Finding Shirley Drawbridge control panel

Not quite as dramatic as Hatton or Caen Hill, but this section of the Lapworth flight forms a fine series of closely-spaced locks, nevertheless.

They don't take long, especially if - as here - they are all in your favour. I took great care to keep hold of my trusty one-eye windlass. This, like the double-eye windlass I lost at Radford Bottom Lock two days ago, is cast iron and has a highly polished handle having worked thousands of locks.

It's been another quiet day boating-wise. We met just one boat doing the locks; another two passed us while we were having lunch west of Hockley Heath.

This is the scene at the top of Lock 8.

And here is Bridge 21.

The control panel for Shirley Drawbridge has been changed since the last time we were here. It took me a while to find it. I should have taken a photo. It's no longer a stainless steel cabinet but a slender black pillar with the key switch and two enormous buttons: OPEN and CLOSE.

We're now at Bridge 5 (Yardley Wood Road), very convenient for The Sweet Chillies restaurant where we went this evening.