Work in progress on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal

Hmm. We moored last night rather too close to The Cube. There's a coffer dam around part of its base, and a pump started up at about 0630. At least, that's when I looked at the clock. It was noisy.


We knew we were stopping at Bridge 5 on the Stratford Canal today, as that's the closest point to Ally and Ben's house. A mere five minute walk. It was originally intended to be a brief stop, to say goodbye to them, but, in the end, we stayed to do jobs and to go to The Sweet Chillies restaurant with them this evening.

So we made a leisurely start, enjoying a fry-up on board as we started along the Worcester and Birmingham Canal towards King's Norton Junction. There was a lot of work going on on the route: towpath repairs in two or three places ...


... and a posse of people serving the community by repainting railings outside the Bournville chocolate factory.


Before that, at Selly Oak, we went on the new aqueduct over a road still being built.


It runs next to Birmingham University.


At Lyon's Boatyard (Frank) I bought a coolie hat to replace the one which blew into the Coventry Canal what seems like a month ago, but which was less than a week ago.

And then we arrived at Bridge 5.


Today must be the only day we did no locks (and only eight miles)! We'll make up for that tomorrow with something like 54 locks and a few swing/lift bridges. Stratford, here we come. Unless we stop on the way ...

I realise I haven't done my usual Sunday waterways website ranking snapshot - it will have to be a couple of days late.