Delays along the Birmingham & Fazeley

Thursday 3^rd October; Curdworth lock 9 to Star City

The sun was out and the sky a brilliant blue when we set off, earlier than usual at 8.30. 

Low sun as Bonjour approaches lock 7

We would have been earlier still, but two ABC hire boats passed just before we were ready, so it made sense to let them get ahead.  I think next time we do the Curdworth flight we will stop at the bottom or up in the village.  The M42 was rather noisy last night, enough to be annoying.  The first couple of locks were against us, but then the first of three boats which had moored at the village appeared, so things got easier.

So lovely to see the sunshine, even though it is bl**dy cold

We thought we’d take on water below the top lock but couldn’t find the right hose connector it needed, so we had to move on (though the connector turned up later).  Curdworth tunnel may be short but it’s quite spooky – the roof is festooned with spiders’ webs.  We were quickly up the bottom Minworth lock.  We remember this lock well, as one year, following an overnight gale, the prop picked up a child’s paddling pool  – it must have blown out of someone’s garden – and it took ages to get it off.

Minworth bottom lock.  Too late in the year to find any conkers from the tree the other side of the bridge

At the second lock, the bottom gate wouldn’t open fully, and Bonjour got stuck.  Another boat had arrived to come down, and even with their crew – a fit-looking man – helping, we couldn’t push the gate any further open.  Eventually Dave managed to reverse out, and there was nothing for it but to partially fill the lock and empty it again to see if anything was dislodged.  This time the gate opened a bit wider and we were ok.  We took on water below Minworth top lock, by which time the weather had really warmed up and it was a beautiful day.

We moored on the bollards at Butler’s bridge for lunch, and by the time I had been to Lidl for a few things time was getting on.  We had hoped to get as far as the moorings by Aston university, above the Ashted flight, but with setting off this morning later than intended, the delay at the first water point and then getting stuck, not to mention needing to go shopping, that was no longer a realistic aim.

Under the factory

Echo from the past

Star City is on the Grand Union canal, the final stretch which leads from Bordesley junction to Salford junction with the B & F.  It’s a tight turn so I had time to look around while Dave did all the work.  The canals here are all overshadowed by the M6 and the various other roads of Spaghetti junction.

Spaghetti Junction  R & C Williams

There’s a river running beneath the canal too.  Perhaps it held the original Trout Pool back in the day.

I wonder how much life is in it now

The pontoon at Star City was empty when we moored.  We were joined later by Dragonheart which had reversed up from the junction.  They had come round the Curly Wurly (Wyrley and Essington) from Wolverhampton and been put off by the abuse they had received from youths, then hampered by the weed as they came down the Rushall flight.  They reversed up from the junction so they are pointing the right way to leave early in the morning.  They will go back to the junction and take the other branch, the final bit of the Birmingham and Fazeley, to go up the Aston locks and then the Farmer’s Bridge flight up to the Sea Life centre and Arena moorings.  We may or may not see them tomorrow.  The internet signal is very patchy here – it’s fine for a while, then the signal goes.  So there wasn't a blog posted from our Star City mooring.

10 locks, 8 miles, Curdworth tunnel