Crew - Graham and Brenda.

We set off at 8am from home with a loaded trailer & car. All our junk plus enough extra for a fortnight cruise ending in a GiG needed to be re-installed aboard. We met the holiday crew exactly as planned and they helped manhandle the trailer, topped with the car contents, down the towpath so we could unload and reload in one. They had everything ready to go home and so Graham had a quick turn round. Back to Thame for a trailer dump, bike and Di Blasi collection and return to Jannock. then onward to Stafford boat club to stow the car and return for the off. The equivalent of a few hours hanging around departure lounges at least.

I shoe-horned everything aboard. I then read last week's log and was glad that as much milk and eggs had been left for us as we had brought. Jonny - I'll be making pancakes.
As the holiday makers left for home I was a good tour company rep and encouraged them to book for next year. No promises, or even hints, as to when they could borrow Jannock, but they seemed keen. No evidence of scurvy, but the B vitamins and yeast in beer failed to stop the biting bugs. I made sure Graham brought some extra anti-histamines from home.
As I bobbed in and out to the bow deck, whilst stowing stuff, two passing boaters told me how lovely the roses painted on the cratch table are - well done again Terry.
We then set off and moved out into the countryside, near bridge 56, for a peaceful night.

Crew - Graham and Brenda.

A late start today as we'd planned tomorrows timing to suit a slow cooked "Basingstoke Airfreshener" curry for when we arrive at Minworth for a pre-arranged pre-BCN Explorer mini-GiG. Past Kings Bromley marina and then joined a queue of three for Wood End lock. On down the next two and turned right at Fradley junction onto the Coventry where we immediately moored up for lunch, to skip the rubbish and a walk around the nature reserve before continuing our journey south.

We stopped for the night in Hopwas (Hooty Wol - see previous trip on website) Woods and then went for a walk around Hopwas where we discovered St. Chads church. This is one of the more unusual and most pretty churches we've seen. Dedicated in 1893 it's, as far as Brenda's limited brain power can deduce, mock Tudor or Arts & Crafts - possibly both.It looks like a cross between a church and an olde worlde village hall. We'd have loved to have a look inside.

As we walked down the towpath into Hopwas we heard the strains of a fairground organ. Round the bend came nb Marden. ( video on YouTube ) It was the source of music to make you smile. The steerer was about 80 years old and sprightly. He had an organ mounted in the foredeck of his boat. The music may have been from a cassette or CD but it doesn't matter a jot. There was an organ and there was music, smiles all round.

Crew - Graham & Brenda.

We set off from Hopwas Woods in the drizzle at 9:30 in a boat covered in leaf-drop, the price you pay for a peaceful mooring in the woods. As we approached Fazely the showers ceased and the sky started to brighten up. At the junction we turned right into the B & F canal, yet more territory that Brenda and I have never done before.

On arrival at Curdworth bottom lock we were 5th in line with Brian and Diana on Harnser just entering the lock at the head of the queue. We were following a charity boat from Maypole that had a completely novice crew and skipper. We assisted to work the locks whilst trying to ensure they were safe. Not an easy task but they were very appreciative of our help. We stopped and filled with water at Dunton Wharf and then joined the group of boats moored at Minworth for the BCN Explorer Cruise. Brenda opened "Megapixies Curry House" on Jannock and 8 people sat down to a delicious "Basingstoke Airfreshener Curry" and rice. During the evening we also consumed a whole box of Vale VPA. We are scheduled for the 9:30 start slot tomorrow.

Crew - Graham and Brenda.

We started at our allotted time of 9:30 under an overcast sky. On arrival at the first lock we were third in line and that set the scene for the rest of the day. At the second lock we met Aiden who was out helping the boats work through. He mentioned that he's found our blog via Andrew's Granny Buttons site. Once through the third lock we continued down to Salford junction and turned under the second bridge into the Aston flight.

