David Suchet OBE officially opening the 2008 Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally from the traditional butty Raymond

© Doug Blane www.DougBlane.com / www.CanalImages.com

Friday 27th June

Tardebigge flight

Thursday 26th June

Just past bridge 25, Tibberton Bridge.
Cruse for a few miles and passed through Dunhampstead Tunnel (230 yards). Nice tunnel, brick, uneven dry-ish. Interesting, worth while navigation.
On to Hanbury Wharf and moor so I could see if the chandlers had a new tiller handle. He didn’t, even though he was a proper chandlers with tools, and bespoke wok workings in progress. He measured the broken tiller end with his venire calipers before saying he didn’t have any thing that would work.
Off to the fist lock of the Astwood flight. I assume that this boat was named after this flight. Rising up was good, I like being higher than lower. You can see more. Moored at bridge 42 to take on water and have bacon sandwiches for lunch. Had a quick chat with 2 couples on an Avlechurch boat who are from Oslo, Norway. Thy were having difficulties mooring, but managed in the end.
Off up the Stoke locks and moored Stoke Pound opposite the pub and below the flight.

Wednesday 25th June

Off early down the locks and moored up outside the water tap / chandlers. The chandlers were closed, it was early 9am and the sign said that they opened at 10am. I went off toward the high street to find some supplies. I talked to an elderly many asking him if he knew where I could get some duck tape. He told me that the high street didn’t have many useful shops any more, only restaurants, cafes and bars. He then remembered a car garage shop which may have what I needed. I headed right and found the place. I bought 3 wood chisels, 2 cable ties and a roll of duck tape.
Back to the boat where I used the 2 cable ties at packing and taped the table leg to the tiller.
All OK and off down the 4 narrow locks onto the river Severn.
A pleasant enough river to cruse. Loads of fishermen along the banks. We navigated he fist lock OK despite the canal talk of log waits or even lock closures due to the BW work.
A few more locks and into the city of Worcester. It looked nice from the river banks. We turned left off the river in the first of 2 very large locks, around 80ft long and you could nearly fit 3 narrowboats side by side.
We were in there with a 60ft Brook line boat with only 2 crew. The chap navigating was banging the boat about…
Off on to the narrow canal passed loads of new build yuppie flats with canal views, which were mainly empty. I guess that people didn’t want a small yuppie flat, or as the credit crunch is bighting they are over priced…
We decided to go out of the slum canal side Worcester and towards the country. We moored at Tibberton Bridge.

Tuesday 24th June

Went for a walk up the hill to the ridge and eventually finding the rock home / caves which were closed…

After lunch we set off passed Whittington Lock, Cookley tunnel, through Kiderminster, and moored on the suburbs of Stourport–on-Seven just passed the railway Bridge by a pub.

Monday 23rd June

Passed Dudley Tunnel South Junction.

Down a deep lock.

Down Delph Locks

Picked up the helper Geoff.
Left to Stourbridge Locks.

Went to the Glass Redhouse Cone.

Down Stewpony locks.
Tiller broke…

Left onto the Staffs & Worces.

Moored at Kinver.
Nice place
Co-op and Spa in village.
Po – posted cards.

Sunday 22nd June

Up and through Wast Hills Tunnel.
Passed King’s Norton Junction towards Cadbury’s world / Bournville.
Nothing much to see, back canal, loads of litter in it, grafety on he bridge wall.
Moored before Gas Street Basin to fill up with water.
Took a look at the nearby building works below the cut.
Moored at Gas St, and went for a walk around. It’s quite nice there now, a but yuppiey’ish though.

Lunch and off, we chose to head down the main line for a bit and then do the Winson Green (Soho) loop.
Turning right we passed industrial buildings of yester year.
No boats at all in this arm, either navigating or moored!
Passed the Hockley Port Junction and on under Asylum Bridge.
A grand hospital building to the right and other hospital buildings on the island to our left, maybe where the Asylum is / was…

Back onto the main line and then right at Smethwick Junction up a flight of 3 locks.
3 kids were throwing stones across the cut.
They moved up to the first lock and through them across he bow.
I asked them nicely to not through stones at the boat.
They ignored me.
The locks had he anti-vandal mechanism, so anther key was needed.

After the 3rd lock we passed the Engine Branch Aqueduct cursing above the main line.
Passing under the motorway we followed it for a while before emerging at Dudley Tunnel / BCLM.

I went on the Dudley Tunnel boat trip while Jo went around the museum.
It was a fun if some what touristy experience.
We decided to head off through Netherton Tunnel.
Down the 3 locks at Tipton Green and on to the Main Line again.
Right and through Netherton.
It was wide, straight, has a towpath on each side.
A bit boring to navigate….
I spotted a faint blue white light ahead, thought it was someone on a boat heading the same direction as we were.
The light was near the water, around 1-2 feet, which I thought was a tad low.
I slowed down and steered to the right.
As the light came nearer it became apparent that the light was a head torch from a canoe which was being rowed by a woman in the front and a man in the back. If I had not slowed down and veered right I would have hit them.
The girl in the front was cheerful and said hello as they passed my stern. I said “you are not supposed to navigate canal tunnels in un-powered craft” to which became quiet and paddled faster.

We moored at Windmill End Junction near Bumble Hole Junction / arm.
It is now a nature reserve, quite pleasant with people going for walks with their dogs.

Saturday 21st June

Depart Tardebigge.
Dull drizzly day.
Suck behind a beginner who was not sure about navigating.
Shortwood tunnel was lovely. Old bricks, not straight, stalactites and not too wet.
No pictures today, too dull.
Navigated for 2 hrs then moored just before Kings Norton Tunnel.
Moored at Hopwood between bridge 68 – 69.
Nice and quiet.