Stourport

The flashing lights at the fairground go out at around 8.30pm and the basin becomes that bit calmer. A peaceful place to moor, well until the clock dongs! We wondered if it would go on all night, ringing out the hour and I can assure you it certainly does at 12 midnight, 3am, 5am, 6am, and 7am. At least that meant I slept for at least three hours straight.

We woke to rain, not much good for getting the starboard side washed and polished, but during the morning the skies cleared up and I got the buckets out.

This is one of THOSE moorings! NO trees, no sideways trees, nowhere to dig and even the wall isn’t that inviting to climb. I tried my best to help with the washing but apparently my help wasn’t required, so I took to sussing out what was under a rampy bit. At one point it appeared as if Tilly was walking on water underneath the pontoon that leads to the permanent moorings. Maybe it was just the way her tail was, or there is something submerged under there that took her weight.

Mick gave the chimney a good sweep, but sadly this meant that the roof got a good covering of soot. I’d held back washing until he’d finished. A spray down with the hose just moved the soot around and most of it was on the offside so it will have to wait until we moor the other way round again. Our grab rail is a little bit too bulky to cling onto, along with the reduced grip of my right hand I won’t risk standing on the offside gunnel anymore.

Half the roof was washed before lunch followed by the cabin side. I then started to apply some polish just as the heavens opened! I’d started so had to finish and kept bobbing back out in between showers. I’ll have to check it’s not a state tomorrow. The windows then got a wash assisted by Tilly following my every move inside. Now I need to wash them inside!

Mick spent the day doing loads of washing. Being hooked up has meant that the machine has been going for much of the day. At first he started to use the tumble drier in the service block, but it devoured ten units for one dry which equates to nearly £7. So the drying was done on board instead, slower but much cheaper.

During the day NB Zelda came down the lock to fill up with water, so we had a chat with them. Our paths may well cross later in the year. An old BW work boat Scorpio came down late afternoon and has been moored by the Tontine Hotel. This may be it’s mooring or it may just be here for Easter. The lock was filled and emptied several more times during the day, but this was to lower groups of kids in canoes. You could hear them coming a mile off, they sounded like they were having a good time.

The level of the sides of the basin make for a big step up onto Oleanna, the water only being half an inch lower if that. I’m really surprised that I didn’t get soggy feet each time the lock emptied.

Still no news from Finesse, a shame as here is ideal for a visit. But we’ll stay tomorrow anyway and do more washing.

0 locks, 0 miles, 3 boats, 3 locks of kids, 1 interesting ramp, 1 holy cat, 2 swans who weren’t too happy with Tilly, 1 swept chimney, 0.5 roof to rewash, 80% shiny, 20% filthy, 3 loads washing.

Wolverely Lock to Stourport Upper Basin

Just as we were about to roll the covers up for the days cruise a boat came past beating us to the lock. So we prepared Oleanna at a more leisurely pace. Down the lock and on towards Kidderminster. At the second lock it looked like someone was about to come up as a chap was opening up the top paddles. He’d done it all a bit too quickly and it was soon obvious that he’d been setting the lock for us. This was Jim, one of those people who have adopted a length of canal and spend their days helping boats through the locks, not an official C&RT Volunteer Lockie. He was a very jolly chap, chatting away about his beautiful canal. Advanced warning that we’d need a handcuff key to get through the next few locks and that three boats were heading up stream from Stourport, soon to arrive so no need to close the gates. He was right and we met all three boats in the next half mile.

Kidderminster has a lot of shops just by the canal, very handy for stocking up the cupboards. So we moored up outside Sainsburys and went in for what I thought would be a top up shop. Firstly they had 25% off clothing, always worth a look, but neither of us found anything we wanted. Secondly and more importantly they had 25% off wine! They were even boasting about over the tannoy, so what were we to do!

A quick whisper between us (so that Sainsburys couldn’t hear!) and we planned to do a food shop and stock up with cat litter etc. Hopefully we’d get a voucher for triple points, then we could return to stock up on wine. However they had heard us and we only got vouchers for extra points on the things we’d just bought. It didn’t put us off though, as I stowed the first shop and made space in the wine cellar for six boxes Mick returned to buy them. he also had a look at what was on Sale in Maplins. They were having a closing down sale, but sadly he saw nothing that he thought we’d need.

