Last blog for now

Set off at 0800 down the final section of journey to Stourport, crossing into Worcestershire between Whittington and Cookley. Pretty uneventful journey arriving at Stourport at 1400.

Staffordshire/Worcestershire boundary marker

Kidderminster Lock

Well 250+ miles and we have circumnavigated the Midlands. Met lots of people particularly at locks which become little social gatherings. A Dutch couple who spend their summer on a boat on the canals and their winters in Portugal. They never do more than 4 hours and a day and mornings only. They had travelled from Rufford which I think is near Wigan.

The family who move boats from one part of the country to another for the boat owners and their clients.

The chap from Seattle who came over every summer totravel the canals.

The rather rough looking couple who helped us through the locks in Leicester who were actualy very nice.

We have returned slightly earlier than planned as we after sort out the aftermath of The Flood. The boat has performd well though with the only other problem being with the shower drain pump switch which is now sorted.

I still havnt seen a combine harvester but here is a nice JCB 2D from the 60's in Penkridge

Enjoyed the IWA show and its a pity that its not happening next year although the 2013 show is now planned for Newbury which could mean a crossing of the tidal Severn from Gloucestershire to Bristol which would be exciting!
246 miles 205 locks and nearly 6 miles of tunnel

Brass plaque from IWA show

Back of beyond

After yesterdays baking hot day it was a surprise to awaken to a overcast day with showers which remained on and off all through the day. Nevertheless in many ways it was a better days boating. We were going from just south of Wolverhapton to Kinver by the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal which winds its way through the back of beyond apart from the small town of Wombourne. Set off 0800

The tiller problem from yesterday seems to have righted itself. No explanation but now seems fine. Maybe something like an old carpet had got jammed in it and had now freed itself although there was nothing obvious when I checked last night. First feature of the day were The Bratch locks. Three locks placed together with a complicated series of side ponds to make them work. A lock keeper was on hand to help and also explained something of the locks history. He also checked our licence detail.

Approaching The Bratch locks




Lock keeper checks our licence plate.



Bratch Locks

Bratch Locks

Bratch Locks

We passed through the other Swindon, Swindon Staffordshire, site of the last trade on this canal from Stourbridge railway goods station to Swindon forge. A trade in specialist metals it was replaced by road transport in the late 50's. The other trade on this canal in the 50s was coal from Cannock to Stourport but a surcharge on loading canal boats saw the trade switch to the railway.

We had lunch of jacket potatoes (Last of Ivor's potatoes)

After lunch I was stung by a bee.

After lunch we also entered the best section of this canal which we had to ourselves as the showers seemed to keep the other boaters tied up.



Gothersley Lock

This section of canal always feels almost prehistoric to me with Herons flying around like Pterodactyls and the large overhanging trees with outcrops of red sandstone adorned with flowering Himalayan Balsam. At one point there is a locked door set into the sandstone at a place called, according to Ordnance Survey, Devils Den. Is it an entrance into another world or just an old boat house. Probably the latter.




Devils Den

 

At Stourton the Stourbridge canal came in from the left meaning that from now on we are retracing ground already covered.

Moored up at Kinver 1610

238 miles 197 locks

High's and Low's

Set off from Penkridge today about 0830. Approaching Lynhill Bridge another boat was coming full tilt from the other side. I had time to stop and reverse but struck something under the water when backing up. Watever it was it was solid and stopped our boat dead The tiller has been stiff since although it is functioning ok the stiffness has not worn off. This was a low.

We passed two fishing contests which went on for ever. You have to slow down for fishermen so this added at least 30 minutes to our journey. This was a low.

Approacing Slade Heath we came across a trip boat stuck in a winding hole. The skipper asked if we could help. We put our bow into the winding hole and the skipper threw a rope which Joanne secured around the front stud. A gentle reverse of the engine and the trip boat came free. This was a high. I then finished Joannes Tuna sandwich (another high)



Trip boat stuck in winding (turning) hole

We then got into a bit of a convoy going towards Wolverhampton as traffic on the canal was very heavy (Low). Through whats known as Pendeford Rockin the canal is so narrow its single file.

But most of the boats turned off our route onto the Shropshire Union leaving us on our own again. (High)Approaching Oxley there is some really clever graffitti. I took a photo but its a bit blurred I am afraid



Moored up below Wightwick lock at 1610. A middle aged man on a bicycle asked us for a glass of water. We gave him one half expecting that this would be some precursor to a attemt at a confidence trick. But he drank his water and went. Perhaps he thought we looked poorer than him and it wasnt worth his trouble. Not sure if this was a high or a low.

