Victor: Across the top - Contributors and readers

Contributors and readers

During this cruise so far we have met more contributors and readers than ever before, but with an average this year of 11,700 hits a day, there are obviously the hell of a lot of you out there. Though the dastardly Thomas doesn't allow self-congratulations, I will tell you that all of you we have met over the years have congratulated us for 'telling it like it is', with many saying it is the only site worth reading to get the facts, though I realise this relates mostly to my column of course...

So it was onwards yet again, joining the Main Line just away from the moorings, (we passed over it on the 'Level' the previous day as pictured) with a somewhat better journey than last time as then dredging was taking place along the waterway with a couple of forced stops and some exceedingly filthy water. This time we reaped the benefit scuttling along at a decent pace without a wash.

The other difference was that yet more factories had been demolished and houses built in their place, which makes me wonder how the country still survives with most of its manufacturing output gone.

From the bottom of Farmer's Bridge Flight through Birmingham and on to Tipton Green only two boats passed us, those on the flight.

Wolverhampton 21

So once again to the dreaded '21' down from Wolverhampton to the Staffs & Worcs, the first time we had gone down, the other times locking up the flight.  Surprisingly for a summer Saturday not a single boat at the mooring at the top, either waiting to go down or having come up though it was by then mid-morning. Even more surprising we met not one moving boat over the six and a half hours cruise from Tipton Green right down to Autherley Junction, including the Wolverhampton 21, which let me tell you without a boat coming up to give us a full lock or two was a pain.

It certainly proves what others are telling, of the scarcity of moving boats, when we only meet two in two days, and in comparison with a normal working day the last time we did this stretch, clearly shows the downturn in boating. Nine miles and 21 locks from mid morning to the afternoon on a bright Saturday without a single moving boat is certainly not normal.

Something missing

The locks, though they have their paddles secured, are easy to operate being geared down (pictured) and the gates well balanced, but something was missing—not a single volunteer lock keeper in sight over the three hours we took to go down, and on a Saturday. Perhaps the Trust is aware there are no boats, and don't want someone hanging around all day with nothing to do...

Not only are the paddles easy to operate, but the locks fill and empty very quickly, with the gates fairly easy to swing, but we noticed that with the exception of Garrison, the locks around Birmingham are fairly well maintained, though painting seems to be a thing of the past.

Of course there is always the exception, which was Lock 7 on the '21', for as can be seen, it is in dire need of some TLC, especially as it rocked alarmingly before it even moved when pulled.

Moorhens

Just one incident on the flight near the bottom, when Jan espied three tiny moorhen chicks left in an empty lock, and unable to get out to a frantic mother.  So she filled the lock slowly using just one paddle and managed to rescue two and 'shoo' the other out to safety. Bringing the boat in would undoubtedly have been disastrous for them.

So onto the Staffs & Worcs yet again, and as we were passing Oxley Marine, we just had to call in and see another of our contributors, Orph Mable, who told us business had been fairly good over the winter and the work was still coming in. He mentioned he had a somewhat different article in the pipeline.

Don't forget, the office is still closed so emails cannot be attended to.

Victor Swift