Autherley Junction to Urban Moorings to Top of Off Side Mooring Wolverhampton Tunnel
Up early, a check in with Frank who had been moved at midnight within the hospital. A list of things he might like when he moves to his new home, not much on his list, a new pair of black cords was the first thing he requested. This would get added to.
Time for us to push off. On seeing us getting ready a hire boat sped up their pushing off and beat us to it by 2 minutes. Yes they were headed for Wolverhampton too! As we passed NB Firecrest, Cheryl popped her head out to wish us well. We’ll hopefully have a longer chat when we come across each other again.
As we pootled down to Aldersely Junction I called Adult Social Care and got to talk to Robert, I’d talked to him a while ago and he’d been very helpful then as he was today. Data Protection still stood in my way but he was willing to tell me various things on Frank’s file, the home was mentioned, they couldn’t do anything now until the medics deemed that Frank was medically fit to go home, to his new home. I thanked Robert and apologised for being a serial phone call offender. I wonder how many times my name appears on their notes for Frank!?
A quick check in with Frankness Base Camp in Scarborough just as we arrived at the bottom lock of the Wolverhampton 21. I lifted paddles to empty the lock but then didn’t have two hands to do much else as I was still on the phone. Some CRT volunteers arrived and lowered a paddle for me, then Mick arrived and helped with the gates. I think everything was covered now until later in the day. I had my fingers crossed.
As we pootled along to the second lock of the flight two figures came walking towards us, Paul and Christine Balmer who had come for a boating fix to help us up the flight today. With handcuff keys and windlasses at the ready we could work as a team to rise Oleanna to the highest point on the network that she’ll achieve this year.
Following another boat meant we were resetting every lock, so one of us would walk ahead whilst the other two saw Oleanna through a lock. I had a few panto phone calls with questions, thankfully nothing that I needed drawings for.
The day had started wet as we had breakfast, but thankfully that had passed, waterproofs were handed to Mick at the stern, soon followed by my jumper.
At lock 17, two CRT chaps were doing something to the metal bridge below the bottom gates. A discussion was had with Paul regarding how a lock should be left, the other chap chatted to me apologising for his argumentative colleague! Under the railway viaduct, I almost forgot to take a photo!
By Lock 15 there is a building used by the volunteers on the flight. There seemed to be loads of them. I said we were fine for crew, maybe someone else might need them. We were told that there were three boats heading down. We soon came across them. The amount of water coming round the bywashes meaning it was far better for Oleanna to wait in the lock below for the downhill boat to scoot round the forceful water and then do-ci-do close to the lower lock.
Onwards and upwards, we got closer to the boat ahead. By the time they were in the top lock I was arriving to reset it for us. Sadly Nebo doesn’t have waypoints for the bottom locks of Wolverhampton so I don’t know what time we started on them as I was distracted at the time to make a note, but we did finish at the top at 12:45. (Mick here: we entered the bottom lock at 09:20 so 3 hours 25 minutes for the flight)
We pulled in to have some lunch with Paul and Christine. There was the usual list of questions from Paul to go through and of course the apple flapjack I’d made yesterday. Our crew were keen to help us that bit further today, but we’d achieved one of our goals for the day, the flight. The other one was to make a deposit at Urban Moorings and we’d not be able to do that until after 4pm. So we waved them farewell and a big thank you for their company today.
We pulled up onto the short arm to fill with water. This meant I got chance to catch up with Ruth, a Frankness member who was on a paperwork hunt. I also caught up with a few things to do with panto.
A little before 4, Jennie called from Urban Moorings, she was back and we could call in. Up to Horsley Junction and through the narrows, picking up something on the prop as we did so, making it a touch troublesome to breast up to one of their moored boats.
Unusually, Jennie was the only one about. The moorings were abundantly green after having been dried to a crisp this summer, that’s their compost working wonders! Getting a full bucket off the bow was a little treacherous over the bow of a boat that’s not moved for a long time, but we succeeded. We tried giving Jennie a donation, but somehow we ended up coming away with a pot of strawberry jam and some red currant jelly instead!
In the past we’ve been able to stay with them overnight, but today that wasn’t possible. So we set about reversing through the narrows to the junction. This actually took us about half an hour as what was once quite a nice bag had found it’s way onto our prop along with an orange urban jellyfish. Whilst all this was happening Ruth in Scarborough had found some items I need at Franks, one step closer.
Once back out at the junction, which by the way is so different from the last time we were here, so much sky, we winded and headed back to the top of the 21, we winded again and pulled in on the off side mooring. Sorry Tilly, there’s too much greenery she’d love to climb here!
Now what to eat? I’d forgotten to defrost some chicken, but managed to put together a tuna pasta bake whilst Mick lit the stove. Another pair of socks were finished ready for the ends to be sewn in and we talked about plans for the next few days.
21 locks, 6.2 miles, 3 lefts, 2 rights, 2 winds, 2 old hands, 1 shouting cat, 1 boat followed, 3 boats coming down, 1 argumentative 1 apologetic CRT employees, 5 volunteers, 2.5 months closed, 1 flight well mown, 1 full bucket deposited, 2 jars, 2 letters found, pair 136 knitted.
