Setting out

The Trent and Mersey Canal near Rugely

Virgin Express disturbs our peace for a few seconds

We had a good trip driving round the notorious M25 even though there was an accident in the fast lane. We drove by before the police closed the road to move the cars onto the hard shoulder. Paul filled the boat with water ready for us to cruise but didn’t shut the front doors first. The pressure from the water surprised him, the hose leapt out of the mouth of the tank and sprayed inside the boat soaking me, the sofa and cushions. Thank goodness it was a lovely sunny day as we soon dried out. It was a lovely afternoon for cruising, so nice not to be wearing a jumper today. The Trent and Mersey canal was tranquil, swans, ducks and bird song. We rounded a corner and the canal squeezed between the road and railway. The cars blared down the road and an ambulance squealed by siren blaring.

At the same time trains passed each other on the nearby embankment. Within five minutes we turned away from the railway the road headed away and it was peaceful again, just us, birds singing, lambs and blossom drifting down from the trees like fine snow.

this is how it should be

After unhelpful weather we were half a day from our new base. the weather is glorious but we had to go back to celebrate Mum's birthday.
After an hour we moored up and washed the boat, a pleasant occupation on a sunny day. Lottie Lurcher flopped on the bank enjoying her freedom until she spotted a cat strolling along the towpath. She sped up to it at full gallop but the cat stood its ground and braced itself for impact. Poor Lottie stopped dead, and looked at the cat as if to say you're no fun, you are supposed to run. Saddened she returned to me and received a treat as compensation while the cat strolled nearer and settled down to wash itself. what a tease.
Later we cruised along to a new friend who lives next to the canal, his unique oak boat at the bottom of his garden. Lottie played with his whippet Amber while we enjoyed relaxing in his garden.

As soon as we set out a hire boater pulled out in front of us. it was just as well we were not in a hurry. The boat had several changes of tiller man each worse than the first. It  was amazing how they scraped the boat round each corner but it did make fascinating cruising. Many hire boaters are excellent at cornering and going through bridge holes but these were the worst I've seen in a long time. Eventually we moored up less than an hour from base.

Next morning we cruised to the marina where Nick and Amanda the resident swans showed off their cygnets. By 11.30 we had packed the car and set out for home. The motorways were kind today, no holdups so we reached home in just over 3 hours.

Lazy cruise back to base

Rocky overhangs make the canal narrow

We tackled the Stourton 4 locks leisurely but were still back at the junction with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal within an hour.

 

Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal

Paul promptly moored up for a leisurely brew. We set off slowly along this beautiful canal so we could enjoy the views. We stopped early and the sun shone all evening.


We had a cold start the next day. We moored up for a break and to warm up inside. Then we worked through the Bratch flight, which is both unusual and attractive. The bridges were also pretty. 



The Bratch 1of 3 linked locks

Waiting to ascend The Bratch

After lunch we moved on. It was slightly warmer but I found myself waiting for the sun to peep through the clouds to warm me up even though I had 4 layers of clothing to keep me warm. It’s more like March than May.


We found a lovely mooring but were disturbed by a pair of ducks which crash landed on our roof. They waddled up and down and sounded as if they were a pair of emus. It was the first time ducks have tried out our roof but we don’t really want clodhopping neighbours upstairs.

Noisy neighbours settled on the towpath

Next morning was sunny but turned cloudy quickly and got windy. It turned cold then it rained. Within an hour it had turned to sleet. No wonder the British are obsessed with the weather.

Beyond the Netherton Tunnel

 

Cruised through the Netherton Tunnel. Nothing came through towards us. No boat ramming us like in Blissworth Tunnel. it was all very tame. the other side of the hill was so different from Birmingham, seemingly peaceful and rustic, yet the Dudley canal was pronounced unsuitable for overnight mooring apart from Merryhill. I guess that's when all the Zombies come out to play.

At the bottom of Delph 8

We should have stopped there but carried on through the super deep Delph locks, speeded on our way by a local canal enthusiast called John. Thanks John, 8 locks in 80 minutes, that's flying for a crew of 2. We were not so lucky at the next flight of 16 locks a couple of miles further on. the locks took ages to fill and the gates were very heavy due to the deep locks. We dropped 145 feet in 1.3 miles and eventually moored up after 8.00 exhausted.

Cruising through Birmingham

Mooring in Central Birmingham

After converting the extra bed back into sofas and feeding the crew we set off across Birmingham. Sarah-Lou took loads of photos of the young geese but the morning grew colder and colder. The wind got stronger and everyone scuttled inside leaving Paul to steer into the wind which felt as if it had come from the arctic.





On the New Main Line


I took over so he could warm up and it was freezing. I was wearing a jumper, fleece, coat, leggings under my trousers, fleecy boots woolly hat and gloves IN MAY. I must have looked a right sight.

