Rather wet

Friday 21^st April; Bumblehole to Birmingham

We awoke to steady rain.  It was so cold we ran the Eberspacher for an hour – we hadn’t needed a fire last night so the boat had got really cold.  At least we got the towels dry, including Meg’s as she was drenched after her morning walk. The rain eased a bit, and after checking the weather forecast – periods of lighter rain - we left at about 10.15 in cold and damp conditions but we thought the tunnel might be a bit drier!

The damp approach to Netherton tunnel

As the rain stopped me taking many photos later on, here’s another one looking back at the lovely iron bridges.

We were through the tunnel in about half an hour.  A double-width tunnel with a high roof, and towpaths both sides (although one side is fenced to keep people off), it’s one of the easiest tunnels to go through.  Water was pouring down the air vents, and the rest of it was pretty wet in places, including the towpath, and we definitely needed our waterproofs.  From then on the weather varied from very wet to quite dry with many variations in between.  So we managed a coffee or two, and some snacks, but there was little to note for hours.  We didn’t see a boat moving till we got much closer to Birmingham.  At Bromford Junction there was a boat moored, nb Senior Moment. 

Senior Moment tucked in below Spon Lane locks

I took the photo because we went up these little-used locks a few years ago on our way to visit the Engine Arm facilities.  We knew they were little-used because the water in and just below the bottom lock was stagnant, and the boat became surrounded by black evil-smelling swirls of water.  It was raining as we passed under the M5, so there was only one photo to be taken.

I didn’t bother with snapping the aqueduct where the old Main Line crosses the new – I’ve taken photos before, but it’s not terribly interesting unless someone is crossing it at the time.  Through the Galton tunnel we went

And under the Engine Arm.

A little while later we saw the first of the few boats on the move today – a lone boater taking her friends out for a ride, hovering as we passed so she could make the turn into the Soho loop.  By now it had started to rain quite heavily.  As we approached the city centre moorings, a trip boat approached, with about 10 passengers sheltering under the clear covers while they listened to a talk.  We moored in our usual spot, just past Sheepcote Street bridge, as the musical clock chimed one o’clock.  We enjoyed a leisurely lunch while the rain pelted down.  We ran the Eber for an hour to dry gloves etc, then the rain stopped and the sun came out.  Dave took Meg to the park to play ball.  The trip boat went by several more times, people looking happier now the sun was out.

We had thought we might eat out tonight, but had forgotten it was Friday and Brindleyplace was heaving.  So we ate on board instead and went for a beer afterwards.  The Distillery at the Roundhouse doesn’t ‘really do bitter’ but offered us Battersea Brewery Light Ale instead, which was quite nice but would have been better on a hot afternoon sitting in a beer garden.

8 miles, Netherton tunnel, a lot of rain