After lunch we pressed on. A boat was coming up in Kidderminster Lock when we arrived so Mick dropped me off and I walked up to help. The chap said they’d had such a going on, not knowing that they’d need a handcuff key for these locks, ‘It didn’t mention it anywhere in Nicholsons’. I’d forgotten too, but at least I only had to walk back to Oleanna to get one, the chap had had to cycle back to Stourport presumably to buy one. By the sounds of it they were planning on heading up into Birmingham where they would definitely need one.

As I walked back to the lock they were nearly up, apparently the off side paddle couldn’t be unlocked (I should have tried as sometimes an older handcuff key works better) and the bottom gates were leaking. He’d tried to open the gate but had no luck and was walking back to check that the bottom paddles were closed properly. I walked over the top gate and leant on it, it was so nearly there just a second person leaning on it would have been enough. But the lady at the helm had decided that the gate needed to open and this wouldn’t happen without help from the boat. She engaged gear, as the boat sped up her husband suggested she took it easier, I winced as she hit the gate! The boat bounced back. Her husband came to join me and the two of us gently pushed open the gate, luckily no harm had been done.

I was really quite shocked  by what had just happened. The chap took over the helm and as they left the lock the lady said they’d had such a day, all sorts of bridges, locks. She was obviously after some sympathy, but sorry she got none from me. Lets just say I’m glad she only ‘nudged’ the gate and hadn’t felt the need to ram it, as we’d all have still been there now!

We continued on working our way down the next few locks and meandering our way to Stourport. This stretch seemed more familiar to us. We started to look out for good places that we might be able to meet up with Finesse. The Bird In Hand pub seemed a possible and not too far to return to if there was nowhere else. The visitor moorings before York Street Lock were almost empty, just one boat, NB Zelda who we’d shared the locks through Wigan with last year. We moored up and Mick walked down to the Upper Basin to see if there was anywhere suitable and free there. A boat was just pulling in taking up the last space, so we decided to stay put and see if someone moved off in the morning.

A half hour later just as we’d settled down for the day the boat came past, there must now be a space. Mick popped down again, there was space for us. Covers were rolled up again and we descended the 12ft deep lock into the basin. With Oleanna winded I’d be able to wash the starboard side. The boat behind us had been having engine trouble, but once it had got going they moved off as well, so we moved back into his space. The view wasn’t quite so good as at first, but with an electric post just behind us that took C&RT cards we got hooked up. Perfect, there is parking right next to us for a van, electric and water. So even if Finesse don’t make it out to us we’ll have clean clothes and bedding before we leave.

6 locks, 6 miles, 1 helper, 25% off, 6 boxes, 1 set of stern treads only just touching the floor, 0 to buy at Maplins, 1 ram nudge, 0 peculiar bridges, 2 moorings, 1 wind, 1 electric bollard, 1 fire left to go out, 1 cat not allowed to go out!

Kinver to Wolverely Lock

Another sunny morning a bit of dew visible on the freshly mown lawn across the way (he started at 8am yesterday morning, old time 7am!).

Pootleing out through Kinver there are three houses on the off side. A boat the size of a day boat had just come past us and was now moored up outside the first one. Looking at maps we couldn’t see any road access to these properties, OS maps have a footpath marked. So anything large would need to be delivered by canal and certainly the pile of coal bags by the mooring backed this up.

On we pootled through the sun, spring is with us and today we saw our first duckling bobbing about rushing to catch flies. That is however the down side to the sun coming out and warming the world, the flies have also come out!

At Whittington Lock we waited as a boat ahead of us worked it’s way down and then we reset the lock and followed suit. Here the lock cottage sits right over the bywash, they seem to have had problems with damp as the outside of the brickwork looks as if it’s been covered in something a little like clingfilm in the past, this is now hanging loose in parts. A pretty setting despite the sewage works across the way.

The boat in front had pulled in just short of Debdale Lock so we were no longer following them, we still had to reset the lock. Alongside the lock chamber is a sandstone cliff, in which has been carved out a large room. This is the first lock that hasn’t had a very handy bridge across the bottom gates. There is one but it is more a footpath and you have to walk down the towpath, climb over a style before you can get to it. The bottom gates do have a plank on them to cross there, but only the gate paddle mechanisms to cling onto leaving a big gap in the middle. I don’t jump from gate to gate anyway, so the trip round to open them was a long one. Mick tried with the boat hook to close the offside gate once Oleanna was out of the chamber, but these locks are so deep and the lock beams very new so there was little to push against before there was no space left. So another walk round was required.

