Sunday 2 June 2024We returned to the boat by car, bus, train and taxi. By parking the car at our intended destination we expect to save time at the end of this little cruise.
We are going to see Richard Thompson celebrate his 75th birthday in concert at Birmingham Symphony Hall. So we are taking our accimodation with us.
After a drink in the Wharf Tavern we had tea aboard and set of in bright sunlight for a gentle evening cruise. Only Kate Boat nb Louisa was in our way. They were doing about 1 mph which was a little lower than our gentle cruise soeed at 1500rpm of 2.3mph. They pulled over to let us pass. Their crew of 6 were all animatedly socialising on the stern cruiser deck.
We stopped for an overnight mooring just past bridge 17 and nb Louisa passed us about 10 minutes later heading ibto the sunset. Why not?
The setting sun shone through the canopy of trees on this beautiful green canal.
3 miles 0 locks 1.1/2 hours.
Monday 3 June 2024
Today we need to be in Birmingham City Centre so that we can get to the Richard Thompson concert in the Symphony Hall.
We set off at 0730 and soon came up behind nb Louisa who awas also just setting out. The gentle crawl behind them lasted about 1.5 hours as they came to the Shirley Drawbridge No 8 first and we passed them as they waited for the bridge to be lowered and their crew to return. After this we made steady progress to Birmingham .
It was a morning of herons today. I don't know how they manage to fish
as the banks are quite high in places. They must know what they are
doing.
Only the turn at Kings Norton Junction seemed more difficult than usual as the off side abittment of the Junction Bridge is protected by projecting steelwpork and timber that was a littel difficult to negotiate.
We stopped at Selly Oak visitor mooring to provision at Sainsbury's. We bec=bated where the Lapal Canal will eventually connect with the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. It is near there but unclear. We assumed the rpoute is inder the loose surfaced footpath to the supermarket car park.
Our next stop was the water point just before the Mailbox. Here we gave Sonflower a well needed wash down, turned the boat at the Mailbox and returned to clean the other side. Then we backed to turn and settled ourselves on a mooring outside the Veuve Lounge.
11.5 miles, 1 lock(open), 2 tunnels, 5 hours.
It is a five minute walk form here to the Symphiny Hall. Of course we visited the award winning
Barajee overlooking Worcester Bar, for a curry meal before the concert. The meal and the concert were excellent.
Tuesday 4 June 2024
An engine check revealed that we have been leaking oil. This was topped up to the full mark with what we had on board. I made a mental note to buy some more.
The weather did not look promising this morning and we set off to get to Tividale Quays before the rain forecast for 1130 am could drench us.
Thsi is a picture of the approach to Smethwick Bottiom Lock. It shows the progress of history as the bridge has been widened twice to accomodate the traffic above. Piglet took the shore duty and reported that the gates on this flight were particularly easy to move, one he thought was weightless. Well done CRT for maintaining them well. The antivandal mechanisms were a bit of a problem but Piglet coped well. One pound was a little low but we managed to cross it on tickover.
With the locks behind us we cruised quickly toward our goal marvelling at the winding route between the columns of the elevated M5. This is still under repair with expansive areas of scaffolding beneath the suppoerting beams. To our knowledge thsi woprk has been going on for over 3 years unbeknown to the thousands of users passing overhead.
In ouor hurry, I hit the side of a narrows that was obscured by vegetation but do not think Sonflower sustained any serious damage.
Moorhens gave way to coots and we saw a couple on their nests and one pair with a single chick. Water Lillies still prevail as the weed of choice in the Dudley area.
We arrived at Tividale Quays, (once Dudley Port Basin) as the rain started at 11.15, a little earlier than forecast. We moored in the rain.
8.1/4 miles, 3 locks, 3.1/4hours
The rain started again after the first lock, lock 21. A Bottom paddle is broken and has been since April. Apparently they have no stop planks and cannot drain the pound because of moorings. 
They stayed with us until lock 6 where we stopped for lunch.
