Birmingham Bound.

 Before we left our mooring 6 boats passed us going the other way. They must have been moored up round the corner We were away before half past as it was such a nice day. We were toying with the idea of getting up the Aston Locks today.

Curdworth Tunnel comes along pretty soon and we met another boat heading towards us. That was the last one for a good while.

At the bottom of Minworth Locks (I'm not even sure that the first near Carter's Bridge counts as a Minworth Lock, or one on its own) I saw this old lock keepers shelter. I am assuming is is original. I love the fact that these things remain over the decades. I suppose that it shows that they re practical.

You can definitely see why the call the canals green corridors. On the port side is the busy A38 and the Castle Vale estate (built on another WWII aerodrome) and on the left industry. Looking at the photo you could be miles away in the proper countryside.

We had commented on how much tidier the cut was, much less litter in the water and on the side, when on approaching lock No.2 I caught this little; a pram cover and the top of a boot. It didn't bode well but that was the last visit to the weed hatch of the day.

You always get a good light when passing under the factory, and shelter from the rain too, but the sun is lovely and warm today. Erdington Hall survived near by until 1938 when it was lost to industry, probably as we scaled up for war. This factory was not built over the canal until the early 1960's. and as far as I know is redundant again.

We had decided to head up the Aston Locks as we hadn't been that was for a while. Not for us the difficult turn into the Saltley Cut and Star City moorings this time.

After passing Cuckoo Wharf we can see the first lock in the flight. One of the great things about Brum is the roving bridges over long lost arms. The three in this stretch on the left are as follows; the first went to a varnish work as well as a tube and rolling mill. The second was for another tube works and the last seems to be for an edged tool factory.

Not quite the green corridor of the previous photo but there were herons fishing along here and ducks and geese. The bird song in thew quiet away from the road noises was also a real tonic.

I don't remember seeing a cantilevered bridge like this before, fixed on just the left side.

The tow path was well used by cyclists and some walkers and was very clean and tidy on the whole. We did pick up a dustbin liner that we filled with v]cans and bottles that we picked out of the locks and drinkers haunts. The view down the flight in the sun is quite nice, with the large side pounds. We got to the top of the Aston Locks in 90 minutes without meeting a boat. Most of the locks were our way. The sun was glorious, and with rain predicted for tomorrow we kept on for the Framer's Bridge Locks 

We changed over with me doing the windlass work for the next flight. and after lock 1 we met a a few boats coming down so that helped. A nother spot to be out of the rain for a brief respite, but not today.

Back out into the sun and making good progress.

The road must be pushing out so they have unleashed the Duplo bricks to hold everything

We got to the top in just over three hours, so as you can imagine we needed a cup of tea!! The berth just by the top lock was vacant so we just backed on to it. 14 day moorings and plenty of sun. What more could you ask for. I took this photo of our mooring in Cambrian Basin when I drop all the rubbish we had collected off at the bin store. Full again! I can't remember ever being here when it wasn't rammed. This will do us for a day or two.

PS. Can anybody let me know the secret of how to keep the top gates of the Farmer's Bridge Locks, when going up, shut!! You have to keep them pushed shut for ages until they will stay shut on their own which really slows you down. Must be something with the short pounds, by-wash etc etc.