Once again slow progress was being made due to the numbers of boats and a couple of pounds were a bit short of water. 'Uncle Albert', an old ex-boater with an eye for a comely wench, helped speed us all up the Aston flight and increased our knowledge of working boat practices as well. We made the top just after 4pm and turned onto the Digbeth Branch. We were supposed to continue down the next 4 locks to Digbeth basin but there were a group of boats moored by the University who said the basin area was pretty busy and so we stopped at the University as well. Graham took the bike down the 4 locks to check for mooring spaces at the bottom but returned saying there was not much room so we stayed put up by the Uni.

We set up a dining suite, candles, flowers and pleasing muzak, on the wide towpath and six sat down to dine. Two more joined us for cheeses and port after the meal. Thanks Harnser crew , delicious. We laughed until bedtime.
We'd been told that a meteor shower was to be seen after 9:30. The skies were clear and darkening. We got excited twice only to realise that we were gazing at Herring gulls underlit by the city lights. Not a quiet mooring due to the abundance of gulls and nearby roads.

Crew - Graham and Brenda

As we had stayed up near the Uni instead of finishing in Digbeth basin we had to set off 1 hour earlier than our allotted start time to ensure we were at Digbeth at the right time. It was raining for most of the morning so we followed nb Misty down Ashted locks getting wetter as we went. Once clear of the locks Brenda went inside to dry off and I took the helm. Round through Digbeth Junction t'other Brenda (the organiser) was awaiting under the bridge to count us past. Down to Bordersley Junction where a warning blast on the klaxon reverberated around all the tall building magnificently. We turned onto the Grand Union heading back towards Salford junction and met a queue of 5 boats at the top of Garrison locks. Whilst waiting Megapixie's Curry House turned into a tea-bar. Down through Salford turning left onto the Tame Valley Canal brought to the first 2 Perry Bar locks. This canal has far more rubbish in it than we have seen elsewhere and I had to assist Misty to get a carpet off their prop. We overtook them at this point but we later learnt that they picked up a bucket on their prop as well a bit further on.

The Tame Valley Canal appears to be frequented by grumpy fishermen who do not believe that boats should be allowed along it at all. One miserable git, who wasn't even fishing at the time, vociferously described us as "a bunch of w@nk$rs coming along here and ruining the locals fishing spots". We finally moored for the night above the top lock in a wonderfully quiet cutting, which in itself is amazing considering how close we are to a main road and the M6. There is a water point and sani-station here so we filled Jannock's tank and later Graham wandered down and used the nice shower there.

Crew - Graham and Brenda.

Brenda decided to visit the Perry Bar sani-station for a shower this morning but due to a series of problems took about an hour and still failed to shower. We've detailed her ordeal below.

We set off and headed towards Rushall Junction but I wanted to do a detour. For more years than I can remember, I have driven up the M5 and passed underneath the Tame Valley Canal aqueduct without ever seeing a boat on it and so I wanted to go there on Jannock. As the official route was not planned to pass across it Harnser and Jannock winded in the junction and reversed back the half mile to the aqueduct so that we could say we'd done it.

After tea and cake we then retraced our path back to the junction and set off north towards Longwood Junction and it's boat club where we are stopping tonight. Once through the top lock we moored outside two other boats before the bridge. We had fish and chips on the towpath outside the clubhouse on a nice sunny evening before being entertained with a few songs by one of our fellow boaters.

starring - Brenda.

For various reasons I decided not to have a shower on Wednesday evening, preferring to have the luxury of plenty of room and lashings of hot water in the BW shower block at Perry Barr top lock on Thursday morning. He and I had already had words because Graham was under the misapprehension that we’d be starting out at 09.30 and it was at 09.30 that I took the rubbish and my washbag and marched off to the shower block. Rubbish was skipped and I entered the sani. station with joy in my heart and shower gel at the ready. The ‘his’ and ‘hers’ loos were freshly painted and were unavailable just as the highest number of boats in one visit turned up; they say timing is everything. My needs were immediate so I entered the disability enabled loo. It was very dark in there. I patted the walls about the door hoping to feel my way to a light switch: there was none. I checked outside the door: there was none. I went back in, and in the gloom I could just make out a pull cord on the far wall. So I pulled it.

