Latest News from Hulmes Ferry.
2019 2017 2016 2015
| 29th August, 2018. | Numbers Visibbility and Access |
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Its two thirds of the way through the season and we have reached 1200 passengers with only 2 months to go to better the 2000 target. I gather with the hot weather people have been heading for beaches and some are still having difficulty finding the ferry and crossing the A57 but the numbers are holding out. The numbers are important as they validate the existance of the service, the use of a motor boat as opposed to a rowing boat and gives us leverage against a reluctant council and reluctant canal owners Peel. So please keep using the service and telling others about it. Google appears to have misplaced the ferry on their maps. If you type 'hulmes ferry' it points to 85 Barton lane Patticroft but if you type 'Hulmes free ferry' it correctly places it at Boysnope. I have suggested an edit to Google. The Council owned Irlam Access path is still not visible, still unfinished and still has no signage. I will be writing to the Mayer of Salford in the hope that he can spare some change from his multi million pound gains made from selling us out to Peel Holdings, in order to finish the job off properly as he is obliged to do. Peel who have built the Trafford Centre and media city have announced that they suddenly cant supply floor paint which preserves whats left of the dilapidated jetties. It seems strange that such a good builder cant find paint and couldn't fix the leaking roof on their employees ferry house when they took over the canal in 1981 thus forcing him to abandon it. It is great that Peel are going to put life back into the canal, creating local jobs along the way and great that the local council will benefit financially from it but lets not forget that the canal was only allowed to exist subject to local peoples rights of way being honoured. | |||
| 3rd May, 2018. | The ferry is now open for 2018 and the new path is a success |
||
|
Thank you to all those who posted the 2018 ferry times on social media. We opened with a chilly start but still recorded 34 passengers which is a good start to the season. Early reports are that the path is a success amongst ferry users who in the past have had to endure an ancle deep drainage ditch to get to the ferry. One cyclist cycled the whole length of it.  The start of the new path appears to be adjacent to the crane hire entrance. The new path has been raised to prevent flooding from the crane yard outbuildings and peels warehouse embankment. It extends all thye way to boysnope jetty. However its hard to see its there from the road.Thank you to all who helped campaign for the new path. It is a great improvement on what we had. However it looks like the council ran out of money to finish it as:-- 1) You now have to walk down the crane hire road to get to the entrance. 2) The length of Path to the crane hire yard is unfinished, 3) Whilst lorry trailers have been removed the entrance is still obliterated by vehicals. 4) No parking places exist unless you ask Barton Sheds if you can use their car park. 5) Signs asked for over decade ago and promised over 2 years ago still havnot materialized. The council are obliged to provide these. 6) Crossing the A57 without traffic lights is still a majpr concern. 7) The ferry which is becoming a tourist attraction. for all intent purppses still remains hidden away. Hopefully the next ferry person will pick up the ball when I drop it. There is much left to do to get the access finished with a safe road crossing, adequate signage, entrance finished and car parking together with linked cycle paths as well as getting Peel to honour their obligation under the act of parliament to run the ferry 24/7 thus alowing people to use it to get to work. I personally have now an ambitious project to take care of in order to circumnavigate the globe in a small catamaran. So will have little time to continue the efforts to enhance the ferry service but these three years have been a blast! and I have been pleased to meet all of you that have used the service and who have ensured its continuation. | |||
| 18th January, 2018. | Work is well underway for the new 'Hulmes Bridge Ferry Way' |
||
|
Work begun on the new 'Hulmes Bridge Ferry Way' before christmas with a parrallel fence seperating our public right of way from the industrial estate. Whilst it is a bit ugly the path will no longer be obscured and obliterated with discarded lorry trailers.   Its a massive leap forwards by ( I assume )our Labour council under pressure from 2000 ferry users and public knowledge of the councils £10,000 windfall. Lets hope they raise the path level to prevent flooding as flooding has returned to the north end of the path.   Hopefully we will get traffic lights to make a safe crossing to the pathway and proper signs so people know the ferry exists and its location. Please continue to use this FREE ferry service in 2018. Its growing public usage that has spawned works to the access path and prevented further disintegration of this historic service on YOUR right of way. Maybe one day, if we show the demand exists. we will see a return to 24/7 365 day operation as it used to be and as specified by law, including disabled access. | |||
| 20th November, 2017. | The 2018 timetable has been agreed |
||
| See timetable for details | |||