Homemade lemonade and Nutella in the rain.

The rain stopped at breakfast so we went for a walk into Polesworth as we had some stuff to post off. By the time we got back there had been plenty of movements and despite the clouds being low and dark we got under way.

At Glascote top lock I saw these Sumach berries and picked some. I had read about using them to make lemonade so picked a few of the heads. Last night I put a couple of heads in a jug of about a litre and a half and submerged them with a weight. This morning I strained the the water and added a couple of teaspoons of sugar (or honey) and it is a lovely refreshing, very cheap lemonade. The tiny berries can be picked off and dried and used in jams etc as they will added extra sweetness. In Lebanon and Turkey the red hairs are rubbed off and can be used as a flavouring in cooking. I think that in future I will break up the heads into little bits so that it is easier to pass the flavour to the water.

Grendon Church after the harvest. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book but the tower of the church is from 1845.

I had been thinking about buying a double skinned chimney for the boat to try to stop the tar leaking over the paint work. I had passed the Little Chimney Boat a couple of times in the past and knew he was on the Coventry mostly so I had my eyes open for him. And lo and behold we passed him soon after Polesworth. We pulled in and I gave him a knock. Our chimney is a strange size and Kim agreed, saying he had never seen one on a boat before. The outcome was that as we are having a paint job winter after next we are going to change to a 6" collar with the flue properly installed. Kim did himself out of a job but with luck it will pay in spades in a years time. I think I did myself out of a birthday present too!

We stopped at the services below Atherstone locks and the boat just leaving them told us that we may as well stop as there was a queue of five boats waiting to go up. When we got there there were only two ahead of us and we were soon on our way. What delay there was was passed in good chat. Helen brought the boat into the lock and you can see with your eyes that she never touched the sides.

It seems that we were picking up the boats that had stopped for shopping mid flight and there were boats now to change over each time. However the clouds darkened and the fine drizzle started and we were umming and ahing about whether to continue or not.

The mist was beginning to turn to drops of moisture so Helen made the executive decision to stop for the day. We moored up just past this bridge.

The hawthorn has loads of berries on it this year and the birds always seem to leave them til last. I have been looking for elderberries, and there are a few but the birds have decimated them largely. Last year I did make some jelly out of haws and it was quite nice with lamb and other meats so I may have another go and can pass it on to others to try for themselves. I think I will need some small jars though.

By the time we were moored up and the fire lit the moisture had turned to dollops and we were glad that we made the decision to stop. After lunch whilst Helen was reading yet another book I had a go at converting the hazelnuts that I had picked into homemade Nutella. We do not have a food processor, just a stick blender, and no groundnut oil, but I must say whilst not likely to take over from the commercial thing it is very passable to spread on bread or eat by the spoonful.

I'm not sure whether the weather will be much better tomorrow so we will have to see what we do.

Tiptoeing past Tamworth.

We were late setting off this morning but when we got away we listened to the Archer's on the move. It was a lovely morning to be on the cut with the heat still in the sun, but that autumn air around.

Near Huddleford the cows were enjoying the sun on their backs so much that there were several of them cooling off in the shallows of the offside, and didn't budge as we passed.

This is the first time that I have actually seen this marker for the meeting of the Coventry and Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. I have know it is there but despite looking for it I have always missed it. In fact I did this time too, and it was Helen that pointed it out to me. Next time I will have to read the plaque.

Hopwas Wood was very quiet with just a few tow path walkers about, but no boats. What ever the time of year it is atmospheric and it is hard to resist taking yet another photo.

We got to Fazeley Junction and after fixing up the water I dashed off to buy the Sunday paper. I got back just in time to coil the hose. Now the apartments at the junction are finished it does smarten the place up a lot.

Holderness looking okay in the sun on the water point at Fazeley.

It was only a week ago that we were coming down from Birmingham from under the bridge and past the mill. Having been home in the meanwhile it seems ages ago rather than just a week. We turned to the left and back on to the Coventry Canal heading for Tamworth.

As we rounded Kettlebrook Wharf and the Thames Cruising Club when passed under the railway bridge we saw there was a queue for the bottom lock at Glascote. Three boats waiting and three coming down. This was the largest queue we have had all the time out this year. It is just the slow filling of the lock that is the trouble. Maybe there was a bit of a blockage in one of the paddle conduits though. The delay would have been less if all the boats had just been a bit more efficient in moving to, through and out of the locks. I do get a little irked when folk 'fanny' about. Of course they should do things at their own speed and in the fashion that works for them, but what ever they do when there is a queue it isn't good to disappear of the back deck so as not to move out in a timely fashion, or standing chatting and not open the gates when the water makes a level. We were well over an hour to get up the first look, but no problems at the top lock.