A mile further on and we reached the moorings that we’d thought were in Kinver. There was the lock, the bench to eat chilled medication on, the river and crazy golf, we had reached Wolverely. We pulled in and had some lunch, Mick partaking of a pork pie bought in Kinver, not one to rival a Vermeulen’s pie. Then under orders from Bridget (NB Blackbird) we walked up to the Old Smithy Tearoom for some chilled medication. This was far superior to yesterdays, Mick had Toffee Fudge and mine had so much chocolate in it, yum!

We walked into the village, which Bridget had described in a message this morning as a hamlet. This had worried me slightly and wondered if it would be similar to Owd Nells up on the Lancaster Canal. But luckily Wolverely is a proper hamlet, not fake.

A brook drifts through the village, a line of pretty cottages sits beside it. A large pub and village store at the centre. I suspect the bakery may have been part of the village store which sadly had already closed for the day, so we couldn’t look round there. As we walked to have a look up the hill we both did a double take at a building that jumped out at us. Now housing we were looking at what had been Sebright Grammar School, very smart indeed. The school is now further up the hill along a road carved through the sandstone. It was kicking out time for the kids and the pub car park was full of waiting parents.

The villages around here seem to like to have their churches as close to God as possible. High up on a hill over looking its flock sits St John the Baptist. We followed the winding road up to the main entrance passing houses that have been built from sandstone blocks, bricks and all sorts, lumpy bumpy houses.

Inside the red church is quite simple, although a balcony runs round all three sides. We had a good look round and then perused the grave yard. This went on for what felt like miles. Surely the village wasn’t big enough to have had this many people!

We then followed the footpath back down the cliff, cut deep into the sand stone.

At the bottom the Sleepy Hollow cottage was for sale  with it’s own Man Cave £330,000. Further round the village a bigger property is for sale for far more (Link). Think we’d prefer the first one if anyone is feeling generous.

2 locks, 4.1 miles, 3 roadless houses, 1 runabout boat, 1st ducklings, 1 large lockside cave, 1 lock moved several miles, 2 chilled medications, 2 schools, 1 loo in view, 1 pretty hamlet, 2.5 hours of tree climbing and river jumping, it’s good this canal.

Kinver

At last we’ve managed to be in Kinver when the Rock Houses are actually open to the public. At this time of year they are only open Thursday to Sunday.

The walk up to the rocky outcrop takes you up Stone Lane where houses sit on the red sand stone, garden paths have been carved though it and you dice with death when the pavement vanishes and the road narrows. We survived despite drivers only looking for cars.

White washed walls and bent brick chimney stacks sit high above. With the sun out there were plenty of people about, so we followed up the path to the houses.

We’d let our National Trust membership lapse and had had long debates as to whether to join again. I’d totted up the entrance fees for places we are likely to pass this year, they amounted to two thirds of joint membership, would it be worth it? Well knowing us when considering visiting somewhere we would be put off by the fees at some of the bigger houses, so we decided to bite the bullet and join again. We now have to make the most of it. The chap took our details and handed us our receipt which should gain us entrance until we receive our cards.

The Holy Austin Rock Houses sit carved into the red sandstone. The stone is so soft that it was easily worked by hand to create rooms, doorways and windows. The first formal record of the Rock Houses dates from 1777 in a book by Joseph Healey. Whilst walking along the edge of the cliffs he was caught in a thunderstorm, he feared for his life and clambered down the rock face towards where he could see smoke rising. Here he was offered shelter and was amazed at how clean and cosy the houses were. In 1830 six families were recorded to be living in the rock, the houses were passed down from generation to generation, The Shaw family being resident for some 150 years.

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Living on the edge of the countryside they avoided much of the pollution from the industrial revolution, the families tended to live longer lives than those who toiled in the local iron works

Towards the end of the 19th Century local industry died and many people were forced to seek work nearer to Birmingham. Kinver revitalised itself when wealthy business men moved out to the countryside, in 1901 a light railway (more a tramway) linked Kinver to Stourbridge bringing day trippers. The families in the houses took advantage of the tourists visits, inviting them in and offering them tea and cakes, one young girl seemed to be constantly baking to keep up with the demand from the curious town dwellers. J.R.Tolkein most probably visited around this time and it is thought that the houses gave him the inspiration for the Hobbit Holes, descriptions of Bag End being very similar to that of the houses and gardens at the time (Link to article).

