A Bit More Dry Land
Posted: January 19, 2014 Filed under: Bobbing about, Dry land | Tags: BCN, Birmingham, Birmingham Museum, Gas Street Basin, narrowboat blog, sunshi, water 2 Comments
If there was ever a morning to have a boat this morning was it. Blue sky, sunshine and still water we set of for a water fill which handily doubled as a battery charge. Filled, turned and heading back we passed THE budget gurus, Deb and James on Lois Jane….so many questions racing through our minds we were happy to hear they’d be round later. A quick b
all throwing session for Murk and an arm wrenching rubbish drop/Tesco run for Nick before lunch, all in all a pretty productive boaty morning.
Another afternoon on dry land, this time the Birmingham Museum. A randomly brilliant collection of exhibitions – the Staffordshire Hoard is tucked away in there.
Not back long w
hen Deb and James knocked the roof. Traumatised since reading THE budget blog, they were barely through the door before being showered with questions on how to get ‘ten meals from one chicken’. Interrogation ended in the dreaded blog shot. Lovely guys, hope to catch up again after we’ve dipped back out to have another go at the BCN.
Oooooh Glitter Balls
Posted: January 18, 2014 Filed under: Bobbing about, Dry land | Tags: BCN Main Line, Birmingham Library, Gas Street Basin, nia, Strictly Live Tour, The Bull Ring 2 Comments
Bruno ordered that we ‘beg for it’, Len introduced his ‘Magnificent Sev-ern!’ and Craig said the place looked ‘gaw-jus’. Pimped to the hilt, the nia was hot hot hot. M
oored 200 yards from the entrance, the first Strictly Live was too much to resist: legs flying, guns flexing and blinding glitter balls, a brillia
nt injection of bright light to the January canal experience. Three hours of dancing was all it took for Natalie to scoop the glitter globe from a perplexed Abbey.
Murk’s resigned himself to city life for a few days although
having spent most of the morning swimming in Edgbaston Reservoir, he’s not doing too badly. Our main aim to ex
haust him, then lock him up and leave him.
Narrowboat world comes in waves, long stretches of quiet, studded with explosions of vibrant city life. Birmingham Library is great place to get a
n overview of this city stop. An attraction in itself, neon escalators surrounded by books pathing the way up 
to sensory gardens and views across the sky line.
A manic feel up at the Bull Ring this afternoon. Security and police struggling to 
manage crowds of teenagers poised ready with their phones. We must be getting old. Firstly I had no qualms asking who they were waiting for, secondly we showed no shame in elbowing our way into the action and thirdly peering down at our pap work we didn’t have foggiest who Elyar Fox was. We had to go on-the-line to find out.
The curtains are down on the Saturday show, thousands of people now filing past what is, for the most part, a very quiet mooring. Cha cha cha.
Eating Up The BCN
Posted: January 16, 2014 Filed under: Moving on | Tags: BCN Main Line, Birmingham, Broad Street Basin, Coseley Tunnel, Deepfield Junction, Factory Junction, Factory Locks, Gas Street Basin, Wednesbury Oak Loop, Wolverhampton 2 Comments
Broad Street Basin Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton, the city that never sleeps. Happy to move on, we inched our way over a shopping trolley and under the ring road bridge. Soon deep into factories, razor wire glinting in the sunshine guided the way. Arriving at Deepfield Junction we swung left onto what was the original M
ain Line until the construction of Coseley Tunnel in 1837; a detour but only a three-mile return trip, enjoying the urban experience we shrugged our shoulders in a
‘this is what we’re here to do’ kind of a way…all 100 plus miles of the BCN. Not long in, it was clear t
he three miles were going to take longer than the average three miles. Weed thrives along the We
dnesbury Oak Loop as does rubbish. It was also obvious that a boat isn’t something the locals see up there all that much, all very helpful – pointing out it was a dead-end, over and over. What felt like a very long time later we turned at the BW Midlands Regional Workshop and were slowly crawling back out, already questioning the enjoyment of completing every inch of the BCN.
Smethwick Junction- BCN Main Line
A lunch break then back into de
eper and comparatively cleaner water. we motored on through Coseley Tunnel soon arriving at Factory Junction where we dropped down the three Factory Locks and saw the only other boat all day. As the rain set in nowhere looked a particularly great place to spend a night, one option was taking Spon Lane Locks back onto the Old Main Line where there was a chance of some rings….hmmm.
