Day 37. Strolling and pints.

Hello Friends and Followers.

We have spent our first full day in Droitwich, which began with a full nights sleep, only to be woken by the Reed Warblers singing and a train passing by.
We have already caught up with people and friends we know and met new people who will no doubt become friends.

The weather forecasters got it wrong on the weather front. There was no strong winds, or heavy rain for us, which was nice so we went for a stroll around the town.

I love the places which are leaning, due to the salt mines beneath them.

We are looking forward to spending a nice few days here. We will be busy though helping with the setting up for the festival, so we will earn a pint or two no doubt. We sampled the beer in the Railway Inn this afternoon, with boating friends. A couple of hours and two pints later, we got back to the boat with Marmite screaming about how she wanted to know where we had been and it was getting on for tea-time. She did in fact have another hour to go, but her clock is completely different to ours.
So a lovely day was had.

Pop back soon xxx

Day 36: Decided to move.

Hello Friends and Followers.

Shock horror moving on a Sunday?
If you follow my ramblings, you will know we rarely move on a weekend. But when the weather forecaster this morning said that Monday was going to be vile, with strong winds and heavy rain, we twiddled our thumbs and then thought shall we or shan't we as we drank our first brew of the day. The answer was we shall.
Before setting off, we took on a dribble of water, emptied the cassette and got rid of rubbish again. Now I know it is a Sunday, but boats do move on a Sunday and it was after 9 am, so what was the problem with one apartment owner? I did not see her, but heard her say "Don't you know it's Sunday". Well it maybe a Sunday, but that does not stop boats moving and if you do not like boats moving then do not live in a waterside apartment. Rant Over.

All the boat stuff done, we made our way to the lock. There I was already for action with my windlass.

I need not have worried, because two lock keepers were on hand to do all the work. I did offer to help, but was ushered back to the boat and allowed to watch as the two gentlemen did all the work. Now that is what I call a Sunday treat.

We were soon out on to the River Severn and Hadar stretched her legs, so to speak. She loves it when there is plenty of water beneath her base plate and her engine is opened up.

We passed the Cathedral.

We were not the only boats on the river. The Worcester Rowing Club were out in force and performing well, considering it was a touch parky. One poor lady got stuck, she was tangled up in an over hanging bush, but managed to get herself free.

There are some beautiful properties along the Severn and yes I can well imagine they cost a pretty penny, but there is no harm is looking. 

We arrived at Bevere Lock, where a nice C&RT lady welcomed us in. I put the centre line around one of the cables to hold us into the side and in no time at all the lock was filled and we were on our way with a cheery "Goodbye" and "Thank you".

We then arrived at the first lock onto the Droitwich Barge Canal and this was where I would have to do some work. Keith dropped me off and I emptied the lock ready for his entrance. The lock gates were bloomin heavy even for me. But with a bit of huffing and puffing I finally got them under control. At lock two we waited for a boat to join us. Shared Ownership Swallowtail shared the rest of the locks with us, which was a bonus.

We made it to Netherwich Basin Droitwich and moored up in the basin, which is where we will be until after the festival.

Pop back soon xxx

Day 35. Worcester walk and lunch.

Hello friends and followers.

Yesterday evening we moved mooring, to below the Commandery Lock, after some men had been knocking along the boat. I opened the engine room door and said "Can I help you", to which one replied "We were just seeing if anyone was on the boat, because we wanted a ride on a barge". My reply to this was "Yes we are in and we are not a barge and we do not give rides". This unnerved me, so we decided to move down with other boats. I am glad we did. We have a guys sleeping rough alongside the boat in a sheltered spot, but he is no problem and when we moored up, he waved and said "Hello". To which I said "Hello" back, so all is well there.

After the past couple of days and the amount of work I have done what with walking a locks. I slept so well last night and it was a peaceful evening thankfully. We woke to it still raining, so we were in for a soggy day.
We decided the weather was not going to spoil our day in Worcester, so after all the usual stuff, we left the boat and walked up alongside the cathedral, which is stunning outside and in as we would discover later in the day.

You cannot go to Worcester without going to see the river and this morning the swans were in competition with the rowers.

St. Andrew's Spire.

Berkley's Hospital and Alm's Houses.

Worcester is a vast place with lots of lovely side street and beautiful shops. There was also a market going on, with some fabulous items for sale. 

Lunch was eaten at U Canteen, which is a Chinese Buffet, where they cook to order. The food was extremely good and was a belated meal out for my Birthday.

Worcester is so worth a visit. There is so much to do and see. I love the higgledy-piggledy buildings, where they look like they have been squeezed in to a space.

Tomorrow we will do some more exploring.

Pop back soon xxx

Day 34: Onward to Worcester.

Hello Friends and Followers.

I can honestly say I was completely shattered yesterday after our long day. I was sort of woken up early hours with Marmite coughing up a fur ball. My one worry was, where had she left it. I did find out at 6am when I got up to make a cuppa. I found out because I stepped on it in the engine room.
As we sat in bed drinking the first cuppa of the day, we were serenaded by Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings, which were in the reeds opposite the boat. The sounds of the birds announcing another day was beautiful, the sound of the rain dancing on the roof was not so good. We were going to get wet today.

After the 41 locks of yesterday, today we did a mere 14 locks, but they were done in the rain.

Before setting off, I re-hid the Bromsgrove stone I found yesterday. I had posted the photograph on the Bromsgrove Rocks page and got a comment from the mother, whose daughter had painted the rock, which was wonderful. I have hidden it again, so hopefully someone else will find it. Hint it is at Astwood Locks.

Because the locks have been pretty easy to do,I was none to worried about doing the 14 locks in the rain and once you are wet, then what does it matter.

This place was fabulous and it has its own chapel.