There is some artwork under the M42 bridge. This artwork must have deterred graffiti artists as despite it being a very busy pedestrian route there are no daubings.

This is another thing that I have never noticed when we have passed this way before. It is just near Pooley Hall and is the war memorial for the men from Pooley Hall Colliery that lost their lives in WW1. I must have a walk up there sometime.

We found a spot at Polesworth moorings and will have a walk into town to post some letters in the morning before heading further south.

Back into the groove.

Well we are back aboard now after a manic few days doing as much as possible to catch up at home in a few days. We came back in mixed weather and a long stretch of 50 mph on the M1 and it still took us just over an hour and a half making Kings Orchard Marina a very handy spot. It didn't take us long to empty the car and fill the boat and while I was filling up with water Helen got some lunch ready. The longest time was taken with chatting to the staff at the office before we were away. As we left the marina I was a little perturbed to see this walking in the field next to the cut!

I'm afraid that with all the stuff that goes on around the place despite realising it was a bloke following his country pursuit I did have a little shiver and wondered where I could dodge to hide.

We were just going a very short way as I was calling in to Streethay Wharf to have a chat about blacking and a repaint and we are now all sorted. Rather than try and wind in the moorings we decided to see if we could find a berth at Fradley so we could go for a pint so we continued onwards. We were beaten to the last mooring so we went through the footbridge and winded outside the Swan and headed back again. 

Streethay Wharf had a surprisingly large chandlery. All were very chatty and helpful and the place was a hive of activity. When I lived near here I must have passed it a hundred times going up and down the A38 but never thought I would have a boat there.

It was a beautiful evening and as there was sun we decided to moor up outside Kings Orchard Marina as there was a clear view and some nice Armco to tie up to. I erected the TV aerial as Helen told me that is had to be done as it was 'Strictly'. Now she is telling me it may not be on after all. Oh well we will see.

Kings Orchard seems to be quite unusual as rather than just digging out a hole in a field and cutting through to the canal this one had to be built up to get to the level ,of the canal. You can see it wasn't just a few inches either. In fact I was told that in the middle it is 16' deep!

There isn't a lot of shrubs ot trees around at the moment so the wind makes life interesting trying to get on the pontoons. There is nothing around. It is a bit of a walk to Whittington but there is the faint noise of the A38 in the background. We are leaving the boat here over winter so we brought our car down to leave for us to take home again when we finish up. It is nice to be back. I don't know why but I relaxed as soon as we got away.

Abandoned ship.

It was a dull and misty start to the day and it stayed that way. We  got off at the normal time as did many other boaters as there was a continuous flow passing in both directions at the same time. We didn't have far to go so we were in no rush.

Our nights moorings were in the shade but were nice and quiet and as there was precious little sun this morning we didn't miss much.

We headed back towards Streethay Wharf. Despite the incursion of the A38 in several places the trip is quite a treat as there are bling bends and nice rural bits to wet the whistle. The mist didn't burn off completely until nearer lunch time.

It seemed to busy today and we met plenty of boats. Thankfully most of them at a convenient position and only had to stop once to allow a boat through ahead of me.

In the end we didn't stop at Streethay wharf as there were plenty of others vying for attention there. I had wanted to see them about a blacking slot and  possibly a quote for a repaint but it will wait until we pass this way again. We went just round the corner to Kings Orchard Marina and  went in to get some fuel at 65p/ltr domestic and a 13kg gas bottle at £23-70. (It was advertising fuel at 66p at Streethay by the way). We are also here for a few days as we have to go home. It was convenient for the hire car too. The marina is three miles from Lichfield and a little less from the hire point and it took them longer than 45 mins to reach me. Unfortunately the young lady is one of those that rely totally on their sat navs. in one way or another. They seem to have no sense of direction and the thought of quickly glancing at a map to orientate themselves never crosses their mind. It actually took less than ten minutes in the car in the end.

