Into the marina

Monday 23^rd October; Hanbury junction to Droitwich Spa marina

Rain wasn’t forecast, so we did more packing and set off at 9.30, intending to arrive at the marina as the office opened.

Rounding the junction

As I started preparing the first lock, Ben the volunteer arrived, nice and early.  He had driven in across the Severn at Holt Fleet and said the river there is really high.  We are so glad we hadn’t decided to come back to Droitwich that way!  We would have had to turn round before we got to Stourport and come all the way back to Aldersley junction, probably arriving at Shortwood tunnel after the tree had come down.  At the time of writing (31^st October), there is still no news on when the canal will re-open after the tree and landslide have been cleared.

At least the Salwarpe has gone down now

As is usual at the Hanbury locks I used the steps to get back on board below the bottom before we turned into the marina and straight onto the wharf.

Thanks Ben

We filled up with diesel and did a pumpout before moving round to our berth, which is conveniently close to the shower block and parking.  There seemed to be much more to do than in previous years – I can’t think why that should be.  Dave had to spend some time washing the boat sides nearer the stern where the wet and gritty centre lines had left a muddy mess.  And as the starboard side didn’t get washed earlier in the trip he did the whole of that side, which was next to the pontoon.

Winter berth

It was mid-afternoon before we left for home.  The flooded Avon was easily visible from the M5, with the spire of Bredon church on its hill identifying the shot.

A bit fuzzy at 70 mph

Half a mile and 3 locks.

 

I see that the Toll House at King’s Norton is now available to rent at £1800 per month.

 

Trip stats

59 miles, 5 furlongs of narrow canals with 81 narrow locks.  Tividale aqueduct and 7 tunnels; Wolverhampton (109 yards), Coseley (360 yards), Galton (122 yards), Edgbaston (105 yards), Wast Hill (2726 yards), Shortwood (614 yards) and Tardebigge (580 yards) – a total of 2 miles, 5 furlongs underground (Canalplan).

Canals; Trent and Mersey, Staffs and Worcester, BCN (Main Line, Wolverhampton Level, Gower branch), Worcester and Birmingham, Droitwich Junction.

Car collection day

Sunday 22^nd October; Astwood bottom lock to Hanbury Junction.

Just a short cruise today, as Dave went to fetch the car.  We were awake early, and were on the move well before 9.  On our way to the junction we saw our first flock of winter thrushes (redwings and/or fieldfares from Scandinavia or Russia).  This year’s crop of berries for them is pretty good.

Red sky and mist at 7.30

By 9.20 Dave was on his way to Droitwich station.  After sorting out the bow locker where we store kindling and logs, laying the fire and turning off the fridge to defrost it, I took Meg out for her walk, past the Hadzor permanent moorings as far as bridge 32.  On the way back to the boat I collected an armful of ash twigs which will dry off in the cratch over winter and I hope will be ready for spring fires.

Taken by accident as I was trying not to drop my ash twigs in the mud

I was trying to get my camera out as there was a kingfisher flitting about up and down the moorings, but of course it had disappeared by the time I was ready with my camera!  Once back at the boat, I got on with the end-of-season tasks in the galley such as packing up half-used jars and packets and anything else that could be damaged by damp over the winter.  While cleaning out the cupboard above the cooker, I twigged why it is so awkward to use - we have to put cups etc in carefully so they don’t tip over.

Shouldn't there be a floor to cover the cables and battens?

NSM, the firm that did the original fit-out, hadn’t quite finished the job!  There should be a floor to the cupboard.  Another little job for Dave, though not before we go home.  We actually met the guy who did the fit-out earlier in the trip – he called out from the towpath.  He was very pleased to see us and we were very polite.  Although the fit-out is very good in many respects, there are several short-cuts we wish he hadn’t taken, but we didn’t mention them of course – what would be the point after so many years?  Dave did mention the mismatch between the well deck fitting and the inlet to the water tank, and the need for care to avoid flooding the cabin bilge – and at least we now know the kind of hose that will be needed.  But getting the work done needs some careful planning as we don’t live close to the marina.  

