We had a pleasant stay at Longwood Junction, just above Rushall Top Lock, but it was time to move on and cruise the five miles of the Daw End Branch. This is looking back at the junction, with the curtailed Longwood Arm on the left.
After skirting round Aldridge we came to Catshill Junction, where the Daw End Branch meets the Anglesey Branch and the Wyrley and Essington Canal. We turned left on the Curly Wurly in order to visit Tesco's, less than half a mile from the junction. Again, the photo below is looking back at the junction. Anglesey Branch on the left; Daw End Branch on the right.
The water here is very clear, enabling many fish to be seen. This one has red fins - anyone know what it is? This is not the fishy goings on of the title, by the way. That comes later.
After lunch and Tesco's we retraced our route to Catshill Junction, this time carrying on along the Anglesey Branch. Here we saw yet another motorbike being ridden along the towpath.
I have their faces, but I don't think I should publish them.
In a mile we came to Ogley Junction, where the yet-to-be-restored Lichfield Canal heads east to join the Coventry Canal at Huddlesford Junction. This route would be exceedingly convenient for us to get to Fazeley after the Pelsall festival; we will, however, have to take a longer way round.
At about 1630 we tied up at Anglesey Basin next to
Two Jays.
I popped up the bank to look at Chasewater Reservoir before starting a barbecue. The drizzle held off and the BBQ was another success.
The fishy goings on of the title? As we came to Walsall Wood on the Daw End Branch there was a group of four anglers. They didn't have keep nets; instead they had black plastic bags and buckets which they picked up and took with them as we passed. They seemed to have fish in them. One of the fishermen spoke to me, but I didn't understand a word of what he said - and it wasn't merely a Brummie/Black Country accent. To me it sounded eastern European.
Apologies for the poor photo. And stop that sniggering at the back there. I'm sure there's a perfectly good historical reason behind the name of the bridge.
What's that? You can't read it? OK, here it is.
Tomorrow we'll go back past the Brownhills Tesco's to Pelsall Junction to help with the setting up of the IWA festival.
