Last day

Wake up on the Droitwich Canal and follow the winding route back to DSM. We are caught up by Phenomenal, the Narrow boat who accompanied us down the Severn. Nice couple - they've been out for 5 weeks and are on their way home. I think Tango would miss us too much if we were gone that long! We pass them moored up by Waitrose in Droitwich, no doubt stocking up for their last days.

Get back to DSM about lunchtime and after a good ol' tidy up and spring clean we leave Averina safely tucked up ......... until the next time :)

Proceed with caution

Woke up and first thing we did was look out of the window only to see the light is red so no going on the river at the moment. I take a walk around to the marker and the river has certainly fallen but not by enough yet.

The yacht club opposite has rather a nice clock tower atop it’s buildings but since we arrived the time has been 4.30 continuously. However at 10.20 we saw the hands whiz round and hooray it is telling the right time!

This morning we checked out the Stourport Chandlery which had many useful bits & bobs that we don’t know how we’ve managed without up until now. Also made quite an expensive purchase of 2 life jackets in the hope that we might soon get ourselves on the river. Talking to an old crusty boatman yesterday realised we would be foolish to go on the river without.

Also stocked up in the Co-op but not sure how many days we are stocking up for!

We had lunch in “The Windlass” café which was very friendly and well decorated with items of river/canal interest. Scampi & chips and toastie & chips with a little Pinot Grigio Blush went down very nicely. Spent time discussing 57 different options if we can’t soon get on the river….. Decide to take a walk along the river leaving the café to check the river levels and notice the guy moored on the river pontoon has gone! Check the gauge and indeed it is JUST in Amber and we notice narrow boats going through the locks so after checking with the British Waterways guy we were given the all clear to "proceed with caution"!

The newly repaired clock strikes 3.00pm as we cast off, for me slightly apprehensively as the river will be a new experience in Averina. New life jackets on.

Gorgeous trip down the river. Running about 2kts apparently. Narrowboat Phenomenal following us through. Onwards down river through Lincombe & Holt locks - Phenomenal went into Holt lock before us and joined another so we had to wait - no worries - just enough time for a cuppa!

Past the Holt Fleet pub where we met family last year. Quite a different aspect when seeing it from the river. The bridge was under scaffolding last year but is now showing off it’s new paint job.

We’ve moored on the Droitwich Canal at Bridge 5 lock 4. Last G&T on Averina tonight after what has been a very successful trip. Well done all 3 of us!

Code Red !

We left Wolvely at 8.00am in order to get to Stourport in good time and get on the Severn.


Winding our way through Kidderminster wasn’t as industrial as we had imagined, in fact various places are being redeveloped and are positively embracing the canal ie Franky & Benny’s & Debenhams! Shortly after we meet up with a walker who is a waterways enthusiast and informs us that the Severn is on code red which means they won’t let anyone on to it.


Once we arrive in the Stourport Basin we join a gaggle of boats filling up with water and sharing river stories. Useful bits of info picked up. Quite a few colourful characters with a variety of narrow boats. We stay here for a while and have lunch then go for a walk around Stourport. Strange place. Lots of beautiful Regency buildings but also a part of town that thinks it’s a seaside harbour and has a funfair & plenty of fish & chip shops. It was very warm walking around town so we treated ourselves to an ice cream.

On our return we visit the British Waterways office to ask about the state of the River. They seemed hopeful we may be able to get on it tomorrow. We think it’s unlikely but I guess they have seen it rise and fall before so know how it works. The BW guy offers us a mooring behind the office, so we check this out and decide it is slightly better than where we are so move Averina just around the corner.

It’s a lovely warm evening so we take a stroll around the basin & along the river and check out the locks we have to go through to enter the river. It’s still on red and we don’t think it’s fallen since this afternoon. Took some photos and we’re joined on one occasion by a Swan family who were after food. I managed to take a few photos before I was hissed at!


Pleasant spot in the basin, we’re moored opposite a row of “Gin Palaces” so quite amusing the mixture of boats here. Crusty old narrow boaters and flashy cruisers.

Staffs & Woofs

Started the day on the Stourbridge Canal just before the Stourton 4 locks. A really lovely stretch of the canal. Leisurely start @ 11.00am after a full english breakfast! After 4 locks we turn left onto the Staffs & Woofs, another delightful stretch. Lots of photo opportunities. Met an elderely couple on the boat behind us "Joli" - himself is 80 and has trouble with Arthtitis. The canal goes through their sons's land so they moor their boat there. They have just moved from a 16 bed house to a 6 bed house so it's quite a crush when family come to stay so they stay on their boat!!

Enterprising lock cottage selling cupcakes. 50p each into an honesty box, very nice thank you!

