Friday 21st March 2008 - GOOD FRIDAY

Took Bill for a walk up to the shops and explored the marina.  Finished off the beading around the edge of the new floor and it looks fab.  Tidied up and headed for the Wheatsheaf to meet up with the guys.  Great afternoon with a whole crowd of boaters.

Saturday 22nd March 2008

Was going to clean the boat but it snowed last night and muddy boots and paws put paid to that idea so went to the pub instead after doing a shop at the butchers. Almost identical replay of yesterday - great afternoons entertainment.

Sunday 23rd March 2008

Took Bill for a long walk to get the Sunday papers and had a leisurely morning reading them. Off to the pub to see the crowd.  Guess what - yup repeat of yesterday.

 Monday 24th March 2008

Took the washing down to the marina and set it going.  Walked Bill back passed the boat and out along the canal for about half a mile then up through the fields to the church into the village to get a paper.  Back to the marina to dry the washing and get it back to the boat.  Off to the pub by 2.30pm for a few scoops and an early night.

Tuesday 25th March 2008

Took more washing down to the marina and then on up to the village.  On our way through the marina found a ducks nest in a flower box with 8 eggs in right on the edge of a busy path.

Finished the wash and got back to the boat.  Dieseled up off Mike on Jubilee the working boat - 12p cheaper than the marina.  Also booked the boat in to have the hull blacked on 2 - 4 May.  Time to go to the Wheatsheaf for a few beers.

Wednesday 26th March 2008

Took the final washing to the marina only to find that the laundrette is closed until next Wednesday - bugger - so traipsed all the way back.  Finished the last bit of the floor and tidied up the boat from top to bottom.  Off to the pub at 4pm via the Post Office to get my post from David.  Good eve early doors.

Thursday 27th March 2008

Took Bill up through the fields and passed the church to the village - still no sign of the post.  Moved Beau down to water up and tie up on the 48hr mooring by Butchers Bridge.  Mark and Nicky followed on and tied up nearby so we could go for the famous "All Day Breakfast" at the Gongoozlers Rest Restaurant boat.  Couldn't get in straight away so walked down to the Admiral Nelson for a pint and almost had an argument with the landlord about the crap quality of the beer and the extortionate prices.  However, all was saved when we got our MASSIVE "All Day Breakfast" it should be called the ALL YEAR BREAKFAST cos it's last me that long - excellent.  Mark and Nicky departed for Milton Keynes and I went for a snooze before early doors at the Wheatsheaf.

Friday 28th March 2008

Was going to move on today but the weather is lousy with very high winds and driving rain.  Braved the rain to go to the Post Office - still no post.  Went to the BW office in the Stop House to renew my boat licence and they accepted the current insurance so all legal now.  Up to the Wheatsheaf for 4pm and met up with Jamie and Kathy.  Good evening again.

Saturday 29th March 2008

Set off up to the Post Office and at last the post has arrived.  Weather better than yesterday so set off for Norton Junction.  Met another boat at the first lock and they did all 6 locks for me - thank friends.  Nice guy, a pilot with Titan  Airways, a private charter company who fly all sorts of unusual people around from the English football team to royalty to pop stars, good laugh.  Got to Norton and tied up by 2.30pm just as the weather was turning nasty again.  Sadly the New inn won't let Bill in so only had a couple of pints and an early night.

Sunday 30th March 2008

Had a quick walk up the towpath with Bill.  Looks like it's going to be a nice day so will move on.  Have to do the oil change first.  Off by 11am and started down the 7 lock flight. Got through the first two no probs but saw another boat coming down so waited at the next lock for them - BAD MISTAKE - primer gray boat with the guy at the tiller totally pissed and bottles rattling all over the roof.  Neither he or his wife could comprehend letting me go first into locks cos with the bow thruster I can move my boat sideways so they only need open one gate.  Gave up trying to explain especially as soon as his wife opened his gate he roared off dragging my boat right across the lock chamber with me still on the lock side! twat - very dangerous.  However, finally got through all the locks so I stopped to let them get away first.  Calm cruise from there down to moor up just below Weedon at bridge 26, the A5.  Walked Bill up to the Navigation pub - MY GOD £3.06 A PINT!!!  Never paid that much before so definitely only had one and back to the boat.  Steak and Kidney pie for dinner - yum yum.

 

 

Monday 31st March 2008

Set off at a leisurely pace after our usual walk.  No locks today only Blisworth Tunnel which is 3057 yds long - 45 minutes to get through and very wet at each of the four ventilation shafts.  Got to Stoke Bruerne at about 2pm.

Weather getting sunny so explored the towpath with Bill.  Tried the Navigation Pub but no go - no Bill.  Tried the Boat, excellent both very welcome.  Had a sample pint and will be back for early doors.  Trying to catch up on the blog.