By the 30’s the houses had been connected to the local gas supply, but people were moving away. The last family moved out shortly before the outbreak of WW2. A small cafe stayed open through to 1967, but then the site was abandoned. The houses became unsafe and vandalised, the amount of names carved into the surfaces resembles hieroglyphics. For safety they ended up being cut off which most probably saved them for future generations. The remains were taken over by the National Trust who had to demolish some of the dwellings as they were too far gone by 1989. By 1992 a restoration project was set up.

There are two houses laid out on display, large rooms with stoves to keep them cosy. The only inhabitants now a colony of Lesser Horseshoe Bats, a vulnerable species. A cafe sits high above in three rebuilt cottages.

Once we’d looked round the houses it was time for some sunlight and views. Many paths cover the hill top and we followed one up to above the houses. From here we could see for miles and miles. Malvern, Wolverhampton and many places were in view today. The paths were full of walkers enjoying the first glimpse of spring that we’ve had. Grandad was helping (or not) two young girls to raise kites.

We walked round the purple route following the arrows, these however seem to take you on a bit of a further route than is marked on the map we had, so we took a short cut down into the valley below to find Nanny’s Rock. Here another rocky outcrop sits with it’s caves that you can climb through giving views out over the woodland. Numerous names have been added to the walls here too.

With it being a sunny day and we’d walked up and down steep inclines we deserved a treat. There was a dispensing van near to the houses but the variety wasn’t so good. So we stopped off at the Co-op and then found a bench to enjoy our medication.

When we opened the doors to the boat the smell of slowly cooking pork met us. It was a tasty joint, but sadly we’d picked one without much potential for crackling.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 very sunny day, 2 dices with death, 2 cosy houses, 3 squirrel stoves, 17,000 visitors, 150 cakes a year, 150 years residency, 1 joint membership, 360 degrees, 2 chilled medication (the new praline is very nice), 7 hours on the low stove, 2 hours tree climbing and river jumping.

Greensforge Lock to Kinver Lock

The hire boat that had sped past the other day returned past us this morning, but far slower. This was either because they’d been advised to slow down past moored boats or they’d spotted the fishing match that had set up around us. According to the Lockie yesterday they had headed to Kinver to wind and then were due back at Norbury Junction on Sunday. Canal plan suggests this would take them 16.5 hours, so doable if the boat was due back late on Sunday, not our idea of a pleasurable cruise. Each to their own.

Luckily we were at the end of the fishing match, one chap close to our stern and another at our bow. The chap in front was quite chatty and as we pulled away said he couldn’t have done it any better himself. Nice to have a conversation rather than just a begrudging head nod or grunt. Soon we were at Greensforge Lock which was empty, so I walked down to check if anyone was approaching from below. The lock bridges make this tricksy, you have to walk to the bottom of them to be able to see and sure enough there was a boat just pulling in to come up. I waved them on walked back up, signalled to Mick that one was coming up and opened the gates.

A small project boat came into the lock, a very proud lady walked up with a windlass. They’d had the boat since October but hadn’t been able to do much yet as everything had been ripped out  and for much of the time the cabin walls had been covered in condensation. Newly blacked and an extension just welded over the well deck they were hoping to make some headway. Being almost empty the boat was light and couldn’t help but be pulled at quite a speed towards the top gates, the chap at the helm was nowhere to be seen! The inevitable collision occurred, ‘We need to get new fenders too!’ but luckily no damage was done to their boat, the lock or the chap inside who was more interested in getting their broken generator off the boat. I pointed out that maybe they should move the boat back as the bow fender was about to catch the top gate, the chap was nowhere to be seen again. However we could both just push the boat back out of harms way, if it had been Oleanna we’d have had no chance. For an enthusiastic couple I’d have expected a little bit more care with their battered project, maybe when it’s complete they’ll have a bit more respect for it and the lock gates.

A large immaculate garden sits along the off side, the house isn’t much to look at, but the garden more than makes up for it. The chap, John, who owns it also owns Ashwood Nurseries behind. He has won numerous medals for his plants through the years. It’s a shame we hadn’t been here last weekend when his garden was open to visitors. The money he raises goes to charity and it would certainly be worth the entrance fee.