The towpath was busy on and off with walkers and groups of cyclists.

Dave was back by 2.30, luckily before the afternoon's rain.  He changed trains in Birmingham at Smethwick station, whose platforms sit on a bridge high above the main line, though you can’t see anything of the canal from up there.  He recognised a lot of spots on the canal as he travelled north to Stafford.  during the afternoon we did more bits and pieces of tidying and cleaning before we went for a meal at the Eagle and Sun at about 6.  For a carvery only an hour from closing it wasn’t bad at all, though some of the veg were a bit tepid.

1½ miles

 

And finally the sun came out

Saturday 21^st October; Tardebigge (above lock 33) to below Astwood flight

This morning as it got light everything looked yellowy brown under the clouds.  There had been so much run-off from the fields over the last few days that the water reminded us of the Trent & Mersey north of Harecastle tunnel.

We were away about 9, and in about an hour were leaving the bottom lock.  There is a stoppage here over winter to replace the very dodgy bottom gates.  But as the lock is a listed structure, permission has to be obtained first.

I seem to remember the balance beams have been different lengths for at least a year, maybe much longer.  The box repair on the offside looks as though that is rotting too.

In a sorry state

It wasn’t raining, but with the lock gates all still soaking wet I had to keep my full wet weathers on to keep my clothes dry.  Stoke top lock has a bandage affair on the bottom offside gate, but it’s not listed in the stoppages this winter.

The grass along the Stoke flight is quite long and the bottom edges of my wet weathers, then my trousers, and then my socks, became drenched and then the inside of my shoes which are normally pretty waterproof.  I think I need new waterproof trousers.  At Stoke Bottom lock there were two delightful lockies to work us through and I took the opportunity to dispose of rubbish and recycling.

We moored on the Stoke Works visitor moorings at about 11.30.  The housing estate built on the tatty old industrial waste land has been finished for a while now, but the towpath is still wet and muddy.  This would be a much better place to improve the towpath than some of the spots which have been recently done!  I got changed into dry trousers, socks and shoes (then had to pick my way round the muddy bits) for the 15 minute walk to the shop in Ryebank Lane – we have nearly run out of milk.  And I got the paper too.  There are several mature sweet chestnut trees on the way, and this year the crop has been excellent – I filled two pockets full of nice fat nuts. 

I had left Dave mopping out the engine hole and he was still at it when I got back, so I put the Eberspacher on for an hour to dry my working clothes and a couple of towels.  I am sick of everything being so damp!  It didn’t help that I left one side of the cratch cover slightly open yesterday evening when it was raining.  I got a faceful of water when I eventually closed it - it went down my neck and soaked half the well deck too.  Anyway, we had lunch and after topping up the water tank (not fully – we will be winterising in a day or two) – we carried on towards Astwood locks.  Dry at last, so we didn’t need any waterproofs!  And the sun came out!  A boat was coming up the flight too, the first we have met at a lock since the other side of Penkridge.  It was Ollie Owl, the electric hire boat out of Droitwich Spa, off to wind at Stoke bottom lock.  Her sister boat Arthur Owl is unfortunately still in Alvechurch, having had to reverse all the way back from Shortwood tunnel after the tree fell yesterday morning.  After Ollie Owl had gone, the flight was quiet, so Dave seized the mop and got the worst of the bird poo and mud splashes off both sides of the boat while we were in the lock.

Taking advantage of two good edges

The lock cottage at the second to bottom lock usually has some lovely flowers to be seen.  These hollyhocks are still flowering beautifully.  My mum always used to say that summer isn’t over till the top hollyhock flowers are open.

Still summer? Hmm ...