Kinver is very pretty in fact the whole stretch is very welcome after the rather industrial sprawl of the Birmingham area. We've moored for the night just before bridge 20 / Wolverly Lock. England play in the quarter finals of the Euros tongiht and just incase we can't get a signal on the telly in the boat, we've moored near a pub. We're about a mile from Kidderminster. Tomorrow's plan is to go through Kidderminster & Stourport & stop on the Severn. Day ends with a G&T, some Doritos and a beautiful blue sky.

Little duckling family come to visit. so gorgeous and there is always one of the ducklings is always just a little bit further away than the rest of the flock. We refer to this one as Nick as he was always just infront or just behind but never with us!



And finally at 10.15 we hear the chug chug of an engine going past us and then the sound of heavy rock music! Fantastic! Never seen anyone travelling in the dark before with headlight blazing. I'm sure they had some fists shaken at them at this time of night but it was so funny! Very dangerous at locks though. Go them, how exciting!

Hobbled

Looked on google maps only to see we are moored 5 minutes away from Sainsburys in Merryhill, very convenient as we should now have enough food to last until we get back to Droitwich Spa Marina.
The canal passes high above Merryhill, 3 boats have moored with the whole centre as their vista - David's worst nightmare!



So we're on the Dudly Canal & have 24 locks to do today, the Delph 8 & Stourbridge 16. We meet our first Hobbler on the Delph 8 he is a welcome sight. The blustery wind was horrid and all the locks were set against us. Tipped him the cost of a pint in the West Midlands.

Saw the most gorgeous little ducklings today. Mama and all 7 were perched on a log - we were past them before I could reach for my camera.

Turned left onto the Stourbridge 16 - took us a long long time. Stopped after lock 8 for lunch at about 2.45pm. As luck would have it another boat came up the other way so the last 8 were more or less set for us although some locks leaked,so some of the locks needed filling. Thankfully beyond lock 8 proves to be much more rural at last. Little shop selling ice creams at lock 12 provided refreshment!

Moored up in the countryside before the Stourton 4 at about 6.00pm. Long tiring day.

Birmingham sprawl

2.30pm & we've arrived at "The Waterfront", which is in the Brierley Hill / Merry Hill area, not far from Dudley in the West Midlands.  Purpose built to provide fun & entertainment around the marina.  Good effort.  Today's weather however is drizzly, although it isn't raining now and the temperature is 14C but real feel 9C as there is a 17mph wind so not quite tropical sadly.

This morning we woke to rain again and indeed started off in the rain but thankfully that fizzled to a drizzle and then stopped.  We've motored for about 6 hours just stopping at Bumble Hole (!) to take on more water and deposit our rubbish.  Not the most glamorous routes but it served a purpose to get us here.  Only one lock at Park Head Junction onto the Dudley no.1 canal but it was really deep and I had to use the "anti vandal" key to unlock the locks, which was a first.

First thing this morning there was a little entertainment on the canal as we notice the boat furthest away from us on the other side has come away from its bow moorings and was across the waterway.  No-one seemed to be aware on-board so the first boat that came along gently nudged it out of the way and the guy from the boat behind pulled her back in and moored her securely.  Not long into our journey and we noticed that very boat following us so can only imagine they were still on-board but were completely unaware.  They passed us at Bumble Hole and we noticed they were a group of youngsters so that could explain a lot!!

Just before Bumble Hole we spent 35 minutes travelling through Netherton Tunnel, nearly 2 miles long, it kept us out of the rain but was incredibly cold!  There is the option of Dudley Tunnel of a similar length until we realised that Dudley Tunnel is single file so it's a long wait if there's already a boat coming the other way.

We're moored up now in the Waterfront Development by a Copthorne Hotel and with a Wetherspoons on the other side of the canal so may or may not have a peaceful night!  It's a Friday night after all but that said, the temperatures are not conducive to outdoor antics so hopefully everyone will stay indoors!

We had a very early breakfast so treated oursleves to elevenses of a sausage baguette.  Naughty but nice!

