City Break 23 - 26 May

Our lovely neighbours were due to be moving on at around 9.30am so we were up in good time to let them out from the bank. As it happened the next boat along had already gone when we poked our noses outside. So it was easy for us to pull into their space, freeing nb Augustus to leave at their convenience. 

Before too long we wandered into the city centre, taking our rubbish to the boaters' facilities just round the corner from Gas Street basin. 

It's the little red block by the white house. Just around the corner are private moorings in a small basin and the flight called Farmers Locks. It's been a long time since any farming went on here!

We explored the Rag Market, the Indoor market, the Outdoor market, TK Maxx.. with our hands in our pockets, finally flashing the cash for a coffee.

More exploration, Chinatown this time, before having lunch at  Chung Ying restaurant.  Lovely! From there a gentle walk to the boat, a few jobs and a lot of TV. A beautiful evening and really quiet spot, considering how close it is to the centre.

noting our neighbour:

Wednesday morning Andrew was up and about to go to Blackpool on family business. Since I wasn't going to be tripped over I fished out my yoga mat and went through some moves. The ceiling is too low for Mountain pose but I am short enough to do Goddess, which suits me fine 🙂. 

Suitably Zen, I got to grips with the Propellor,  which I knew had a heap of rubbish on it. And oh boy!

Here I must acknowledge the assistance of the canal community again. A CRT volunteer, Steve, came by on his mobility scooter,  hopped off, and volunteered to help. For which I was grateful, as by then I was reaching past the prop to clear the rubbish on the driveshaft. 

Soon after, I had an opportunity to pay karma forward, as I realised the skipper of the boat mooring next to us was in trouble. So I quickly secured his front end before hurrying back and checking whether it was a heart or asthma attack.. turns out he's convalescing from a severe lung infection and properly overdone things. So while he fought for breath, I finished off tying up, put the kettle on, got him some water while waiting, then got him a mug of tea.

Tell you what, that high prow with a cratch cover leaves nowhere at all to stand, bend over, sort out your ropes,  and then organise how to get off. Not good. Anyway, we had a pleasant chat while he had his cuppa, and then I went off to dump the prop rubbish then go for a wander round the City. You have to book trips in advance for the Back to Back museum, so that was a bust, but had an enjoyable look round the Roundhouse at Corporation Wharf.

It was a Municipal and Highways depot for the Birmingham Corporation from 1870, when Stone and other materials were being brought in by canal to upgrade roads and utilities such as town gas. The design was to help the heavy workhorses used by the Corporation move around the yard with their carts, ropes etc. No sharp corners to negotiate.  At the time the designer, W.H.Ward, was mocked but it turned out very successfully. These days it has offices upstairs including CRT and National Trust, an events space, a café and a brasserie.

I walked past this group and wondered if it was canal-related:

but no, they were two 18th century industrialists, Matthew Boulton and William Murdoch, along with James Watt who was supported by them in developing steam engines for their factories. 

I also though of young Charlie on passing this:

a giant giraffe outside the Lego Discovery  Centre. One really needs a small child as an accessory at this sort of place!

The final discovery of the day was the Gourmet Burger Company mentioned in our last blog as being eye-wateringly expensive on our last visit canalside. It's moved to bigger premises.. 

is part of a chain with 2 other outlets, and is charging only a bit more that what we remembered from almost 20 years ago - so the business model has been adjusted,  clearly.

Thursday and a quiet morning before emerging for more exploration. Down Farmer's Locks

And realised the meaning of their name

Before making a visit to The Coffin Works.

The firm originally made high quality metal castings for furniture.. drawer handles, door knows etc. But in the 19th century funerals were an opportunity for conspicuous expenditure, and they pivoted the business to become undertaker suppliers.

These stamps are all hand carved direct into steel.

 Gradually they took on more and more, to include making the coffins, linings and even shrouds.

This is a man's shroud, as evidenced by the bow at the throat.

They started failing after WW2 as cremations were gaining popularity. At this point the company was set in its ways, determinedly unmodernised, and unable to find a new direction.

The office in the 70s.

 With its aging workforce and no new trainees, it simply withered away.  All the remaining tools, stocks and other contents were squirrelled away in the Black Country Museum until funds were put in place to secure the building and set up the exhibit, very much as it would have been in its heyday in the early 20th century.

From there, I went to the Pen Museum. It turns out that if you were using a steel nibbed pen in the 19th century,  it would have come from Birmingham. Another interesting workshop, detailing the various processes involved in making a nib: another industry that had its moment but overtaken by events.. the introduction of the biro made the fountain pen somewhat niche.

A huge array of nibs

and the line of stamps and presses used to make them. Which we all could have a go at and have our own proto-nib to take home. Proto because we had to skip the tempering and polishing stages so a bit soft for actual use.

A properly interesting afternoon.  Andrew got back at around 8.30pm, and we soon settled down  Friday morning up and about.. more family business , as we had realised if you want to go anywhere,  Birmingham is a jolly good starting place. So a day's jaunt to Cheltenham and check in on Andrew's brother Howard. Really good to see him.

Back at base, we caught up on YouTube vloggers that we follow.. Andrew in the background of Heidi the Narrowboat Pirate's vlog as he waited for her to finish her piece to camera. Then Laura popped up on WhatsApp so we called her to catch up on all the news. 62 in the pub quiz! But no other teams so no prize!

Time to goodbye to the city, heading for countryside tomorrow.