Tipton Canal and Community Festival.

Hiya Friends and Followers.

As you know we were at Tipton for the festival and Saturday was going to be a tough day for everyone, because apart from first thing, it rained pretty much all day. It went from drizzle to heavy downpours and yet lots of folk came out to enjoy what was on offer. There were quite a few stalls for charities and some crafters. The Home Brew Boat was doing what seemed to be brisk business as was The Jam Butty Boat and Towpath Tipples. They were just three of the trading boats at the event. Keith and I spent a fair amount of time wandering around natter on the Saturday. I did not cooking we had our lunch from a burger van. Keith had the burger and I had the chips. It was a great day, despite the weather.

Sunday morning dawned and yes it was once again raining, but there was the promise of something much brighter by 11 am. All the stall holders and fairground rides prepared themselves for another day, with the hope that the sun would shine.

None of us were disappointed. We did get some sunshine and out came the public for another day of fun and laughter.

We have had the most wonderful weekend and look forward to doing this festival again in future.

Pop back soon xxx

Change of venue.

Hello Friends and Followers.

Blimey what a night we have just had. Talk about lashing it down. I reckon it was lashing, on top of lashing all night. I kept waking up due to the wind and rain. I was amazed this morning to see the place in one piece to be honest it was so bad. Thankfully all was well on board and there was no damage around about. I hope you all coped ok with Storm Ali and her antics?

Another morning and what a change. The wind had dropped and the sun was shining. It was as though Ali had been nowhere near us. Up with the lark, it was out with his lordship for his first walk and then I headed into Tipton, to drop some bits off at one of the charity shops. Of course I had a quick nosey around, but there was nothing there to take my fancy.

With boat jobs done, we spent another lovely day in the BCLM (Black Country Living Museum) and for the most part it was dry and sunny, but there was a definite Autumn chill in the air. After lunch we decided to have a pint in the pub and got chatting to a lovely lady and her brother-in-law. He was over from Australia and she had lived in Birmingham for over 50 years, but had never been to the BCLM until today. She said she would definitely be coming back again.
Come the end of the day, I was making us something to eat, when I heard a boat winding and thought I would be nosey. It turned out to be Narrowboat Tardibigge, who had come into the moorings looking for us. They had found us a mooring at the festival site.

So without a to do we untied, said "Cheerio" to BCLM, winded and headed into Tipton and our mooring for the weekend.

When we got there there was a boat moored up, but we slipped up his inside, because he was not booked into the event and I found out from the boat owner, he was not going to be there for the weekend anyway, which seemed a little odd. Why moor up at a festival, if you have no plan on being there. His instruction to us was "When you leave, can you just put our boat in your place", which of course we will do and he did apologise for taking our festival spot. So here we are for what will be our first Tipton festival, which I am very much looking forward to. I just hope the weather plays fair for everyone.

Pop back soon xx

More BCLM fun.

Hello Friends and Followers.

I know yesterday's post was short and sweet, but that was all I had time for after  busy old day. Our day ended with a visit from Ian and Irene off of Free Spirit. We sat drinking coffee and having a good old chinwag about anything and everything. They also got to see Keith's railway up close and personal. I do so hope it will not be so long before we see them again.

Today began as pretty much most days begin and that was with the first brew of the day and a natter about what the plan was for the day.
It began damp, as we had had some heavy overnight rain and to be honest it went downhill from there.
Once up, Paddy got his walk and breakfast. He is still giving us concern over his water works, but he is elderly and so we must expect these things.
Storm Ali made her presence with copious amounts of rain as the morning moved into the afternoon and the wind was picking up, so it was a good day to look around indoors at the museum and the houses, followed by a fish and chip lunch.

Lovely vehicles in the dry.

It was then onto the cottages and the roaring fires on such a nasty wet day. I felt so sorry for the school parties walking around the site. There were going to be some very soggy children going home on the coaches.

With is spending time in the cottages, there was lots of catching-up done with the people we have gotten to know at the museum. I honestly think if we lived closer to the museum, I would love to work there, with everyday being different. We could volunteer, but it is too far to come. However we do sometimes help out with the boats, because we both have a lot of knowledge to pass on. Tomorrow I think we will be doing the same if the weather forecast is correct. At the moment it is lashing it down outside. I have lit the fire and now we are nice and snug inside the boat.

Pop back soon xx

At the BCLM.

Hi Folks.

We left Birmingham this morning in breezy conditions and made it to the Black Country Living Museum..

Pop back soon xx

In Birmingham.

Hi Friends and Followers.

Sometimes you are in the right place at the right time and that was me last night. It was around 8pm and I took Paddy out for a wee. The sun was setting and so it was dusk. I walked down the locks and then on the way back in the disappearing light, I watched the Bats darting here and there, catching their prey. I stood on the towpath and smiled. It was such a wonderful moment.
We spent a lovely weekend with our friend Jacky, so it was a shame to have to leave. This morning we said "Cheerio" and headed off up through the top lock at Lapworth. I worked the first of the two swing bridges, we then took on diesel at Swallow Cruisers.

We managed to get served before the crane put two boats back into the water. It is Autumn and the trees are beginning to show their Autumnal colours. The old Oaks and the handsome Ash are turning. There is an abundance of berries about. Blackberries, Hawthorn and Sloes. Hopefully the wildlife will not go hungry this Autumn.

