Blog
Saturday 24th September 2016 - Parkhead Festival
Please check out the Canal Places entry.Friday 16th September 2016 - Waterfront Wharf
Found a very pleasant mooring opposite a Wetherspoon’s! Oh joy.Tuesday 13th September 2016 - Bumblehole Nature Reserve
Continued our journey having rerouted through Walsall, down onto the New Main Line which connects Birmingham to Wolverhampton. Then a diversion south through the Netherton Tunnel. This was the last canal tunnel, completed in 1858 and is 3072 yards long. It boasts towpaths on both sides and once had gas lighting! We emerge into a charming area known as the Bumblehole Nature Reserve and moor up. We were delighted to see a boat devoted to wine and beer making moored up near-by. There is a junction featuring the typical cast iron bridges of unsurpassed elegance. Compare the design quality of these with the brutalism of the M5 shown earlier.Friday 9th September 2016 - Walsall
Some oddities just catch your eye giving you to think “You call this surviving?”Monday 5th September 2016 - Longwood Junction
There are times, mercifully rare, when you get to where you’re going only to find that you can go no further. Having arrived at the beginning of the Rushall Canal where we planned to spend the night we found that the two locks that mark the entrance were both closed for major refurbishment of the lock gates. What a shame the the Canal & River Trust omitted to include this in their email notifications. A shamefaced CRT representative said she would “mention it” when she got back to the office. We spent the night under the watchful eye of the security guard who was there, really, to make sure nobody nicked CRT’s equipment. He was a charming gentleman of far eastern appearance with a very limited english vocabulary although I’m sure it includes “Stop Thief!”. Tomorrow we retrace our watery ways.Monday 29th August 2016 - IWA Festival - Pelsall Junction
The Inland Waterways Association held its annual festival at Pelsall Junction on the BCN. The canal is still the Wyrley & Essington, will it never end? We have not taken Wild Rose as they charge £35 for the moorings over the three days of the festival whereas we can catch the bus for free. But it was all very interesting, classic boats, strange bling, dodgy jam jokes and interesting people to talk to. For non boaters the word “butty” refers to an unpowered boat towed behind the powered craft to provide extra carrying capacity without the fixed extra length that would be incompatible with locks or, indeed, the twists and turns of the watery ways. And it also means “sandwich”! I seem to remember that the snake’s name is Henry.Tuesday 23rd August 2016 - BCN -Anglesey Basin
We have arrived in this quiet backwater where we intend to stay for a few days. It is the furthest North you can travel on the BCN. The small arm, of which this is the terminus, was originally built to act as a water feeder arm to the Wyrley & Essington Canal supplied by the Chasewater Reservoir and we had given no particular thought as to what the Reservoir might consist of. So, having climbed up to the top of the retaining dam, we were excited to see a flourishing water sports centre, wildlife haven and Heritage Railway. This area abounds with closed collieries and dismantled railways of which little or no signs remain apart from trackpaths for walkers. But that emblem of the early and burgeoning industrial revolution, the canal, that remains.Sunday 14th August 2016 - Battle of the Somme
It is now 100 years since the death of my Great Uncle Charles Catlin, Serjeant in the 11th Battalion Royal Fusiliers. The Somme killed or wounded approx 420,000 British Soldiers.Saturday 13th August 2016 - BCN
Whilst travelling between Smethwick and Oldbury the BCN Old Main Line passes beneath the mighty M5 and you find yourself amidst a forest of concrete columns rising like some petrified forest with a canopy of never ending noise. The contrast between this arterial behemoth and the understated detailing of the canal, its locks and bridges is brought sharply into focus. But even in this unlikely environment the Heron hunts.Saturday 16th July 2016 - Stratford Canal
At the Birmingham end of the Stratford Canal, as you approach Kings Norton Junction there is a curious thing - a guillotine lock. Its fearsome medieval appearance gives you cause to mentally check the boat licence is paid before you pass under. And you wonder about its purpose as there is no variation in water levels either side. Then you see the sign. One inch variation! What were they thinking of? Back in the day when canals were individually owned, the various companies jealously guarded their water supplies and went to all sorts of lengths to ensure that their competitors did not benefit from free water. Hence a one inch level variation and a guillotine lock.Saturday 25th June 2016 - Grand Union Canal