Yesterday at Fradley we obtained a copy of the Towpath Telegraph ( I think it is). I read an article by the owner of Norbury Wharf who was wondering where all the boats had gone. He felt that over the school holidays private boaters were not moving about. On the short trip today I think he was right as every boat we saw almost was very shiny and obviously spent much of the year in a marina. The other day I put this down to boats returning to marinas after their couple of weeks holiday, but I think he has something. Mind you it seems perfectly obvious that if you have a choice save your excursion until the canal are less busy. No queuing for locks and water points, less stress about hoping to find a spot right outside the pub without having to get up at 6 AM and less of a worry getting you paint scrapped by a speeding hire boater who is dashing round a 100 mile and 100 lock ring in 6 days. For our journey  this year I haven't really felt there has been too much of a crush at locks. I think there has only been a couple of occasions that we have had to wait any length of time. There was a little stress on the Kennet and Avon about whether we would find a mooring but this was largely because there are few places you are able to stop due to the the shallows and the bank but we found some where everytime and I didn't have a stroke! Also on our travels so far we have only had 'bother' with privateers rather than hire boaters so I'm afraid you pays your money and takes your choice. We try to fine somewhere likely to be less busy than others during the height of the season too. If there is an Indian Summer then September and early October are champion times to be out and about. There is nothing better than sitting in front of your stove after cruising in the meek sunshine with only a little wind and red cheeks and the leaves turning to their glorious colours just for you.

Fradley.

It has been a long time since we had a boat go past at 0030, and as far as I could see they didn't have their tunnel light on, just flicked it on every now and then. I wonder where they were going? We woke up to a fully blue sky and the sun playing on the panels. We were away at the normal time and obviously meeting boats at every narrow spot through Hopwas village.

Hopwas Wood was quiet except for birdsong and the sound of the trains passing on the Trent Valley Line. As we passed Fisherwick we noticed that the asparagus on the off side had been left to fend for its self as the many poly tunnels had been removed.

 Since Birmingham we had been travelling on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, even after Fazeley Junction. The company had built along the proposed route from there to Whittington as the Coventry Canal were playing hard to get with their link to the Grand Trunk Canal (to become the Trent and Mersey Canal). Eventually the Coventry Canal Company bought the section back. This explains the fact that the Birmingham Canal Navigation's system of giving bridges names rather than numbers is used from Fazeley to the junction with The Grand Truck. The Birmingham and Fazeley was merged with other canals in the area tyo become the Birmingham Canal Navigations. Bidge 77 is at Fazeley Junction and then the numbering resumes at Whittington at Bridge 78.

We stopped for water before the junction at Fradley and then I went to open the foot bridge for them to pass. (Still no lock on it). Chris and Helen swung out into the junction and powered to port infront of the few gongoozlers in front of the Swan.

Then half astern to bring the stern down towards the lock.

Then a bit of power ahead and the turn completed and heading back to the bridge hole. It was a shame it wasn't a Sunday as he would have had many more witnesses for his efforts.

After lunch we went for a walk to the cafe down the locks for an ice cream in the sun. The van is still looking good and must do a good job of spreading the name. Oh, I forgot it is now C&RT now.

The sun was shining when we got back and these two managed to find a spot where the sun made it through the trees. It did mean a bit of constant moving about though. I managed to get an undercoat on the remedial paintwork whilst they were busy doing 'other things'.

Before tea we wandered back to the Swan for a pint before we ate. There was still a few boats going backwards and forwards but all the moorings were taken so if they were looking to stop they would have to travel a bit further.

Fazeley in the sun.

Despite the proximity of the motorway I slept pretty well. It was very chilly this morning and the heating came on for the first time this year otherwise I would never have got the other two up! Whilst they were  doing the morning ablutions I walked into Curdworth for the Sunday papers. Unfortunately they had not delivered the inserts for the Sunday papers so it was a blank. The guy that passed us yesterday evening was still moored by the village. I was a bit annoyed with him playing his radio really loudly when he passed but he was actually watching the TV as he was going along. I wonder why you would want to be steaming along and watching the television. Why not just stop! This morning his two large dogs  were out leaving their presents unattended too.

We just got to the top lock from our overnight berth when a boat came under the bridge. I bet they were hacked off to see us. It must of done as I think after doing the first one they must have stopped for breakfast as we never saw them again. I was going to lift a paddle for them to soften the blow but I  was glad I didn't as on the eleven lock flight we crossed with several heading upwards so they would have had a better run.

Still smiling after the first lock down. The sun is nice but it is  still cold. The top of this flight must a b****r in windy weather as there is no protection from it.

Made it to No4. and Helen is feeling the cold on the back deck as another jacket is on.

Down a few more and at Double Bridge. I think it is so called as it is wider than the normal accommodation bridge. I wonder why that was so? Helen is off to the next lock but little does she know that this next one is a fair walk away. By the time she gets there she has unzipped three jackets so is definitely warming up. 

