We were woken up by the clatter of stillettos on the towpath as the good citizens of Birmingham went to work. It seems hard to think of people working while we are on holiday.
Alan wanted to do an engine oil change, and I needed to get supplies while they were easily available, so I trotted off to the Sainsbury's Local in Broad Street. When I got back I was complaining that I couldn't get everything I wanted, so David asked,
"Why did you go to Sainsbury's? The Tesco Express is only just around the corner at the Mailbox."
Argggghhh!!! Because we usually moor nearer to the Sainsbury's I'd gone there out of habit - despite the fact that it is a much further walk. So off to the Tesco to get the things they didn't have at the Sainsbury's.
I love Birmingham, the people are friendly, and it is cosmopolitan and multi-cultural, and it is much more laid-back than London, where I was born. There is something strange, yet very appealing about walking around the middle of a city, watching the boats go past, and doing your general shopping.
As a complete aside - what the hell is the Mailbox shopping centre about? It's all expensive restaurants and extremely expensive art galleries and shops. Who is it designed to attract? It always seems virtually empty when I go in there. Quite unlike the shopping centre a mile or so away, which is packed.
Eventually we set off - sometime late morning. This time we went via Edgbaston, Kings Norton and towards Lapworth - the Northern Stratford. Out through the suburbs of Birmingham and towards open country.
The hydrogen powered boat at the University of Birmingham.
'Nuff said - someone with a sense of humour - I always thought it was a very strange song.
The key operated lift bridge at Hockley Heath. The road crossing here seems quite busy, so you have to grab a gap in the traffic, and hope you don't upset too many drivers.
At the next lift bridge the mechanism was slipping, so David had to go and sit on the balance beam while Alan wound the bridge up with a windlass.
We worked down the Lapworth flight as far as the longer pound between locks 14 and 15. After lock 6 the locks are very close together and you can't moor in the pounds, but when we got through lock 14 we saw the pound was very full of boats. We got the last mooring, and a boat arriving later had to moor on the lock moorings for lock 15.
Miles: 17.6, Locks: 14 (including the stop lock at Kings Norton - which is left permanently open)
Total Miles: 303.1 , Total Locks 286
1 comment:
i live at that farm were that brige is 'Drawbridge Farm'
Post a Comment