Stoke on Trent

Overnight it had been rather cold and, although it was a bright sunny morning as we arose, there were still some traces of a ground frost.

We continued along the Trent and Mersey, first through Aston lock and then up to Stone. At the second lock there is a carved statue to commemorate a lady who was murdered as she took a boat ride - it being cheaper that going by stage coach!

Here we filled our fuel tank at Canal Cruising where we first hired a boat back in 1967!

Meaford locks followed - during the flight Mike booked train tickets for him and Andrew tomorrow to return to Mercia Marina to collect the cars.

The morning remained bright, almost cloudless and gradually warmed up to be quite pleasant although a cool breeze remained until later in the afternoon.

At Hem Heath there was once a very modern colliery which largely supplied Meaford Power Station a little south on the canal. Today both have long gone and on the site at Hem Heath stands an incinerator!

Pleasant cruising continued - most of the canal south of Stoke city centre is very well kept - as we passed then to the north we gradually saw more industrial remains, largely of the potteries. A number of old bottle kilns have been preserved - as far as we know, none remain active. this pair were restored as part of a housing development.

Just below Etruria Junction some of the early warehouse facilities have been preserved as a museum recording life as it was on the canals in their heydays. The lock at the junction itself once acted as a gauging stop where boats were checked and details recorded so that the weight of their cargo could be agreed.

A little further and we passed through the area that once saw the huge Stanton Iron and
steel Works - back in 1967 we navigated right through the middle of the works - very impressive - but today the large area is flattened, largely awaiting some new development.

At Middleport, Burleigh (originally Burgess and Leigh, one of the earliest potteries here) Earthenware pottery is still operational and beyond is a large Steelite Factory, with a 1998 bridge connecting sites on both sides of the canal with a new factory dated 2000.

We moored at Westport Lake Visitor moorings, a pleasant development since we were last here four years ago - the visitor centre opened in 2009.

Great Haywood

The day started well as well set off in good time and made short work of the first four locks, beginning with Gailey and its distinctive tower. It was chilly and overcast so exercise was needed to keep warm. Overnight we had identified a problem with the plumbing - for some time we suspected a leak as the water pump would intermittently trigger during the night. Eventually Christine realised that it was under the wash basin in the bathroom and Andrew tracked it down to a particular joint.

We aimed to use the services at Penkridge - unfortunately a boat was already at the water point. However, Andrew set off to the local hardware store (and some other provisions) but, although successful with the 'extra'items, the main purpose of a tee-piece was not. The boat filling with water was so slow that he returned before we had even started on out fill!

Eventually we were off again, keeping an eye out for possible chandlery. At Park gate Lock. home of Teddesley Boats, Andrew succeeded in finding the required part and also made contact with a 'new' boat painter, complete with indoor workshop. We spent some time talking with them about a possible re-paint: July seems a possibility.

Below the lock, Andrew set about fixing the leak which proved more troublesome that we had anticipated. In the end another trip to the chandlers for some Leak Fix promised at least a stemming of the growing flood! (Not the best of pix but it was a snatched shot by Christine when andrew was not looking!)

As a result of these unplanned delays, lunch was 'on the go' - by now the weather was improving, sunshine emerged and it was tolerably warm - but out of direct sun it could be surprisingly chilly still.

Deptmore Lock with the cottage undergoing restoration as a modern home.

We crossed the River Sow on a low aqueduct - initially visible as we approached around a sharp bend - and soon after the canal widened out into Tixall Broad comes just ahead of Great Haywood, looking splendid in the late afternoon sunshine. Just before Tixall Lock we had a slight scare - a strange noise came from the engine and prop but, even though we stopped and looked in the weed hatch we could find no explanation and once we re-started the problem - whatever it was - had disappeared.

By now it was a bright sunny afternoon, which lasted until a fine evening.

At the junction we turned north back once more onto the Trent and Mersey Canal.

Although the canal runs close to the railway line it is not particularly disturbing. Some of the locks still have the footbridges with a slit in the middle so that the tow rope did not have to be detached from the boat in order to pull the boat into the lock.