Tuesday 11th March 2008

Up early again and a quick walk back down the flight pf locks.

  Set off at 8am and got up through the last three locks of the Stourbridge Flight (16).  Same problem as yesterday with plastic bags and rubbish in the canal. Had to stop twice in three locks to clear the prop.  Turned right at Leys Junction and on and up through the Delph Locks, all eight of them.

On through mainly industrial estates and factories until you come to Merryhill Harbour in Dudley,

 

which is an oasis of shops, restaurants and apartments, very nice.  Turned right at Park Head Junction after taking a 1" thick sheet of plywood, 6' x 4' out of the mouth of the lock!, and headed down the Dudley No 2 Canal (aptly named as it's full of Sh*t!) having stopped again to clear the prop.

At this junction you could, by arrangement, go straight on up and through the Dudley Tunnel at 3154 yds long either by being towed by an electric boat cos you can't run your engines because of lack of ventilation or you could LEG IT through as they did in the olden days before engines (that's why I turned right).  Cruised on up to Windmill End Junction, which again comes as somewhat of a surprise as it's a beautiful park area in all the industrial desolation, and turned down the Halesowen Branch.  However, got to Hawes basin where unfortunately there were no moorings in the marina area so I tied up just outside of it in and industrial estate!  At least it should be quiet and NO PUBS.  Argh!!!  Only 12 locks today, 9 miles and oh yes yesterday I went through the shortest tunnel (Dunsley) of 25 yards with today going through the Gosty Hill Tunnel at 577yds with the biggy tomorrow, the Netherton Tunnel at 3027yds long.

 

 

 

   

Wednesday 12th March 2008

Didn't get to the Netherton Tunnel today as the weather was awful, very, very windy with intermittent rain showers.  Spotted a B&Q over the canal and going to see what wood floors they have in stock.  Long walk up there with Bill and finally got hold of an assistant to help - ha that's a joke.  No sooner got to the wood floor aisle than he disappeared.  30 minutes later he finally came back.  Sadly can't have first choice of colour so chose Harvest Oak instead.  Need to have it delivered but what with this guy's one fingered typing plus mistakes only to find they can't deliver 'till next week!!!  Bollocks!  So I bought everything I needed and got a taxi back for £7 instead of £20 delivery!!  Got everything on board and took Bill for a long walk around the country park as he was so patient just sitting outside B&Q (well getting fussed over by the girls as well).  Cooked up a storm with lamb steaks in a hotpot - mmm enough for Bill too.

Thursday 13th March 2008

First took Bill on a long walk around the park opposite.  Then started on the flooring - or rather where the hell do you start?  Moved all the furniture out of the way and cut the carpet into 3ft wide strips to make it easier to handle.  Then the nasty bit, getting the gripper rods and staples up out of the floor.  Cor I'm knackered already but started to lay the new underlay/damp proof membrane then the laminate flooring.  I even read the instructions - honest - but I can't for the life of me get it to work the way it should.  However, got 2/3 of the lounge done by 5pm and continued down towards the stern of the boat to the bedroom.  got two more rows down but there's a problem.  STOP NOW.  Sleep on it and start afresh in the morning.  God I've got aches in things that shouldn't ache and I'm totally knackered now.  Early night.

Friday 14th March 2008

Up early for Bill's walk and a trip to B&Q to get a power saw for the rest of the long cuts I'll need to do today.  EUREKA! sorted the problem out.  For the sake of a 1mm lip on the ends of the planks which I could easily cut off with a Stanley knife and the rest was plain (ish) sailing from there.  Finished and tidied up by 1pm, only the beading to do now.  Went back up to B&Q to get a circular rug for under the recliners and an oblong rug for under the dinner table.  Both are the same colour which is a deep burgundy red which hopefully won't show the dirt.  Bill approved of my choice of rugs as he's asleep under the table as I write this.  Gonna move on tomorrow to get rid of all the rubbish (maybe should just chuck it in the canal as everyone else seems to) also need to get to the shops.  Oh and a pub wouldn't go amiss.  By the way the floor looks fantastic - even if I do say so myself.

 Saturday 15th March 2008

Took Bill for a walk up through the park and we set off for Tipton and the Black Country Museum.  Left Halesowen and up through the Gosty Hill Tunnel (577yds) and that was the FIRST STOP to clear the prop.  Loads of pollution in the canal, yet Windmill End is a beautiful park??? 

On up through the Netherton Tunnel (3027yds long and 45 minutes to pass through) which is a wide tunnel with towpaths down both sides.

Turned left at Dudley Port Junction onto the Birmingham Level Main Line to go to Tipton via a boatyard halfway.