Nope, thank you. So as the rain did it’s best and the light faded we opted for shifts at the tiller/sitting by the fire and a few prop clears as an added bonus for Nick. With four, then three then two miles to go there seemed no sign of Birmingham, then out of the darkness Gas Street Basin appeared – a welcome beacon of light. A quick trip to Cambrian Wharf for a water top up, then back moor across from where we stopped last year. Another interesting day with some unforgettable sights..
Wolverhampton Locks
Posted: January 15, 2014 Filed under: Dry land, Geeky facts, Moving on | Tags: Alderseley Junction, Autherley Junction, BCN Main Line, Broad Street Basin, locks, water, Wolverhampton Leave a comment
Three miles followed by a water fill at Autherley Junction, we turned right then left at Alderseley Junction, into the first of the Wolverhampton Locks, Birmingham Main Line. A Brindley brainchild, the Main Line was opened in 1772 and although Telford later introduced the New Main Line both routes use Wolverhampton Locks. A pretty start, quaint brick bridges, plenty of greenery and clear water. On up to Dunstall Park Racecourse where we stopped for lunch. Another luc
ky day o
f locks for us, we climbed at speed and as we did the rubbish increased to what was eventually a bit of a rubbishy coconut soup. Poking around in the watery mire Nick hooked a bag of t-lights, happy days. The last two pounds were practically empty and needed a couple of lock flush throughs t
o re-float the boat. It’s been a while since the anti-vandal keys been out but the bolts are pretty easily opened and the paddles are in great condition.
Slap in the centre of Wolverhampton we opted for the first mooring option at Broad Street Basin…Asda isn’t far away but the signs a
ssuring you that you are on a ‘SAFE ROUTE’ yet still advise ‘WALKING WITH A FRIEND’ make it a bit of a shoulder watching hike. Quite happy that it’s raining hard. Twenty one locks steeped in hardcore narrowboat history and new sights round every bend has been an interesting day.
White Straight Line
Posted: January 14, 2014 Filed under: Moving on | Tags: coal, diesel, gas, narrowboat blog, Shropshire Union, Turner's Garage Leave a comment
It wasn’t exactly snow but it was white and frozen and definitely on the ground this morning. Another bright start we 
set off with more straightness ahead. Pulled in at Turner’s Garage for some of it’s legendary cheap diesel, along with a couple of bags of coal and a gas bottle. Just one lock today, rasing us up to …more straightnes
s.
We’ve eaten our way round 
the menu wheel again, the fridge is looking pretty bare. Perhaps we’ve gotten a little more hardy but it’s nasty out there tonight and really not cold in here, the bathroom is also bearable thanks to the luxury Dimplex heater. A big day tomorrow, moving onto Nicholson Guide no. 2, bought in Guildford before we ever stepped foot on a boat – obviously the BCN is where we figured it’d be nice to hang out. Time will tell.
Long Straight And Sunny
Posted: January 13, 2014 Filed under: Moving on | Tags: narrowboat blog, Norbury Junction, Shropshire Union, sunshine, water Leave a comment
Still long and straight but with sunshine and birds and lots and lots of boats – so many
weaving about we slipped back into the habit of actually checking if it’s clear to steam on through bridges. Once again Norbury Junction did
not disappoint, warm, clean and a plentiful supply of boater cast-offs which we added to, rather than the other way around for once.
Call us box tickers but despite the fact this stretch has a certain wilderness appeal we seem to 
ploughing on in search of the BCN – two January visits and we’ve had our Shroppy lot, the tropic summer twist would add another dimension but according to Nick he can ‘imagine that, so no need to actually do it.’ Last time he began to believe this wasn’t an adventure we shot out onto the flooded Thames and cacked ourselves.. careful what you wish for.
A Long Straight Line
Posted: January 12, 2014 Filed under: Geeky facts, Moving on | Tags: Cadbury Wharf, narrowboat blog, Shebdon embankment, Shropshire Union, Tyrley lock moorings, Woodseave Cutting Leave a comment
Still, grey and cold, today was deader than dead. Really nobody about, 3G has been hit and miss adding to the isolation, hard to imagine swarms of hireboats in the summer. Long stretches, deep cuttings and towering bridges, the last trunk narrow canal to be built and there was no messing, they went straight no matter what got in the way.
bomb defences
Moved onto the Shebdon embankment and past gat
es added during the war, a defence against the possibility of embankment bombing resulting in an empty canal. Low water levels are never a cause for concern these days thanks to lots of regular toilet flushing in Wolverhampton. The old Cadbury Wharf had a spooky deserted feel about it, just the place to spend a night.
