Bollards reach Farmers Bridge

We set off for a short cruise today, hopping between places with transport links to visit our daughter, Susan, in hospital.

We’re only about 3 miles from where we started, but that includes the 13 locks of the Farmers Bridge locks where new bollards were being installed.

They were all being set into the lock side with great care.  I wondered if one was being set up as an art exhibition with the spade and pile of bricks.

At least they weren’t wasting money placing new ones where there were serviceable old ones already there.

As we went down in the lock I wondered how you were supposed to pay out the rope if you had passed it round one of the new square bollards, as you could with the old round ones.  Perhaps the new ones will be just as round in 100 years time.

We’re moored on the visitor moorings at Aston Science Park tonight.

We will be heading towards Knowle tomorrow, although I need to study the timetables to see whether it will be better to stop before or after there.

Posted on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 21:20        Comments (0)
Category(s): BCN , Birmingham & Fazeley

IWA Festival 2008 - Autherley Junction

August Bank Holiday means it’s the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) festival.  It’s held at a different location every year and this year it’s at Autherley Junction where the Shropshire Union Canal and the Staffs & Worcester Canal meet near Wolverhampton.

We had planned to visit on Saturday morning but our plans became a little complicated and Christine visited on Saturday morning and I visited on Sunday morning.  It was a very quiet start to Sunday morning but it was just starting to fill up as I left at lunchtime.

There were all sorts of stands, typical of these festivals.  Some sheltered in the marquees and others braving the weather with their stalls outside.  Plenty of boats to go aboard, if you don’t mind queuing.  There was, of course, plenty of the traditional mud to wade through.  There were plenty of volunteers putting down cartloads of bark chippings but they were soon trodden into the mud.

Then it was back by bus and train to our boat, still moored in Birmingham.

We’d planned to cruise the Avon Ring this week but unfortunately our daughter, Susan, is in Hospital.  First in City Hospital, and now in Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, fortunately both within reach from our home moorings so we’re living on the boat.  We’re still not certain what the problem is but it seems to be a rare infection which has stopped her kidneys working and she has needed dialysis.

There are small signs of improvement now and we might manage a short cruise later in the week, hopping between railway stations or bus stops so we can still see her during visiting hours.  With our son Andrew, and girlfriend Megan aboard we can share the visiting.

Posted on Monday, August 25, 2008 at 09:12        Comments (0)
Category(s): Festivals and Shows

Netherton Tunnel 150

Netherton Tunnel was opened 150 years ago today.

It was opened to relieve the bottleneck of Dudley Tunnel which is a long, narrow tunnel which boats had to be legged through.

Netherton Tunnel must have been a wonderful improvement.  It’s not just a wide tunnel, allowing boats to pass in the tunnel, but has towpaths on both sides of the tunnel.  

In today’s re-enactment of the opening ceremony a convoy of boats travelled southwards through the tunnel.  One of the dignitaries on the leading boat had the honour of cutting the tape at the tunnel mouth - which I managed to catch on video, but not with a still picture.

Then the convoy of boats continued to emerge from the tunnel.  One of them was towing a butty which was detached at the tunnel mouth and Prince, the horse which had been patiently waiting for its moment of fame. pulled it to the junction.

One of the boats was a battery powered boat from Dudley Tunnel, enjoying a moment of freedom.

The bridge at Windmill End Junction provided an ideal vantage point for the opening ceremony where the leaders of the councils from each end of the tunnel shook hands to mark their new through route.

The West Midlands Fire Service band provided the fanfares and colour on the bridge.

Posted on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 22:39        Comments (0)
Category(s): BCN

Visitor on board

Paul’s Mum (Muriel Balmer) is visiting for a few days.

Despite being a live-aboard earlier in life this is her first visit the Birmingham Canal Navigations.

A gentle cruise yesterday took us around the loops of the old main line, then along the new main line to moor near Albion Junction.

This morning we visited Caggy’s boatyard to make a booking for blacking the bottom.

The back via Tipton Locks, the Old Main Line and Smethwick Locks.

A quick refresher and Paul’s Mum was soon back into the swing of things, and keen to work the locks.

And, of course, a chance to relax and read the leaflets about all the nice things around the BCN.  There are some great stretches and it is not as bad as some people make out.

Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008 at 16:53        Comments (0)
Category(s): BCN