Boatyard's closed and I had to stop TWICE more to clear the prop.  So I've had enough of this and turned the boat around and headed to Gas Street Basin a day earlier than planned.

     

Got there and tied up by 2pm.  What a difference, no pollution but loads of Bars, Restaurants and apartments.  Loads'a'money!  Shopped in Tescos and went for a beer in the old lock keepers cottage now call the Canalside Cafe and met a couple of boaters from the little marina opposite.  Good laugh, real characters.

   

Sunday 16th March 2008

Staying over here today as the weather's not too good.  Took Bill for a long walk around the towpaths and through the marina to see where I can diesel up tomorrow.  Just about got back when - SPERLASH - Bill fell in the canal trying to catch a duck off the narrow ledge under a bridge.

He really frightened himself cos not only did he have his coat on which became very heavy when wet, but he could get himself out either.  So once I'd fished him out it was back to the boat and a warm up and lots of TLC.  He'd recovered enough to go to the pub in the afternoon so no lasting harm done.  Quiet night in, Early start tomorrow.

 

Monday 17th March 2008

Quick walk around and a top up shop and off we go.  Took the advice of Paul the older boater I met yesterday and went out through Edgbaston rather than up the Farmers Bridge flight of locks and Sparkbrook etc.  Tried to diesel up first but one of the trip boats got there first and after waiting for 30 minutes with no activity at all I carried on through the marina only to find I couldn't turn back on myself.  So I had to reverse for about half a mile to a point where I could turn into the direction I wanted to go.  Bugger.  Anyway off we go and this part of Birmingham is quite picturesque with the University Campus, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Cadbury's factory at Bourneville.

Turned left at King's Norton Junction and headed down to Hockley Heath for the night.

God it's wonderful to be back out in the countryside again.  Had a couple of beers in the Wharf Tavern with Nick another boater.

 

Tuesday 18th March 2008

This is going to be a long day as we have to navigate through two lift bridges, 18 locks of the Lapworth Flight and 4 locks of the Hatton Flight by dinner time.  Got through the fist lift bridge and stopped for diesel.  Just as I was leaving another boat came through with a couple on board and as we got to the second lift bridge a hire boat had just gone through with two couples on board and they held the bridge open for us.

So when we got to the locks the first couple went through with the guy opening the top paddles to fill the lock for me and as I went into the lock two girls off the boat behind came and worked the lock for me!  Why can't it be like this all the time??? 

Even saw a Kingfisher on the link between Kingswood Junction and the Grand Union Canal.

Got to the top of the Hatton Flight in Worcester and decided to go down through the first four locks and tie up opposite the BW Depot for the night.  All secure by 5.30 and I'm totally knackered but not enough to stop Bill and I going for a few scoops in The Waterman.  Had an early night as we've got to do another 19 locks tomorrow.

Wednesday 19th March 2008

Up early again cos it's going to be another long day.  Took Bill up the towpath to chase the rabbits and ducks.  Set off at 8am.  ONLY 23 LOCKS to do today and most of them are here on the Hatton flight through Worcester.Oh and as this is now the Grand Union Canal they are all DOUBLE locks.

Can't be as lucky as yesterday with the help from other boaters.  Oh no, in fact only met one boat coming up so I had to set them all myself!  Went up the Saltisford Arm to pump out.  Met Get Knotted, the fender maker, next to the Cape of Good Hope Pub and lock 25.

 

Continued straight through Leamington Spa.  Sad really, from the road the town is a beautiful Victorian Spa with many fine buildings, however, the canal goes right through a very rough area with winos and junkies lining the towpaths.  Total consensus of opinion from everyone I spoke to was get through as fast as you can and don't stop.  Got out into the countryside again and tied up just before lock 19 by 5pm.  Knackered.  But happy.

Thursday 20th March 2008

Woke up this morning at a very odd angle, almost rolled out of bed!  Overnight the pound had dropped by about 9 inches and had left me grounded by the stern.  MMM what to do??? - No probs, just used the barge poll to lever the stern out and we were on our way.  Easy day today ONLY 17 LOCKS and one double staircase to get through before I get to Braunston!!!  Got up through 6 locks and the staircase single handed when I was finally joined by another boat.  The guy was great, running up and down setting the locks for me.  All I had to do was get in, get his wife in, fill the lock, open the top get and move to the next lock followed by his wife.  Worked like clockwork.  Excellent help which was just as well as it became extremely windy at Calcut Locks and if I'd gone onto the towpath I wouldn't have got off.  Turned left at Napton Junction and cruised over to Braunston Turn to tie up just above bridge 91 where Mark and Nicky were tied up too.  Bill and Cassie had a great reunion with them charging up and down the towpath together.  Lit the fire and met up with Mark at 5.30pm for a few beers - Nicky was to come up a little later.  Great to see the guys again.