Solo to Shirley

Tuesday, 14 September 2010 20:56

Leaving Birmingham...

In two directions and two modes of transport, including two narrowboats. Petroc left first, on a dull day, that was going to develop....

Your regular blog author caught her train from Snow Hill and the deputy (that's me!) returned to the good ship Epiphany to set off Banbury-ward - to find Petroc just about to leave the water point. Boy, is that tap slow!

But going slow is what I intended to do - single-handing is about going slowly, or at least steadily - so I checked everything was ready and set off for the aforesaid tap. I was grateful that "Cor Blimey" took my bow line, asthe wind was really quite gusty. But he was filling up with water too, so one slow tap, divided by two = a need for patience, or, as I decided, just a bit of a splash and dash. There will be other taps. I got rid of the various types of rubbish (let the reader understand), had a chat and cast off towards the Fuel Boat. WIth today's wind, Sherborne Wharf would not be an easy place to fill up with diesel or turn.

It was moored just by Old Turn Junction, and although there was no one to serve me, another of the Away2Service team phoned for help, and in just a few minutes I was filled up with the necessary. Easy!

It was quite busy at Worcester Bar - narrowboat Aqua Vie (Water Way?) followed me through.

Since we were here in January, the Cube had gone into receivership, but somehow had been stripped of its scaffolding and finished.

You can't miss it!

I turned right, down onto the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, but today was not a day for lots of good photos. I could have got rather wet but the clothes kept the rain on the outside, thankfully. However on this stretch I could use the camera occasionally. Tunnels were very welcome today...Edgbaston Tunnel

The trains were a regular reminder that my better half was not with me.

When I had passed the University of Birmingham, I found the bypass for the bypass was still in place. (More pictures in the Gallery) A Hire boat very kindly waved me through:

Busy - but BW had nothing much to say today:

By the time I had passed narrowboat Petroc moored at Selly Oak for provisioning and arrived at Kings Norton Junction, it was getting very wet - as you can see from this picture:

So the camera was stowed safely for the duration of the North Stratford Canal .... until after the deluge as soon as I moored ... when the sun came out at Shirley Lift Bridge:

4 hours 35 minutes, 9.93 miles, 1 lock