Went to Long Itchington for provisions. Nice village, been around since the Doomsday Book won the Golden Dagger Award and when, apparently, it was 20 times bigger than Birmingham! St.Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, was born at Long Itchington in the early years of the 11th century. Apparently he miraculously cured King Harold's daughter. Its a great pity he couldn't do the same for the King himself. The church spire is of note in that there isn't one. There was one but it fell down after being struck by lightning in 1762 during a service. I would like to think that this is the longest running “Church Spire Restoration Fund” in history. The really interesting thing is that Long Itch' will be the home in 2169 of Jacob Von Hogflume (1864-1909) the inventor of time travel. I know this because there is a blue plaque commemorating him. I would love to meet him to find out whether, when he lived (lives?) there, they had (have) restored the spire? Saturday 11th June 2016 - Grand Union Canal Went to Daventry, a nice quiet country market town, another sleepy place in Northampton. A bit of shopping, perhaps a coffee, maybe lunch at Wetherspoons. Ran into bikers. Hoards of them, it was great. At first we thought maybe it was the Daventry Chapter of the Hells Angels. But they kept on coming, bikes, trykes, quads even a side car hearse! There were bikes parked up and down all the streets together with market stalls selling biker gear of all kinds. Tattooed and bearded bikers in leather gear strode the thoroughfares with their chicks and often their children, sometimes several…where do they put them on the bike? Wetherspoons was packed, left early.Wednesday 8th June 2016
After eight years of travelling around the network including two years spent in the London area and a short sojourn in Florence we are once again setting out on a cruise. At the moment we are moored out in the middle of nowhere working on the boat. When you live on a boat there is always something to do! Now we need to repaint it. Wild Rose is looking a bit shabby and needs TLC. But it’s easy to be seduced by the countryside, the calm vistas, glimpses of wild life, a glass of wine. No, we’ll get on with the painting, Ah h but it’s raining! Oh well, maybe tomorrow…
Saturday 23
nd
October 2016 – Autherley Junction
After all our time on the BCN we are tired of the urban environment and long for the countryside and the big vistas. It's time to move back onto the New Main Line, across to and down the Wolverhampton Flight of 21 locks. A short dogleg along the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal and then turn left. We have returned to the very beginning of the Shropshire Union Canal, the fabled "Shroppie" which is to be our home for the winter…we are content.Friday 30
th
September 2016 – Hawne Basin
We moor up for a day or two before continuing along the Dudley No. 2 Canal towards Halesowen. These days this section is really just an arm terminating at Hawne Basin where we shall leave the boat for a week while we venture into the wilds of Scotland to visit our son Stuart and Virginia, his betrothed. But before we reach the Basin we must pass through Gosty Hill Tunnel (557 yards). Of course with a name like that it has to be haunted, but the fact is that just about all the canal tunnels are haunted. With the working practices of the day there were many fatalities during tunnelling. I have not seen any figures for Gosty but I remember reading that the Blisworth Tunnel on the Grand Union Canal claimed 50 lives! Anyway I have prepared a photo trip through Gosty that you will find in “Canal Places". The tunnel is very narrow, it is said that the old boaters just set the throttles and retired to their cabins as the boat made its own way. At the start the roof is quite high but reduces as you progress until the bricks press down upon you. This is no place for the claustrophobic. For the record it has only one ventilation shaft the top of which is known locally as the Pepper Pot and ideally situated in some lucky person’s front garden. Now once upon a time the Dudley No. 2 continued beyond Hawne Basin to join the Worcester and Birmingham Canal routing through another tunnel, the Lapal. By all accounts this was even more restricted than Gosty and much longer at 3795 yards. Mercifully for the claustrophobic this tunnel was closed in 1917 after a major roof collapse. Naturally there is a group of enthusiasts clamouring for restoration although nobody knows what the condition of the tunnel is, doubtless because nobody is foolish enough to venture in.Sunday 25
th
September 2016 – Bumblehole Nature Reserve
We are back at the Bumblehole Nature Reserve. The name "Bumblehole" derives from the noise made by a pumping engine. The reserve has at its centre a deep depression with a pond at the bottom, all reclaimed from an abandoned colliery. There is limited access now on the grounds of safety but when the colliery was in operation this pumping engine, sited in the depression (or hole), ran constantly to clear water from the workings. The noise it made sounded like "bum...bum...BUM...bum...bum...BUM.." and so on. I hope I haven't offended your delicate sensibilities but that's the way it is…
Blog
