TNC On Tour 2003 24 - Rapid Progress (XP)
Neil Arlidge
Muggy overcast morning with not much dew. We shoved off at 06:50 and was
greeted by a bold mink scampering over the top gate, as we were closing the
bottom gates. No traffic picked up as we crept up to the top of Bratch. Few
boats waiting to go down and no one stirring. Arrived at top of Bratch at
07:45. The two BW lockies were already about, the locks being empty meant
that a couple of small craft, one cruiser and a Sea Otter went up first,
then we went down, leaving the top at 08:20, 15 minutes later we were out of
the bottom. The lockies had been quizzed about the stoppages, a couple of
hours on Wednesday to measure up for new bottom gates, due to impact damage
to one beam and a couple of hours stoppage on Thursday to plate up the
beam.........in typical prettified Bratch custom the plateage had even been
painted!
Stourton Junction was past at 12:20. After this we picked up a rather slow
private boat, just dad and young son. Young son clad in huge life jacket had
to cope with moving boat out of locks and controlling its descent. Dad
shouted out many orders, so became known as "Admiral Neutral" (I have found
it common practice for boaters following another boat to give names to
various of it's crew members, a fate that has befallen Neil a few times!) We
managed a water fill up, while we waiting for "Captain Neutral" and another
boat on the water point above Stewponey Lock. Wendy was rather upset that
the ice cream selling cafe was strangely shut.
We had been keeping in touch with Roger Millin in "Albion" and we finally
made plans to push on and meet him and Margaret in Stourport. Towpath
telegraph tales of hundreds of Tesco Trolleys in Kidderminster were
unfounded, well certainly not in the main channel / route working boats
would take. Roger, arriving early had got pole mooring position, actually in
the Stourport Upper basin, just beyond the waterpoint, we had to contend
with a lesser mooring above the lock, but at least it was quiet. Arrival was
at 18:10 and after finding Albion, having a wander and then all showering,
we all repaired to the "Spice Island" Indian Restaurant. This was frequented
by Captain Beeky and was up to par. Tales of canal rage flowed all evening,
Roger seemed to had his fair share in the last couple of days.
Saturday 9th August 2003
Crew changeover had been scheduled for Worcester around lunch time, so the
passing of Albion heading back to the BCN spurred us onto leaving at 08:00.
Sun already hot when we got straight down onto the Severn, through the two
narrow staircase locks, without any hold up - 08:40. Not much traffic on
Severn, one locky remarked it was quiet - probably too hot for most people.
A couple of narrowboats were seen moored up in strange shady spots. At 11:55
we arrived below the barge locks uo into Diglis Basin and at 12:15 we were
up onto the Worcester and Birmingham. Through a strange hand of fate,
Earnest had never yet done this canal, Beatty only having done it once. Once
at Kings Norton Junction was reached Earnest would have done all the
"connected" waterways of England and Wales, apart from a few exceptions,
easier to do in smaller boats, such as the River Dee.
Crew changeover occurred at The Commandery Wharf - arrival 12:35. Tina and
Bill had come up in Tina's car, which had been insured for Linda to go home
in, then car shuffle at the National. After a somewhat fraught departure of
Linda and Wendy provisioning was done to Sainsbury's on foot. We eventually
set off at 14:10. Few "bumpy" bridgeholes coming out of Worcester - not a
particularly inspiring entrance to a City, eventually giving way to tin shed
section before the locks really started. It was our plan to try to get to
the bottom of Tardebigge Flight proper ie the main 30, so as to ensure a
free passage up with and early start the next day.
We eventually gave up at Stoke Works, at 19:10, seeing as the Boat and
Railway pub was doing food and we could moor next to a water point and fill
up with our long hose and not have to move afterwards. Boat and Railway OK,
basic fare, but NO handpumped beer. Bloody hot night, after a rather
sweltering day.
Sunday 10th August 2003
The 05:55 start was a bit in vain, seeing as we caught up the first two
Black Prince boats of the day. Come 08:00 it was already VERY hot, not
really the weather for a slow plod up Tardebigge. At 09:00 we were at Lock
43 and 11:05 at Lock 54. Much paffing about from then on as we past the
flood of mainly Alvechurch and Anglo Welsh boats coming down. Our normal
procedure (which freaked some "down" boaters) was to follow the boat if
front, right up to the bottom gates of the lock, then back off if necessary,
this avoids running aground in the pound as the water level changes, or if
the level was down. Much grounding of other boats, something we completely
avoided.
