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.