Saturday 24th September 2016 - Parkhead
Festival
Check out the Canal Places entry.Friday 16th September 2016 - Waterfront
Wharf
Found a very pleasant mooring opposite a Wetherspoon’s! Oh joy.Tuesday 13th September 2016 - Bumblehole
Nature Reserve
Continued our journey having rerouted through Walsall, down onto the New Main Line which connects Birmingham to Wolverhampton. Then a diversion south through the Netherton Tunnel. This was the last canal tunnel, completed in 1858 and is 3072 yards long. It boasts towpaths on both sides and once had gas lighting! We emerge into a charming area known as the Bumblehole Nature Reserve and moor up. We were delighted to see a boat devoted to wine and beer making moored up close bye. There is a junction featuring the typical cast iron bridges of unsurpassed elegance. Compare the design quality of these with the brutalism of the M5 shown earlier.Friday 9th September 2016 - Walsall
Some oddities just catch your eye giving you to think “You call this surviving?”Monday 5th September 2016 -
Longwood Junction
There are times, mercifully rare, when you get to where you’re going only to find that you can go no further. Having arrived at the beginning of the Rushall Canal where we planned to spend the night we found that the two locks that mark the entrance were both closed for major refurbishment of the lock gates. What a shame the the Canal & River Trust omitted to include this in their email notifications. A shamefaced CRT representative said she would “mention it” when she got back to the office. We spent the night under the watchful eye of the security guard who was there, really, to make sure nobody nicked CRT’s equipment. He was a charming gentleman of far eastern appearance with a very limited english vocabulary although I’m sure it includes “Stop Thief!”. Tomorrow we retrace our watery ways.Monday 29th August 2016 - IWA
Festival - Pelsall Junction
The Inland Waterways Association held its annual festival at Pelsall Junction on the BCN. The canal is still the Wyrley & Essington, will it never end? We have not taken Wild Rose as they charge £35 for the moorings over the three days of the festival whereas we can catch the bus for free. But it was all very interesting, classic boats, strange bling, dodgy jam jokes and interesting people to talk to. For non boaters the word “butty” refers to an unpowered boat towed behind the powered craft to provide extra carrying capacity without the fixed extra length that would be incompatible with locks or, indeed, the twists and turns of the watery ways. And it also means “sandwich”! I seem to remember that the snake’s name is Henry.Tuesday 23rd August 2016 - BCN -
Anglesey Basin
We have arrived in this quiet backwater where we intend to stay for a few days. It is the furthest North you can travel on the BCN. The small arm, of which this is the terminus, was originally built to act as a water feeder arm to the Wyrley & Essington Canal supplied by the Chasewater Reservoir and we had given no particular thought as to what the Reservoir might consist of. So, having climbed up to the top of the retaining dam, we were excited to see a flourishing water sports centre, wildlife haven and Heritage Railway. This area abounds with closed collieries and dismantled railways of which little or no signs remain apart from trackpaths for walkers. But that emblem of the early and burgeoning industrial revolution, the canal, that remains.Sunday 14th August 2016 - Battle of
the Somme
It is now 100 years since the death of my Great Uncle Charles Catlin, Serjeant in the 11th Battalion Royal Fusiliers. The Somme killed or wounded approx 420,000 British Soldiers.Saturday 13th August 2016 - BCN
Whilst travelling between Smethwick and Oldbury the BCN Old Main Line passes beneath the mighty M5 and you find yourself amidst a forest of concrete columns rising like some petrified forest with a canopy of never ending noise. The contrast between this arterial behemoth and the understated detailing of the canal, its locks and bridges is brought sharply into focus. But even in this unlikely environment the Heron hunts.Saturday 16th July 2016 - Stratford
Canal
At the Birmingham end of the Stratford Canal, as you approach Kings Norton Junction there is a curious thing - a guillotine lock. Its fearsome medieval appearance gives you cause to mentally check the boat licence is paid before you pass under. And you wonder about its purpose as there is no variation in water levels either side. Then you see the sign. One inch variation! What were they thinking of? Back in the day when canals were individually owned, the various companies jealously guarded their water supplies and went to all sorts of lengths to ensure that their competitors did not benefit from free water. Hence a one inch level variation and a guillotine lock.Saturday 25th June 2016 - Grand
Union Canal