We made our way along the edge of red sandstone outcrops. At Rocky Lock there used to be a cave beside it, but what looks like a recent landslip has almost covered the entrance. The canal follows the curves of a river which is destined to meet up with the River Stour. Red sandstone on one side and boggy woodland the other.

As we approached Stourton Junction we could see a coal boat coming towards us. A shame we didn’t know we’d pass NB Roach, another couple of bags of coal wouldn’t go amiss. Straight on and onto waters we’ve only done the once before. Stewponey Lock sits beside a busy road and a BW yard. Black and white buildings and the small toll house suggests an age where it would have been filled with hustle and bustle, horses and boats. Today it’s just the noise of the traffic.

The lock gates have seen better days, some patching up has already happened, but I suspect some more will need to happen soon.

Through Dunsley Tunnel, all of 25 yards long, which really is just a fat bridge. It makes us laugh at the transit time on the signs especially when they say ‘1 minute’. A pootle around a rolling meadow to what we had planned to be our last lock of the day, Hyde Lock. The lock cottage has newish garden gates, miniature lock gates. Once below we started to wonder if we’d remembered Kinver correctly.

Normally between the two of us we remember places quite well, were there are places to moor, but today somehow the place we had planned to moor had been cut out of the canal and moved, but where to?! Back on Lillian a couple of years ago  we’d come through heading northwards. There had been a boat taking it’s time in a lock to get a disabled passenger on board. A pirate boat was coming through a lock and we had to wait, this was beside a pub with plenty of gongoozlers drinking their pints on a sunny day. We then pulled in and walked to a hut that sold chilled medication which we ate on a bench by Lillian before carrying on. Today there was a lock by a pub, but it wasn’t the right pub. This was the lock with the disabled passenger, where had the one above gone because we’d not passed through it and we’d planned to moor there!

We now think where we were thinking of is a couple more locks further south.

A C&RT fund raiser came over for a chat as we worked our way down Kinver Lock. He was very chatty and not of the normal breed, he’d already got two people to sign up today so wasn’t going to hard sell us anything. Spaces in the visitor moorings gave us a choice of where to pull in for the day. A quick lunch and then a walk into the village to check out the butcher and get a Saturday newspaper. Sadly they had run out of our chosen paper, but we did get a nice joint of pork which I’ll slow roast on the stove tomorrow.

6 locks, 5.04 miles, 1 straight on, 1 chatty fisherman, +16 hours to get back! 1 bumped about project, 2 landslips, 1 lock missing, 0 chilled medication hut, 2 boaters with failing memory, 1 pork joint, 1 substitute newspaper, 1 twisted sock almost complete.

Castle Croft Bridge to Nearly Greenforge Lock

The first of the years speeding hire boats passed us this morning as we were finishing breakfast, we realised that they had slowed down to pass us when they moved their throttle into turbo after they’d passed us! We pushed off at a far more leisurely pace just before 11am, all wrapped up as the wind was quite bitter. This however soon dropped and the temperature started to rise throughout the day.

We made our way down Dimmingsdale, Ebstree and Awbridge Locks. It’s eight years since we came through here, the only things I remembered about the stretch were the lock bridges. Some are brick built small arched bridges, you can stand on them to open and close the bottom gates. Others are narrow metal with a handrail on one side, not my favourite. Then the one I really hated eight years ago (I think I did my best to walk all the way round the lock to avoid having to cross it too many times) at Awbridge Lock. This is a narrow metal bridge which originally had no handrail, just the road bridge next to it. For sometime (by the looks of it) there has been a scaffolding handrail attached. You certainly can’t be of chunky stature to get round it, but it did give me some sense of security crossing over it.

All along this stretch someone has been busy adding faces to any post or tree stump that they could find. Eyes and funny noses loom out from the undergrowth and watch you as you work your way through locks. I wonder how many there are?

Arriving at the top of Bratch Locks at 12.45 we decided to work our way down then stop for lunch below and make use of the off side mooring to empty our yellow water tank. Bratch Locks are three separate locks with what seems to be incredibly short pounds in between them. These pounds are deceptive as they go off to the side, a little similar to the side ponds at Watford and Foxton. The top one is visible, but the lower one is out of sight from the locks, through a culvert under the road. I was just checking on how to work the locks when a Lockie appeared from the little brick booth popping on his life jacket. Marvellous some help.

