A Walk down the Farmers Bridge Locks and the Digbeth Branch

 

After lunch today Jo and I walked down the 13 Farmers Bridge locks. The one and only time I have travelled through these locks was in 1971 on ‘Pisces’. It has changed a bit since then! Well some of it has, and some of it hasn’t.

The rather impressive railway bridge taking the tracks over the canal.

Aston Junction, the Ashton top lock can bee seen under the wrought iron bridge, the Digbeth branch goes off to the right.

Ashted top lock on the Digbeth Branch.

Ashted tunnel north portal.

The Digbeth branch turns left here, with the Typhoo basins ahead.

The Digbeth branch  continues on to Bordesley junction with the Grand Union Canal.

Typhoo Basins.

Selfridges from behind Moor Street station.

Moor Street station from alongside Selfridges.

Keith.

Other side of Sheepcote Street Bridge.

This morning we moved Hadar to the other side of Sheepcote Street Bridge, opposite the Fiddle & Bone, having spent 2 days on the 2 day moorings. We are now on the 14 day moorings.

After lunch we took a walk around Cambrian Wharf.

The gardens behind the new library, and Broad Street.

Keith.

Jewellery Quarter and Birmingham Library

This morning Jo and I visited the Jewellery Quarter, and then the new Birmingham Library, from which we could see Hadar.

Then we had another Chinese buffet at the Big Wok.

Last time we came to Birmingham, by train from Warwick, I took a photo of Jo sitting on the bench in ‘The Cube’ with the statue man sitting reading a paper, but for some reason my camera didn’t record the photo, so she posed again for the same photo today.

Keith.

Granville Street Wharf to Sheepcote Bridge.

We moved the short distance from Granville wharf to Sheepcote bridge, our favourite mooring opposite the Barclaycard Arena, formerly the NIA.

We then walked into the City. We wandered around the Birmingham market looking for some material Jo was after to make some blinds for the galley, and she found some. Jo wanted to see the National Trust Back to Backs, which are near the Chinese quarter, which was rather handy.

The BBC were there for filming, and waiting inside the Trust shop was Adrian Chiles and Birmingham historian Carl Chinn waiting to start filming.

We then went to our favourite Chinese buffet, the Big Wok, which was just around the corner.

We then went back through the indoor markets as Jo was looking for some new netting for the galley which she also found.

We then walked around a part of Birmingham we had never been to before and found the Birmingham Cathedral.

We watched the old library being knocked down.

Which has now been replaced by the new library in its new location.

We even found the eye shaped screen above New Street station.

Keith.

Lapworth Top Lock to Granville St, near the Mailbox in Birmingham City.

A good trip today into Birmingham, and we are now moored at Granville Street Wharf, Birmingham. The mailbox is in front of and to the right of us.

We did stop at Bournville for a while and wandered around part of the Bournville village. We passed on Cadbury World as it would have cost over £27 for the 2 of us!

Our temporary mooring at Bourneville with the Cadbury factory in the background.

Staff sales shop at Cadbury’s.

Bournville Baths

Bournville Baths again.

Cricket clubhouse.

Cadbury’s factory as seen across the playing fields.

Quakers church, the Cadbury family were Quakers.

The shops at the Green.

The Bournville Rest House, now the visitor centre in the middle of the Green.

The Carillon on top of the school. There are 48 bells of varying sizes out in the open underneath the weathered copper roof. The largest bell weighs 7.5tonnes.

Keith.

Lapworth Church

Jo and I visited Lapworth church this morning.

This is the new stain glassed window which was installed last year.

Keith.

Lapworth Top Lock

No moving today, so still moored above Lapworth top lock. Unloaded some of Jack's garden furniture which we have carried for her from her mooring to her cottage.

Keith.

Tom o’ the Wood to Lapworth Top Lock

Now moored above Lapworth top lock, Jo steered Hadar through a few locks today, she is getting quite good at it now.

Keith.

Hatton to Tom o’ the Wood (Bridge No.63

A short run today to ‘Tom o’ the Wood’ at Bridge No.63. After lunch Jo and I had a nice pint of Doombar each at the ‘Tom o’ the Wood’, and the weather was so nice we sat in the garden to sup it. Later Bob and Kate on Glenfield arrived and have moored up in front of us, heading towards London.

Keith.

Saltisford Arm to Hatton.

Today we set off on our travels for this year. We had arranged with Tom & Lynn on Moonstone, who were winter moorers at Saltisford, to share the locks, which made life a lot easier. Their friend Denise had walked down the locks to meet us and help us with the locks. We had to stop in lock 36 to await the final clear up at lock 38 by CRT where they had been working on the lock as part of the winter stoppages.

 

We sat in the lock and had beer, coffee, wine, coffee & walnut cake, crisps and popcorn. We were only held up for 1hr 30mins , so not too bad. At least it was a pleasant day sitting in the sunshine with good company.

Approaching the CRT yard near the top of the flight.

The Café and the top lock, we had left Moonstone 2 locks down as they were going to go into the dry dock, but Lynn and her friend Denise helped us up the last 3 locks.

Moored up for the night on the visitor moorings at the top of the Hatton Flight.

Keith.

Final Preparations

This morning Jo and I have finished the tasks on the outside of the boat in preparation for our setting off on our summer cruise this coming Friday. This included removing the winter front strings and replacing them with the summer ones, fitting the trivets to the top of the pigeon box, lowering the solar panel from it’s winter position to it’s cruising position and getting the keb and mops out of the hold and into place. There are a few more jobs to be done inside, but not too many as most of them have already been done. We are now getting fidgety to set off and cannot wait to get moving.

Keith.