Going Back to Reigate

Monday 24th June, 2013 going to Reigate.
It was with great reluctance that we left Cadbury and Bournville to cruise back into Birmingham. Already, we were suffering chocolate withdrawal symptoms....
What a contrast to Saturday! Gas Street Basin and Brindley Place had been teeming with people on Saturday, but today it was almost deserted.

Just a few poor souls on their way to work. As we passed the Canalside Cafe in Gas Street Basin, one office worker stopped to admire MM and said... "I am SO envious!"

Just off Brindley Place on "Oozell's Loop", there is a small marina called Sherborne Wharf and we had arranged to moor MM there for the week that we would be away.

When she was safely tucked up and plugged in, we made our way to Birmingham New Street railway station to catch the train home.
Today: 5 miles, 0 locks and 2.7 hours.
Trip: 158 miles, 125 locks and 129.5 hours.

Cadbury World

Sunday 23rd June, 2013 at Bournville
We have been planning and anticipating a visit to Cadbury World in Bournville for months, and finally the day arrived! Hooray!
We were moored up opposite the factory.

All the chocolate raw materials used to come in by canal barge but then the railways arrived and took over. Since then, the railways have been replaced by fleets of trucks. Progress?
We had booked tickets in advance, but on checking them we found to our horror that, probably due to finger trouble, R had booked them for Sunday 30th instead of 23rd. Aaargh! Panic!
So at ten o'clock, R walked round to Cadbury World to see if he could change them. It turned out not to be a problem as they were not very busy. You normally have to enter at a set time but today visitors were being let in regardless of the time on their ticket.
Back at MM, M was heartily relieved we could go today after all and we set off to walk back together. You can no longer actually go round or into the factory due to "Elf & Safety", so Cadbury have built a huge exhibition centre; however, the entrance is right round the other side of the factory, so it was quite a walk to get there.
The original entrance to the factory is now the Staff Shop.

On the way, we passed a large building which, a notice declared, was where the dark Bournville chocolate was made. A large exhaust fan on the wall was giving out a delicious aroma - and we both stopped and sniffed the air like a pair of "Bisto Kids".

Before we went into the exhibition itself, we took refreshment in the large cafe at the entrance.

M also sampled the "Ladies" and found it to be excellent. Although it doesn't appear so in the photo below, the interior colour of the loos was actually the ubiquitous Cadbury purple!

The exhibition is very well done. It begins with the history of cocoa at the time of the Aztecs, then its introduction into Europe and the opening of John Cadbury's first shop in 1824 as a dealer in tea and cocoa next to his father's drapery shop in Bull Street, Birmingham.
Two presentations then showed how John Cadbury had experimented with adding sugar to cocoa and how in 1831, he opened a factory to manufacture a range of drinking chocolates.

At this point the tour took you past one of the packing areas. Unfortunately as it was a Sunday, it was having a "day off". After a short ride through a diorama for children that was reminiscent of Disney's "Small World", we arrived at the demonstration area.  Here the processes used to make chocolate bars and sweets were being demonstrated but thanks to that infuriating "Elf", it wasn't possible to sample what they were making.  Instead we were given tiny sample pots of molten chocolate. We did also get three sample bars each as we went round, so we are not complaining!  Well, not much!!!
Finally we ended up back at the main entrance hall, where there is a huge shop full of Cadbury's products. Needless to say, we did not leave empty handed.

Behind the main exhibition is a small museum that celebrates the history of Bournville. Cadbury moved to Bournville in 1879 and, as Quakers, they were anxious to look after their employees, having been horrified at the slum conditions in central Birmingham. Over time, they bought additional land and built a complete village for their workers. Each house had six fruit trees planted in the back garden which were tended by the company for the first three years. Women workers were taught to swim in company time, sports facilities were built for both men and women. If you were under 18, you had to attend the company school one day a week for further education.  We saw a copy of a letter written by one young employee who said that when he went back into central Birmingham to visit relatives, he couldn't believe the squalor in which they lived compared to his life in Bournville.
After another visit to the cafe, we went outside to see the village itself and we also visited Selly Manor, which is a Tudor house full of contemporary objects. In each room there was a notice indicating all the sayings that originated from that time including: "Chairman of the Board", "On the Dole", "Cold Shoulder", "Upper Crust" etc.

We spent the whole day in and around Bournville and it was a joy.  As we left the site, M declared that she is so proud of the Cadbury story that henceforth she's resolved to eat only Cadbury's chocolate.  R replied that he will eat only chocolate!!!!!
Today: We didn't move MM. (we were too full of chocolate!)

Charles, Emma, Penny and Minnie visit in Birmingham.