With such a fine evening we carried on until we were above Sandon Lock - our first attempt at mooring had to be abandoned when the water's edge proved too shallow. Time now for a chilli and movie.

Wolverhampton

We were up in good time to begin the repair to the engine. Alas, although we knew what needed to be done and we did indeed have a spare fan belt, it was a little on the small side and we failed to fit it. Not wanting to be without domestic electrics much longer, we opted for an RCR call out even though the normal membership does not cover this repair.

An error in recording our address meant that the engineer was a bit muddled about our location but, after a further call to us was on his way. he arrived about 10:30 and applied just a little more force than we had to succeed in persuading the fan belt into place and all now seems well. At least the batteries are being charged again.

By 11:30 we were at the top of the Wolverhampton twenty One - again the distraction of wanting to get on the road after the unexpected delay diverted us from using the camera until we were almost at the bottom of the flight. Although the flight starts its descent in commercial and industrial surroundings, by the time we neared the bottom it was already quite rural.

Despite following close behind another boat, we still managed to complete the flight in three hours. At the bottom we immediately moored up with a promise of one of Christine's famous soups for lunch, using some of the carcass remains from Sunday's roast dinner.

The route north began with an impressive turnover bridge - showing how the engineers in the past were able to combine function and form.

At one point the canal becomes very narrow and apparently carved out of rock.

Hatherton Junction is one end of the Lichfield Canal - the other end of which we saw three days ago. There
are plans to re-open what would be an important link but it seems to be some time off just yet!

At Calf Heath there used to be extensive chemical works which made this stretch a rather unpleasant link between the more attractive rural areas north and south. Most of the works have now disappeared and been replaced by small factory and warehouse units and nature is beginning to reclaim the canal surroundings.

We opted to moor before Gailey - locks and the motorway can wait til tomorrow!

Trains

After breakfast Mike and Jess went for a short walk over the various bridges around the junction. At one point, two small dogs came to welcome us followed by a lady from the boat who offered Jess a tiny butterfly clip which she was very pleased with - Alice came along later and also received the same present! The name of the boat was Butterfly.


Next, we reversed back to Cambrian Wharf to use the usual services and then moved on to a mooring close to the Mailbox. We shut up thew boat and went in search of the 'world famous' markets (or so they call themselves) but, alas, they were not open as it was a Bank Holiday. nevertheless we did find our route to New Street Station and also bought some food essentials at a local Sainsbury store.

Lunch next and then it was time to check the last minute packing for the girls. They walked to the station with Andrew and Mike - the latter was accompanying them on the train back to Reading where they met up with their family and said farewell to their holidays.

Mike's journey back to the boat (now at Wolverhampton Broad Street) was as planned but when he arrived he learned from Andrew and Christine - who had navigated from Birmingham whilst Mike was on the train - that the alternator belt had, as predicted, given up. The engine was too hot to tackle now so we left it until the next morning.

Alas, these events distracted us from photography and so today there are no pictures.

Birmingham

A day of locks - 33 in all! We began in good time - in contrast to the previous few days, it was overcast and comparatively cool, just what we needed for the stretch ahead.

The first task was to complete the remaining eight of the nine Curdworth Locks. Alice and Jess were out and about, helping with the gates and exploring the surroundings as well as the wildflowers.

At Curdworth Top Lock, Andrew had prepared an easter egg hunt which the two girls quickly completed and then proceeded to demolish the contents!

As we left the village of Curdworth and approached Minworth we lost the countryside as the edge of Birmingham arrived. It is quite a clear transition.

The three locks of the Minworth Flight are quite separated and We were keeping an eye open for a shop - milk was high on our agenda and, as it was Easter Day, no large stores were open. Christine explored near Tyburn Bridge as we used the full range of services - alas she returned empty handed.

We were not optimistic in the area ahead of us as it is largely industrial or commercial but at Butler's Bridge we found some bollards which made a useful lunchtime mooring. Also, Andrew found a small shop which largely sold alcohol in its many forms but also stocked both red and blue top milk.

