Thursday 10th October 2013

Thursday 10th October found me collecting a couple of First Great Western pals, Andy Cryer and Steve Melhuish,  at Kidderminster station just past 1800. Meal in The Steps Inn at Stourport then over to The Holybush Inn for their "Jammin'" night of music. Great evening of guitar music and singsongs with probably 5 or 6 guitars and bongos and other strung instruments.We won a gallon of beer in the raffle at about 2230 which had to be consumed by chucking out time. Retired back to the boat for sleep which was far to near to the setting off time of 0800.

Friday 11th October

Despite a late night we were on the way about 0815 after bacon sandwiches for breakfast. This trip we are doing a sort of figure of eight or more exactly a figure of six; out on the Severn, Droitwich, Tardebigge, Kings Norton, Stratford on Avon, Evesham, Pershore, Tewksbury then back up the Severn to Stourport-or at least thats the plan. Estimate just over a fortnight.

Steve and Andy on S/Lion

So its through the double staircase locks out onto the river for a breezy run down to the junction with the Droitwich Barge canal at Hawford near Bevere lock. Plenty of birds in evidence including at least 5 Kingfishers.

The turn onto the Droitwich is a very sharp "U" turn off the Severn which can be tricky but we did it "Just like a job in the town" ready for the 8 or so locks up to Droitwich basin.

Start of the Droitwich Canal

At Ladywood lock the woman occupying the lock cottage said that boat numbers had been low all year. A elderly walker who walks the Droitwich Canal four times a year said" I've seen the real Stourbridge Lion in America.
Moored in Droitwich and visited the Old Cock Inn and another pub by the canal.All were quite quiet a startk contrast to the conviviality of the Hollybush the night before.

Saturday 12th October

Stevehad to leave this morning. Cable cutters had disrupted the train service but the 144 helped in getting him back on his way to Plymouth. So us two remaining crew set off down the Droitwich Junction Canal towards Hanbury. This is a new navigation only restored a couple of years ago. The original line of the canal has been obliterated by subsequent building work including the M5 motorway. It therefore makes use of a very restricted culvert under the motorway and some quite deep locks to regain its original alignment at Hanbury locks.

 At Hanbury 3 locks some friendly volunteers helped us through. The lady volunteer had been picking Damsons off a nearby overhanging tree. She also took note of our licence details. Not sure what she did with these.

Drizzle was a bit of a nuisance but some brighter patches intervened as we made our wayup the first few locks of the Worcester and Birmingham canal to the Queens Head at Stoke pound.

Mooring at the Queens Head

We ate in the Queens Head (I had a rather hot Chilli Rissotto!) Its quite strange how this place in the middle of nowhere was extremely busy with everyone dressed up for a night out, bouncers on the door and a disco in the, rather wet, garden. It was unexpected to see these in the middle of the countryside.

Sunday  13th October

Big day today. We have 29 locks to do and its pouring with rain up to the village of Tardebigge. Never mind we aproach them with some vigour with Andy going ahead and preparing them and me closing them up afterwards. After about 8 locks a boat behind was catching us up. A guy off the boat came up "Do you want to come past" I said. "No, we have a large crew and I've come up to help" he said. A friendly and chatty guy, he helped us for the rest of the day.

Tardebigge

Tardebigge churchyard

 Thought I saw "Chipper" Bennet from school pass on the towpath, jogging, b ut may have been wrong. After 4 hours we gt to the top lock. We did consider going further but the rain had made it cold. Andy did a reconnaissance of the "Tardebige" public house, a pub I didnt know existed, but reported that it was a modern pub with ice cold beer and chavs. So we stayed on the boat, listened to music and cooked.

Monday 14th October

Still raining. While preparing to go spoke to the woman on the boat next door. "We have had a terrible night" she said, "the alternator has packed upand we have no power. We are trying to locate a new alternator for a Shire engine but not much luck" 

"I have a Shire alternator spare" I said. It seemed an unlikely coincidence but I had. I handed it over and we exchanged contact details for its eventual return. I felt pleased with this unlikely coincidence as it fitted my thoughts of the waterways as a "Linear Village" Hope we dont get a alternator problem before I get it back!

Through the two tunnels at Tardebigge and moored up in the marina at Alvechurch. We are leaving the boat there for a couple of days, me to go to London for work and Andy for home in Taunton.