Saturday 22nd June, 2013 at Bournville in Birmingham.
The day started cool and showery, although the weather did improve later in the day.
We had arranged some time ago for Charles, Emma, Penny and Minnie to visit us today and since they were arriving by train from London, we set off to meet them at "University" station, which as the name suggests, is the station that serves Birmingham University. The station is right next to the canal and the area is very well know to both Charles and Emma as they both went to university there.
With excellent timing, their train arrived just as R was struggling to get MM close enough to the canal side for them to come on board. It was lovely to see them.

We cruised for a short while towards the centre of Birmingham until we found a suitable place to stop for lunch. We chose a nice spot under a huge sycamore tree, which was fortuitous as just after we stopped, the heavens opened and it poured with rain all through lunch, yet this mighty tree shielded us from the worst of it.  R and Minnie had a great time together.

Suitably refreshed and after the rain had stopped, we cruised on up to Gas Street Basin, which is the very hub of the historic canal system. Sadly, very few of the original canalside buildings remain in the centre, but ironically the new buildings constructed to replace the old ones are almost identical in style yet (predictably) lack the charm. However, all the junctions, stop locks, and other canal structures remain and are a fascinating reminder of the days of the working boats.
The final arrival at Gas Street Basin took us by surprise; suddenly the leafy green approach was left behind and we found ourselves in a vibrant, colourful city centre.
Best of all was the carnival atmosphere which greeted us, enhanced by the fact that a series of Dragon Boat races were being staged in Brindley Place and we had to wait for a pause in the racing to be able to sail through - we didn't want to mow them down!

Despite the showery weather, hundreds of people lined the canal to cheer the dragon boats on and they all waved to us as we sailed past.

It was great fun arriving into the middle of this party atmosphere by boat. There has been a massive regeneration of this historic and hitherto run-down area of the city and it was certainly an experience to spend the afternoon there.
We turned at "Old Turn" next to the entrance to Sherbourne Wharf, the marina where we will leave MM for a few days on Monday. We went back to Gas Street Basin (after waiting for the finals of the Dragon Boat races) and moored up there so that we could go and have an early supper at the "Canalside Cafe", which was once a lock-keeper's cottage.

The cafe is next to a very narrow bit of water that connects Gas Street Basin to Brindley Place. Originally there was  a strip of concrete separating the two because the "Birmingham Canal Navigations", (that terminated in Brindley Place) and the "Worcester and Birmingham Canal" (that terminated in Gas Street Basin), could not agree on a connection. Any goods that needed to go from one canal to the other had to be trans-shipped across a seven foot wide strip of land! Eventually common sense prevailed and the narrow connecting canal was dug.

We sat outside the cafe, had some excellent food and watched the world go by; there was plenty to see including trip and restaurant boats constantly passing on the water and "stag" and "hen" parties often in hilarious outfits passing on the walkways and bridges. This lot were following a "Stag", who looked decidedly uncomfortable!

Charles took Penny for an explore to see how the area had changed since they were last there.

Meanwhile M and R had lots of cuddles with little Minnie. What a joy it is to see her grinning and laughing!

We sailed down to the "Mailbox" end of Gas Street Basin, which boasts a vast array of restaurants, bars and shops, in order to drop them off as close as we could to New Street Station for their journey home. As we moored up a very nice security guard came up to say "You can't park 'ere, Sir!" We assured him that we were just dropping our passengers off and we would not be there for more than a few minutes.

We cruised back down the way we had come and moored up outside Bournville, opposite the railway station and the Cadbury factory. There are secure moorings here in a gated enclosure that requires a BW key to get out. An unusual feature. Many people, when they heard we were going into Birmingham warned us about vandalism and such like, but so far all the people that we have met have been delightful, chatty and helpful.
Today: 10 miles, 0Locks and 6.5 hours.
Trip: 150 miles, 125 Locks and 124.0 hours.

Mid-Summer's Day.

Friday 21st June, 2013 at King's Norton Junction in Southern Birmingham.
A rather damp and cool morning for Mid-Summer's Day! However, the rest of the day gradually improved and now, in the evening, the sun is shining in a clear blue sky!
We set off mid-morning and, as the guide books said, the canal is astonishingly pretty, green and leafy, despite the fact that we are in the outskirts of Birmingham.

We stopped at Lyon's Boatyard, a very friendly family-run concern, to fill up with diesel and do a "pump out".

M wanted to get some Camp Coffee and knew that Sainsbury's stocked it - so a little internet research identified a Sainsbury's branch about a mile south of the boatyard in an area of Birmingham known rather curiously as "Maypole". So we moored up MM and set off on foot to the store.  Just as we left MM, another Kingsground boat went past, nb "Voyager" that we had seen at Enslow when we left on 19th May.