The lockie walked down and set the lower locks for us whilst we filled the top chamber. At Watford and Foxton you have red and white paddles, ‘Red before white and you’ll be alright’. Here you have red and blue, no rhyme was offered (we did try to make one up). Here you open the blue paddles first, these are at the top of the next lock and fill it from the pound in between. Then you open the red paddles which empty the top lock into the pound. Once levels are equalised you open the top gates of the lock below before the bottom of the one above, then move your boat through. The Lockie had already lifted both sets of blue paddles so there was no toing and froing up and down the locks. Emptying the second lock has to be done slowly due to the smallish culvert into the pound. So one paddle is opened and the other left for a while so as not to overwhelm below with water.

Some of the gates don’t want to stay shut so there are hooks and a rope to stop them from swinging open just as you reach the other end of the lock. Quarter of an hour after starting we were at the bottom and I was clambering through the wall to get back to Oleanna.

Once we’d refuelled ourselves and dealt with the wee tank we were off again soon to arrive at Bumble Hole Lock.

Another pootle and we were at Botterham staircase locks. Here we set the two chambers (top full, bottom empty) and worked our way down. The top chamber is deeper than the bottom, so there is an overflow to the side to accommodate the extra water.

Passing a boat in between the locks in Swindon we carried on to above Greenforge lock and aimed to pull in past the caravan park. A line of permanent moorings was ahead of us so we held back and tried to pull in, but the bottom was far to close to the top. It took quite a lot of pushing and engine to get us shifted off the bottom, but Mick succeeded in the end and we managed to find our full depth of water a short distance further on.

Here there are trees that are sideways, not sideways trees, but ones that have started going up but then went sideways before they reached all the way to up. These were quite good fun to climb and coming down was much easier than normal.

Brian on NB Harnser has a good update on how things are progressing with the Middlewich Branch breach. It looks like the boats in the empty pound will be re-floated by the end of the weekend.

12 locks (1 staircase of 2), 6.25 miles, 2 side pounds, 1st Lockie of the year, 1st speeding hire boat, 1 empty wee tank, 1 chilly but warmed up day, 2010 polling station, 3 trees sideways, 1 Diago, 1 Jager!

Park Bridge to Castle Croft Bridge 55, Staffordshire and Worcester Canal

One last jaunt for Tilly in the field this morning after the farmer had been round on his tractor. She almost made it to the wood today, but luckily stopped short to return to the boat, fairly sure if she had discovered the delights there in we would have been staying for another night!

Mid morning Mick gave Finesse a call, we already knew that they wouldn’t be heading out to us this week. He managed to get hold of Chris and had quite a long chat. Hopefully if handovers of new boats go ahead as planned this week we will get to see them before Easter. This meant that we could get moving and plan to be somewhere suitable to meet them on our way to Stourport. We’ve only been on the southern end of the Staff and Worcester once before, so google maps will be our friend. If anyone can think of a mooring close to a layby or car park near to Stourport please let us know, local knowledge is always handy for such things.

So just before midday we pushed off and opened up Nicholsons Guide 2. We’ve been on Guide 4 for what seems like a life time, Guide 2 will do us until mid July.

We pulled in to top up the water tank at Autherely. It was particularly smelly there today. Alongside the canal is a sewage works, an Archimedes screw was working away behind the hedge moving water upwards in the processing plant. All the hire boats were in just leaving enough space to squeeze through to get to the stop lock. Boats were moored on the lock landing being cleaned, serviced and having new curtains hung all ready for the hire season to start at Easter. It was a good job I’d walked from the water point as there was nowhere free to be dropped off at the lock. The lock was set against us, which isn’t a big deal as it must only be a couple of inches. As Oleanna rose we dealt with our rubbish before turning right at the junction and pulling in immediately for some lunch. We were finally off the Shroppie where we’ve been, on one branch or another, since November.

Skirting round Wolverhampton the canal has an urban quality to it for a while. The high up arched bridges come thick and fast, a graffiti artist having done some decorating on one side. At Aldersley Junction we kept going straight on, no Wolverhampton 21 for us this time, our route will bypass Birmingham.

Last time we did this stretch was when we’d had to abort a trip to Droitwich, we’d just found out how much Lillian’s pooh tank held! On a very wet morning we winded and headed to the nearest pumpout at Oxley Marine where we could uncross our legs. Today we don’t have to worry about such things with our composting toilet.