226 miles and 179 locks.

Trent and Mersey to Staffs and Worcs

Left Rugeley at 0700 in bright morning sunshine. This is a particularly nice stretch of canal through Shugborough Hall estate.

Colwich Lock Trent and Mersey

Colwich Lock Trent and Mersey

Shugborough Hall and  grounds

After a short stop in Great Hayward for provisions we turned off the Trent and Mersey onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal. The junction is framed by a great single arched bridge dating from when the canal was built.

Junction Bridge Staffs and Worcs canal

The canal passes through some glorious countryside in the valley of the river Sow which it crosses by a brick aquaduct. Then on through the attractive wharf at Tixal.

Tixal Wharf



Aqueduct over the river Sow



The canal skirts around Stafford before coming to the remote Deptmore Lock.

The old lady who used to live there had a little boat for going to get provisions and the well for water is across the lock in a little wood. She is now in a bungalow as she couldn't manage any longer and it has been bought by the farm whose land abuts it. I guess they are the ones doing the work as they have a son in his mid twenties so maybe it is for him.

 Moored up at Penkridge the ancestral land of the Copes at 1700.

170 locks and 213 miles since starting.

The Road from Burton

Hi there readers. Set off last night at 1740 through the lines of moored boats visiting the festival. On the south side of the festival the boats extended for about a mile and we didnt clear into open country until 2030. Moored next to the steam narrow boat President. A guy on President said "did  you know SL was a steam engine"

Just a couple of pictures of the festival as it was a great 3 days topped off by a brilliant performance by the Mikron theatre company (... they travel around the waterways putting on plays on the Narrow Boat Tyseley) Visited by Alan and Lynn for a look round the festival and a picnic lunch.

Bunting flying at Burton



Two loaded boats (Fazeley and Clover)being turned at the IWA festival



Set off Monday 0700. A lot of traffic already on the move. Inevitable queuing which got to its worst at the lock after Barton Turns. This is the view we had behind of the queue after we had waited nearly two hours. Followed by a working Boat Aldgate with a very enthusiastic and agile steerer on board who was helping us as well as everyone else through the locks. He even produced a strimmer at one point to cut back some nettles on the towpath!

This is a dreary stretch of canal paralleling the A38

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A38 from the Trent and Mersey canal.

From here we rejoined the Trent for a short distance. You have to watch the weirs!

A guy shouted have you ever seen a boat called Agenoria (the sister locomotive to SL. I said no.

A woman came out waving her arms and shouting. "Your dead if you havnt got a ring on" she shouted waving her fist. It turned out that a rogue swan had been drowning cygnets near her boat.

Then the queue's vanished and it was plain sailing through the delightful village of Alrewas. Particularly liked the free range hens in someone back garden.

Then on through Fradley Junction. Someone shouted "Why have you called your boat SL" I told him. He said "Well I am from Ambelcote and my great grandfather drove Agenoria" Dont know what it is today about Stourbridge Lion but everyone is picking up on the name.

Moored up just after Brindley's bridge over the Trent at 1900 after a full days running. Joanne did well with the locks. A guy passed and said "Stourbridge Lion is locomotive not a boat" I shouted something after him but I dont think he heard-which was probably just as well.

We are here!

180 miles and 148 locks since leaving Stourport we find ourselves in Burton at the IWA show.Bunting out to celebrate.

Looks like being a good show with lots to see and the weather forecast good. Here is a picture of two working boats, Kangaroo and Australia, loaded with about 25 tons each.Se how they are in the water up to the gunwales

As for yesterdays problems boat is now nearly completely dry. We have bought a couple of rugs to tide us over.(no pun intended)

I do have a picture of where we think the problem occurred.

The guy on the left opened the left hand gate paddle first the opening for which is near the top of the gate. We think water hit his boat and deflected into ours. As you will see we are well back.

Anyway we are off to enjoy the show. Next blog will be MONDAY.

Day of near Disaster

Started the day early to get a good start in nice sunshine. But life is full of contrasts thats what gives meaning to life and today things didnt go too well.Lets start with a nice sunny picture of us at Shardlow taking on water at about 0730.