The gnomes are standing guard along the path but are looking rather faded now.  We moored in lovely sunshine below the bottom lock.  Between us we washed, rinsed and dried the port side and then Dave washed the roof which desperately needed doing.  I went inside to do some cleaning, then when I went to see if Dave wated a cup of tea he was halfway through polishing the port side.  It was so nice to be able to light the fire later, and for once not have to arrange damp clothing to dry out.

11 locks, 3 miles

How lucky to be descending Tardebigge on such a wet day!

Friday 20^th October; Tardebigge top pound to above lock 33

Yes, very lucky indeed, as you will see!  It had rained heavily all night, and this morning when I took Meg out I needed wellies as the towpath was flooded.  A boat had arrived behind us as darkness fell last night, and they left in the rain to tackle the rest of the flight at about 9.30.  They were followed a little while later by a Black Prince, probably on its way back to base at Stoke Pound.  The forecast said the likelihood of rain would be decreasing towards 11, and would be drier this afternoon, so we set off at about 10.30.

A bit less flooded now

It was soon raining again, but at least it wasn’t cold!  A few locks down I had got warm enough to be taking off one of my fleeces under the shelter of a tree, when I saw a CRT lady walking down.  No windlass though?  Sadly, one wouldn’t be needed.  She had padlocked the top gates, as the flight had been closed because of the risk of flooding lower down.  Please would we moor up?  Well, we were emptying lock 55 and as 54 was already full we went into 54 and tied up to the steps to stop us drifting out again.  We had been going a mere 38 minutes.  We peeled off our waterproofs, had coffee and read.  The soft tops of my shoes were wet from the standing water and the drips from my waterproof trousers, so my socks were wet too.

I don't know what the curved gate-opening path is called, but you couldn't see the bricks where you brace your feet.

We had coffee and read.  After a while I got togged up again – it was still raining, though not heavily - and took Meg for a walk to see how far the other boats had got.  There was no sign of them - they had got well past the reservoir anyway, which they should have done with an hour’s head start on us. 

 

Reservoir still looks a bit low

On the way back I met a CRT chap with a rake checking the bywashes and culverts.  There would be an update on the stoppage at 2 o’clock, but there wouldn’t be many people behind us, if any – a tree had come down at the end of Shortwood tunnel and brought a landslide with it.  It had been reported by a boater (who turned out to be this morning's Black Prince) who had only just passed the spot – if he had been just a few minutes later .... it doesn't bear thinking about.  So we were glad we hadn't stayed in Birmingham for an extra day.   We had lunch, with the rain coming and going.  At one point I thought I heard a boat engine, but when I looked it turned out to be the bywash thundering past.

Looking more like a weir than a bywash

 

 

We checked the stoppage notice at 2 as directed.  It had vanished, so off we went again.  It was mostly not raining, though ‘dry’ wasn’t exactly accurate either.  We had a slightly modified splitting of the work, as everything was so wet and we had to have safety even more in mind than usual, but it worked pretty well.  My sports watch told me I had walked about 10 miles today - as I was walking 2 locks ahead to raise a paddle (and then 2 locks back to close up after Dave had come down) it wasn’t surprising.  I’d worn shorts this afternoon as it was so mild, though I didn’t quite get down to shirtsleeves!  But with the skies still grey and cloud very low, the light was going before we were anywhere near the bottom.   

Setting sun gilds the cratch

We soon realised it would be dark before we reached the bottom of the flight - far too dangerous for locking!  So we moored on the armco in the slightly longer pound 5 locks up, leaving a bit of slack in the ropes in case of a change in the water level.  The original plan had been to eat in the Queen’s Head, but we couldn't book a table until we knew we'd get down the flight.  When we finally phoned we found there would be no tables till after 8 unless we sat outside in the marquee.  So, with a dark, wet and muddy towpath to get there as well, we opted to stay in and had one of Dave’s specialities - beef stroganoff - instead.  Yum!

The bywashes debouch* below the bottom gates

 2 miles, 24 locks

*This word popped into my head and I couldn't think of another one so I looked it up to be sure I wasn't inventing it.  I wasn't, it means emerge, and one of its specific uses is for a river or stream.  But I had to use my old dictionary - you have to pay to use the OED online, and the American websites gave me 'debauch' instead!