Compton Lock started our descent down to the River Severn. This is the first canal lock James Brindley built and it’s a pretty one. With their Lollipop lock beams and delicate paddle gear (which are a bit stiff!) and narrow brick bridges right next to the bottom gates they really are pretty locks. Oh mustn’t forget about the bywashes with their up turned baskets looking like lobster pots that collect any rubbish.

Two boats came past us as we made our way along the next pound to Wightwick Mill Lock. As much as Wightwick Manor is possibly our favourite National Trust property we didn’t stop there, we want to reach another one that we’ve not managed to visit yet (it’s not always open). So we wound our way a bit further along the canal, where the roads have moved away and there was a field for Tilly to explore before the end of the day. Jotting down our position from the trip computer we at last have moved from grid reference prefix SJ to SO. We’ve been in SJ for months, it stretches form Manchester almost down to Birmingham, we bobbed out of the area when we went to Rugely and on the Caldon

4 locks, 6.97 miles, 1 full water tank, 1 big stink, 1 right, 1 straight on, 1 small gap to squeeze through, 2 chilly hands, 1 rendezvous in the making, 1 disappointing outside!

Wheaton Aston

A couple of inches of snow joined us to the towpath this morning. There was nowhere near as much as we had in December up on the Llangollen. Mick went out to clear the solar panel and check on the fat balls in the hedge.

Tilly became very brave and ventured ashore. There had to be some friends in need of assistance below the white stuff. She didn’t find any and the wind put her off being out for any length of time, so instead she spent much of the day crouched down by the windows keeping an eye on the fat balls and those that came to feed from them.

An incognito hire boat came past, all it’s crew wrapped up the best they could against the elements. The engine was slowed, they were going to wind. The winding hole has a boat moored along one side of it and we are on the last rings on the towpath side, so swinging the stern of a boat round with the wind we had today needed to be timed well and done with some umph to get the stern round far enough for the wind to help rather than hinder. Try as they did the wind just held them along side the moored boat. The chap at the helm wasn’t giving the throttle enough to get them off. Poles came out and a lot of pushing was going on, crew jumped off the front with poles too, still no luck. In the end after much discussion between themselves, and watching on our part, they reversed back and then swung the bow towards the towpath, at last giving the engine some umph they turned the boat sufficiently to get the bow to turn with the aid of the wind. Congratulations all round, especially as they hadn’t crashed into anyone, just a bit of gentle nudging of the boat in the winding hole.

After sorting out a supermarket delivery, we settled down to watch some telly and after watching about a colossal hotel in Singapore with a swimming pool on the 54th floor roof (you’d never get me in there!) we then watched a classic Black and White movie. Sunday afternoon flicks all cosy and warm. In homage to my Hitchcock season quiz last year, when I spent all day everyday sat on the sofa with my broken ankle, I took a couple of photos. Can you name the film? We’d never seen it before but it is a classic and very funny.

Across the way on the side of the chicken shed is a banner advertising Momtaj Spice, the village’s Indian Restaurant. The offer on the banner was for a meal for £9.95 Sunday and Thursday. I had a look on their facebook page and there was another offer for 50% off food when you dine in. We decided to give them a go and risked the crunchy pavements to walk to the other end of the village.

Positioned above a pub you walk in through what feels like the back door and up a chilly staircase. A warm welcome greeted us and we were shown to a large table which they moved to nearer a radiator for us to warm up and melt. There was only one other couple seated , so not the busiest of nights for them. The huge menu took some reading, especially the dishes we’d not heard of before. We chose a Lamb Rogan Josh, Mushroom Bahji and a Chicken Palak. Everything was very nice especially the Palak which we’d not come across before. Some Indian chilled medication finished off our meal and with the 50% off it was well worth the very chilly walk there and back. Highly recommended, especially if you check their facebook page for any offers.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 inches, 4 paws, 1 tail still attached, 3 moving boats, 7 attempts to wind, 3 fat balls, £250 a night to £3500 for a suite, 1 classic, 3 famous faces, 2 false starts, 1 scalping, 1 puddle, 2 cobras, 2 poppadums, 1 pickle tray, 2 curries, 1 side, 2 rice, 1 kulfi, 1 cheese cake! 50% off very nice.