I filled yesterday's blog post with photos of our Dudley Tunnel trip and didn't say anything about what else we did, which was to return to central Birmingham.
I thought it would be fun to go down the BCN's only staircase pair, at Brades Locks. Having seen very little traffic since we left Tipton I was surprised to find a boat coming up the staircase. Apparently there was an emergency stoppage affecting Factory Locks, so boats were being diverted via Brades. I hadn't received an e-mail alert from CRT so I guess whatever it was had happened very recently.
The intermediate gate of the staircase wouldn't close easily - there was a coconut in the way. You see a lot of coconuts in the water in areas of high Asian population. Hindus (or is it Sikhs, or both?) use them in their funeral rituals, putting the deceased's ashes in them and floating them off down the canal on the basis that all waterways lead to the Ganges.
After three weeks of boating without needing to visit the weed hatch we caught a bag round the blades on the New Main Line. I pulled in to the bollards at the foot of the Smethwick New Pumping Station to remove it, and caught another one as soon as I pulled away. Grr. I removed that one sitting between the bank and an old toll island ... and caught another large bag round the rudder.
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| First bag: Sainsbury's |
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| Second bag: Tesco |
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| Third bag: insulation packaging |
We tied up at Cambrian Wharf in the one remaining space, and went to bed with the rowdies making a terrific racket at the Flapper and Firkin. Why do they have to SHOUT so much? All was peaceful by 0030 ...
This morning we went to St Luke's, Gas Street for their 0930 service. A gap near Worcester Bar leads directly onto Gas Street; the church is opposite.
The building used to be a gas producing factory.
After church we set off down the Farmer's Bridge and Aston lock flights, staying on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal to Minworth Greaves, descending Minworth Locks on the way.
At Aston Top Lock a curious flying insect perched on the balance beam handle. I don't recognise it, do you?
2 comments:
It looks like an orange tip butterfly. The clubs on the tips of the antennae give it away as a butterfly. If it was a male you would have noticed the bright orange tips to the upper wings if it had flown away.
best wishes
Debby
The closure on the New Main Line was part of the winter stoppages, continuing the work in repairing the side walls on the canal that they started last year.
We tend not to moor in Cambrian Wharf because of the noise. We've found it much more peaceful on the New Main Line either between Old Turn Junction and Sheepcote Street Bridge, or west of Sheepcote Street Bridge opposite The Distillery.
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