We've been far too busy continuously cruising to cope with daily trip reports. Left the G&S last Wednesday and cruised to Ashleworth, less than an hour upstream of Gloucester.
Then on Thursday a long day, cast off at 06:30 to arrive at Upper Lode for opening time at 08:00, which we achieved only to be delayed at Avon Lock Tewkesbury where the opening time is 09:00. A long day reaching Evesham at 17:30 in time for supper with the Dykes. It was 10 months since we last worked a lock manually and the technique in the Avon locks took a few scrapes and bumps to develop. Friday - 09:00 kick off and an 8 hour trip to Stratford and moorings on the river. Very enjoyable, weather held fine. Overnight it rained heavily. Early Saturday scouting trip convinced us to move up into the Bancroft Basin where 7 spaces were available. It rained heavily again for the 15 minutes that took and then cleared for a few hours. Mid morning went shopping for essentials such as mineral water and beer and a few luxuries such as food, helped by local chums with motor transport. Then it thundered and rained for a couple of hours. A lot. Decided to move on up the canal when the rain stopped, and made it up the 16 locks to Wilmcote just as the light failed. Sunday brought another early start at 06:30 and we reached Catherine de Barnes, through drizzle, showers and sunny periods by about 17:00, poised for an early start to make central Brm today. We ate and drank well and went to bed at 21:30. Slept admirably well. And so today at 04:40 the alarm woke Mrs B, who woke me. A quick cuppa and on with my best chugging pants. I cast off at 05:05 and it is as boring up through Solihull as everyone has always said. We were prepared for all the usual urban hazards - running aground, prop clutter and little scrotes (though we assumed none of the little herberts would be up at the time were ). We wanted to be arriving at Camp Hill around 07:30 when the city was starting to come to life, and so we did, encountering no problems. A touch of something round the prop early on caused the exhaust to blacken under load and reduced apparent progress but it was not sufficient to bring on a weedhatch moment. It seemed to mainly clear itself with some dexterous reverse thrust and tiller wiggling. Camp Hill has an all singing and dancing facilities block at the top, not marked in my Nichs edition. It seems to offer safe mooring. The lengthsman was there and walked down and back up the flight as we descended not stopping once to lean on a beam or lift a paddle for his first customers of the day. Ashted Tunnel was a disappointment. For whatever reason I managed to clip the front handrail on the tunnel wall/roof producing a sickening scrape and a flurry of brick dust. However I did not over correct and as a result limited the damage to the first 2ft of the handrail rather than the full length. I've rubbed it down and will get some primer on when the heat abates, following up with a couple of coats of red tomorrow. We arrived at the top of Farmer's Bridge to the mid day chimes and fiddled and fussed for 30 mins before settling on a mooring opposite the NIA. Tuesday is a rest day and Mrs B leaves the boat for a few days in the pm. I will be contenting myself playing in the Black Country aided and abetted by Dave Hearmon and Baz Juniper for some or all of the following few days. At the weekend it's time for Warwick. Beeky ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Great things are happening at Yahoo! Groups. See the new email design. http://us.click.yahoo.com/TISQkA/hOaOAA/yQLSAA/ygtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