Finally out of the top at 12:00. There had been thunder storms all the way
up, we just ended up getting wet, seeing as it was still so hot. Come the
Tardebigge Tunnel we only had one particularly painful Anglo Welsh Boat in
front, that persisted in going along in tick over. Then followed a steering
lesson for little Johnny, which ended up is disaster, enabling us to pass.
A clean run though a VERY steamy Wast Hill Tunnel, passing 6 boats coming
the other way. 14:52 saw us at Kings Norton Junction, where we took the NPBC
way south, going down the Northern Stratford. Although reasonably deep,
there was much crud in the bottom of the cut, leading to many trips down the
weed hatch. Seeing as it had actually stopped raining by the time we got to
the top of Lapworth, we carried on down. Having foned up a few of the pubs
at the junction with the Grand Union, it was to prove a catering disaster.
Owing to a power cut, the Navigation and Tom O' The Wood were not doing food
and the upmarket "Boot Inn", which did have power, would not let us four
bedraggled Narrowboaters have the last table for 6.
So it was a "sod it" carry on down the GU, with a standby tin pie meal at
the top of Hatton, arrival at 22:25. The home waters of the Grand Union was
made at 20:50. Strange bit of night boating, the remains of the Birmingham
lightning storms flashed ahead, with the air hanging still and heavy - at
least there was no rain. Many bats circling about. The entrance to Shrewley
Tunnel was nearly missed
...........in a complete fog!
Monday 11th August 2003
Rather a better day operationally. Neil started Hatton at 07:05, the first
boat down. A few "down" stragglers did not join us and we exited the bottom
at 11:05. We had the top gates shut on us at Cape Locks, by yet another
hapless Anglo Welsh boat. The just "gave up" at Warwick, just above Tesco's,
floating into the side......God knows what they were doing, it was not an
intentional signal to pass, so they drifted across the cut
afterwards........strange!
Much faffing about in Warwick so Neil decided to abort the Tesco stop and
reschedule it as a Sainsbury's stop in Leamington. (10:20 - 11:10) During
this Neil did an impromptu stuffing box tightening and oil change,
coinsiding exactly with the return off the provisioning crew. Amazingly no
one past us during this, so we had a very clean run from then on. Radford
Bottom Lock at 12:00, then solo for most of the locks, until we were joined
by a boat which shoved off from a water point. The rather "coasting" crew
carried on with us until the "Two Boats" pub, then we went up Stockton on
our own.
There was MUCH paffing about at Calcutt Locks. The slow Kate Boats hire boat
had only just been picked up (had not done Stockton) so their boatyard
helper, became embroiled in arguments with the four "Lock Instruction"
community boats that were coming down. We just kept our heads down and came
out of the top first.
Napton Junction at 17:15 and stopped at "The Bridge Inn" moorings at 18:30.
After we all got showered we ambled down to the pub - total
cock-up............it was closed all day Monday! So it was a hobble down to
the "Folly" which was doing food, though somewhat under patronised earlier
on. Pies were OK and chips done in fresh fat, so a bit of a change there.
Warwickshire Brewery Ales were OK too. Seeing as Bill is somewhat disabled,
Neil and Martin wandered back to the boat and brought it down to the water
point. After a fill up and rubbish disposal, we eventually got to bed around
11:15.
Tuesday 12th August 2003
Shoved off at 06:45, the first boat movement of the day, this end of the
flight. It was a dull and much cooler day. Clean run up the flight, except
for the last pound, which was dry, due to some wally leaving the top gate
open. Out of Marston Doles Top at 08:10, no traffic picked up over the
summit. We were rather rammed by yet another "plough on regardless" boat -
the rather appropriately named "Buffers Lady". This was a single file bit,
with moored boats, just above Fenny Wharf. "Buffers Lady" then really
infuriated the moored boaters by grinding itself along side them. It is now
11:50 and we are in a two boat queue for the Claydon Flight.
--
Neil Arlidge - NB Earnest
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