Up the Bratch

Up The Bratch locks this morning.

As soon as the sun was shining enough we were off, before the forecast rain and winds arrived.

First with the camera and tripod to take the still shots around the unique flight of locks, then with the boat for all the moving shots.

Built originally as a staircase it’s been modified to be three individual locks with only a few feet between them.

Then we spotted a man walking up and down with a GPS unit in his hand, and though he just might be geocaching - and we were right.

We also spotted James and his mum patiently waiting for his geocaching dad.  James was just too slow to help push the lock gate open, but he was in time to come for a ride between the lower and middle locks, carefully supervised by mum.

We moored before the weather got too bad, with the Wolverhampton 21 to tackle tomorrow.

Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 15:59
Comments (0) Category(s): Staffs & Worcester , Stourport Ring

Stourton Junction and beyond

A late start today, as every time we thought of setting off it started to rain, so we waited, and waited a bit more and a bit more moored.

We mostly dodged the showers and managed some filming in the sunshine as it came and went during the day.

One little surprise along the way was the gate to the cottage at Hyde Lock - a miniature set of lock gates.

We soon reached Stourton Junction and ignored the signs to Stourbridge and Birmingham and continued towards Wolverhampton.

We’ll return later to film the other route through Netherton Tunnel.

With our late start this morning, the sun was a little low for filming by the time we reached The Bratch so we’re moored below and hoping for sunshine tomorrow.  Hopefully it won’t be too late a start again.

Posted on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 19:53
Comments (0) Category(s): Staffs & Worcester , Stourport Ring

Meeting Famous People

Little did we know when we set off this morning that we’d be meeting famous people.

First, at Falling Sands Lock on the Staffs and Worcester Canal, narrowboat Phyllis May was waiting to descend and there were Terry and Monica Darlington.  Terry is author if the book Narrow Dog to Carcassonne of how they took their boat down the Thames, across the English Channel and through the French Canals to the South of France.

Now there’s a sequel Narrow Dog to Indian River about sailing it down the Intracoastal Waterway from Virginia to Florida.  If you look in the Window of Phyllis May you can see the two books propped against the window.

They are on their way to the Saul Festival where Terry will be speaking.

We continued on to Kidderminster and moored outside Tesco’s to top up our supplies.

Moored behind us was the Jones’ narrowboat “Keeping Up with the Jones family”.  We had a delightful chat with Allan Jones, although we missed Debbie who was, allegedly, purchasing most of Mr Tesco’s stocks.

Allan and Debbie have a website, although it appears to be off the air but I hope I have the right link here.  I’ll add it to our links page as soon as I see it’s working again - especially if Allan or Debbie leave me a comment to say it is.

Our journey took us onward past the church at Kidderminster which appears in so many photographs - so why should we be be different?.  Cropped to 4:3 that just might make the front cover of the planned Stourport Ring DVD that we’re filming.  We’ll have to see if I get anything better at Bratch.

And tonight we’re moored on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal in Staffordshire and Worcestershire.  I sat at the table for tea in Staffordshire while Christine sat in Worcestershire and the boundary stone is right outside our window.  We didn’t even know it was there until we’d moored and investigated it.

And now, Matilda Blue has moored behind us.  Jeff Thomas had spoken to us briefly while we were moored in Stourport Basin, and he and his wife, Diana, had also moored next to us while we were shopping at Kidderminster.

Jeff had been introduced to us through Andrew Denny of Granny Buttons over 2 years ago while we were both researching electric narrowboats and we had exchanged a little information then, although never met until now.

I wonder who we will meet tomorrow and our journey along the Staffs and Worcester towards Aldersley junction.

Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 20:33
Comments (0) Category(s): Staffs & Worcester , Stourport Ring

Upstream to Stourport

A bright and sunny day today, so we head for the River Severn.

First down the two large locks from the Basin at Worcester onto the River Severn where we wanted to turn right.  Unfortunately the pontoon where we have to pick up the crew which operated the lock is to the left.

