To Ashwood Marina and then Home.

Wednesday 27th August, 2014 at Ashwood Marina.
Today started off as one of those special magical misty mornings on the cut!

An early start in order to get MM up through five locks to Ashwood Marina where we have booked her in for a three week stay. R has to go back home to help Peter with his court case and R will spend the next three weeks in Bristol, where the civil case is being heard.
As R drove MM into Kinver Lock, M dropped her camera case (thankfully without the camera) into the lock - so R had to squeeze between MM and the lock-side to retrieve it. Well done, that man!

The next lock is called Hyde Lock and the cottage next to it is famous for the gates to the front garden that are shaped like little lock gates.

It was a pretty journey and we decided to retrace our steps to Kinver when we come back in September. Fingers crossed that the weather holds!
On the wat, we passed the junction with the Stourbridge Canal. Last year we came down the Stourbridge Canal and turned north towards Wolverhampton and Autherley Junction.

 Ashwood Marina proved to be very attractive and Richard, the Manager, was very welcoming. The marina is an old arm that used to be owned by the National Coal Board and connected with a tramway at the end. It is about a quater of a mile long with nowhere to turn - so having sailed all the way to the end forwards, we will have to go all the way out backwards when we leave. Interesting!

We shut up MM and took a taxi into Stourbridge Junction railway station for the trip home back to Reigate. Very sad to leave, but we will be back soon.
Today: 4 miles, 5 locks and 3.5 hours.
Trip: 260 miles, 164 locks and 190.1 hours.

Back on a Narrow Canal Again

Tuesday 26th August, 2014 in Kinver.
We said farewell to Stourport-on-Severn early today. M said that she was not sorry to see the back of the noisy, quarrelsome gulls in Stourport Basin!
Very soon, the built-up area of the town was behind us and there was a welcome return to rural countryside and a narrow canal. The locks felt very felt a teeny bit deep after the huge locks on the mighty Severn!

Much of the canal follows the contour and the high side has been cut out of the local sandstone rock, which runs for 15 miles through this area and makes for some fairly dramatic cliffs rising from the canal.

The local steam heritage line is the Severn Valley Railway, which is held in high regard by enthusiasts. As we approached the railway bridge over the canal, M said wistfully, "There'll never be  a steam train today." No sooner were the words out of her mouth than a steam train puffed over the bridge! She grabbed the camera, but by the time she took the picture, the engine was out of sight - there was a steam engine - honest!

The excitment didn't end there. Shortly afterwards, at Round House Bridge, an "Eddie" drove over the bridge. She was "Isabel Sophia" - yet another one for our list of "spots". M said that her cup of happiness runneth over!
Soon after, the rural scene gave way to the conurbation of Kidderminster, which, like so many of our former industrial towns, has lost much of its canal history to the interlopers of heavy traffic, ringroads and retail parks. Its once famous carpet mill is now home to Debenhams.

Although the original chimney has thankfully been preserved next door - as a "Frankie and Benny's" steak house!

Leaving the traffic noise behind us, we passed an area of parkland where old tree-stumps had been beautifully carved into little gems depicting wildlife next to the canal. Delightful!

Wolverley Court Lock was back out in the countryside and presented some problems. We passed through it easily enough, but when we came to close the top gate it jammed half open. Something was obviously stuck under the gate. R got out the long pole and tried to dislodge whatever it was that was stopping the gate from closing.

After half an hour of struggling, we decided to call the C&RT to report the problem. Soon after, another boat arrived and the skipper came over to help. Between the two of them, they eventually managed to get the gate closed so that we could go on.
The other boat was called "Matilda Rose" - exactly the name of M's new grand-daughter (known as "Tilly"). The skipper was Australian and explained that Matilda was for Australia and Rose was for England. Quite right, too!

At the next lock, we met up with the C&RT man on his way to answer our call and explained the problem. He went off to see what he could do. Considering that he turned up within half an hour, we were very impressed with the service.
The red sandstone rock followed us all the way to Kinver, a village well known in narrowboating circles for its attractive setting. We moored up and had a short walk around the town and vowed to return when we have more time. We were amused by a "diversion" notice that appeared to direct the traffic into one of the sandstone caves!

In the evening, we were entranced by the sound of two tawny owls calling to each other across the canal, and then saw one fly silently across to join the other. Magic!

Today: 11 miles, 8 locks and 6.1 hours.
Trip: 256 miles, 159 locks and 186.6 hours.