There was no light, but all Hell broke loose on the alarm bells front. I had pulled the disabled persons’ emergency alarm cord. Well how was I to know? It was dark. What I do know is that despite there being a British Waterways staff meeting two rooms along, some 7 souls, no-one came. I knocked on the office door and asked for help. Help came. We all looked about for a means to stop the flashing and ringing. Phone calls were made, button codes were suggested, tried, and then just invented in desperation. All to no avail. Eventually I looked to the heavens and my faith was rewarded as I espied a switch marked ‘Disable alarm’. I suggested a 6 footer try it out. Peace at last. I made fulsome apology, much to my embarrassment, for having disrupted BW’s meeting. The good folk went back to it apart from the lass who said that since the light was now on did I mind if she just nipped in and used the loo. Since it was now occupied I went outside to tell our cruise organiser that the emergency was now over, as she had been concerned. After all, I figured, it is she who will get the bill for the disruption of the meeting and wasting BW’s time.

I went back in and started over. I was not about to pull that cord a second time, but there was no light on in the loo again and I still could not find out how to switch one on. So I yelled for help pronto. The BW lass came out of the meeting and explained that the toilet lights were actually automatic and would come on as one entered the room. ‘Just go in and the light will come on’ she explained. ‘Show me’ I suggested. She opened the door wide, went in and was as much in the dark as I was. She thought maybe you had to go right up to the loo pan. She did, and was still in the dark. It turns out that you have to open the door, fumble your way (in the dark) to the loo hoping that the door stays open enough to let a little light in and then put your arms in the air and wave them about as if you are at a rock concert or some such. Then, let there be light! If you are in a wheelchair, well your guess is as good as mine.

Now after wasting half an hour, time for the shower I came for. I knew to press the button on the box outside the shower room which was signed WET PAINT because Graham had told me so. There was nothing else to say that that was what one did that I could see. Nothing that I saw to indicate that the box or button were anything to do with the shower come to that. The was an instruction sheet on the wall above the box, but it was in small print that I’d have needed my reading glasses to read, and I tend not to take them when all I need is a shower. Anyhow, it turned out they were out of date and referred to the now defunct payment cards and a price rise. I pressed the button, went in, got naked, stood under the shower, switched on the hot water and....nothing whatsoever happened. I pulled a towel about my person, grateful that I had a large towel with me, went back to the foyer and pressed the button again with more positivity. I returned to the shower, got naked, stood under the faucet, switched on the tap and you know the rest. Up until that point it had seemed quite funny. But now I was upset. I pulled on trousers and tee shirt and went outside to see if our organiser or anyone else could help. I was far too embarrassed to ask the BW people. Our organiser was elsewhere and no-one else had a clue. So, nothing else for it but to disturb BW again. The poor chaps must have been losing patience with me by now. They came and showed me how to press the button, proceed to the shower, turn on the water, and you know the rest.

Then someone’s penny dropped. ‘Oh, there was trouble with one of the outside taps yesterday. Perhaps the water has been turned off!’ Out came a phone. Someone had indeed turned off a tap but had not thought to install an out of order sign. A man had obviously been sent for as it was suggested that I could finally take my shower if I waited for about fifteen minutes as someone could then restore the water.

Well, you remember those words that Graham and I had had about leaving at 09.30; well that was an hour or so ago. So I politely declined the offer of a shower, grabbed my rubber duck, thanked everyone who had tried to help and walked back to the boat with tears of frustration and embarrassment welling up in my eyes, and no knickers on.

How many BW staff, about 5

How long, about an hour

And all I got was a wee and a cuddle from a kind stranger who was about to embark on her first canal boat trip to celebrate her birthday. She had seen how upset, embarrassed and frustrated I was by the whole affair.

Back to Jannock for a lukecold shower in a cramped bathroom. Oh, and I broke a nail!

Crew - Graham and Brenda.

A shorter day with no locks today. We bade farewell to Longwood boatclub and set off North. After about 40 minutes we pulled over and went for a walk around the village of Rushall and enjoyed the nice sunshine and an icecream. On arrival back at Jannock we pulled the pins and set off again and found ourselves immediately in front of Brenda and Brian, the trip organisers, who always bring up the rear of the convoy. We continued up through Wallsall Wood into Brownhills where we got the bows stuck in a bush whilst trying to turn at the junction and became totally wedged blocking the cut.

