Oops - didn't post this blog!

I had written this blog when we arrived in Birmingham, but didn't post it for some reason.  It's of our journey along the BCN from Merry Hill and into Birmingham City Centre.   Bit late now - but here it is anyway.....

We left NB Fragil (Frank & Gill) at Merry Hill, and hoped that Generator Man wouldn't be quite so horrible with them as he was with us.  We had eaten in Weatherspoons the night before - armed with our 50p off a pint CAMRA vouchers.  Steak AND a pint for £6.50.  Bargain. 

We retraced our steps through Blowers Green, where we had attended the Park Head Rally a few weeks before.  It was a bit quieter now!

 

 This sign is on the Blowers Green Pump House - a sign of the times!

 

These lovely signs, telling the history of this part of the canals are all along the Dudley No2 canal, and thankfully haven't been vandalised.

 

Up the locks at Park Head to one end of the Dudley Tunnel, no longer open for boat traffic, other than trips operating from the other end of the tunnel by the Dudley Canal Trust near the Black Country Museum.

I didn't expect to see that!  Goats on the side of the canal between Park Head & Netherton.

 

Into the black hole that is Netherton Tunnel

2768m doesn't mean anything to me - but put it in old money and its 1.7 miles long.

Light at the end of the tunnel

 

Dave checking the time - yes, it took 40 minutes to get through.

Just as you exit Netherton tunnel, the Tividale Aqueduct carries the Wolverhampton Level canal

 

Right turn - onto the Birmingham Main Line

Bromford Junction, with Spon Lane Locks to the left, taking you back up to the (old) Wolverhampton Level

We've got all types of transport here - we're on the Birmingham Main Line, with the Stewart Aqueduct in front carrying the Wolverhampton Level canal, the railway line is on the right, with the M5 spanning the whole lot.

There was another boat passing overhead, we could just about make out some arms frantically waving at us, but by the time we came out the other side & I got my camera, they'd gone.

Smethwick Pumping Station

Ah - not far to go now - once we've seen the East End Cash & Carry!  I did have a panic earlier on - we joined the main line from Netherton and the sign post said Birmingham 6 1/2 miles. After about a mile, we passed another sign saying Birmingham 8 miles!  Panic!  We're not going to get there in daylight.  After another mile, the next sign said 5 miles.  Relax.

The last 5 miles into Birmingham is full of wharves, loops and arms, some still in use, and some which are not.  They're every hundred yards or so. 

It's staggering the amount of miles of canals which would have been thriving a hundred years ago

Loops

 

Added bonus of a train going over the start of this loop

Approaching Birmingham

Sherbourne wharf veering off to the right

This is a pic of the where we're moored - outside the old fiddle & bone.  After umpteen attempts, this picture will not load up horizontall & ends up like this.  No idea why - it's just this one photo.  I did try turning it on its side before uploading it, but the computer sussed me out & turned it on its side again.  I've spent the last hour fiddling with it, so I'm not taking it down, you'll just have to cock your neck to the side to look at it!

A Week in Birmingham

We've just had a week and a bit in Birmingham, moored outside the old Fiddle & Bone, which was an old favourite of ours - until it closed back in 2003.  It was a popular venue for jazz & live music, but was forced out of business after occupants of the newly built flats opposite complained about the noise.  9 years later, and BW C&RT still haven't sold it, and this beautiful building, along with the roundhouse next to it, lies rotting away.  Anyway, back to the lovely time in Brum.....

My Mum joined us last Friday & we went to see Joan Armatrading performing in the Symphony Hall.  She was fantastic - still belting 'em out (Joan Armaplating not Mum - although she's pretty amazing too).  My favourite is still "Love and Affection".  Supporting act was Chris Wood, a winner in the Folk Awards 2011.  We had a couple of days doing the tourist thing round the iconic buildings, visited the Birmingham Art Gallery, rag market, meat market, bullring and had a fabulous Italian meal in Carluccio's.  We also did a little boat trip round to Gas Street to get some diesel from Away-To-Service, but they ran out after 50ltrs, so ended up getting the rest from Sherbourne Wharf.  Never mind - Mum enjoyed the little jaunt.

