, The Liver Building, The Queen Mary 2, Bramley Moore Stadium (Everton) 13 miles. Thanks to Nikki and Carole (!!) for our free pint at The Cookson’s Bridge Pub and Lee for our complimentary evening meal at The Blue Anchor.

Fantastic send off from our very own Nikki and Carole, with Lizzy and Harry, Mike, Trish, Martin, Steve and Ali, and Phil of course. Special thanks to Paul and Rory for our amazing drone footage.

We went to places we shouldn’t really have been but what an amazing ‘grand depart’!

A big thank you to Mark at RTS Print and Copy Centre, Penny Lane for making our promo cards. Less than 24hrs and printed for free.

Day 2: Blue Anchor, Aintree to Saracen’s Head, Ormskirk (10 miles). Very different weather today … wet. Very. All day … but we loved it. Met some great people en route including an alligator!

With special thanks to social media hero, Mark for helping me link The British Heart Foundation and MIND to my FB.

Day 3: Saracen’s Head, Ormskirk to Appley Bridge (11 miles). Very different weather again today … lovely. Thank you to Joe, Paul and Sadie in the Ring O’Bells for our lovely lunch and to Shahna at Pesto for our amazing dinner although we were nearly dinner for a very hungry crocodile

Day 4: Appley Bridge to Malthouse Farm, Wheelton, Chorley (13 miles). Very mixed weather today starting with a major and prolonged downpour, some sun, more rain, and a challenging headwind for most of the day. Brilliant day on the water from 9am to 7.30pm!

We paddled under the M6 and we pushed and pulled the canoe up through Wigan’s 21 flight of locks: an arduous task with such a heavy boat. We also met seemingly impassable weeds but they were no match for us!

We helped Lorna’s barge in the wind and she kindly opened a gate for us. We met Mick and Lee, Estelle and Bernard, and Tracy and her dogs. Great to meet more lovely waterways people. We cleared lots of fishing line again and we saw seven more kingfishers today (8 in total).

Many thanks to Clare and Sharon at the Malthouse Farm for feeding us with great food.

Day 5: Malthouse Farm, Wheelton, Chorley to Rishton (13 miles). Very challenging weather today and we’ve loved it! We met more difficult weeds today but we managed! We saw ten more kingfishers today including in Blackburn Town Centre (18 in total). Many thanks to Calypso Dave and Tony and Nina for coffee and cake. Also thanks to Darren and Suzie in Rishton for welcoming Tony into their home to save him from a downpour as he looked after the canoe. Amazing support. Many thanks to Simon for driving from Derbyshire to cook our dinner. Amazing effort.

Day 6: Rishton to Reedley Marina (15 miles). Wonderful weather today … that we feel we deserved after what we’ve endured, so we made great progress without any wind. The Rishton swans that attacked us on our practice canoodle in July (video included), attacked us again! We don’t know what we’ve done to offend them either! 😬 More weeds today provided tough going at times and we collected more fishing line from the bushes! We saw five more kingfishers including one in Burnley Town Centre (23 in total). Many thanks to The Prairie for our tea and Carla at Reedley Marina for accommodating us today and tomorrow morning.

Day 7: Reedley Marina to Greenberfield Top Lock (10.5 miles). Cold and misty start.

We crossed from Lancashire into Yorkshire relatively unscathed and paddled on through the “mile long” Foulridge Tunnel. We

passed the halfway point on our journey to Goole too! Thank you to Aaron for the coffee this morning;Colin for taking some amazing photos and videos;Giovanni at Fabello’s for our delicious lunch (the canoe was much heavier afterwards); and Amy for her kindness in giving us a free night’s stay at the picturesque Shay Gate Campsite.

Day 8: Greenberfield top lock to Bradley, Skipton (13.5 miles). Great canoodling weather today. We sailed under a double- arched bridge at East Marton Keith and Pete paddled with us and we were ambushed by Steve and Martin who contributed to the chaos on the water.

We met up with Jay and Tracey in Skipton and also kidnapped Caroline who had been quietly walking along the towpath. King Neptune (Andy from the Canal and Rivers Trust)also appeared!100 Mike marker passed!Many thanks to Carol from The Railway, Skipton for a lovely meal and Richard and Leslie at Draughton Heights Camp Site for our free night’s stay.

Day 9 Low Bradley ( Keighley) to Saltaire 13.5 miles Passed the Polish War Memorial, commemorating the loss of 7 Polish airmen on a training mission with the RAF from Silloth Airbase, Cumbria in September 1943; and stopped at the Canalside Cafe in Kildwickwhere we were treated to a delicious meal by owner Louise. Wemet Arnold (who joined us in the canoe) andHarry and Anne who brought homemade ginger biscuits which kept us all going. We were laterjoined in the canoe by Andy and Gail and then by Az and Mushtaq. We also negotiated Bingley Five Rise.The highlight of the day was a video call with our own hero, Hudson.

Thank you to Sally at Clarion Lodge Campsite for your generosity in donating a free night’s accommodation for us all; and Phil for a magnificent dinner created from meagre ingredients! 👌🏻

Day 10 Hirst Lock to Leeds Industrial Museum 12 miles.We paddled past the magnificent Salt’s Mill; through post industrial Yorkshire, where we finally managed to photograph one of 35 kingfishers we’ve seen so far on the adventure. We were joined by Pip and Seamus who paddled with us for a while. Phil fed us royally at our lunchtime van stop.

We ended at Leeds Industrial Museum in the urban outskirts of the city. A big thanks to Maria at The George and Dragon (Bradford) for donating a delicious evening meal and Sarah at The Highfield Hotel, Idle for donating a night’s accommodation. A fine, sunny day. ☀️

Day 11. Leeds Industrial Museum to Lemonroyd Marina 12 miles. Paddled through urban Leeds city, the dock and onto the Aire and Calder Navigation. Paddled past graffiti and under the M1

juxtaposed with the wildlife of Yorkshire. Met more wonderful people who shared their own stories of mental health and heart related challenges. Thanks to Jana at Hilton Double Tree Leeds Granary Wharf for a warm and friendly welcome and for donating dinner, bed and breakfast for us; and to Dale at Lemonroyd Marina for looking after our canoe overnight. A lovely day.

Day 12 The penultimate day. Lemonroyd Marina to South Yorkshire Boat Club 15 miles. Paddled along the River Aire and Aire and Calder Navigation (which both seemed endless.Passed a sunken narrowboat; witnessed a mink with its kill; got stuck on top of a lock; and got a bit lost as we seemed to pass under Sydney Harbour Bridge! A relentless, gruelling day with the wind against us but still smiling (as always).

Thanks to Wendy, Andrew andJamie at South Yorkshire Boat Club for the warm welcome and a complementary campsite for the night.

Final Day

Day 13, South Yorkshire Boat Club to Goole Marina 12 miles, our final day on the water. Along the straight and featureless Aire and Calder navigation against a headwind. Under the M18 on our way to Goole. Passed some huge ships. Tired, but elated at the finish point. An exciting odyssey into the unknown. Thank you to everyone for your supportive messages, generous donations and for turning up to take part and cheer us on. We could not have accomplished this adventure or raised so much for two worthy charities without you. Cheers!