Deja vu.

We set off at the normal time for us, round about 1000 and we had only been passed by one boat. Mind you one had gone past in the night somewhere around midnight I would say and there was a walker on the tow path at 0400. It was just getting light and if we hasn't up to no good it would be a great time for a walk.

We were soon up to the Kings Norton junction and back to where we had been on May 4th. It seems a lot longer than that mind.

When ever you see tables of tolls it is always interesting to see that those products that improve the lot of the population directly are always the cheapest. Manure and lime to fertiliser the soils and improve crop production and bricks tile and stones to build homes always seem to be the lowest toll. Is this caring capitalism?

Helen says that she wouldn't mind living in the Junction House. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal was started in 1791 from Gas Street Basin and the Worcester Bar. The BCN were very anti the new canal so prevented through traffic. The W & B stopped here for a time due to finances and the Junction House was built. The junction was formed when the Stratford upon Avon Canal was constructed from 1793. In their turn the W & B argued against it and even after the Act of Parliament was passed they insisted on the Lifford Lane Stoop lock to protect their water.

This is the lifting roller of the guilotine stop lock that was used to ensure that the Stratford upon Avon Canal was one inch belwo that ot the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

This is the site of a swing bridge that the caused much protest from the fledgling IWA when the Great Western Railway, who owned the canal, sealed it shut after it was damaged. The IWA pushed the right of navigation and organised boats to pass through until they relented and fixed it. It is interesting to see that it has disappeared now and doesn't look like it will be replaced any time soon. One nil to the canal I would say.

As we approached Brandwood Tunnel it was still a little chilly but there wasn't any wind to ruffle Shakespeare's ruff.

All this length of the canal is through the outer conurbation of Birmingham but is very green indeed. It is only occasionally that you pass the bottoms of gardens or see blocks of flats peeking over the trees that you realise you are not alone.

We stopped for a top up of water next to this sign. It was interesting to see as there is much working going on all the way from Kings Norton Junction at the moment so it seems that the pathway was lasted 23 years so far.

We had both forgotten the Shirley Lift Bridge so it was a bit of a surprise when we came up to it. I had to roust Helen out to press the buttons. It was a change for her from the ironing and cleaning. I know how to show her a good time on a Bank Holiday!!

This photo was purely accidental but it does show our footwear that is new for both of us this year. Once past Dickens Heath we were really back in the countryside. Dickens Heath seems to have had a great number of homes built so I assume it is a new dormitory village for Birmingham that has 1600 houses for 4000 people.

This is the church at Salter Street and was locked when we last passed this way.

The other day I was talking about the May (hawthorn Blossom and here is a good picture of the mix of pink, pink tinged and white flowers on the same tree.

Half way round the walk was the Blue Bell Cider House. It would be rude not to stop, (I told you I know how to give Helen a good time). There didn't seem to be much cider though. There was a band on and a barbecue and a meeting of many chapters of bikers. I think that the pub is the meeting place for one of them. After a drnk we set of back to the boat down the tow path and as we got close we could hear loud music from the Blue Bell fade a way and a little further on loud music was coming from the Lady Lane club house!