A Surprise Visit to Jim Sparkes at Alexander's

Monday 25th August, 2014 in Stourport.
Our trip out with Charles and family yesterday had left MM pointing in the wrong direction so, after breakfast, we went down through the lock back into the Upper Basin to turn around. The visitors' mooring on the wharf was free, so we moored up there again and filled MM with water (always a comforting feeling to have a full water tank).
Today, we had an unexpected and very enjoyable trip out. Our friends and fellow narrowboaters Jackie and Mick had been in touch to say that Jackie's cousin Sue and husband Andrew were having a narrow boat built at Alexander's in Stourport by Jim Sparkes (who also built the shell for MM) and they were going to visit Alexander's today.  They had also asked to look round MM to get some ideas. We arranged to meet and they very kindly agreed that they would first pick us up and take us with them to see their boat shell at Alexander's.
It was lovely to meet them and their gorgeous golden retriever "Wilbur". We drove to Alexander's about midday and Jim's face was a picture when he saw us! The last time that we had seen him was at Crick Boat Show last year; M gave him a BIG hug.

Sue and Andrew's shell was more advanced that they'd been expecting; it was a delight to see how excited they were and it brought back many happy memories of our own build. Their boat is a bit special as Andrew is six foot ten inches and their narrowboat will have extra headroom so that he can stand up in it; Jim has very cleverly factored in the extra height in the structure of the hull.

They already have a name for her, "La Tortuga" and Jim estimates that the shell will be completed before the end of September, at which time it will be loaded on to a flat-bed and driven to Fernwood in Leicestershire for the fit-out. Fernwood has an excellent reputation (on a par with Kingsground) and we are sure that they will have a very special narrowboat in the spring. Fernwood is talking about showing "La Tortuga" at the Crick Show next year as it will be quite unusual with its extra headroom and can be promoted as "a boat for a tall person".
Afterwards we returned to MM and spent a happy hour or so showing them round and discussing some of the ideas we incorporated in her. We are sure that they went away with lots to think about for their own build.
It was lovely to meet them and to share their enthusiasm and excitement. We hope very much that we can stay in touch with them and we look forward to seeing "La Tortuga" when she is finished.
As they day progressed, the rain got steadily harder and harder - so when they left, we decided not to move today but to stay where we were.

It proved to be a good decision because the rain was unrelenting. It rained all the rest of the day and all through the night - well, it WAS a Bank Holiday, after all!
Today: 0 miles, 1 lock and 2.2 hours.
Trip: 245 miles, 151 locks and 180.5 hours.

Charles, Emma, Penny and Minnie Visit.

Sunday 24th August, 2014 in Stourport.
This is a Bank Holiday weekend and we had arranged for Charles, Emma, Penny and Minnie to come and visit us on MM. In the morning, we moved MM from her overnight mooring, which had limited access (especially for children) to a visitors' mooring beside the wharf which had just been vacated.
Charles and family arrived around midday and were able to park right next to MM. It was so nice to see them.

After a reviving cup of tea, we went for a walk around the canal basin, which is full of interest, and down to see the River Severn.

We had booked lunch at the nearby, and very attractive looking, cafeteria called, appropriately, "The Windlass". A good job that we had booked as they were really busy. Stourport attracts many weekend visitors from "Brum", they like to come for a day out by "the seaside".

There was time for a short cruise after lunch, so we set off up through the lock on to the Staffs & Worcs Canal, watched by a small crowd of onlookers. Penny helped Charles with the lock gate while M explained to the onlookers how the locks worked.

Charels took the tiller and did very well. Even Penny had a go at steering, although she needs to grow a bit before she can reach the tiller properly.  After a couple of miles, there was a winding hole. So we turned and sailed back towards the town and moored up above the lock. Minnie seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself.

We had supper together before C and E put the children into their pyjamas (in the hopes that they would sleep on the way home) and set off for the long drive back to London.
It was so nice to see them and especially to spend time with Penny and Minnie. Minnie has grown up so much since we saw her last and has certainly mastered "Hello", "No" and, when presented with ducks, "Quack"!
Today: 4 miles, 1 lock and 2.8 hours.
Trip: 245 miles, 150 locks and 178.3 hours.

The Stourport-on-Severn Paradox.

Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd August, 2014 from Worcester to Stourport.
We had planned to leave Worcester today but R needed a memory stick from Peter and we had to wait for the courier to deliver it from Liphook. So we had a very enjoyable and relaxing day wandering around the city - with trips to Costa for R and M&S for M where she bought as many large bags of fresh peas as she could carry, on the grounds that the season will soon come to an end! The courier arrived in the early evening at the pre-agreed point of the local tearoom and R was able to download the data on to the computer on MM.
Saturday morning dawned bright and clear but as we had breakfast it became clear that we were not alone. The river outside the window began to fill up with literally hundreds of canoes.

At first we thought that it was just a local event but we soon found out that it was the British National Open Marathon Racing Individual and Team Championships hosted by the Worcester Canoe Club.
There were 60 different races, starting at 10:00am and setting off in waves every five minutes, according to class. This made departing on MM a bit tricky!

However, we eventually managed to get off without colliding with any of the little craft and then started off up the Severn.

The canoes, of course, go a great deal faster than us so we were soon overtaken by the next race to leave and had to keep well out of their way.

Soon after, we passed the lock up to the Droitwich Barge Canal that we had come down through on Wednesday afternoon.

Three big river locks took us up to Stourport. M declared that she was not sorry to see the last of these massive locks particularly as, while we were in the last one holding on to the ropes to keep MM still, a hailstorm came out of nowhere and thoroughly soaked us in freezing little pellets of ice!

So we finally turned off the mighty Severn into the rather bizarre paradox that is the town of Stourport-on-Severn. There are two sets of locks side by side - two very deep wide locks and, next to them, a flight of four narrow locks in two staircases of two locks each. We turned into the narrow locks.

The narrow staircase locks are quite intimidating but, with the help of two Canal & River Trust volunteers, we were soon through them and up to the Upper Basin.

In 1771, the Staffs & Worcs canal opened, connecting to the River Severn at a small hamlet called Lower Mitton. James Brindley designed a series of basins at the junction to allow goods to be trans-shipped from the narrowboats used on the canal to wide Severn River trows. The town of Stourport grew up around the basins over the years. In the 19th century, the canal company promoted Stourport as an "inland seaside resort", building a splendid hotel, called the "Tontine".

Hard to believe but they also opened a funfair! The funfair is still there after over 100 years although the "Tontine" has now been converted to private homes.

So the town is a strange mixture with the historic canal basins alongside the "kiss-me-quick" funfair and (numerous) fish and chip shops!
There are many permanent moorings in the basin but strangely very few visitors' moorings. At first, we couldn't see a space for us at all but another boater kindly pointed out a space in the corner that could just about accomodate MM. We were a little concerned, as we appeared to be blocking a channel through to another basin but, on examination, we found that the channel was permanently blocked off. We discovered that the developers had included a beautiful marina in the centre of their new development there - but the new residents' association refused to have "boating riff-raff" mooring outside their nice new houses so the place is sadly empty and devoid of life or colour.

What a contrast to the main basin that is full of life and colour (see below). Such a waste of what could have been a wonderful amenity and centre of regeneration.

We wandered round the town, which is a strange mix of old buildings and rather tacky shops - including three fish and chip shops in a row! However, we did find a very good Tea Room called "Blossoms" just next to the lock out of the Upper Basin and retired there for afternoon tea and an excellent slice of cake.

If you look very carefully, you can just see MM at her mooring through the window.
Today: 12 miles, 7 locks and 5.0 hours.
Trip: 241 miles, 149 locks and 175.5 hours.

A Cunard Style Cruise!

Monday 18th to Thursday 21st August, 2014 on the Droitwich Ring.
Three years ago, even before MM was launched, we rather rashly offered a four-day, three-night "Cunard Style" cruise at a promise auction to raise funds for M's choir. Two friends (and fellow choir members), Debbie and Adrian, paid a very handsome sum into choir funds to purchase the offer. Due to diary problems, work committments, etc., it has taken three years to find a suitable date - but today is the day! Their bed was made up, the fridge was stocked, the champagne was on ice and M suitably attired to welcome them in style.

It was lovely to see how excited they were and, after guzzling the champagne, we set off up the first of the locks.