Wet tunnel, dry tunnel, wet air, damp air

Thursday 19^th October; King’s Norton to Tardebigge top pound

In spite of the torrents of rain all night we slept well.  There was no wind to speak of and we weren’t under trees to drip on us.  It stopped raining before we left, so Meg got another good walk in the park.  Dave stuck to the paths, as the grass had standing water on it.  It was gone 10 when we left, in dry weather, though Wast Hills tunnel was extremely wet.  We met two boats in the tunnel and could see another apparently waiting at the entrance.  He must have been there for 15 minutes or more and anxiously asked if anyone was behind us.  Was he a first timer?  Had his headlamp failed?  Did he think it was a narrow tunnel?  Who knows.

We started to see small areas of floating pennywort as we neared Lower Bittell reservoir.  I have never noticed it here before.  We have been this way so many times there is little new to photograph, until the bridge a little way further along. 

This has appeared since we were last this way

We moored just before the Crown Meadow arm for lunch.  This was our final mooring with Chuffed before she went on brokerage at Alvechurch marina, and I seem to remember what I thought was a clump of water-lilies on the far side.  It may have been pennywort!  Look at it now.

Wretched invader

It started raining just after we finished mooring.  Should we continue to Tardebigge after lunch?  It will probably rain this afternoon and tomorrow’s forecast is pretty poor.  We opted to move on, and maybe we shouldn’t have.  It was ok till we reached the marina, when the rain started, lightly at first.  No boats on the move now.  It was that light but very steady rain, relentless.  Every now and then we could see a patch of blue sky, but not enough to make a pair of trousers and the rain didn’t stop.  At least Shortwood and Tardebigge tunnels were dry.  A share boat had just come out of the top lock, the crew cheerful now they’d got all the work out of the way.  We moored in the long pound below the top lock, choosing the most open area.  As we tied up, an ABC hire boat came along heading for the top lock, returning to base at Alvechurch.  They must have done most of the flight in the rain.  The was one sodden crew member on the bank, two on the boat, and not a waterproof to be seen.  How can you go on an outdoor holiday in this country and not even take a brolly?  Another hire boat was right behind them, the steerer paddling in bare feet and rolling his trousers up as he passed.  At least it’s not cold today.   Sadly the pennywort has made it through the tunnels and down the first lock.  There have been so many small pieces in the water that we wondered if the weed boat had been through. 

Tardebigge church tower from 2015

Our level of data on the wi-fi contract is quite low now, as the website won’t let us get extra for some reason.  It updates on Saturday.  The phone signal here is too weak to get online, so we are saving our data for checking the weather in the morning.  Will we do the rest of the flight tomorrow or not?  We’ll see.

8¾ miles; Wast Hills, Shortwood and Tardebigge tunnels; Tardebigge top lock.

**At the time I wrote this I was still unable to add pictures to the blog.  It seems to be fixed now, after the Mozilla Support Forum came up with an answer.  There may be other issues though, to do with trackers, so I won't post the details yet. 

Avoiding the rain

Wednesday 18^th October; Birmingham to King’s Norton

Dave considered whether to go and move the car today, as we’re near the stations.  We looked at the forecast and thought of where we would want to be the next few nights, and then decided driving down the M6 from Stafford to Droitwich in today's likely weather would not be ideal!  So the car stays at Great Haywood for a few days yet.  Meanwhile there was activity on the water.

Dave had to do a double-take as this noble, muscular, tattooed form sailed into view apparently without support!  The Urban Litter Boat was out of sight below the window.

 

Two less godlike figures at the stern

We needed to buy supplies, and decided we would at least get as far as Sainsbury’s in Selly Oak, so I quickly walked Meg to the turn by the Sea Life centre to dispose of some aluminium cans in the recycling bin.  At the turn CRT have painted their message on the steps down from Ed’s Diner.

