We had left the Leigh branch of the Leeds and Liverpool canal and turned into the main Leeds and Liverpool. We headed for the next lock and the rain was getting quite heavy. Everything is a bit awkward being wide and the winding is high up and there are anti vandal locks on them to open up with a ” handcuff key” (though there are no handcuffs). On this one the anti-vandal locks have been vandalised! They were filed down. That made it a bit easier for me. The lock was nearly empty and I was looking in to see if it was ready to open when I thought I saw a dead rat floating in the water, a bit bloated. Then I thought the legs were moving. Were they were being moved by the flow of water, or was it swimming? It didn’t have a long tail like a rat… Then I saw a head come up and then submerge again. “Shane! I think there is a hedgehog in the lock!” Shane came to look then sprang into action – he got the gangplank off the roof and standing on the bow, tried to reach the hedgehog, but it was now in the far corner of the lock. He moved the boat forward in the lock and tried to get close enough. Eventually, he got the gangplank under the hedgehog, but only the front of the hedgehog was on it and it fell back unable to get its hind legs on, or unaware of was being rescued. This happened repeatedly with Shane calling entreatingly “Come on, Mr Hedgehog!” I was afraid Shane might slip and fall but he assured me he was stable. I thought if I pulled the bow rope I could bring the boat right into the corner and Shane threw it up to me and I pulled it over a bit. Shane got an idea that putting the rope under the gangplank, might help with the lifting. He directed the plank I pulled the rope to raise it gradually when he’d got it below the hedgehog. At last we got it. It was wet through and exhausted.