Valentine's and Hannah's Day

Lord, I love a canal. I can never quite put my finger on why, although I think it's something to do with a crossover between nature and engineering. It's not just the waterways but also the paths, and bridges, the run-offs and turning places.

And I love the paces where the canals terminated or boats made their stops along the way. Castlefield Locks in Manchester is a favourite place of mine, and it's a regret that Canal Head in Kendal is very unlikely to ever be restored. In these places, I love the moorings and the warehouses, and features like this, a repair berth, which is to be found just off the main road in Hebden Bridge.

I was standing here waiting for Hannah, whose mum had insisted on dropping her off 'on the way home' despite the fact it was nothing of the sort, which was lovely of her.

We had lunch at Vocation & Co, which joins the surprising number of great places we've visited to eat and drink in the town, and that provided an excellent venue to celebrate Hannah's birthday. She's such good company, and she and the Minx get on very well, so we had a wonderful time.

After that, we drove back to Manchester, where the Minx and I went to see 'Death On The Nile' at the Everyman, which rose even higher in my estimation as they offered a complimentary glass of prosecco at the door and a tub of large chocolate buttons during the film. Happy Valentine's Day!

The film was very good, by the way, and after that we joined Hannah and her friends for the tail end of her birthday drinks.