The two boats moored opposite had just gone, but with no locks planned for today we weren’t bothered that we might be following them.  Mike (Alchemy) must have already left to get his car.

The run down to the Mailbox was surprisingly not windy, even the bit near the far end where the cross-winds can be fierce.  It was even calm as we turned the corner and started the run down through Edgbaston.  It wasn’t particularly cold, and the forecast rain didn’t materialise either.  The wind was getting up though, and the basin area that has been constructed at Selly Oak was really catching it.  But we made it through the bridge without incident, and moored up for a quick trip to Sainsbury’s.

It was lunchtime when we got back to the boat, and the rain was just starting.  We decided to eat and see what the weather would do.  We are under trees here, but if it was belting down after lunch, we would stay put till later.  But it wasn’t, it was still very light, so we put the full gear on, got the brolly out, and set off again.  It was a good decision – although there was a short spell of heavier rain, it was mostly either light or had stopped.  Past Bournville we went, with its Cadbury Purple paint on the station, though sadly without the wonderful aroma of chocolate today, and on to King’s Norton junction.  The toll house restoration seems to be complete, with the brickwork and paintwork all clean, new windows (heavily barred on the ground floor) and the garden now cleared, laid to lawn and with an ugly security fence.

High security

I wonder how it will be used?  There is no road access, unless the temporary bridge across the stream for the renovation works is made permanent.  At present this part is still fenced off.

We picked a mooring spot at King’s Norton with rings, and without overhanging trees.  Meg’s nose had been whiffling furiously from several hundred yards before the junction bridge, so as it was still not raining we took her for a play in the park.  She loves it here.

More ball throwing please Dad

We were back well before the rain eventually started at getting on for 6.  It was horrible outside for the rest of the evening and we were glad to be tucked up nice and warm  (though someone - not me! - did of course have to take Meg out at bedtime.)

5½ miles, Edgbaston tunnel 

 

 

Into Birmingham

Tuesday 17^th October; Coseley to Birmingham centre

Last night I didn't get around to posting yesterday's blog, which is annoying as I was doing quite well in keeping up posting on the day things actually happened.  Oh well, only one day late!  Or so I thought, it's more than a week now, because Google/blogger is refusing to let me access my images to add photos to the text, unless I accept cookies - but even after allowing it, nothing happens.  We were running low on data and the supplier's software is refusing to process our request for extra, so I had to go back to tethering the phone - which is often slow and drops out, so research will have to wait.  Back at home, after trying all sorts of things using Firefox help, I finally resorted to a formal request to Firefox and have been given more things to try.  It seems to be working now - but whether it will still work tomorrow is another matter!

I also stopped being able to comment on some of the blogs unless I logged into Google, which I finally sorted out too - when I find the bit of paper I wrote it all down on, I'll add it to a post in case anyone else needs the info.

We slept in a bit this morning after yesterday’s exertions and didn’t leave till nearly 10.

Hurry up with that photo, we are ready to leave!

The sky was bright and the sun doing its best to emerge as we continued on the Wolverhampton Level at Factory Junction.  We prefer its more varied course to that of the Main Line, and hoped to see some nice fish in its clear waters.  But there were two problems with that – the ripples caused by the wind made it difficult to see anything, and then there was the duckweed ….  but nothing to hold us up.

A heron takes off from a pipe bridge

We saw another pair of little grebe, along with many coot and moorhen, but after a while the weed got worse and the wildfowl fewer.  Still only floating weed and nothing to trouble the prop, but the duckweed had been joined by azolla (the invasive fairy fern) which gave an unattractive dull colour to the canal.

Closing in quickly behind us

The sun was shining in a blue sky but we were cruising into the wind which was very cold.  We got rather fed up with the weed so decided to go down the Gower Branch to see if the Main Line was any better.  It didn’t take long to go down the Brades Hall staircase.  By the the single lock below the staircase is this amazing building.