We teamed up with a another boat from Canal Time to go through the double locks with. A family who had not taken a boat out before. At Weston on Trent lock, which is deep something happened which led to a Tsunami of water passing through the boat Not sure exa ctly what happened as I didnt see anything exactly but did notice that the guy from the other boat had the gate right up before Joanne had lifted the ground paddles. On these locks the water entry from the gate paddles is high on the gate but thought I was far enough back to avoid problem. When Joanne got back on the boat the full scale of the flood was apparent. Equipment from the front had been swept into the saloon and the floor was sodden back to the rear of the boat. Of course you should shut front doors when going through locks although i have never had a problem before. Moored up and lifted carpets. Floor boards were also sodden so I lifted boards and put them on bank to dry. The rear of the boat uder the bathroom was several gallons of water. Picture below.

Called out RCR (the waterways AA)as the quantity of water was too much for our Pella hand pump. As always they were very good and pumped the remaining water out.  So we are left without any carpets or floor coverings except the bedroom which we salvaged. The bathroom area is still drying. The good thing is Joanne wanted a new carpet and I want so sure-that deciscion is now out of my hands. I supose the second good thing is I had chance to examine the floor of the boat and was pleased to see that the ballast weight slabs had been raised of the metal by spacers. This is something builders often miss as it cant been seen once boat completed. Its necessary to allow air to circulate. So we went on our way through Swarkestone and Stenson when we nearly had our second disaster at Stenson Lock. Double width and 12 ft deep and the worst lock i have ever encountered! First nearly lost control of boat while waiting for it to be emptied such was the turbulance I thought it would either break the ropes or snap off the centre line stud. Then entering the lock the person with us, an experienced person, dropped their windlass in the canal-first time this has happened to them. Then somehow I got the boat jammed under front gate, never done that before either. Quick thinking by Joanne dropped the paddles and all was well but it was close.

We are now moored at Willington near Burton and hoping for a better day tomorrow. Picture below of current state of sitting room.

What i think happened to cause the flooding was that water cascaded onto the Canal Time boat and due to its closed in style at the front bounced off it into ours. Thats the only explanation I can give for neither me or Joane picking it up earlier.
Anyway-it could of been worse. Show tomorrow.

Smiling Shardlow 2

A boat passed. The steerer with a west midlands accent said "Its the Stourbridge Lion" I looked up. "I've known that boat since it was built" he said. This was imposible so I said " there's at least two more" He said "youve had the colour changed and it lengthened a bit and the windows changed but I would tell it anywhere" He had chugged under the bridge and out of range before I could reply.

Smiling Shardlow

Strange things happen on a canal boat. Last evening we were asked if the boat could be used in a film that someone was making as part of a chase scene (!) A young comedian/script writer by the name of Tom Bell (never heard of him myself but his website http://www.tombell.org/ suggests he has worked with Graham Norton and written scripts for Radio 4) was making a film to use at Edinburgh Fringe. So he was running up and down the towpath and crouching behind my flowers at the front while brandishing a fake revolver. i failed to get a photo.

Went for a meal at the Clock House at Shardlow with Janet and Ivor. Ivor, a former farmer, tells me that there wont be any wheat cut for another 10 days so not likely to see a combine yet. Wheat is the prominent cereal hereabouts as it likes the soil in the East Midlands. Further west its barely predominantly so that is harvested earlier.

Set off at 1000 along the last bit of the Soar. Dominated in this area by Ratcliffe Power Station and its associated wirescape. Ratcliffe lock was a bit vicious being deep and precarious.

Radcliffe Lock-River Soar



Turning off the Soar onto the Trent



Finally off the Soar after 25 very interesting miles onto the very wide Trent at Trent Junction. Past Trent lock through Sawley lock and onto the Trent and Mersey canal.

Approaching Trent lock.



Bridge no1 on the Trent and Mersey. Boat infront is Copperkins II




Mooring at Shardlow



Moored in Shardlow at 1230. Went into Millar Marine to get a new shower drain switch. Very nice older guy behind the counter. He remarked that he was "racked with pain from arthritis" but was very helpful. Discussed what I wanted wished me well gave me a discount and thanked me for my custom (And gave me a key fob). He had another member of staff but no other customers. Suspect he will go out of business. Shower pump now works automatically as it should.