Remarkably, and to R's utter disbelief, M did only buy a "few bits", so for once, R didn't have to stagger back to MM laden like a packhorse.

The Brandwood tunnel (352 yards) rather took M by surprise causing her to abandon her lunch, don her shoes and jump off MM very rapidly so that she could leg it over the top. It turned out to be a walk of three parts. The first and last part being through lovely sylvan glades.

However, the middle part was through a huge built-up area of shops and houses bisected by a VERY busy and noisy road with no clear indication of where the path to the canal resumed. M took her life in her hands crossing the road and then using her rudimentary orienteering skills, managed to work out where the path was back to the canal.  She is not too proud to admit she did recruit the help of a coloured gentleman to point her in the right direction!.
Just before King's Norton Junction, there are a pair of guillotine "stop gates", designed to protect the water of the Stratford Canal from being stolen by the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. This was a common practice by the canal companies when they were in private hands.  The gates have been beautifully restored, but are no longer used.

Again the junction is a fascinating and attractive place, although it proved to be very shallow; when R tried to turn MM, she ended up aground at both ends and we had to use the pole to manoeuvre her round.

The water here is black as well as shallow - one would definitely not want to fall in it! M thinks that we may have strayed on to the Styx and is keeping a weather eye out for the ferryman Charon!

Actually the passers-by have been delightful and full of questions. Something curious happens on the towpath: almost everyone greets you, people are warm and friendly, they smile, wave and often stop to chat. Such a contrast when we walked to Sainsbury's and back - no one smiled or even looked at us.

We moored up just south of the junction next to the old Worcester and Birmingham Canal Office that was opened in May 1796 (it's the building in the photo of the junction above).  On the front of the building is a tariff of tolls from 1894.

After we moored up, R did some routine maintenance, including removing rubbish from the prop. Anyone missing a scarf?

Then R cleaned MM while M polished the brass. Finally an excellent supper, the perfect end to a lovely Mid-Summer's Day.
Today: 4 miles, 0 locks and 3.1 hours.
Trip: 140 miles, 125 locks and 117.5 hours.

Wedges Mouthwatering Bakery

Thursday 20th June, 2013 by Major's Green on the Outskirts of Birmingham.
Heavy rain overnight gave way to a still morning with a little watery sun (it didn't last!). Before we moved off, R went to drop off the rubbish and saw that the McLaren showroom had got some new stock in overnight. Now if the Euro-Lottery would just oblige...

We had made good time thus far and so, in theory, didn't need to go anywhere today. However, the call of a locally renowned bakery called "Wedges" just two miles up the canal was too strong!

We expected to find a tiny local shop but to our surprise it turned out to be a splendid emporium. It sold a vast range of local produce and vegetables as well as bread, homemade cakes, sandwiches and even hot food. There was a full car park outside and a long queue inside. It was full of people buying sandwiches for their lunch or snacks to eat at the tables outside. Obviously a thriving business despite its relatively remote location - it is not in a village, just a large building facing half a dozen cottages.
On the wall outside we saw a notice offering various rewards for information about local crimes. Couched in Victorian terminology and quoting prices in pounds, shillings and pence, it was nevertheless dated 2013!

We returned and had a cholesterol free lunch (not) on MM.

After lunch, we continued on our way through deep cuttings with a canopy of trees above, very reminiscent of parts of the Shroppie.

We then came suddenly upon a town called Dickens Heath. This was described by the guide books as a "Town for the 21st Century" but came with a warning not to stray too far from the canal "...lest you get irretrievably stranded in the future". After drifting quietly through the countryside, the huge apartment buildings, with a massve ornamental waterfall in the centre, came as a sudden shock!

We moored for the night on the edge of Major's Green, but it is clear that we are now on the outskirts of Birmingham, although the guide books tell us that the next five miles to King's Norton Junction continue to be a "quiet, winding green ribbon" through the suburbs.

Certainly our mooring spot tonight has no indication of the presence of one of England's largest cities on our doorstep.

The rain held off all day, but in the evening it started to pour with rain.

Just perfect for the eve of Midsummer's day!
Today: 6 miles, 0 Locks and 3.3 hours.
Trip: 136 miles, 125 locks and 114.4 hours.

On to the Stratford Canal and the Lapworth Flight

Wednesday 19th June, 2013 at Hockley Heath.
A beautiful morning! What a joy to have such a lovely summer day! After 18 months of cruising, finally we have a day when we can wear short sleeves and only one layer! Whoopee!
We set off after breakfast, knowing that there was another flight of 19 locks ahead of us, but had we known the nature of the locks, we might have added Shredded Wheat and Weetabix to the porridge that we had for breakfast!
At Kingswood Junction, we turned off the Grand Union on to the Stratford Canal. Junctions are always exciting - one never quite knows what's around the corner - and junction bridges are always delightful!