Entrance to the Droitwich Junction Canal, unfortunately now we no longer carry coal we are too high to pass under the motorway bridge hole.

On route I put some pasties in the back cabin stove, which we ate on the move.

We are now moored near the Commandery, Worcester. We have stripped off and are drying out with a coffee.

Pop back soon xxx

Day 32 and 33. Change of plans.

Hello friends and followers.

Yesterday Wednesday, we stayed at Tardibigge for the day. I wanted to walk up to St. Bartholomew Church up the hill above the top lock. We did all the morning boat jobs, which included lighting the back cabin stove, because the boat was chilly, especially according to Marmite. She does not do chilly and definitely does not do cold. I am sure if she could she would ring Cats Protection and complain that she lives on a cold boat with people who do not care hahahaha. With the stove lit, she made herself very comfortable in the back cabin on the side bed.

Having kept Marmite happy we closed the boat up and set off along the towpath and across the field with Ewes and Lambs in.

St. Bartholomew's Church is so pretty.

Unfortunately the church was locked so we did not get to see inside, but maybe next time.
It was a fabulous day, with a brisk breeze, which was nippy at times.

We then walked down to the Tardibigge Lime Kilns.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing.

This morning, it was leaving day and my first time doing the Tardibigge Flight of 30 locks. I was looking forward to doing them, but this soon turned to disappointment, when a boat which had gone down before us left all the first 11 lock's bottom gates open, making my job longer and harder. To say I was miffed was an understatement. I did think perhaps the boater was a single hander, because I had seen the gentleman when I walked Paddy, but at lock 48 we met up with the lock volunteers, who told us that he was not single handing, so this made me very cross.

The lockies were brilliant and were only to happy to help us to the bottom of the flight.

This section of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal is so very pretty and the locks are easy to operate. The lock cottages are very picturesque as well.

At midday we stopped at Stoke Prior and I cooked a curry lunch. After lunch we decided to carry on. We wanted to get past the boat that had been in front of us which left all the bottom gates open for the first 11 locks, until the volunteers who helped them down put a stop to that thankfully. They were moored at Stoke Pound, probably in the Queen's Head having lunch.
We had a volunteer lock keeper to help us down the 6 Stoke locks. We took on water at Stoke Works, and whilst there a boat came up, so the 6 Astwood locks were in our favour. We have moored above the bottom lock, a nice countryside mooring with views as can be seen in the last 3 photos. 41 locks in all, 5 miles in 6 hours 10 minutes. The sun was shining and I am now going to put my feet up after tea.
We have a change of plan. We were going down the Droitwich Canal to the festival, but we will not get under the road bridge, as we are to high at the bow, so we are now going down onto the Severn and will come up the Droitwich Canal from the river. I do love and change of plan.

Pop back soon xxx

Day 31: Just cruising in the rain.

Hello Friends and Followers.

It was a soggy old start to the day for us. The forecast was for possible showers. What they obviously did not realise was the shower would be one prolonged on. Other than that it followed us all the way to Tardibigge.
My first job for the morning was to make a cuppa and then light the back cabin stove, to warm the cabin, which was a tad nippy according to Marmite, who wanted to get beneath the duvet, whilst e had our first cuppa of the day. She was none to pleased when I told her we had to get up and put the bed away.

So having done the usual morning tasks we said "Goodbye" to Birmingham for now and headed off.

Whilst we were on the move, I cooked a Spag Bol and a Curry and put them in and on the back cabin stove to cook. Due to the wet weather I spent a lot of my time inside the back cabin where it was dry and very warm.

Instead of turning left at Kings Norton Junction we carried on towards Alvechurch.

On through Wast Hill Tunnel. The only mooring at Alvechurch was on a bend, so the bow would have been out in the channel, so we decided despite the rain we would carry on.

Even with the rain, the greenery is so lovely to see. The leaves are all bursting forth with the warmer weather and the rain.

Having done Shortwood Tunnel and Tardibigge Tunnel, we moored up at 2.10pm and yes it was still raining. Wet clothes hung up to dry, it was time for a coffee and a catch-up on social media etc. We will probably stop here for a day or two to have a nose around.

Pop back soon xxx

Day 30: Back in Brum.

Hello Friends and Followers.

What a brilliant weekend I had. Yes I know it was my Birthday, but I always enjoy going to the BCLM.
This morning we said "Cheerio" to the museum having filled up with water, ditched rubbish and emptied the cassette. The plan was to head back into Birmingham. The weather was a little nippy, but the sun did come out to warm the air.
There are lots of our waterfowl nesting at the moment.

Canada Geese, Moor Hens and Coots are all sitting on nests or building their nests. The Gorse is out in flower and the Bees are buzzing. It looks like we have finally gotten rid of Winter.
On the way into Birmingham, we decided to do the Soho and Icknield Loops, which we last did in 2008, when we were on the BCN Explorer Cruise. I could not remember a thing about them, so it was lovely to do them again and we came out of them both without anything wrapping around the prop..

We arrived in Birmingham and moored up at Sheepcote Bridge.

Pop back soon xxx

Day 28 and 29: Celebrations and a pint.

Hello Friends and Followers.

Yesterday Day 28 was a special day not just for Her Majesty the Queen, who was 92 years old, it was also my Birthday. I was not 92 years old though, but I did have a fabulous day.

I went back to school at The Black Country Living Museum and the class sang Happy Birthday to me, which was so very sweet and special.

I had a fabulous day, with a pint at the pub and a takeaway for dinner with a bottle of wine.

Today, we have spent another fabulous day at the museum.

I feel like I kind of belong in this place. Maybe it is because I have the Black Country in my blood or maybe I just like the history of the place and the story it tells.

Tomorrow we will be on the move once again.

Pop back soon xxx