So here is the premier of my sisters poem "Odessey to Stourbridge Lion"

Chug –achug, chug achug chug to Burton

We’re on our way to Burton, leaving Severn behind

Chug achug chug, chug achug chug

We’re off to the Boat Show twenty eleven

Trent and Mersey ahead and miles of heaven

We’re off to the Boat Show - hoorah

Chug a chug chug to Burton.

A sad tale to tell

Poor Ron is lost, wandering

In his own imaginary world

Is he drowned, who knows?

Chug achug chug to Burton

Police overhead, rotor blades whirling

Boat after boat, they come a’calling

‘Have we seen him’ – no we have not

Anxious faces in dive suits, shiny and wet

Old friends join us, locks to do

Hard work for all, locks 132?

To get us to Burton, to Burton

Chug achug chug achug chug

Stourbridge Canal and then onto the Arm

No crystal now ‘cept under our keel

By Rastricks works and the crane’s old wheel

Chug achug chug to Burton

Past Round Oak Steel, now ruins and dead

And Cobbs old Engine House, Dadfords shed,

Chug achug chug

Emily and Chris, working like navvies

Gas Street Basin and ‘civilisation’ approaches.

A change of crew and off once more

Shirley Lift Bridge, pastoral views galore

Chug a chug chug to Burton

Northern Stratford now, then the Hatton twenty one

Chug a chug chug, chuga chug chug

This Stairway to Heaven leads down to the Cape

And then onto Braunston past fields full of rape

Many locks, many miles under her bows

See the brave Stourbridge Lion – see how she goes!

Through dark tunnels, all wet and dreary

Braunston and Saddington, spooky and eerie

‘eadless Annie gives us both quite a fright

Plays tricks in the darkness – thank God for the light!

Chug achug chug to Burton

Out into sunshine and finally to rest

A glass of wine to enjoy – New Zealand, one of the best

Loughborough

The first, what turned out to be, minor techical problem so far. The Bilge had water in it in a place it shouldnt be when checked this morning. Further checking showed that bathrom sink and shower tray, being below outside water level, were not being pumped out properly. The float switch which activates the pump was not working. You cant keep a ex British Rail apprentice down though; so a short walk to Wilkinsons and the purchase of a light switch allowed me to disconect the float switch and reconnect to the new switch. Only problem is that you have to remember to switch on when using shower or washbasin. (see below)

Had a coffee in Loughborough and found that speciality bakers unique to the East Midlands, Birds. Bought more than I should have from a helpful assistant. I wanted to tell her that I was travelling across England by boat but I didnt.

Went into HMV and found the music section behind the DVD, games and Blu Ray sections (I always associated HMV with music but its secondary now) Bought a Arcade Fire CD and took it to a very helpful assistant who had just seen them live.and was very enthusiastic about them. We chatted a bit. I wanted to tell him that I was travelling across England by boat but I didnt.

Nice town Loughborough a good honest town a bit like what my home town of Stourbridge would be like if it was not for "out of town" shops. The people seemed friendly and trustworthy. So trustworthy that I went to have my hair cut, first time since a traumatic night shift at Bounds Green depot in March. Found a shop somewhere between Cash Convertors and Ladbrookes but I trust these people.

"What would you like sir"

"Wash and a cut" 

 "We have no water"

"I'll just have a cut then"

He still used the hair dryer on my head-perhaps it was just to keep in practice.

I wanted to tell him that I was travelling across England by boat but thought better of it.

I have not seen a combine harvester yet.

Set off at 1030 down the Soar through Normanton on Soar and Zouch (pronounced zotch said a guy by Zouch lock). Weekend chalets by Normanton reminded me of the Severn. Some pictures below.



Coming out of Loughborough. Talking parrot in garden and East Midlands train at the bottom of the garden(if you look close!)



Normanton on Soar church.

Zouch



Holiday chalets near Normanton



There was a chain operated ferry at Normanton to cross the river but not sure if still in use.

A strange phenomonon when passing under the super grid power lines from the nearby Radcliffe on Soar power station was that the boat tingled with induced electricity for a short while! this happened a couple of times.

Very nice scenery approaching Kegworth (Pronounced Keguth said Joanne) and although directly in the flight path to East Midlands airport the planes didnt seem too intrusive.

Fly Be aproaching East Midlnds Airport over the top of the boat.

Moored up early at Kegworth as we are meeting mother in law (Janet) and Ivor for a bite to eat later.

Mooring at Kegworth

158 miles 140 locks

My sisters poem is held over until tomorrow as there are already too many words in todays log!