Birmingham bound.

We set off and straight away stopped again straight away to take on some water after our washing yesterday. Helen went up to post some letters and buy milk. We were soon in to the first of the locks.

Perry Barr Top Lock with lock cottage.

Perry Barr Top Lock amenities and cottage with old stable block. The toilets and showers were spotless.

The first seven locks where close together and were easily worked. The cut was very green and quiet. There are also tow paths on both sides and I wonder if this was as there was a lot of traffic and with a tow path on both sides they could have one way traffic on each side.

Helen coming into Lock 7, half way down the flight.

The flight was so busy that they had to recirculate the water from the bottom of the locks back to the top. The canal runs under the M6 twice before the last lock but otherwise it remained quiet.

The penultimate lock has a lovely BCN cottage, found in the other wise industrial area. A reminder of a past era.

The bottom lock with the Grid house where the water was 'filtered' before pumping back up to the top of the lock. In the distance can be seen an old chimney that has been retained but it's original factory has gone.

Detail of the chimney in the other photo. It looks to me like it is an electromagnet so maybe something to do with the factory. What do you think.

The canal soon approaches 'Spaghetti Junction' where a series of motorways and roads form a criss cross of roads.

Elevated sections of roads in the sunshine.

Under the arches is Salford Junction where the Tames Valley Canal, Birmingham and Fazeley Canal and Grand Union Canal meet. Thrown in is a river and a railway line too.

Salford Junction signpost. I wonder why the distances have changed? Some in kilometers and some in miles, or do the new figures hide the 'k'.

We left the Tame Valley canal and turned up the Grand Union. Very soon we stopped at fairly new moorings outside Star City which is a casino, cinema and other fun complex. As we are port side to I washed the side down and polished a bit too. I also touched up some rust. At tea time we went to see the 'Grown Ups 2'. I don't think that it will win any Oscars but it did make us smile and made a change. We will move on further into Birmingham.