Past Gas Street Basin, but on the water this time.
It's always handy to know which canal you're on.
Just entering Broad Street Tunnel. Not a long one but a tunnel all the same.
At the Junction did a nifty right turn before starting on the Farmers Bridge locks. 13 locks in all and I'm on lock duty today.
This flight of locks takes us through the back end of Birmingham.
A mix of old and new.
Refurbishments.
And old factories.
A bit tight in places.
Just look at that staircase.
Scruffy in parts.
Well looked after in others.
Some of the lockies are dashed handsome. Oh, sorry, that's me.
Oh, I should have said that after the 13 locks we turned left at Aston Junction to face a flight another 11 locks. And, they were all against us. So, I would let the captain into the lock, open the paddles to empty the water out and while that was going on, walk to the next lock, fill it up, open the gate. Then walk back to the first lock, let the captain through, close the gate and go to the second lock, shut the captain in, and repeat 11 times. And that's after the 13 times before. Oh, and some of them have anti-vandal locks that lock the paddles in the closed position to save water. The trouble is that if you don't have a key on you at the time and the boat's in the middle of the canal...
So, the captain says to me 'look, there's Spaghetti Junction ahead, I'll do all the locks from now on. Why don't you steer the boat and I'll make a nice cup of tea.
That's where we've come from.
That's a different way back to Birmingham.
That way'll take you to West Bromwich.
And this is the way we're going.
An odd tunnel this one. The canal passes under a building but one side of the tunnel is open.
Anyway, the captain only did 3 locks and she had help.
Moored for the night near Minworth. Four miles from Spaghetti Junction and this is the first place where you can moor a boat. Mind you, it is near to a pub.
Another lovely sunset. Roast chicken tonight. Yummy.
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