Hockley Heath to Holliday Wharf, Birmingham
15 miles 0.5 furlongs 0 locks 1 lift bridge
Cumulative: 36 miles 2.75 furlongs 62 locks
on the Stratford Canal
Another lie-in. Up at 0815 and under way at 0845, after Will had been down the weed hatch (clean) and done the engine checks. We stopped at Waring's Heath between 1000 and 1030 for an on-board fry-up, an almost essential part of winter (all right, late autumn) boating.
At 1355 we passed through the picturesque King's Norton Stop Lock. The canal's all on the level these days, so I don't count it as a lock in the stats.
entering King's Norton Stop Lock
Half an hour later we drifted to a halt outside Bournville Station, having caught something round the prop. David insisted that it was his turn to dive down the hatch, so, reluctantly, we stood aside for the Great Advocate of the Bargee Bill Prop Cleaner. Or Barnacle Bill as he calls it. Or waste of space as I call it. He shoved and heaved, prodded and sawed, but even the GABBPC eventually had to roll up his sleeve and plunge his arm into the icy water. And out came a pathetically small amount of shoelace and fabric. Perhaps the rest had been Bargee Billed off, to attach itself round the next boat's prop.
"Bargee Bill" doesn't stop David getting his hands wet (note the kettle to pour hot water into the weed hatch)
At 1450 we were under way again. We tied up at Holliday Wharf at 1630 in the gloom: in another half hour it would be dark. Watered up. Said goodbye to Will, who lugged his heavy rucksack off to New Street Station. Showered in the BW services. Had a go at some night time photography, but will never come close to Andrew Denny's standard. Perhaps someone could tell me which of the following pair of photos is the better (or least bad), as I can't decide.
Shadow at Holliday Wharf
As the maximum exposure duration my compact digital camera will give is eight seconds I need all the artificial light there is, unlike Mr. Denny, who likes to do it by moonlight.
opposite The Mailbox
Ian, whom we'd visited the previous day, gave us his promised tour of BBC Birmingham in The Mailbox, after which David and I ate at a Wetherspoon's pub. And I tried a few more long(ish) exposure shots.
The Mailbox
2 comments:
hi halfie,
both photos are great, the top one of the 2 is slightly better but only cos it hasn't got the artificial lights from (shops?) on the left. I wish my camera would take such lovely photos - it's another thing on the list lol. Too busy trying to sort my mob phone at mo, it's hovering dangerously close to the bin right now...
Thank you , Heth. Perhaps the only plus point for the lower photo is the bollard giving a bit of foreground interest. I use a FujiFilm Finepix F50fd, by the way, but I'm beginning to wish I'd spent a bit more and got a digital SLR. I'd have had control over focus and been able to add a zoom lens ... The compact is very easy to keep on one's person though.
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