Work party week-end
A TOTAL of 12 volunteers, members of the Birmingham Navigations Canal Society, joined with work party organiser Mike Rolfe and took advantage of the stunning sunshine on Saturday 14th January, writes Brian Holmes.
The Society workboat Phoenix with butty Crow left the Oldbury Pump House headquarters to navigate along the Titford Canal and under the M5 motorway to rake rubbish from the Portway Branch, part of Titford Pools.
Rubbish removed
The above photograph by Adrian Smith is Phoenix and Crow being turned for the return journey when more rubbish was removed from the Titford Canal into the boats to be disposed of at the Pump House, with Adrian's other photograph showing a supermarket trolley being pulled from the depths of the canal by the volunteers.
The pools act as a feeder reservoir at 511ft above sea level, the highest navigation on the BCN, and the site of the Inland Waterway Association National Festival that was held on the Pools in 1978 and 1982.
Explorer cruise
If you have never been there, then now is your chance. Join in an Explorer Cruise around the BCN or take part in the Summer Rally at Titford with the Birmingham Canal Navigations Society. Details in the Events section.
It was 100 years ago, the Portway Branch gave access under Birchfield Lane to the coal wharf of Churchbridge Colliery and a tramway from other collieries, the lines of which are now extinct.
Snarestone
The sunshine was also welcome at Snarestone on Sunday 15th at the present terminus of the Ashby Canal. Twenty volunteers members of the Ashby Canal Association enjoyed the day cutting back the hedges at each side of the original line of the canal before further developments take place.
The above photograph shows some of the hedge trimmings being burned on the canal bed of the future restoration.
A short stretch of the restored canal was recently put back into water but a major setback has been discovered. The section leaks! The photograph shows the new leaking section behind the bund, not accessible to the public.