A little reversing by Brenda combined with shoving by me up the front got us going again. We pulled over onto the 14 day moorings and wandered down into Brownhills for some shopping. New sandals for me as the old ones were written off in Wednesdays rain and some food for the BBQ tonight. We found some Ostrich steaks in Aldi so got them to give them a try. Onward into Anglesey basin where we moored against the bankside and soon had five other narrowboats breasted out from us. A sociable even was spent BBQing and chatting. The Ostrich was excellent and Brenda complemented me on my marinade and cooking.

Crew - Graham and Brenda.

Another short easy day with a shopping stop.
We set off from Anglesey basin once the five boats that were moored offside of us had departed and followed Harnser down the arm to Brownhills for a provisioning stop. There were plenty of boats moored outside Tescos so we tagged onto the end. As we slid in towards the bank something under water guided us in and wedged us so tight that we could have safely left the boat there without tying off any mooring ropes at all. When supplies had been procured we had to reverse out the way we came in order to leave the side. I expect it was a submerged trolley.
Once underway again we moved onto Pelsall Wood where we turned into the Cannock Extension Canal to knock another one off the 'to do' list. Up to the end where we winded in the entrance of the dry dock and then reversed towards the end of the arm to visit the farm shop on the main road there. Welcome back to reality with cars rushing past in both directions at great speed! After purchasing one of their ice creams we sat on the seat located by the canal to eat them in the sunshine.

The Finger Post coped pretty well with what threatened to turn into a 'Saga-lout' cruise - we tried to help by spreading out eating across the evening so as not to overwhelm the kitchen. The food was reasonably good going for posh pub food. As we left, our esteemed leader sunk her spoon into what I believe was described on the menu as 'spotted dick' - that well known sponge desert. It was ably described by another diner as 'small fender in custard' and was being sent back to the kitchen as we left.
In Brownhills. Graham had chosen lamb chops for an up-coming BBQ but was gutted to find that we had no mint sauce aboard Jannock. At the Finger Post, the sauces and condements were presented in sachets, so the plan was to liberate some Mint Sauce to take some back to Jannock for the lamb chops. There was none in the sachet selection on the table but when asked, the young waiter rushed off and returned with a jug full of fresh mint sauce! Doh!

Crew - Graham and Brenda.

We had a leisurely start today and actually set off from Pelshall Common behind Brian and t'other Brenda who has been playing 'tail end charlie' for most this trip. There were still two more boats behind Harnser and Jannock and so we were not last. Brenda had the slow cooker on today with beef for us and lamb for Brian and Diana both cooking together. Todays route map showed why the Wyrley and Essington canal is known as the "Curly Wyrley". It is frequently the subject of tales describing what people get wrapped around their propellors when traveling along it. Before long we had the engine slow right down and the usual burst of reverse and then into forwards again did not clear it so it was off with the engine and down the weedhatch to investigate. I pulled out a large (2m x 2m) waxed type waterproof sheet which had securely wrapped itself around the prop and shaft.

Once on our way again we had no other trips down there until we arrived at Wolverhampton. It appears that some of our party took the wrong turning at Birchills junction and so we do not have a full complement of boats here. We had arrived at Horsefield Junction (with the BCN) and immediately turned left instead of right and so we had to wind and retrace our steps to Wolverhampton. After a wonderful roast beef dinner we then went ashore, which involved swinging a boat across from the towpath side to pick us up which was then pulled back by rope to get us across the cut, and tried the GWR public house which came highly recommended by our guides. A Holdens house with a great selection of beers that kept us amused for the rest of the evening.

Crew - Graham and Brenda.

Today is the last day of the cruise organised by the Birmingham Canal Navigation Society and most boats set off eager to reach their HQ building in Oldbury Pumphouse. We moved across the canal and into the basin at Wolverhampton so that Brenda and I could take a shower in the BW Sani-station. This objective successfully achieved we then reversed out again and set off down the Wolverhampton level with Harnser towards Oldbury junction and the 6 locks up to the pumphouse. Not long after starting I had to make a visit to the weedhatch to clear some plastic and rope off the prop. As we passed Factory Junction a permanent moorer congratulated us for slowing down nicely "unlike those others in our group"- Ooops!