Interesting boat at Lyons boat yard. Is it coming to a canal near you?
On the side of this lifeboat, it said it can take 66 people. I reckon it will be a bit of a squish.

Guillotine Lock at Kings Norton Junction. Sad to see it covered in so called art work.

We arrived in Birmingham after a busy day cruising, with lots of boats on the move. Before finding a mooring, we emptied the cassette at the elsan. It was then onward.

University students celebrating their graduation.

Legoland has come to Birmingham it seems. So here we are for a few days. Tomorrow is a special day. I will post more tomorrow.

Pop back soon xx

Still here.

Good morning friends and followers.

I am still here. Since mooring up on Friday, we have been spending our time with our good friend Jacky, who lives in a fantastic lock cottage, which has been in her family for a couple of generations. She was actually born in the cottage. Friday night was spent drinking wine and having a right good chinwag. Although we see her twice a week when we are at home, there is always plenty to natter about. Saturday, I finished my 3rd dog rescue blanket and have begun my 4th. I am going great guns, but will be getting short of wool soon. At 11am Jacky and I went off to Tesco to buy an Indian take out meal for the evening's meal. Tesco were doing a great deal, they had knocked £3 off a meal for two, so I bought 2 box meals and Jacky bought the wine. That was dinner sorted out. I then spent the afternoon crocheting and just literally chilling out, until we joined Jacky for another evening of laughter and chatter. We ended up watching some of the old bits of Strictly Come Dancing, because Keith and I have never seen it properly. We then went on to Dad's Army, which always makes me laugh. That was made when humour was not crass or full of bad language. Oh for those days of great programs.
So here we are on Sunday and to get it off to a good start, I made us a bacon sandwich for breakfast. Paddy for his first walk of the day as well. He seems a little all over the place at the moment and not sure what is going on. Yesterday I am pretty sure he wet his bed. I am just hoping he is not losing control over his bladder, because we know it could be part of him losing his back legs gradually and he has this neurological thing going on, which also can have an impact on his bodily functions. So we will need to keep an eye on him.
Today I will be doing more crochet and possibly I will do a few boat chores.
I hope your day is a good one.

Pop back soon xxx

Onward and upward.

Hello friends and followers.

After a brilliant nights sleep, I was up at 6.45am putting the kettle on the gas for the first brew of the day. Tapping on the side of the boat, were Mr and Mrs Swan and their five cygnets. I fed them yesterday, so they obviously thought they should come and ask for breakfast and it would have been rude to refuse them. So having fed them, I crept back to bed with my cuppa in hand.
Once up, Paddy got his walk and it was then time to get the boat ready for the off. We did not set off until almost 8.30am, which is late for us. It was a beautiful morning and for the time of year very mild. We chugged past Silver Sun and headed for the junction on to the Stratford Canal.

We soon realised we could not go up through Lock 20 due to damage it was was closed. So we made a detour through lock No.21 instead, first time through No.21.

There is nothing like a detour to brighten the day. It was so pleasant, that I do not think anything would have annoyed me, but that was to change come lock 5.

All the way up the flight, we were following C&RT volunteers moving a workboat up the locks. Lovely gentlemen, great fun to chat to. I was having a lovely time nattering and helping them through the locks.

We got to lock 5, where I helped the C&RT volunteers through with the workboat and yay there was a boat coming down. I thought what joy to have a boat finally coming down, but then the gentleman opened his mouth and I through oh bugger. He did nothing but moan and rant. Firstly about the volunteers working the boat, and then he went on to moan about all things canal. I do sometimes wonder why people are on the canal grrrr.

Anyway I was not about to let him spoil my day. So I smiled sweetly and wished him a good day.

We are moored below Lapworth lock No.2 on the northern Stratford canal. We will be visiting a friend whilst here and will probably stay here for the weekend.

Pop back soon xxx

Going there and back.

Hello Friends and Followers.

As the title of the post says we are going there and back again. We are off out on our Autumn cruise, after a busy and sometimes hectic Heritage Weekend. Even with that weekend done and dusted, there is still all the clearing up to do and the raffle prizes to sort and pick the winners. Anyway it was all sorted out and now we are out cruising for a few weeks.

We left our mooring at 9am and headed for the first of the Hatton Locks along with Neil and his friend Mark on Silver Sun. We set off up the flight to half way, where there was a boat in front of us, so we decided we would stop in the lock and have a coffee and cake, to allow the other boat to get ahead by a couple of locks. We were joined by David a volunteer lock keeper, who happily accepted some of my homemade Coffee and Walnut cake, whilst we waited. After the much needed refreshment, we were off again up the remainder of the locks. In all it took us three and a half hours, which considering most of the locks were against us was pretty good going.
We left the top lock and set off for Tom O' the wood 24 hour moorings.

Having moored up, we did a few jobs and then headed to the Tom O' the wood inn for a much needed pint, with Neil and Mark. It is amazing how much there is to natter about over a pint and before we knew it, it was 5pm and time to head home to feed Paddy. This is our first cruise out since Marmite died and it has felt strange not having her on board.
Tomorrow we will be off again.

Pop back soon xx