Tram and Trolleybus


Paul took the executive decision to turn down the Gower branch to get out of the head wind. it worked and we were sheltered at the bottom of the flight. It was interesting working the staircase locks as they were the only ones on the BCN.

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Steam Engine in front of the shops



Back in Birmingham

Gas Street Basin 

The sun battled out as we approached Dudley and we had a super visit to the Black Country Museum where they have made a village showing how we used to live









Many of the houses and shops were dismantled and brought to the museum and then reconstructed so it was fascinating to look round.










Next day we had a sunny and warm trip back to Birmingham via the old Wolverhampton line. After Sarah-Lou and Russ caught their train I spent the afternoon painting illustrations for my picture story book The Disappearing Pet.

Cruising through Birmingham

Lock gate and raised paddle

The race is on to meet my daughter and her husband in Birmingham. We have driven to Kings Bromley taking 3 hours, loaded the boat and set out on a 3 day journey into Birmingham which we passed on our way to the boat. After loading up we set out on the Trent and Mersey canal glad to be on the water again.



Canada Geese with young

At the first lock the boat coming up rammed the top gate so hard it burst open a foot before slamming shut with the weight of water behind it. The girl with the windlass seemed surprised at the boaters loss of control after whizzing the paddles to the top. That's why boaters should raise the paddles SLOWLY. No wonder lock gates malfunction sometimes with this kind of abuse. We once had to abandon our boat for 3 weeks due to a lock gate being broken while a new one was made.

After that excitement we locked down onto the Coventry canal, and found it quiet. we seemed to be the only boat moving.


Underground boating

In the morning we turned onto our third canal the Birmingham and Fazeley past a vast nature reserve. One of the lakes had been drained and lay as a sea of chocolate earth. Today was Canada Geese day. There were virtually no ducks, swans or coots on the canal but the geese were rearing chicks along the entire stretch into Birmingham.




Locking under a high rise building

Next morning the race was on. Sarah-Lou's train would arrive at 6.00 but we had loads of locks to do. after the first 3 we had 23 locks in 2 miles. Some of the canal passed deep under 8 storey buildings which made me feel as if we were in a series of tunnels and caves. As we started the underground section we saw a man portaging his canoe around the locks. he had a high tech artificial leg and was nippier on his feet than the passing walkers half his age. 
We arrived beating the train by an hour and found super moorings in the centre of Birmingham, quiet but close to the pubs and bars which were bursting at the seams.

Moving Marinas

Paul turned the engine ready to head for our new marina but the starter battery was dead. Paul replaced it and we headed out him driving the boat and me the car. I had a fabulous drive to Marston Doles through picturesque scenery, England at her best. I passed rolling fields with black headed lambs and stone cottages topped with thatch. More unusual was the thatched dovecote.

I parked next to the lock and spent the next hour drawing the illustrations for The Intrepid Pony Escapes. I tried out the walkie-talkie but Paul was out of range. Instead I heard a desperate woman saying her son needed a wee-wee!

By the time Paul arrived we had enjoyed hot sun, rain then hail and wind but we locked down in sunshine.

 

Next morning we tackled the Napton flight. I drove to a hump back bridge part way down the flight and walked Lottie to meet Paul. She took exception to the herd of Water Buffalo (the only herd I've seen in England) and barked, but they stared majestically as if to say haven't you ever seen such beefiness. As we locked down the Napton windmill was etched against the sky. I'll miss this corner of England


On one of my stints at driving the boat I passed a farm that bred rare sheep. They had mottled brown and white wool on the front half and plain white behinds. The lambs were frolicking in the sunshine. A mile further on shire horses and foals grazed peacefully. Once they would have been a common sight but now they are rare having been replaced long ago by the tractor. The moorhens were modest in their off spring boasting only two black fluffy chicks whereas the ducks competed vulgarly for the most offspring. Eight is not unusual but today one had ten chicks and the winner had thirteen. Now that’s a big family.

 

Hartshill

 

I reached Hartshill first parked the car and walked to meet the boat. Unfortunately I turned the wrong way and went a mile before I realised the bridge numbers were getting higher not lower. Never mind a power walk is good for health. We had a scenic evening moored near the old BW yard at Hartshill. The area was peaceful and the reflections were superb.

On the sixth day of our epic voyage I left the boat after locking at Fradley and started the two mile walk back to the car when I realised the car keys And the walkie-talkie were in the boat chugging away. I ran waving frantically and caught him before he had passed the moored boats and picked up speed.

The new marina was idyllic, quiet with wide lakes and green spaces unlike many cluttered marinas. Lottie loved it as she was given a dog treat in the office.