The water in the old BCN mainline was not as clear as the last time we passed down it, must be something to do with the number of passing boats. When we arrived at the bottom of Oldbury locks we were 6th in the queue and so Brenda occupied herself picking blackberries while we waited our turn. Out of the top and we continued up to Titford Polls where Harnser attempted to go up the Causeway Green Branch whilst we winded at the junction. We then retraced our route back down the branch and moored opposite the old maltings. Our final evening of the trip involved a communal BBQ in the clubhouse with presentation of certificates and awards followed by some in-house entertainment from members of the cruise. Brenda received an award for her Perry Bar shower episode on day 3 whilst Jannock and Harnser both achieved certificates for reversing along the Tame Valley canal to the M5 aquaduct.
Many thanks to Brenda and Brian Ward for organising this great week exploring new canals for us, they will be doing the same next year but it will be in June and not August.

Crew - Graham and Brenda.

We bade farewell to our fellow explorers as we/they/both went on their ways. Our first weedhatch visit was in the last lock of the Oldbury flight - and so the day went on.
All proceeded in a normal fashion until Merryhill. Brenda had convinced Diana ( nb Harnser ) that a slow cooker was a good galley aid. In Sainsburys they got several models out of their packaging mid aisle. A choice was made so they can't moan. As we returned to the boats a group of people were admiring them and photographing each other with one as if they were the proud owners. They walked to the Delph flight alongside us and were genuinely interested in the whole process. After one lock Brenda asked if they'd like a ride down a lock. They piled aboard, all 6, and stayed for 2 locks. One of their party got more and more involved and crewed for us for 6 out of the 8 locks. He weilds a mean windless now! Thanks to our Irish tourists we worked two boats down the 8 locks in just over 1 hour.

After we'd moored for the night a hire boat steamed past us with crew on the roof. They were swigging red plonk straight from the bottles. That probably led to the near miss we witnessed. The steerer didn't account for the very low raod bridge, the roof toppers didn't bother to get out of the way. Only some very rude words suggesting the steerer engage reverse gave the roof passengers time and space to avoid losing skin at the very least.
Brian and Diana came around for an evening meal before we all decided to call it a night early as we were all suffering from an early start this morning.

Crew - Graham and Brenda.

We left our peaceful overnight mooring (with useful built in 7 o'clock alarm from the scaffold yard opposite) at Brettel Lane Bridge by 9am and made our way to the top of the Stourbridge locks. I used the trusty lock wheeling bike to set locks in front as well as behind for Brian and Diana on Harnser. At lock 3 I met the first set of bottom gates that would not stay shut for re-filling. After running back and forth a couple of times I opened a top paddle before returning again to close the offending bottom gate. Although I did manage this lock on my own I had to enlist the help of a woman walking her dog to get the bottom gates of lock 16 to close even with all the top paddles up.

Above lock 9 there was a BW work boat (reg. no. 4000001 - what a cool number) that was blocking the canal. I climbed on and managed to pull it back across to the offside where I found that the padlock tethering it to a tree had been bolt-cropped. I re-secured it using ropes I found laying around and then had to be rescued from the off-side by Brenda on Jannock who had been worked through lock 8 by Diana. I phoned BW to advise them that it required urgent attention to it's mooring security. Down through the clear waters from Wordsley Junction to lock 17, there were a group of kids jumping and swimming in the canal. As we slowly passed I enquired of them if they were aware of Weil's disease (Leptospiral Jaundice) and then explained to them what it was, how you got it and then wished them good luck. As we left they were busy re-dressing themselves.

At lock 17 the local trip boat "the Blackcountry Man" was tied to the lock landing whilst all the customers were partaking of their lunch. Very useful!
Down to Stourton junction where we turned right onto the Staffs and Worcester canal and another section that neither Brenda or myself have ever travelled on before.

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