P 1/2

Woke up this morning to rain, so had a nice leisurely lie in and cuppa, followed by melon & muesli for breakfast.  After discovering yesterday we are moored within walking distance of the jewellery quarter we took a walk over there and came back with a purchase.  Very pleased with that!  Averina is still moored between friends and for most of the day, although cloudy the rain stayed away.  Another nice cuppa & catch up on t'internet with emails and such like then we popped out for supper at the "Home-made Burger Co."  Explored Brindley Place a little more and looked inside the Birmingham Symphony Hall which is a huge building.  Raining again so bid a hasty retreat back to Averina and a nice warm cosy boat.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Averina started the day moored on the bend between bridge 57 & 58 on the Worcs & Birmingham Canal.  A particular lovely rural spot.  At 7.00am I was feeding a little family of 5 ducklings.  Mum hangs back so her brood can be fed but I make sure I throw some bread further out for Mum too.  Another Mum stays over the other side of the canal, she has got a really young little family and knows they will get bullied if they try to come over too.  We set off at 9.00am and after Shortwood Tunnel moor at Alvechurch Marina to purchase a new gas cannister.  We moor up against another boat, (which we learn from Darren is perfectly acceptable) Dave pops into the shop and "Darren" comes out and introduces himself and is very keen to help and offer advice.  The morning has really warmed up now so we're keen to get on our way.  Darren phoned Bevere Lock Master who confirmed the Severn is open now but we've just done the Tardebigge so we're not going back that way - well not today anyway!!  On 2 ocassions on this stretch we see a Heron, so I put the camera on the sports setting and take some great shots of him taking off and flying alongside the boat.  We carry on and go through the Wast Hill Tunnel which is almost 2 miles long and takes about 35 minutes and meet another boat about half way through!  We could see their headlamp for quite some time but it's really hard to judge how close it is.  Through Kings Norton and then past Bournville & Cadbury World!  No locks today which is rather nice so we just enjoy motoring along the outskirts of Birmingham - not always the prettiest but lots of activity - lunchtime office walkers, joggers, cyclists etc - past Birmingham Uni and through Edgbaston and then finally into Gas Street.  We had lunch on the move as we wanted to get into Birmingham so we had a chance to find a mooring.  Gentleman on Tardebigge had advised us to pass Gas Street Basin and moor near SeaWorld which is exactly what we have done.  Plenty of space but by the end of the day both sides of the canal are full, so glad we got here early.  We moored Averina - all 58 foot of her in a space 59 foot wide!  The old guy in the first boat said he thought we'd never get her in but Dafydd played an absolute blinder and we parked her straight in no messing without touching either boat in front or behind.  We passed the time of day with the old guy in the first boat.  He's on his own since his wife died a year ago and he is spending a week here!  His sons bring him here and will take him back at the weekend!  He's 84 - and loves it here!  Lots of cafes, bars & restaurants to choose from and our choice of "Thai Edge" was a good one.  Lots of atmosphere and tasty food.  Yum !  It's been a gorgeous sunny day today but tomorrow and beyond is forecast to be wet & windy - how disappointing, we were just beginning to enjoy ourselves!

Perfect timing!

We were a little "tardy"and didn't set off until 10.30am  It's nice to be lazy when there isn't much to do except 30 locks!  As it happened we timed it perfectly.  5 minutes behind us was a boat with 8 crew and they were very happy to let David out of the lock and close up behind him.  To add to our luck there were boats coming the other way so the locks were pretty much all set in our favour.  Took us 3 1/2 hours to do the flight which we thought was pretty good.  By 2.00pm we had stopped at the top for lunch and it started raining so the timing was perfect again.  After lunch and a little snoozette the sun came out so off we set.  We were planning to stop for the evening around Hopwood but we've found a lovely little spot, on a wide part of the canal, just beyond the last parked boat looking out onto rural countryside.  Between Tardebigge Tunnel & Shortwood Tunnel, just before bridge 58.  Tomorrow we should get to Birmingham and moor for the night in the famous "Gas Street".  Everyone tells us it's a great place to moor.  Plenty of eateries and shops to keep us busy on Thursday when it is forceast to pour down all day.  Let's hope they've got that wrong.  Fish pie for supper with Key Lime Pie - can't be bad!

NOT The river Severn

We planned to take Averina onto the river Severn today down stream to Tewkesbury, but alas the lock keeper said the river is in flood and they are not letting any boats onto it.  So we've come the other way towards Tardebigge.  Oh how I love those 30 locks, one after the other in quick succession!  Today we completed 15 locks between Droitwich Spa Marina & The Queens Head pub at the bottom of Tardebigge.  We're not far from Bromsgrove.  We've moored in a lovely spot - a Heron keeps visiting but every time I reach for my camera he flies off.  Massive wing span.  We've also seen rabbits, ducklings & a family of 7 signets - they were gorgeous. Met lots more boats on the canal today, the British Waterways volunteer said he's seen 12 boats through the Hanbury locks today which is his record!

Visitors in June

At last, after weeks of bad weather and other challenges we have managed to get Shrewsbury down to Averina.  We chose today as the forecast looked the best, but boy have we had some rotten weather this summer so far. Mum, Dad & Ange joined us for a trip on the canal.  Mark couldn't make it because he was captain of the bowls team so couldn't get out of his match day commitments.  Took Averina through the Hanbury 3 locks with Ange's help - Nana quite worried about the locks but was happy to see some British Waterways volunteers on hand to help.  Then a leisurely motor up to Dunhampstead which we will shortly be renaming "our local" !!  Nice meal although Ange's pear & blue cheese salad left a little to be desired - tinned pears & grated blue cheese ???  I don't think so !!  Just before we get to Tibberton we use the 70' winding hole to turn around and return to Droitwich Spa Marina.  Still not many boats in the Marina - lets hope it improves for the proprietors.  The Severn is in flood and Tardebigge is closed to due leaks so this stretch of the Worcester & Birmingham was particularly quiet today.