Does anybody remember this ex RAF Comet on Pomona Dock Manchester and the ship called Westward Ho. You could see it over the wall on your left as you went down Ordsall Lane. 
Blind Bob:
Cargills in Trafford Park have just sourced a large consignment of grain from France, so there will be regular traffic at the top end of the canal for the next few months mostly carried by Arklow shipping vessels. Also regular weekly imports of cement to Weaste (Premier Cement part of the Tarmac Group) from Limerick. Scrap metal export from Eccles EMR berth usually monthly. Port Salford on what was the Irlam Steel wharf sees a twice weekly container shuttle from Liverpool. Peel Ports advertised plan is to develop the upper reaches of the canal again to reduce road traffic, but there are regular problems with the swing bridges and locks due to lack of maintenance which regularly cause delays to shipping.When I started driving in the early seventies for JB Carriers of Salford, much of our work was loading goods directly from conventional cargo ships at Manchester Docks from all over the world.Timber. tobacco, copper, newsprint were just some of our regular loads. By 1984 all gone, containerisation and bigger ships spelt the end for the upper reaches. Just coasters now with the docks media City and posh waterside flats
If you want to try a different experience on the North West waterways, have a look at a trip in the Daniel Adamson a fully restored 1903 coal fired steam tug/tender which was used by the MSC until 1984 to take VIPs on tours of the canal and dock system. (Not biased but I am a member of the crew!)
Check it out on the the website thedanny.co.uk/
Blind Bob
Good information from Blind Bob. Daniel Adamson was the driving force and “founding father” of the construction of the Ship canel.