Victor: Things get worse

SO TO the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal—yes my friends, we are once again heading for the delights of the BCN.

We all like the the waterway up to the outskirts of Birmingham, lovely straights though the countryside with only one length of moored boats, though obviously hire boaters were taking advantage of the holiday period.

Good condition

We met quite a few hire boats coming down Curdworth Locks, that were a help of course, with the flight in fairly good condition, with both easy paddle gear and the gates well hung.  Even the wide single gates at the bottom, that make life easier were not too difficult to handle.

The only drawback was the encroaching off-side vegetation, but it did not cause too much of a problem. I see those coir roles that were so beloved by the environmentalists, or whatever,  and such a pain to moorers are becoming a thing of the past.  Useless really as those on this waterway never sprouted or whatever it was they were supposed to do.

Mind you there was still that filthy boat next to the pub on the flight still there, with the pound going up and down like a yo-yo, the owner at least had the sense to moor it on metal springs, but I wonder how it managed to remain there for years.

So to the top of the flight with just three boats on the moorings, and so on to our usual overnight moorings at Minworth on rings by the rather extensive pub, that alas is now empty with broken windows.

It was not too long before we realised that part of its car park had become a lorry park, and with a refrigerator lorry next to the waterway, and others pulling in, it was soon a hasty retreat to the quieter region at the other side of the bridge, again on handy rings.

Collapsing walls

Onward along the Birmingham & Fazeley where it was easy going with plenty of water, but there were plenty of sections of its wall having collapsed and thus having to be sheered-up.

At one instance a main road was going under by the collapsing section that would have been interesting if the waterway had breached.  Under one bridge was a good selection of road barriers, that we just managed to miss. But altogether it was easy going with plenty of water and the locks easy to operate.

What was surprising was that hire boats far outnumbered private boats, with those from Ashby, Napton, Stone, Black Prince, Anglo Welsh, Kate, Rose and Viking, that were obviously using the Birmingham & Fazeley as part of a ring. But strangely not a single Canaltime boat.  Private boats were few and far between.

So to Spaghetti, and there were still men working, as it seems always, and the first turn down to another of our favourite moorings at Star City, that provides a long jetty behind locked gates, that can be opened with a normal Watermate key.  It is an oasis of calm until you go through the gate, then, as Jan describes, it is like bedlam! One advantage, you can order a taxi for shopping as it seems everybody knows where it is.

Just one complaint, the surface of the jetty was treacherous, and we dare not use the small ramp, it being so slippery, climbing on to the wall instead.

It always surprises me that you can cruise with a fellow boater yet never see them again, then sometimes you see the same boaters time and time again, so it was no surprise to see Sue on No Problem yet again, and pass a pleasant time, with Sue also remarking on the well dredged Birmingham waterways.  Another boater we often meet is Graham Booth and his charming wife in Rome. Though not much chance of that this time as Graham is exploring elsewhere.