Narrowboating Chick: Lots of work in Birmingham.

BCN Main Line & Brirmingham & Fazeley Canal 27 Locks

Mooring in Birmingham can always mean a bit of a gamble on disturbances and last night, we had only one minor issue of someone banging on the side of the boat & trying to run off with the cans from the roof. As they were chained up, they did not go very far, but instead made a lot of noise!
Disturbances apart, city mooring has it's bonuses and a Sainsbury's Local around the corner meant that I could set off with a very cosmopolitan swing in my step and go and get Croissants for breakfast. The sun was shining, but the buildings were creating a lot of shadow, which was annoying. Did I mention that I wasn't a city girl?

Croissants for breakfast were very "ooh la la" and swiftly eaten with a cup of coffee that seems to get better & better on this trip. We set off for Farmers Bridge at about 9.15 and kept to our steady 10 locks an hour, with the Post Office Tower (for us oldies) looming ahead of us and then retreating behind us as we wound, pushed & pulled to get down the next 13 locks of the Farmers Bridge Flight.

Lots of new flats have been built and England's second city is a pleasure to sail through, but there's no denying that the suburbs get a bit grim and instead of bursting through into the pleasantness of Cambrian Wharf, you just get the feeling that the best has been & gone. Water problems meant a quick stop at Salford Junction, but we headed onto the Aston Flight soon enough. Had a chat with a crowd of Villa supporters on their way to a match and got into a good routine with a single handed boat and allowed an upcoming boat to lighten the load as well.

Us alongside the boat with the added Dog Bed.

At the bottom of the 8th Lock, NB unnamed (the single handed boater)was stuck with a major blockage round his propeller. We stopped and offered our assistance, moored alongside and offered the mother of all knives to help retrieve a whole dog bed from the propeller- Amazing what people will throw into a canal these days.

All in all, 2 bags retrieved from the prop.

On our way again, still bathed in glorious sunshine. I felt a little guilty going ahead of the other boat, but I guess that's the way the lock gates open. 3 more locks finished of the Aston flight and we were heading towards Spaghetti Junction and the sights to behold therein. I still find it amazing that there is a beautiful bridge parallel to to aqueduct over the "turgid River Tame" (Canal Companion, Stourport Ring-JM Pearson 1992) hidden by the massive structures holding up the M6.

Amazingly enough, we got caught in a 3 NB log jam, held up by NB Bob, just bobbing along- the boating equivalent of Sunday Afternoon drivers I guess. However they were polite enough to let us both past. When we reached Minworth Top Lock, we were caught up in a 2 NB log jam, held up by a NB from Langley Mill. However they were polite enough to let us past and for the second time today we jumped to the front. By the time we had been through the 3rd Minworth lock, my feet were definitely telling me that enough was enough, so we moored, mid afternoon, up in the sunniest spot just before the Curdworth Tunnel. Marcus & I had some food and James

"chillaxed" out on the towpath with his "finger food" and enjoyed the sun.

Our Turn.....

Most of the trip today we have felt that the tiller was shaking, no doubt having collected some unwanted plastic around the propeller. This evening, in the glorious spring sunshine, Marcus decided that the time was right to venture down the weed hatch.....much hilarity followed as he wriggled & wormed his way through the smallest spaces and managed to cut loose some offending plastic bags.