Travelling Show
Posted: January 11, 2014 Filed under: Dry land, Moving on | Tags: Audlem, locks, Market Drayton, Shropshire Union, Tyrley locks, water 2 Comments
A Victorian scrapbook, the tweeness of Audlem Locks fanned out as we climbed: lace, blackbirds, holly, butterflies, violets, ribbon, feathers, roses – it’s probably all there. A little curtain twitching from the long-term moorers, not sure they’re used to many boats passing at this time of year, certainly not the bin dipping variety anyhow. Hose on the waterpoint, Nick disappeared with a couple of rubbish bags, re-appearing moments later with an unbelievable bin dip and a show stopping performance… a whole 
world of alfresco dining possibilities stored in the size of a suitcase. Cousin Jack’s offcast has joined our travelling show.
A lucky run of locks, the all important glint of light shone through the gates for all but one o
f many locks over the last two days. The gates are small, the paddles easy and the pull very gentle. A sunny journey down through Betton Cutting, glided on past where we limped to moor last year with our first chocked fuel filter.
A quick lunch at Market Drayton, then an Asda assault on our senses with dazzling lights and 
disturbing musac. We watched our basket load shuffling along the conveyor feeling pretty proud to have collected a pile of almost healthy looking stuff, a battle against mid-winter scurvyness.
Tyrley locks were a hub for Saturday afternoon walkers. Very pretty around here but with days dark so early what’s on the outside matters far less than it does in the summer months – a dry towpath and it’s 
basically a winner.
Dog Wars
Posted: January 9, 2014 Filed under: Moving on | Tags: Hack Green nuclear bunker, Nantwich, narrowboat blog, Shropshire Union 7 Comments
the gory bit
Nantwich has to be one of the most sociable tow paths going. Friendly boaters and inquisitive walkers, in the space of just a few minutes questions included ‘Have you been robbed?’ ‘Any trouble with kids?’ ‘Much vandalism?’ ‘Much trouble with drunks?’ and ‘Any drug problems’ Er no. 
A quick clean of one side of the boat before pushing off and out into the country. Mud beyond imaginable mud. Murk ploughed into a group of three collies, tail wagging probably even smiling before a lot of yelping then scooting out the other side with a hole in his side. He is a pain but he didn’t deser
ve that, poor boy. A couple of locks saw us rising up next to Hack Green Nuclear Bunker, a firm favourite with Nick, still yet to pass it on an open day. Beautiful afternoon sunshine, we got busy with a bit more boat type stuff, a bow brush and wash, nasty chimney gunk clean up, a DIY paint buff invention involving a mixture of wax and …paint and a bit mushroom polishing all while Murk whimpered on the lazy boy. Hope he realises vet bills aren’t budgeted for.
Fishermen
Posted: January 8, 2014 Filed under: Dry land, Moving on | Tags: Barbridge, Nantwich, narrowboat blog, Shropshire Union, supplies Leave a comment
Not a long run today, just a few miles from Barbridge to Nantwich but the canal seemed more alive than it has for a long time, ridiculously mild for this time of year, no rain and
not even a breeze – boats were on the move. Pretty much everyone we passed seemed happy to be hood free and conversation revolved around the prospect of a whole dry day….everyone apart from the fisherman. The deal seems to be that generally speaking fishermen don’t like boaters. Starting out we heard torrid tales of knives being pulled and threats over the emptying of locks. Way back we got yelled at by a long pole roach fisherman to ‘hug the bank so as not to disturb the water further out’ whi
lst those fishing for other stuff prefer the total opposite. Sticking to the rule we’ve never had a problem BUT….when both species of fishermen were sat together, a no win situation lay ahead. One glib comment from a non-r
oacher was all it took, our throttle hit reverse, Murk and me listened as Nick delighted in playing one off against the other…a frank and slightly awkward question and answer session later, two anglers sat side by side in stoney silence.
The moorings at Nantwich are busy as usual, but somehow there always seems just enough space. Went into the town and onto Morrisons, it used to seem quite a way, but day on day of tow path trekking makes it a walk in the park now. Lucky to have a very friendly neighbour who, hearing the clanging of our gas bottle ventured out into the darkness and pouring rain offering to hold the torch – something tells me I should have been doing that.
Marpessa2 