The Shri Venkateswara Balaji Hindu Temple

I looked on the web to find out what it was.  It is one of the largest functioning Hindu temples in Europe.  The building work between it and the canal appears to be for enlarging their premises – they do a lot of charitable work in the community and according to comments the free meals for those who need it are delicious and much appreciated.  Currently they seem to be using a large marquee.  There were still patches of azolla below the locks but the main line looked to be clear apart from a bit of duckweed.

Leaving the Gower Branch

It was jolly cold in the shady bits – we were lower than the Wolverhampton Level, maybe we should have stayed up there in the sunshine!  But then we would have missed seeing – and hearing - a gentleman practicing a very loud wind instrument.  It sounded like bagpipes from a long way away, but more like a loud and piercing clarinet as he got closer.  It was clearly not a European instrument, but I couldn’t identify it.  We stopped for lunch on the rings at the pumping station and I took Meg for a short walk up the steps to the old line.

Smethwick pumping station on the Wolverhampton Level

Dave took her out after we’d eaten, back to the Galton tunnel (the one that is concrete lined and not very attractive) and climbed the slope above it (because it was there).  Nothing of interest to be reported.  By 2 o’clock, the sun was just dipping below the treetops, so we cracked on into Birmingham.

Subbuteo figures, with spray cans at the ready on their bases!

Last year’s maybe?  All good fun

We moored at our usual place opposite the Arena car park as the chiming clock struck 3.  Dave took Meg for a walk to the park but found travellers in residence (with dogs) so that wasn’t as good as usual.  I went for a (shorter) walk too, crossing the canal on Sheepcote St bridge.

A little patch of sun for the solar panels

I thought I would have a browse round the Round House, but it’s closed on Tuesdays, so I walked back on the other side of the canal.  We’ve noted the lovely planting that has been going on here in the last few years – now the fruit trees are growing well and there are plenty of flowers even this late in the year.

I noticed that Alchemy was just mooring up a few boats down from us, so crossed the bridge for a quick hello with Mike.  They missed several weeks cruising when they picked up a tyre in the Slough Arm which wrecked their prop shaft and prop.  Luckily RCR sorted them out with a tow to a boatyard for repairs, but it left them with a lot of locks, miles and long days to get back to Droitwich for the winter.  Then as I returned to Bonjour I was approached by a couple of chaps wanting to know what it cost to live on a boat – and at first thought what we paid a couple of years ago would have been for a new boat.  I think they need to do a lot more research.  In particular they asked where would I want to be if the canal froze over.  They seemed quite surprised I thought proximity to water and an elsan point would be important – couldn’t you just tip it in the canal?!  In the end I suggested they look for an older boat with a lot of stuff on the roof, who could probably give them a much better idea than I could of the practicalities of life aboard.

I left Dave lighting the fire and setting up the TV to watch the England v Italy match tonight, and walked round to Barajee’s on Broad Street for a takeaway.  Rather than have a coffee while I waited, I wanted to see whether all the changes to the pedestrianised bit in front of the library had been completed.  The tramlines are all finished and operating, though as I walked through Symphony Court I noticed the middle was still largely fenced off – an ice rink is on its way, probably just for the winter season.  Then down I went past the museum and art gallery to the top of New Street – directly now, whereas for years there were diversions and underpasses all over the place and we kept getting lost.

The Golden Boys sculpture – Boulton, Murdoch and Watt

I’m sure that sculpture used to be the other side of Broad Street.  Everywhere seemed to be full of people walking on their way to an evening out, and all the new buildings seemed to consist of shiny new places to eat, or upmarket glass and steel office blocks.

We usually stay a couple of days in Birmingham, but this time we’re not so sure.  All the places we like to visit are closed for refurbishment, and the shows are either sold out (Ade Edmonson) or not our thing (Frank Sinatra – the musical).  We’re not sure what we’ll do this time.  The forecast isn’t too good tomorrow.

3 locks, 10 miles, Galton tunnel