Mystery photo revealed

Yes, all those who said robin. This one posed beautifully for me on our walk the other day. Tomorrow I think I shall talk about boots.

Mystery object: more revealed

Here's a little more. It's a common sight.

Enter your guess in the comments below.

Spot the kingfisher

Is this the worst photo of a kingfisher ever taken? I think it's the worst I have taken, anyway. Can you see it? Here's a clue: it's in flight.

A butterfly - a red admiral, I think - landed on the boat the other day. I was hoping to photograph it with its wings outstretched but it didn't play ball.

The lure of all that lovely canal juice proved too much for another group of cattle today. We left Banbury and are now just above Cropredy Lock, in the same spot as on the way down.

Busy, busy, busy on the BCN - and a picture teaser

We made a late start to our boating today as we went to the funeral of a BCF member three miles away in King's Heath. Being at the basin at the top of Camp Hill Locks was very convenient. I spoke to the person on the boat in the arm, to our relief he was very happy for us to breast up to him. We did not want to hog the water point.

After yesterday's lonely boating up the Grand Union to Camp Hill it came as something of a surprise to find we were in a queue of boats waiting to go down the locks. There were three ahead of us and one came along behind. Two or three boats came up the flight while we went down. I've never seen these locks so busy.

At Bordesley Junction we turned right under the towpath bridge in the photo below.

The Garrison Locks were quicker as the slow hire boat (two in front down Camp Hill) had gone on on the Digbeth Branch, leaving the shared ownership boat Wigston in front.

Here's a picture teaser for you, spotted as we did this section.

Around the Nechells area I saw these large things in a secure compound. At first I thought they might be something to do with bridge supports, but then I wondered if they are part of high voltage distribution equipment. The "danger of death" sign might be a clue.

We stopped on the bollards by Butler's Bridge, Tyburn, on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, having made the sharp right turn at Salford Junction. After a brief shower of rain I cycled back to Camp Hill for the car.

We have now booked in to the IWA festival at Ilkeston so that's where we're heading. Have I already mentioned that?

Picture poser: does this help?

This strange "creature" I posted a few days ago has been perplexing one or two of you.

Here is a wider view. Does this help?

Evening mist and a picture poser

I went to Jubilee today while Jan helped Ally with Josiah. I lit the stove straight away which warmed the boat fairly quickly. One job I did was to trim some wood from the bottom of the front doors which had been sticking. I tried sandpaper, then a file, neither of which made any difference. Then I used a saw. This did the trick. The doors no longer foul the frame underneath, but they foul each other when closing. This happens only in cold weather as a result, I think, of the steelwork contracting and forcing the doors closer together.

As the light faded this afternoon a light mist formed on the water. Here is Thrupp Wharf Marina with the Navigation Inn in the background. The Grand Union Canal is to the left (not visible here).

And here is a poser for you: can you identify this?

It wasn't on the boat.

What is it? - the answer

Kevin T of NB Tranquility got it. It is the breather for the ground paddles on a lock on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. The pepperpot-shaped device seems to serve as a bollard or strapping post too.

This is at Lock 12W.

The breather (if that is what it is called) is marked "Huddersfield Canal Society".

The photos are from 28th August 2015.

What is it? - more revealed

First, thank you to all who have wished us a Happy Christmas. We went to church at St. John's, Blackheath with David and Penny, their children, my (and David's) parents and Penny's mother. Our other brother, Peter, and Penny's sister, Liz, arrived in time to join us for lunch. This was a jolly affair with 12 of us round the table; we just about finished eating before The Queen at 3 pm.

But you don't want to read about our family Christmas festivities - you want to know what the mystery photo is. Well, here's a bit more:

All will be revealed within a day or so.

What is it?

Seen on our cruise this year.

Can you identify it and its location? No prizes!

Depending on how much time I get tomorrow(!) I'll reveal more.

Meanwhile Jan and I wish you a very Happy Christmas!

Shortlisted!