Off again and we were soon to pass under Erdington Hall where a now disused factory was bult out on concrete beams completely over the canal.

The motorway loomed and then we ran alongside until we neared Spaghetti Junction where we took a left turn under the high level bridges to join the Aston caanal. Alice and Mike hopped off the boat as they passed over the aqueduct just beyond the junction so that they could walk up to the next flight of locks: Aston Nine. They were surprised to see several clumps of bluebells, obviously thriving in this unlikely environment.

By now were were working as a team and for the most part able to work ahead to set the locks before the boat arrived. There was very little traffic about today, perhaps no more than ten boats to pass all day.

However, we picked up some rubbish around the propellor and, at the top lock of the flight, Andrew opened up the 'weed' hatch to discover several plastic bags which took some time to cut away. We suddenly made much better speed afterwards.

We had read in the guide book that mooring were now available between the Aston and Farmers Bridge flights of locks but not only were the three or four bollards fully occumpied by fishermen, the surroundings were not great and very close to a busy road.

So, as it was still quite early, we decided to press on as we knew that there would be much pleasanter moorings at the top. We entered the bottom lock at 4:30 and it was only an hour and twenty minutes later that we emerged at Cambrian Wharf - many of the locks in the flight have a definite cavernous feel and Jess was able to practice here 'echo' calls quite frequently!

We moored at a familiar spot, close to the Sea Life Centre and on the quieter side of the canal. All that we now have left to do is finish off preparing the roast chicken dinner!

Fazeley

We made a remarkably early start - pushing off a few minutes after eight o'clock with Alice ready to help with the first of the three locks up to Fradley Junction. Several boats had already passed us on the way back and it was the sound of yet another entering the lock just below us that prompted Andrew to make a quick start to join the queue.

Yes, the reputation of Fradley for congestion seems well justified - even at this time the second and third locks had a queue of three! Around the junction itself, boats seemed to moor quite inappropriately, ignoring the signs that designated a water point as no mooring - that is supposing that the boat at that spot had not needed all night to fill up! It was certainly making no indication of an early departure!

By the time we reached the third lock, Jess was also ready and willing to assist - she and Grandad went for a walk around the lock to the BW base (shop to close at the end of the month) whilst we waited our turn. meanwhile, Alice fed some of the local wildfowl. (Adding a photo of the Swan Inn is too passe!)

Now we entered the detached portion of the Coventry Canal and a long level pound for eighteen miles. we stopped at Streethay boatyard to fill up our diesel tank and purchase a spare alternator belt and a possible bolt for the rear doors.

Swans are nesting at the moment and one male was disturbed by a passing canoe, making a loud noise as it flew down to ward off any intruders.

Andrew set up his laptop to give Alice a chance to spend some time watching Bolt. Jess joined in later!

Christine was keen to find a shady spot to stop for lunch but, alas the sun, which was by now pretty hot, was entirely in the wrong position! In the end - after having already cooked Jess some fried eggy bread - Mike managed to spot a two metre stretch with just about shade and moored up so that the bow of the boat was in that unique spot!

After lunch, Christine and Alice set off for a walk along the towpath to look for more wild flowers. They re-joined the boat a few bridges later on and then used the internet to help identify some of the flowers they had seen. We also passed a huge polytunnel farm - the first section was used for growing asparagus - picking was well underway.

At Fazeley Junction, after we had filled the water tanks, Andrew went to a Tesco shop nearby and returned not only with some much-needed blue-top milk but also some delicious ice cream. After we set off down the Birmingham and Fazeley this was quickly shared out and, almost as quickly it disappeared. Well, there was no room in the small freezer compartment of our fridge! Soon we passed the unusual Drayton Footbridge, with the Drayton Swing Bridge just behind.

It was around half past four that we arrived at Curdworth Bottom Lock where Christine took local advice on mooring - not wanting to spend the night too close to the motorway. Hence, despite the 'early' hour, we moored for the night above the first lock. There were bollards - presumably because of the adjacent country park. As soon as we were tied up, Christine and Alice went off to explore the park leaving Jess to rest before tonight's barbecue.