The solution is to head straight across the river, then keep turning left in a large arc to reach the pontoon facing upstream.

Once on the River Severn it was easy to make good progress with very little current to push against.

It can be quite boring with lots of trees lining the route but there are occasional cottages like the first photo here.

The locks on the River Severn are large, dwarfing our little narrowboat.  Holt Lock (second photo) has a wet mark showing just how much we go up in the lock as the river is so low.  It’s probably only about four feet.

At Lincomb lock I thought I saw a UFO hovering over the opposite side of the lock.  It was a funny round thing hovering just above the top of the lock wall.

Then I realised it was a mirror.  As we are so far down in the lock it was the only way the lock keeper could see the boats from within his lock-keepers office.

With some careful positioning of the boat I found I could see him too.  We both look a little funny in the round mirror.

At Stourport we moored on the River for a few minutes while we checked out the two sets of staircase locks which take us into the basin.

The locks were all free so we were soon up into the basin.  Plenty of time to fill up with water, moor the boat here, and to walk around and take lots of photos.

Tomorrow should be Kidderminster and, perhaps, beyond.

Posted on Monday, June 23, 2008 at 20:07
Comments (0) Category(s): River Severn , Staffs & Worcester , Stourport Ring

Steam at The Bratch

The Bratch is a famous location on the Staffs and Worcester Canal - but more of that in the next blog.

It’s less famous, at least in canal circles, for having a steam pumping engine which was used to pump water out of the ground and up to the reservoirs near Wolverhampton.

The pair of engines, Alexandra and Victoria were commissioned in 1897 and pumped water until 1960 when replaced by electric pumps.

Victoria is now restored and two or three times a year is steamed for an open day.  A fun day out for all the family with lots of entertainment.

First you can see the steam engines and get surprisingly close to them inside the engine house, sampling the smells, sights and sounds of the working engine.  I can still hear the noises now.

We arrived a lunch before the afternoon crowds to allow chance to take a few photos.

Outside there were several fairground organs, all taking turns to play their great range of tunes.

Then there were steam rollers, steam cranes and even a traction engine - although the oil can in the photo may give a clue about the scale of this one.

Then there were wood cutting displays powered by a tractor just like the one Sue’s family owns, and vintage motor bikes, and busses and too much more to write about in one short blog.

Posted on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 21:31
Comments (0) Category(s): Staffs & Worcester

Looking for Problems

I was running a training course for my other job today. Unusually for me I took the car.

When the course finished I could make a minor detour to drop in on Vic and Sue on No Problem.

Sue has a map link from her site so anyone can check where they are - or at least she usually does.

Today the link didn’t work so I had to guess where they were moored but I didn’t have to hunt for long before I found them.

Lucy greeted me with the whimpers and fuss she reserves for a long lost friend.  Meg watched for a moment, perhaps wondering why Lucy was making such a fuss of a stranger, then joined in anyway.

It was lovely to meet Meg for the first time and I was surprised how well trained she was already.

It was great to see Vic again too and he soon had the kettle and a mug of tea in hand.  But as for Sue - she was down in Portsmouth - the second time she’s been missing when I visited - tut tut.

Posted on Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 21:23
Comments (0) Category(s): No Problem , Staffs & Worcester

Sophie-Jane No 2

Yesterday, Sue from No Problem brought four visitors along the towpath to meet us.  They are readers of both of our blogs. They were (I think) Dave, Jen, and, oh dear, I can’t remember the other two names.  I hope they will leave their names in a comment.  It is so nice to be able to put faces to what would otherwise be anonymous readers. This morning we returned to Tixall Wide to complete the filming for that part of the Four Counties DVD as the sun was shining and we passed them again - and their boat, Sophie-Jane No 2.  I wonder what happened to No 1.

Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2007 at 20:15
Comments (1) Category(s): Staffs & Worcester , Trent & Mersey