15th to 18th May BCNS Explorer pt 1

Wednesday night and the assembled crews met at a pub, in what is going to be a regular theme this week.
And we all sat and gossiped and worked out who was on which boat, and a good time was had by all.
A noisy night so we were up early and decided we may as well get going, as it was due to rain later and we may as well reduce time spent in the wet.
Up the Wyrley and Essington, or Curly Whirly, which tells you it's a contour canal that wriggles around hillsides. Has a stainless steel arc, not a bridge I think, over the canal, where if you time it right you can get a selfie..
A lovely green corridor, with coots frantic to find nesting sites, including this family  afloat in the middle of the navigation channel.
A long way along, and turning left at Pelsall Junction, by which time properly raining, up the Cannock Extension.  Hard to believe of this remote spot, once this was stiff with coal mines and iron works, and which few traces remain.
The far end (that's not been obliterated by open cast mining and motorway) is a Silver Propellor location, this named by Inland Waterways Association to encourage boaters to visit. Like bagging Monroes in mountaineering, if you visit enough sites you get a prize.
So that's our proof we got there photo.
To the pub for a carvery and drink or two, thirsty work this boating. It had been an 8 hour cruise: although no locks, we had covered a fair distance in canal terms: 15 miles.
Another 14 miles the next day too, back sown to the Curly Whirly, pause for water, bins and shopping, the up the Anglesey Arm. This leads to the Chasewater reservoir and again back in the day was thick with industry, and now a rural idyll.
No time pause though, just touch and go, off to our night's mooring at Ladywood Boat Club.
Rammed in by the time we had all arrived! Being on the Explorer Cruise gives us BCNS membership so we were bound to attend the AGM that evening. Bar laid on, obviously. This was followed by a quiz. There were 8 teams: ours had 6 members and called ourselves rather randomly Easy Riders. It was a close contest throughout so we were completely amazed to find we came 1st! Box of Celebrations to share!
Next day, we stayed put and glad of the rest day. A couple of presentations of local canal history, really interesting, bar laid on obviously, and then a Duck Race .
Finally a show by the Busketeers, a couple of proud Black Country folkies who play for charity. A fun night and, of course, the bar was not yet drunk dry.
We pay for our idle tomorrow though..

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