The plan is to do the new Droitwich Ring, starting with nine miles and twelve locks on the Worcester & Birrmingham canal, then turning on to the new Droitwich Junction Canal, which only opened in 2011, and down the Droitwich Barge Canal back to the River Severn - another seven miles and sixteen locks, before going back to Worcester down the River Severn. Total distance nineteen miles and 29 locks - but including four canals, two rivers, one tunnel and one very tight eight foot by six foot culvert - just six inches larger all round than MM!  A route which is small but beautifully formed, one might say!
As we went through the first few locks, our new "crew" quickly got the hang of it. Even on a "Cunard Style" cruise, the guests need to earn their keep!

The first night we moored at Tibberton, which the guide books said had an excellent pub called "Speed the Plough". We went there for a drink and (to be charitable) let's just say that it appears to have changed hands, sadly all too often the case with canal pubs these days.
At Hanbury Junction, we turned on to the new section of canal and were helped down through the first three (original) locks by a Canal & River Trust volunteer. These locks are the only ones on the whole English waterway system where the "side ponds" are in operation. When emptying the lock, the water is first emptied into the side pond, then when filling the lock the side pond is emptied back into the lock - so only half a lock-full of water is used for each cycle thus saving a lot of water.

The two locks that followed are in the form of a "staircase" where the bottom gate of the top lock is the top gate of the bottom lock, with no distance or "pound" in between the two locks. These locks were brand new and very nicely made with attractive brickwork and coping stones.

When you are in the bottom lock of the pair, the gate from the lock above is quite intimidating when you look back, as it is double the normal height.

Soon after came the passage beneath the M5 motorway. Luckily, a culvert had been created to carry a small river called Brody Brook under the motorway. The culvert was just eight feet wide and there is six feet of headroom - just enough to fit a "normal" narrowboat through. MM had less than six inches clearance over her roof.
If the culvert had not been there it is unlikely that the new ring could ever have been opened as it would have been too expensive to dig a new tunnel under the motorway.

M's day was made when, as we approached the culvert, she spotted an "Eddie Stobart" lorry on the motorway above.  It was named "Juliana" - one more to tick off the list!
We moored in Droitwich for the second night and went for a walk around the town. The town was literally built on salt - wells provided sources of brine containing two and a half pounds of salt per gallon (more than ten times the concentration of seawater). The trade made the town rich, but also led to problems with subsidence and therefore many of the houses sit at crazy angles. In the centre of town is a beautiful park on the canal including a replica of the salt barges that used to bring in coal and take out the salt.

While many of the building were quite attractive, it seemed a bit run-down and not very well looked after.

The next morning, we set off down the Droitwich Barge Canal with its wide-beam locks. This part of the canal has been navigable for some years but the reeds have encroached on both sides making it very narrow in places. Memories of the film "The African Queen"!

Finally, we came to the last lock on the canal and the junction with the River Severn. On the river, we had to go through only one lock. All the River Severn locks are manned and the lock-keepers insist on someone holding on to a rope at both the bow and the stern - so as we approached the lock, M walked along the gunwhale to the front and took this picture of the other three of us up the back.

Back at Worcester, we moored up on the river bank and decided to go out for dinner in the city as a special treat on the last night of the cruise.  As we were walking along the river towpath, we passed a trip boat full of people in fancy dress. One gentleman was dressed as Captain Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean and at first, we thought that it was Johnny Depp because the costume, likeness and mannerisms were remarkable.

It turned out to be a professional "look-alike"; clearly he was very good at his job!  But it was easy to assume it was Mr Depp, as he is in the area at present, making the new "Alice in Wonderland" film.
We walked along the river towards the Cathedral, pausing for a group photo for the album with the Cathedral in the background.

We had dinner at a splendid restaurant on the riverfront called "The Quay", where we all had their "special of the day" - a selection of fish for four, including two bottles of wine, all at a very reasonable price.

On Thursday morning, Adrian was joined by a friend, who clearly thought that breakfast was meant to be shared.

Later, we walked into the city, pausing to pay homage to the local hero Edward Elgar, who was born and grew up in the city. M was incensed to see that a disrespectful pigeon had "pooped" on his head!

Finally, we walked round the Cathedral, which is magnificent and probably survived Henry VIII's Reformation purely because it contains the tombs of King John and also Henry's elder brother, Prince Arthur.

In the early afternoon our guests, Debbie and Adrian, left to return to Surrey. It was a lovely four days and we thoroughly enjoyed their company.  They said they had a super time, which made us very happy.
For four days: 19 miles, 29 locks and 16.1 hours. 
Trip: 229 miles, 142 locks and 167.2 hours.