Narrowboat Vegvisir

I returned to the boat on Monday 26th, by lunchtime, after a really busy and productive few days.  So good to be back on board with my bestie, though, as he continued putting  the IWA newsletter together. Then we went out to dinner at The Distillery, not exactly far from our mooring.  Tuesday and an early start: 07:50. We had at least 26 locks to pass down, and Andrew wasn't feeling well so he would be on the tiller. But our goal was to get out into the countryside so it had to be done. bye bye Brum! Luck was on our side. As we turned the corner at Old Turn Junction onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, the lock stood open and a boat on the waterpoint..  they weren't ready to go so we took their lock. There was a volunteer lockie on duty setting all but 4 of the locks in the flight ahead for us. Not a spot to linger, to be honest.   Immediately after he left us, we met a boat coming the other way so again ...

Tuesday and an idle day, the last before I head north for a concert with Monteverdi Singers and an Evensong with Cantamus, plus catching up with various folk. We had some much needed rain overnight, and lunch out at Gourmet Burger Kitchen, very good indeed. Real attention to detail. And then summer came back as the clouds broke apart. This reflection of sunlight on water was even better live, but the photo's not bad. On Wednesday morning,  since we had been discussing where our first night's stop should be when we get moving again,  we walked the route.  Splendid bridge but nowhere to tie up. Lots of locks, and nowhere to stop! This was the canalside view a few metres shy of Spaghetti Junction: but, again, no way of securing the boat.. Andrew will stay put, all being well, until I get back on Monday. He'll have the IWA District newsletter to produce, which will keep him busy, and no doubt lots of walking around the city. Then we're he...

It's amazing. After all that work, there are now no locks until the other side of Old Turn Junction, over 14 miles away and right in the middle of Brum. There are still hills, but now the story is of tunnels, deep cuttings and embankments.  Starting from just around the corner from our mooring: Since no hands were required on deck, I did some long overdue study: Concert is in a week! Need to make sure I know what's coming at every page turn! The canal forms the wall of a reservoir at one point, giving splendid views: sadly, I must have hit macro mode as all my next photos are blurred.  Situation rescued as we approached Kings Norton to complete the Avon ring.. those of you with keen memories will remember approaching this house from the other direction: And from there it was only a short distance to our pause for the night: Bourneville.  We decided that rather than visit Cadbury World we'd rather spend £38 on chocolate, or beer and chi...

Our earliest start yet: 6.50am. Our target: Tardebigge, 30 locks, 3.6 km in distance and 67m in height, and  away. Miraculously, almost every single lock was set in our favour. They were all close enough that that the crew member could be setting the next lock whole the current lock filled,  then trot back just as helm had opened the gate and dropped paddles ready to take the boat out and let crew close the gate. We got a fine rhythm going, but they were all very similar.. Someone is keen on amateur radio! We had some cooling rain, lovely weather for a family stroll. Then, too astonished to record this, a wine glass, intact, unchipped, and even containing some diluted wine, bobbing in the water.  Finally we reached the top lock at Tardebigge, and discovered its claim to fame: So the great campaign to rescue our Canals started here! Unusual 18th century Church and the view from its yard: We...

Wednesday 14th, and another hot day in prospect.  So we got moving at 7.45am. The first lock smelt revolting with all the dead fish there, and the paddle was seriously stiff. We followed the trail of death and pollution for another couple of hundred metres, and notified CRT accordingly. I am told the hot weather is blamed but it's clearly not just that. Storm runoff also blamed, and I wonder what water companies may have released?  A few hundred metres  further on, matters improved dramatically and we were back to boating through the city. Yes, this is still Worcester. My cousin Nick at lunch a couple of days ago, spoke of Wild About Worcester, a nature trail running through all the green spaces of the city. The canal forms an important part of it. If you really love nature, you will find beauty all around you. True! As the sun rose, the temperature rose to meet it as we climbed the day's ration of locks.. 14 of ...