A long haul into Birmingham

Friday 22^nd August; Hockley Heath to Birmingham

We made an early start today as it’s a long way to Birmingham from here.  At 8.10 it was chilly enough to be wearing gloves and a woolly hat, and then as I would be steering and having to stand still I changed from a short- to a long-sleeved t-shirt under my jumper and gilet.

Pleasant walking on the North Stratford

Dave and Jess were way ahead of me after a while, as there are long lines of moored boats to pass, first at Waring’s Green boatyard and then Lady Line, so they had quite a wait before I could pick them up later on.  After 3 hours’ cruising we met our first boat – not on the long stretches of wide canal, oh no.  We were both unsighted till almost the last minute but managed to avoid contact.

Blind bend, sight lines obscured by vegetation – of course we would meet a boat

By that time we had already come through Shirley Draw Bridge – as I wielded the key of power a car drove up, turned round and drove off – the road is a shortcut – and by the time I had lowered it I had caught five cars.  By late morning, it was warm in the sunshine and we had traversed Brandwood tunnel, which is just long enough to need the dog to be shut securely inside.  For tunnels less than 100 metres long she sits on the stern locker and I hold her collar, but for anything longer she has to be out of the way for everyone’s safety.  She doesn’t like tunnels – the darkness is one thing, but being shut inside the boat even with the lights on is just terrible!

Why, Mum?  Why can’t I come out?

After several attempts she has cracked the knack of sitting on the top step without falling off.  Our other dogs used to go to sleep on our bed, but Jess doesn’t want to miss a thing.  Once through the stop lock near King’s Norton junction, with its permanently open guillotine gates, we pulled in on the rings just after it for lunch.  Then we had to crack on into Birmingham, turning onto the Worcester and Birmingham at the junction.

Hey! Welcome to the Worcester and Birmingham

It is not a thrilling cruise on the way into the city, and it’s hard to find something new to photograph.  

First some flowers - amphibious bistort, Persicaria amphibia

And now a new photo of the railway enthusiast’s garden

We made a short stop at bridge 80 for a quick trip to Selly Oak Sainsbury’s, then it was the competition to be the first to spot the BT tower.

I won this time

There were lots of spaces to moor between the Mailbox ninety-degree bend and Gas Street Basin, but it’s often a wind-tunnel and there is too much footfall for us.  We moored as usual along the stretch opposite the Arena and Legoland, just as the 5 o’clock chimes from the musical clock sounded.  I found their location once though I've forgotten what it was, but they are not on the Edgbaston campus of the university, nor at New St station which is what Google insists I want.  I ordered a take-away from the Indian restaurant on Broad Street, and walked up to collect it.  The security staff were out in force keeping an eye on the hordes thronging the bars and restaurants of Brindley Place along the way.  Barajee is directly above Broad Street tunnel, and the road in front of it crosses what is now called Black Sabbath bridge.

A constant stream of fans and the curious is visiting the bench commemorating the band after the recent death of Ozzy Osborne.

The Sherborne Wharf trip boats had stopped passing soon after we moored, their place soon taken by the party boat - the first party had a large group of women singing along lustily to a popular record which may or may not have been by flavour of the moment Taylor Swift, and the second, much louder, was a mixed group dancing and yelling above the noise of the music.

Having fun

There was live music at the Distillery pub along the way too but surprisingly it was all quiet at bedtime.

15 miles, 8 hours, no locks, no manual lift bridges, Shirley Drawbridge, Brandwood, Edgbaston and Broad Street tunnels.