The decision is made

Friday 28^th May; Tardebigge top pound to King’s Norton

It was a cloudy morning, but with three tunnels to go through perhaps it doesn’t matter much!  We went up the top lock and pulled in on the services to empty two cassettes and dispose of rubbish, glass bottles and the litter we had picked up along the way, to leave us space for a proper clean-up later on.  I went to take some photos of tug Birmingham, which I had noticed in a little garden area behind the car parking.  Stern first, then the bow end.

I couldn’t get far enough away for a picture of the entire thing!  It was powered, and was built to replace a steam tug of the same name to tow boats through the tunnels.  There is plenty of other info on the display board but it’s a poor photo and all I can remember is that there were two others, called I think Gloucester and Worcester, I can’t remember more but I’m sure it’s online if you want to know. 

I had noticed a large holly bush when I walked Meg round yesterday afternoon.  I needed some to clean the stove flue so I went armed with my secateurs, brought specially from home for the purpose.  I cut a suitable piece where it lolled on the ground, about to be driven over when the car parked there drove away so I felt I was performing a useful service!

We had just finished topping up the water tank when someone emerged from the tunnel to take our place.  Tardebigge and Shortwood tunnels are pretty dry, and we were through fairly quickly.  There is a mooring we have used before, a couple of hundred yards from the northern end of Shortwood tunnel, with a single ring if you know where to look, and we stopped for lunch.  It is not by the signs giving info about the tunnel, where you sometimes find an emergency mooring spot, but we were prepared to breast up if someone needed to tie up before entering the tunnel.

So, that decision.  A couple of years ago we toyed with the idea of selling Chuffed but in the end we couldn’t bear to, so didn’t follow up our enquiries. We revisited the idea on and off last year, but were so desperate to get on the water after lockdown we put it off again.  But now, after some heartfelt discussions, we feel it is time to move on - partly because we live a long way from the main network but there are other factors too, not to mention we are neither of us in the first flush of youth!  We don’t want to give up boating but it is time Chuffed found some new owners who will love her as much as we have. (My eyes seem to be leaking as I type … do you see why there has been such a long gap between posts?)   We moored on the wharf at Alvechurch and Dave went in to get their brokerage information, before we cruised on in subdued mood, in appropriately drizzly weather.

At the fishing lake opposite the Lower Bittell reservoir, there were plenty of fishermen hunched over their rods, but my attention was taken by the figures in hi-vis standing around behind them at intervals around the perimeter fence.  Covid wardens?  It seems a bit extreme.

 

You are being watched

Not entirely sure what they were for, there were no notices that we could see - perhaps just to remind people about social distancing.  Then it was waterproofs on in preparation for the rather wet Wast Hills tunnel, with Meg safely shut inside; we made excellent time through of 30 minutes in spite of meeting five boats!  No touching of steelwork and just a nudge of brickwork when one boat drifted out a little bit.

Dave was obliged to take Meg for a good play in King’s Norton park as soon as we had moored, leaving me to give the flue a good brush with my holly with her out of the way. 

 

Soot

We took the chimney home after our last trip, and Dave had cleaned it inside and out, treating a little bit of rust and touching up the paint so it's all nice and ready for next winter.

There was a constant stream of boats passing, mostly ABCs on their way back to base at Alvechurch.

9 miles, 1 lock, 3 tunnels.