Answers on a Postcard Please!

 Well the Aston Cross mooring is now on our list as we had TV, phone, internet and a really quiet night to boot.

By the moorings is this milepost with the miles and locks to near and distant places.

We were straight into the last three locks of the Aston flight and whilst walking down to set the lock, can't remember which but maybe between 9 and 10, I saw this post. The concrete is stamped with BCN and with the large D at the top. This was roughly mid way between the locks. The BCN buffs will be able to put me right, but is it something to do with who claims the lock when approaching? If I remember you couldn't see one of the locks from the post. Help please???!

Between Locks 10 and 11 is this art work in the bricks. I think the boats name is given in the forward plaque as Lady Anna and at the stern are the names of the 'brickies' that constructed in Paso, Paso and Wilkinson I think it is, in 1995. Nice bit of advertising too.

You could almost think that an episode of Peaky Blinders could have been filmed here. I love the fact that the old bridge gas lights have been put back.

It was a muggy day and I was expecting it to rain at any time, but we spent all day dry, hurrah. The last three locks are more spaced out than the top 8 so we got a nice walk between, with the claret and blue gasometers (Aston Villa colours for the non football fans).

Surprisingly there was only one boat on Cuckoo Wharf as we passed. We could have stopped for water but carried on to Salford Junction. One boat passed us heading up to the Aston Locks otherwise all was quiet. Any idea anybody why the mileages have all changed on the  Junction sign post? With global warming has the world shrunk? It can't be that it used to be in kilometres can it?

There had obviously been a lot of cinstruction traffic through this gateway. Nature is a wonderful as the disturbance has brought the lovely red poppies to flower and add a splash of colour along this much untidier stretch of towpath and water than the rest of Birmingham so far.

We passed a boat heading to Salford Junction with it's tunnel light on, and this reminded me that there is a tunnel at Curdworth, but doesn't really warrant the use of the tunnel lamp at 57 yards long!

Dunton Wharf is very photogenic, especially when heading down the locks. I removed the tape marking them as having recently being painted, as they were all dry now.

I have another question to ask. On these three locks of the Curdworth flight, 4,5 and 6 I think it was, there were large solar panels temporarily mounted to drive a black box of tricks that seemed to have a probe into the ground. They are behind the metal fencing. Any ideas anybody?

The distances between the locks stretch after lock 5 ans here we have decided we will cadge a lift after Lock 7 with just one more lock to negotiate. We moored up by the Dog and Doublet to meet and old friend hopefully.