 Initially, the locks looked innocent enough with their charming and unusual bridges that have a one inch gap running down the middle so the horse's rope could be pulled through without having to unhitch it.

In fact, they looked beautifully remote and timeless, dreamily recalling the days of working boats pulled by horses in a gentler age.

But we found that this idyll existed only at the bottom and the top of the flight. The middle was HARD!
The paddles were really tough and often beyond M's strength, so R was obliged to jump off MM and take over on most of the locks. The locks are narrow and as we again had a boat going up in front of us, most of the locks were against us. R ended up opening the paddles on the current lock, then walking ahead to the next lock and opening the paddles on that before walking back to drive MM from one lock to the next. M had to content herself with opening and closing the gates!
We eventually got to the top after nearly four hours of graft, only to be told by a local volunteer that there were two very tough lift bridges just ahead.  He was right!
Poor M had strained a muscle in her arm trying to do the paddles earlier, but when we got to the first lift bridge we saw that the mechanism was on the opposite side of the bridge from the towpath, so if R wound the bridge up, he couldn't then get back to MM to drive her through. M heroically did her best, and very slowly managed to lift the bridge with great difficulty. It was an exhausting process!
Finally we got through both lift bridges and headed for Hockley Heath, where we planned to spend the night.
The guide books said that the village has a little canal arm that was used for coal deliveries in the past, so when we arrived, M walked ahead to see if it was usable for moorings. Definitely not! So we moored up just outside.

 

We had expected Hockley to be a small and pretty village like all the others we had passed through  but it was clear that it was on the outskirts of the suburban sprawl of Birmingham. The first shock was the busy commuter road running right through it, the second was new-built houses as far as the eye could see (the house numbers ran to four figures along the road!) and the third (very nice!) was a large upmarket car showroom full of Mclaren's latest cars right next to the canal. Certainly not a village!  However, R admired the cars at great length, then immediately bought a Euro Lottery ticket at the local shop!

Despite that, our mooring was very quiet and pretty. Amazing how the canal is a secluded world all on its own that tends to bypass completely the brash environment around it, however close it may be.

Today: 5 miles, 19 locks and 8.0 hours
Trip: 130 miles, 125 locks and 110.1 hours (602.4 hours since MM was launched).

The Hatton Flight

Tuesday 18th June, 2013 at Rowington
It almost felt like summer this morning! For the first time since MM was launched 18 months ago, we were able to have the back doors wide open at breakfast time. Lovely! R popped along to the office to make a donation to the Saltisford Arm Trust as a "thank you" for the free electricity, and at 9:15 we set off, followed by Steve, Sharon and Goldie in "Mutley".

The Hatton flight is 21 wide locks in under two miles. We decided to lash the two boats together and Steve steered them very competently while R, M and Sharon did the locks. Mostly the locks were set against us as there were other boats going up in front of us, but with three of us, one person could always walk ahead to the next lock to set it.

We made very good progress and made it to the top in just on four hours. It was quite hard work, but the sun was shining and we took time to chat to passers-by, so the time passed quickly. The flight of locks gains 146ft 6in and looked quite strange with the unusual tall white paddle mechanisms, but they were not nearly as intimidating as we had been led to believe. In fact, they could almost be described as being a breeze!
Near the top lock was a lovely sculpture of a dragonfly and a plaque commemorating the flight.

At the top, we said farewell to Steve, Sharon and Goldie, who were heading for Stratford-upon-Avon and wanted to press on. We stopped so that R could do another Capture training session and afterwards we wandered along to the Hatton Locks' Tea Shop by the top lock. It had a great notice on the door!

There we had excellent toasted tea cakes, tea and coffee. Yum!
We decided to push on a little further today as there is another big flight of locks ahead, which we would like to get done tomorrow before the weather is due to break.
At the Shrewley Tunnel (433 yards), M walked over the top and discovered that the working horses had a separate tunnel of their own. The inside of the main tunnel was coated with limestone from the water running down the walls for hundreds of years - and the water was still falling from the roof - hence R's umbrella!

On the side of the cutting, it was interesting to see the layers of shale with strips of the local Blue Lias stone runing through it.

Sharon had told us of a good mooring near Bridge 61 and so it proved to be. At that point, the canal is on an embankment with far reaching views on ether side. It was surprisingly remote and no-one walked or cycled past us all evening, although we did have a visit from a very cute family of ducks peering through the galley window hoping to be fed (they were not disappointed!).

We also heard a cuckoo as we sat on the stern; the first that either of us have heard for mnay years.
Today: 5 miles, 21 locks and 1.9 hours (Steve was driving with MM's engine switched off).
Trip: 125 miles, 106 locks and 102.1 hours