Alrewas

Before we could leave the marina there were a few things we needed to do first. After sorting ourselves out - the first morning is always a bit more difficult - Granny (Christine) with Alice and Jess walked to the office (to reclaim the deposit on the entry key) and the shop (for a few supplies! - we clearly did not bring enough with us!) whilst Grandad (Mike) and Uncle Andy took the boat over to the workshop. There was a sudden breeze which made turning out of the mooring finger a bit more of a challenge than had been expected!

At the workshop we eventually tracked down Justin who could return our keys - but no invoice yet - and also we emptied the elsan. 

After picking up the girls we set off, shortly re-joining the main line of the canal into Willington. It was an amazingly hot, sunny day, worthy of July but still the middle of Easter.

The journey was much as expected - we anticipated delays at the locks and in the middle of the day that was the case. The worst case was five boats in the queue as we arrived but at least most of the locks were quite shallow and easily worked. Any delays in a smooth working of turns was down to those crews that were rather slow of the mark! Some, indeed, seemed expect that others would work the locks for them!

Alice has begun to take an interest in reading maps and spent some time following the route on our maps, learning to relate the 'conventional symbols' to real items on the ground.

As we passed through Burton-on-Trent there were plenty of reminders about its most famous products! At Horninglow Wharf, the adjacent road viaduct has been well-decorated.

Turnover bridges must seem quite intimidating for newcomers.

We did not have to find a special place for lunch - we simply took turns whilst in one of the longer queues at Branston Lock!

The locks were closer together In the afternoon and both Alice and Jessica were very helpful in pushing gates - Alice managed to wind some of the paddles. By the end of the day they really knew what was happening!

Between Wychnor and Alrewas the canal shares water with the River Trent - at this time of the year the water level was well into the green zone and Alice could hardly believe that there are times when it is too dangerous to navigate this section.

Above Common Lock we could see along the next straight section the first the the three locks close to Fradley Junction and also that there were lots of moored boats - a boater coming down confirmed that it was as busy as expected around the junction so, seeing a reasonable mooring we pulled in and called a halt for the day.

The evening meal took little preparation - it was the pre-prepared cottage pie that we should have had last night except that it was still a frozen block!

After the meal the two girls made it quickly to bed - Alice enjoyed hearing another Horrid Henry story - she had heard the first one earlier in the afternoon.

Back - with crew

Mike had the Chrism service at the cathedral in the morning - as Lay Chair of the Diocesan synod he has one (small) part to play in this annual occasion. In past years there have been two services (one for those who will not attend if there are women priests present) and the main one in the cathedral. As so few attended the extra service last year, Bishop Tim decided this year not to hold it and so there was just the main event.


Meanwhile, Christine finished the packing - this time a little more thought needed as we had much less stowage space - both Alice and Jess had luggage as well as occupying most of the back seats! She also found that they needed some exercise so they all went to explore a local open area for a short while.

Back home, Mike finalised the packing and we were off just after 1:30. The weather was bright and sunny and the roads were comparatively uncluttered by either vehicles or road works. We made good time, with the two girls asleep for quite a long stretch until we called at Strensham Service Station for a break and a snack.

Soon after resuming our journey the overhead signs warned of congestion delays ahead. Yes they were there but the traffic kept moving at the slow speed indicated. As far as we could see, it was only a broken down lorry (fully on the hard shoulder and causing no obstruction) that sparked off the delays - presumably as drivers slowed to go past!

As we left Birmingham, we received a text from Andrew which indicated that he was perhaps five or ten minutes behind us. We both arrived at Mercia Marina between 7:15 and 7:30. There then followed the lengthy process of unpacking the cars and finding places for all the food (we will clearly starve before the weekend is out!). Sadly, we found that the cottage pie we made and froze before had done such a good job of keeping the food cold that it was still a solid block. Never mind, we did have a few alternatives