View from ICC bridge towards Broad Street

View from Broad Street towards NIA

Wot it says on the tin

Gas Street

Old working boats in Gas Street Basin

On Broad Street

Mum and I outside the Symphony Hall, with the new Birmingham Library in the background, still under construction.  

The new library is to replace the existing library - a concrete inverted pyramid.

 

A bit of bling in Centenary square - the guilded bronze statue of Mathew Boulton, James Watt & William Murdoch (aka The Golden Boys) famous for improving and developing the steam engine.

The Hall of Memory

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery -

you could spend days in here there's so much to see, and its free

The Town Hall

Floosie in the jacuzi, Victoria Square

Beautiful old buildings off New Street

Brilliant new buildings - Selfridges

Mum & Dave, overlooking St Martins Church

 The Rotunda in the background has been refurbished, and now offers fancy apartments.

Oh, and this is the Ikon Gallery, in Brindley Place, just off the canal.  We went for a look round, but were greeted with "DONT TOUCH THE EXHIBITS".  "hello and welcome" would have been a better reception.  So we left their exhibition of book covers which famous people have written & went to the Museum & Art gallery instead for our injection of culture.

 

 

Mum's visit was very brief, and she was soon on her way back home - on a direct train from New Street to Chirk, which was nice.  Time for the CAMRA pub visits now me thinks ........

 

 

Timothy Spall - Tonight (Tues) BBC4 at 7.30pm

"Somewhere at Sea / Back at Sea", the voyages of the Princess Matilda is on the telly again tonight, following Timothy & Shane Spall as they navigate their widebeam barge around the coast of Britain.  Yes, I know it's a repeat of a repeat, but tonight it's the episode in which they arrive at Porth Dinllaen on the Llyn Peninsular in North Wales.  After watching this programme, Dave and I decided we just had to go and visit for ourselves - hence the holiday we've just had.  Simply stunning.

Generator running till midnight - GRRRRR

We had a rather unpleasant experience at Merry Hill the other night - the NB 'Alaska' decided to run his generator till 5 minutes to midnight.  This may be normal practice for him, but it annoys the hell out of us.  When Dave knocked on his boat at 10 past 10, and politely asked him "would he mind turning off the generator", he replied "when I'm ready, I'll turn it off".  Generator Man then said "you shoud try living on a boat mate"  - to Dave!!!  Dave then said "I do, and have done for 20 years", to which, Generator Man took exception & started ranting, so Dave just said "thank you very much, good night" and came inside.  G.M. then also disappeared back inside his boat.  Generator Man then emerged again at 1/4 to 12 and started chopping logs!  All the while ranting and shouting eff this and eff that, and "I'd have a go at you if you weren't an old man!" and "I can just cut your effing ropes".  He then turned off the generator at 5 to midnight & Dave opened the door to thank him.  This didn't go down very well & G.M. started ranting again.  Dave said "thank you, and good night", shut the door and left him effing outside.  After a few more minutes of shouting, he eventually went back inside his boat.  We awoke this morning still tied up in the same place, no ropes cut & no damage done, which was nice - but it does leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.

The amusing part of this is G.M.'s comment  "you should try living on a boat mate".  Dave's been living aboard for 20 years, and the boat we travelled here with - 37 years!!!!  So "mate", it's you who's the problem - not us.  Why can't you adopt at least some etiquette of canal living?  Fine - run your engine till midnight if you want to, but make sure you're well out of the way of anyone else, and not moor in a popular mooring site - like the middle of Merry Hill!

Incidentally, the only mooring available was next to this boat, surprise surprise, as there were boats moored here who've been here for weeks and weeks.  G.M. ran the generator from the back of the boat, so no doubt the noise didn't bother him up the front. 

Happy Anniversary Dave - 20 Years Living Afloat

Congratulations are in order - Dave's been living afloat now for 20 years today!!

 

CHEERS !!!!

Dave bought Sans Souci when he took early retirement from the RAF, and has been living afloat ever since.  6 years ago we sold the house and bought a second boat, Beefur, and travelled with the two boats, both of us single handed.   We sold Sans Souci last year, and now (both!) live aboard Beefur, which makes life a bit easier.

 

It was difficult, when looking for a photo of Dave, to find one without him pulling a funny face, or being grumpy 'cos I'm taking a photo of him, however I did find this one, taken on the sly!