Went to Long Itchington for provisions. Nice village, been around since the Doomsday Book won the Golden Dagger Award and when, apparently, it was 20 times bigger than Birmingham! St.Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, was born at Long Itchington in the early years of the 11th century. Apparently he miraculously cured King Harold's daughter. Its a great pity he couldn't do the same for the King himself. The church spire is of note in that there isn't one. There was one but it fell down after being struck by lightning in 1762 during a service. I would like to think that this is the longest running “Church Spire Restoration Fund” in history. The really interesting thing is that Long Itch' will be the home in 2169 of Jacob Von Hogflume (1864-1909) the inventor of time travel. I know this because there is a blue plaque commemorating him. I would love to meet him to find out whether, when he lived (lives?) there, they had (have) restored the spire? Saturday 11th June 2016 - Grand Union Canal Went to Daventry, a nice quiet country market town, another sleepy place in Northampton. A bit of shopping, perhaps a coffee, maybe lunch at Wetherspoons. Ran into bikers. Hoards of them, it was great. At first we thought maybe it was the Daventry Chapter of the Hells Angels. But they kept on coming, bikes, trykes, quads even a side car hearse! There were bikes parked up and down all the streets together with market stalls selling biker gear of all kinds. Tattooed and bearded bikers in leather gear strode the thoroughfares with their chicks and often their children, sometimes several…where do they put them on the bike? Wetherspoons was packed, left early.Wednesday 8th June 2016
After eight years of travelling around the network including two years spent in the London area and a short sojourn in Florence we are once again setting out on a cruise. At the moment we are moored out in the middle of nowhere working on the boat. When you live on a boat there is always something to do! Now we need to repaint it. Wild Rose is looking a bit shabby and needs TLC. But it’s easy to be seduced by the countryside, the calm vistas, glimpses of wild life, a glass of wine. No, we’ll get on with the painting, Ah h but it’s raining! Oh well, maybe tomorrow…
nb Wild Rose
Wandering the Watery Ways…
Saturday 23
nd
October 2016 –
Autherley Junction
After all our time on the BCN we are tired of the urban environment and long for the countryside and the big vistas. It's time to move back onto the New Main Line, across to and down the Wolverhampton Flight of 21 locks. A short dogleg along the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal and then turn left. We have returned to the very beginning of the Shropshire Union Canal, the fabled "Shroppie" which is to be our home for the winter…we are content.Friday 30
th
September 2016 – Hawne
Basin
We moor up for a day or two before continuing along the Dudley No. 2 Canal towards Halesowen. These days this section is really just an arm terminating at Hawne Basin where we shall leave the boat for a week while we venture into the wilds of Scotland to visit our son Stuart and Virginia, his betrothed. But before we reach the Basin we must pass through Gosty Hill Tunnel (557 yards). Of course with a name like that it has to be haunted, but the fact is that just about all the canal tunnels are haunted. With the working practices of the day there were many fatalities during tunnelling. I have not seen any figures for Gosty but I remember reading that the Blisworth Tunnel on the Grand Union Canal claimed 50 lives! Anyway I have prepared a photo trip through Gosty that you will find in “Canal Places". The tunnel is very narrow, it is said that the old boaters just set the throttles and retired to their cabins as the boat made its own way. At the start the roof is quite high but reduces as you progress until the bricks press down upon you. This is no place for the claustrophobic. For the record it has only one ventilation shaft the top of which is known locally as the Pepper Pot and ideally situated in some lucky person’s front garden. Now once upon a time the Dudley No. 2 continued beyond Hawne Basin to join the Worcester and Birmingham Canal routing through another tunnel, the Lapal. By all accounts this was even more restricted than Gosty and much longer at 3795 yards. Mercifully for the claustrophobic this tunnel was closed in 1917 after a major roof collapse. Naturally there is a group of enthusiasts clamouring for restoration although nobody knows what the condition of the tunnel is, doubtless because nobody is foolish enough to venture in.Sunday 25
th
September 2016 –
Bumblehole Nature Reserve
We are back at the Bumblehole Nature Reserve. The name "Bumblehole" derives from the noise made by a pumping engine. The reserve has at its centre a deep depression with a pond at the bottom, all reclaimed from an abandoned colliery. There is limited access now on the grounds of safety but when the colliery was in operation this pumping engine, sited in the depression (or hole), ran constantly to clear water from the workings. The noise it made sounded like "bum...bum...BUM...bum...bum...BUM.." and so on. I hope I haven't offended your delicate sensibilities but that's the way it is…
