Narrowboats and fires, alarms and ice

Saturday, 04 February 2012 13:42

We read today (via that little bird that tweets) that there was a fire on a narrowboat near where we moored a few weeks ago. This was arson, not accidental, and is tragic for the owners.

Shirley Drawbridge and was it this narrowboat?

This was on the (North) Stratford Canal and near a pub. I suppose an unattended narrowboat is always at risk ......

As liveaboards we are very conscious of the fire risk, particularly with a solid fuel stove going day and night during the winter. That is why we have 2 smoke alarms and a carbon monoxide alarm too. However, I was not best pleased to be woken by a smoke alarm that was protesting against the cold and damp - we let the fire die down at night and the temperature in narrowboat Epiphany was about 10 degrees last night. Outside it was more like minus 4.

Unusual Canal view at St Vincent Street bridge

Most of the canal bridges in the Birmingham area have these gates in the parapet. Through here the fire service can get water from the canal to fight fires - sorry about the tenuous link to the above mentioned arson attack. They would have to break through the ice at the moment though. The Birmingham Main Line has pretty thick ice on it. From what I hear there is plenty of ice on the cut all around the country.

Towards Sheepcote Bridge

I have not seen so many narrowboats moored around the far entrance to Oozells Loop before - they all looked as if they were ready for a long stay!

Main Line and Oozells Loop entrance from St Vincent Street

There was a fair amount of ice further in Oozells Loop too. -We walked around to Sherborne Wharf to pick up a copy of Towpath Talk and to "have a nose" in the small chandlery there. 

Sherborne Wharf - service pontoon and trip boats

Sherborne Wharf from Sheepcote Bridge over Oozells Loop

The visitor moorings in Oozells Loop were no longer empty. This is another of our favourite moorings around the Birmingham centre - it usually is the last to freeze over because of the hot air pumped out from the air conditioning units alongside the canal - but it was well and truly iced up.

Oozells Loop moorings

So today they are predicting snow, which means that it will warm up - however as I write it is minus 0.3 degrees and yes - the snow is beginning to fall - rather feebly at the moment though! Maybe I shall have some snow photos to show tomorrow!