I had an e-mail yesterday from someone at CRT telling me that a photo I'd entered in their "Lost Wonders of the Waterway World" competition had been shortlisted, and was now in the first (sic) 15. (I hope she means the last 15!) I was astounded; I'd forgotten about it and certainly wasn't expecting to get any further. The shortlisted photos will be displayed at The Bond in Birmingham (we went past there just four days ago) to be voted on by participants at a restoration workshop. The seven photos which get the most votes go forward to stage three where the winner and two runners-up will be selected.

I submitted my five photos from home and I don't have copies here on the boat; I can't even bring to mind the photo that CRT says is the shortlisted one.

On to today's boating. We moved from the mooring by Titford Pump House and tied up at the top of the Crow (aka Oldbury Locks). Here we were met by Phil, who said he was running a bit more water down for us.

We were able to set off down straight away, though, with Phil helping us all the way.

The elevated road is the M5.

Thanks to Phil we made a speedy descent. Every lock was waiting for us to go straight in. At the bottom we were surprised to have to wait for a boat to pass on the Old Main Line. Boats seem to be rare things in these parts, especially moving ones.

Back on the Old Main Line heading for Wolverhampton we passed a couple of houses flying this flag, which neither of us had seen before.

Jan looked it up this evening; it's a Black Country flag, designed in 2012, showing how the area used to be "black by day and red by night". The central white portion is in the shape of a glassworks cone; such buildings were common in the past. The chain exemplifies another thing which was made here.

We turned left at Tipton Junction so we could make a return visit to the Black Country Living Museum. We topped up with water and tied up on the museum mooring, but when we discovered that it would cost £33 for us to go in, with half the day gone, we decided to leave it for another time. After a salad lunch on board we carried on to Wolverhampton. A boat had just come up the locks so we thought it would be a good idea to do the 21 immediately rather than in the morning. I was looking forward to some "proper" locking!

We got down the flight in 2 hours 15 minutes, rather quicker than the boat which had come up the locks. They said it had taken them four hours.

The bottom lock has a tree stump for paddle gear on the offside.

We tied up at Autherley Junction ready to turn onto the Shroppie tomorrow. After tea we walked to Morrison's for supplies, then had another short walk as the sun was setting.

What's fishy about this?

On a walk along the Grand Union the other day I photographed this.

Can you identify it?

Red hands, but where?

These red hands are very near a canal, but where would you encounter them?

Picture quiz: the answer; and fairleads: good or bad?

As Alf correctly identified, it's a (frosty) fairlead.

I'm not a fan of fairleads, but the boat came with them: on the bow and on the handrails opposite the centre line anchor point. A number of years ago I witnessed a fairlead pinging off a boat's bow as the bow rope was under strain.

Is the point of them to protect the paintwork? They certainly don't seem to protect the ropes.

Picture quiz: you'll get it now, won't you?

There is one more - wider - photo, but I'm confident you won't need it.

Picture quiz: wider view

This is a wider view of the photo I published two days ago.

Is it getting any clearer?

Picture quiz: a different view

Here's part of the same thing as yesterday's picture.

The frost is pretty clear (if a bit blurred) but can you guess what the whole thing is (no pun intended)?

A little picture quiz

It's on the boat.

I'll reveal more tomorrow.

What and where: the answer

Yes, as Adam and Steve have identified, the photo is of one of the many square holes in the "new" concrete-lined section of Blisworth Tunnel.

These allow original openings in the tunnel to discharge water and are fascinating to look at with a torch as you pass. My camera's flash isn't good enough to illuminate the interesting passageways, but below I've tweaked another photo, this one of the side shaft perhaps leading to an older alignment of the tunnel. Adam has written about this and taken a photo of it here.

The "what" you've got, but what's the "where"?

Sue (No Problem) and Sarah (Chertsey) have identified the "mystery photo" as being stalactitey stuff in a tunnel, but can you identify the tunnel?

It's a wonderful formation, isn't it?

What and where - wider

So ... you didn't know what yesterday's photo was? Perhaps this wider view will help.

What is it, and where might you see it?