Still unseasonal

Sunday 13^th November; Oddingley to Commandery

Apart from owls hooting from the woods, it was a quiet night – at least until some time after 5, when someone hooted their horn – boat? train? car? - followed by a large-sounding engine which drove over the bridge and the level crossing, tooting again as it did so.  The people in the big house by the church driving off to some airport? Who knows.

There was thick mist at first light, but by the time I surfaced at 7 it had mostly cleared and the sky was blue.  We were preparing to leave at about 9 when a passing runner warned of a low pound near the bottom of the Offerton flight.  We pottered along in the sunshine, though the wind in our faces was chilly.  As we got closer to Tibberton we could see a man with his dog scrambling up a bank which was surprising as there were perfectly good paths to use – then we saw the reason.

These swans and their cygnet were taking their ease on the towpath.  The cob had been standing in the middle of the path with his wings in the classic threat pose, so the chap had had to take his dog on a detour round behind them, with a scramble to get back up to the towpath. 

We passed under the M5, and were approaching the top lock when Dave spotted a CRT chap.  He and his colleague had arrived before 7 and had been running water down – slowly and gently, only raising paddles a little.  We asked if this was a regular thing – just since this summer, he said.  The pound affected is between the second and third locks from the bottom of the flight.  We were cleared to go down, and they went off to Tardebigge which they also look after.

A couple of the locks had one of the top paddles out of action.  CRT doesn’t call things ‘broken’ any more – instead they are ‘undergoing repair’.

I think it means broken

At the bottom lock we walked down to have a look at the training pitches of Sixways stadium.  They were deserted, though we would have expected junior matches to be going on at the weekend.  Were they empty because Worcester Rugby Club has gone into administration?

By now my feet were soaking wet.  Although they are better than trainers when the grass is wet, my old walking shoes have lost most of the waterproofing they once had.  No point in changing yet though – we had to get down Tolladine and Blackpole locks first.  The offside steps below Tolladine are not in the best condition – I could get my fist into the crack on the left.

We moored up at bridge 17 (Perdiswell Park) at midday.  I set off for Sainsbury’s with my trolley and Dave did more painting work on the cratch front.  We had lunch when I got back, then continued towards Worcester.  At Bilford Top Lock, local volunteers were returning from working on locks lower down and warned us that paint might not be ‘quite dry’ on lock 5, Gregory’s Mill bottom lock.  They were right.  I was very careful operating the ground paddles, where the paintwork was gleaming in the sun.

The paint on the top beam was still a little tacky, as I found out when I tentatively touched it, but luckily the gate could be opened just by using the metal loop at the end.  But it wasn’t until a lady pointed out my trousers that I realised I must have brushed against the top beam when crossing back to open the gate.

Still, as they are an ancient pair of walking trousers now relegated to boating and gardening, I’m not too bothered.  It was still warm as we left that lock, but the sun was dropping behind the trees and buildings as we reached Blockhouse lock, the last for today.  I was waiting for the levels to equalise when there was a mighty splash, and I looked up to see Dave hauling Meg out of the water onto the lock landing.  She had been walking along the edge, which is brick with a curved profile, and just slipped in.  The water level here is only a couple of inches below the towpath so it was easy to get her out.  So there was a slight delay while she got dried, and we were mooring at the Commandery as the cathedral clock struck 4.

Meg was none the worse for her ducking, so Dave took her off to Fort Royal Park for a game of ball.

6 miles, 13 locks