Thursday 24 July 2014

Evolving language at King's Norton

We moved on from Bridge 5 on the Stratford Canal today and tied up for the night in central Brum, just round the corner from Holliday Wharf. On the way there were several interesting sights.

First, by the water points at Bridge 5, this house has been in renovation mode for several years.

It's looking almost finished ... apart from an extension (a garage?) being added at the back. It now sports a name: Canal Cottage.

Just past Bridge 3 lie the sorry remains of a fibreglass cruiser. It looks as though it had been set on fire. CRT notices warned of the hazard.

After Brandwood Tunnel, in which we passed a boat which entered as we had almost exited, we came to the old guillotine lock at King's Norton. This has recently been "restored", but not to operation. There's no need, as the Stratford Canal now meets the Worcester and Birmingham on the level.

On the western gate someone, presumably Gary or Gareth, has left his mark.

"Gaz waz ea". In former times this would have been "Gaz woz ere" (I don't suppose there would ever have been an apostrophe). Now we have "ea" for "here"! It's logical. If, in a few hundred years' time, the accepted spelling of the word meaning "at this place" becomes "ea" you read it ea first.

Not that I condone in any way the daubing of graffiti on anything, let alone historic canal structures.

And so to Gas Street Basin (almost). We attended to the loo cassette at Holliday Wharf then, as I have said, moved round the corner. I'm now regretting moving as it's quite noisy with all the revellers walking past. There was plenty of space at Holliday Wharf.

Oh well, it's only for one night. Tomorrow we have the delights of Wolverhampton to look forward to.

1 comment:

Adam said...

It's always noisy there. We much prefer it the other side of Broad Street, by the NIA, with out favourite Brum mooring being in the Oozels St loop. Hardly anyone walks down there as the towpath is a dead end (unless you're going into Sherborne Wharf).