We are now at the bottom lock and a swivel bridge before the lock. There  was a young lad playing football with his Granddad on the far side of the lock and I gave them a football that I had fished out of the cut in Birmingham.

Helen was helping with the locks but found a non physical way of  doing it. It is nice to chat with the locals. This lady feeds the ducks every day. She said that in the height of the summer she is down to two and in winter she has over twenty.

After you pass the water park the banks get more over grown and look as though we are back in the depths of the countryside here. C&RT  have a failed experiment here as they had those floating socks full off coir that they plant up to get the back growing. These were anchored on the tow path side though. It didn't look like any had taken and most were missing. I'm sure there would be plenty of comments if they made the bank so that you were unable to moor.

I have never been able to take a very good  photo of the Drayton FootBridge and I didn't manage it  again today. I cut the top off and it now looks like a roll of quilted kitchen roll!

We took water just by Fazeley Mill Marina and then moved past the junction. The junction house seems to have a little bit more done to it every time we pass. Somebody will have got a really good deal there as it was in a poor condition when they bought it. We moored near Peel's Wharf facilities for lunch but were soon off to get a spot in Hopwas.

I have never noticed these before so I thought I would take a picture.

We got to Hopwas and found a mooring just by Dixon's Bridge. We have never moored in the village before, preferring to be out in the peace and quiet of the wood but we are eating out tonight and needed somewhere close. Once stopped I managed to finish shelling all the cob nuts I had picked and they weighed in at 12oz. I should be able to do something with those, and may even collect some more first. I then managed to get another coat of paint on the paint working I had done yesterday. Now to get changed to look like something almost human as we are off to the Tame Otter for tea.

Down to the country.

There was a bit of rain before we got up and it must have been light as it didn't wake me up. A couple of boats came up the Ashted Locks after 2100 last night and moored on the off side, apparently as they were worried about mooring in the area. Needless to say we survived. When we set off we found that they had left all the top gates open the previous evening.

After the first lockid Ashted Tunnel which is quite tight with a taller boat and paint can take a bigger beating than going through the Standedge Tunnel.

We completed the rest of the flight with no further mishaps and decided to have a poke about in Typhoo Basin. It doesn't lookm like anything further has altered since we last had a look min a couple of years ago. It must have been a very busy terminus of the canal at one time.

The shed that was the Fyffes Banana facility with the warehouse behind. Previous to that I think it was used by Pickfords when they were large canal carriers. It is right next to Warwick Bar that still has the two stop locks in place, one for each company.

This is a better photo of the Fellows Morton and Clayton Warehouse than the one I took when we came in the other direction. You can see the rounded wall wall that lead round in a basin to the large blue doors of their own private dock.

As we approached Bordesley Junction there was a boat just about to leave the last of the Camp Hill Locks. I bet they were miffed that we took the lead there. As it turned out they needn't have been as every lock needed to be filled any way, and as I lifted a paddle when we left it would have been easier for them in the end. The first stretch of the Saltley Cut after the junction is almost like a tunnel there are that many bridges on the straight section.

Halfway down the flight we came across Steam boat Adamant leaving. The boat was actually built in 1992 but of the bow sections of two barges that were built around 1900. The whistle is very loud.

The bottom lock of the Garrison flight looking down from the wrecked lock cottage. The picture shows the sloping paddle gear. Along the tow path there were plenty of hazel trees and as I collected some nuts I came across some with a little hole nippled in them. As far as I remember that indicates a doormouse has eaten them. It seems an unlikely spot for doormouse in the heart of industrial Birmingham but it shows the advantage of the canals as a green corridor.

Just as we approached Star City moorings we could see the boats there hurriedly preparing to let go and the last one let go when we were only a couple of boat lengths from him. Then as we approached Salford Junction another boat passed going our way so we were in a queue. never mind as the sun was now trying to come out. After making the turn into the Birmingham and Fazeley you run alongside the M6 for a way.

We stopped for water at the bottom of the first of the Minworth Locks. The rubbish skips have been removed from here through. We carried on past Curdworth and through the 52yd tunnel. We moored just before the top of the Curdworth locks. I popped into the village to get some milk and then when I got back I collected some hazelnuts. I think I have had better luck this time and hopefully will soon have enough to make some hazel nut butter as there are plenty on the trees and plenty of trees along the cut. Macy cat is glad to be away from brick and concrete and busy tow paths and has enjoyed rooting about in the grass this evening.