Birmingham

Not the best of moorings last night at Cuckoo Wharf with smells and strange noises from the nearby works. A boat went up the flight this morning sometime before 9am. so all the locks would be against us. It was a mucky old morning that clearedslightly with the rain. We pushed off at 0945hrs and sure enough  the first lock was against us. While Diana was emptying it she spotted the earlier boat reversing back towards the lock, so from that we deduced that the pound between 9 and 10 was still empty. We turned the lock for them and then reversed down to Salford junction. I did consider trying to wind in one of the old arms above CuckooWharf but as there was no wind and a clear wide canal I decided it may be easier just to continue backwards. Once at the junction we headed up the Grand Union and Garrison Locks which were all with us. Its the only place I have ever seen a unicorn resting by the canal.

Once at Bordesley Junction we turned right passing The Bond which is having major restoration work carried out on it. As we passed a local on the towpath called out “Have you been this way before” when we said we had he replied then you will now to go through the lock and not to the left. Once through Warwick Bar it was hard right again at Digbeth Junction and under Curzon Street tunnel which is build on a curve. At the end of the tunnel is the first of the 6 Ashted locks, the last one is at the far end of Ashted Tunnel. We are now really into University World with university buildings both sides of the canal, it is also the site of HS2 which will cross between lock 1 and the mouth of Curzon tunnel.
Before long we were at Aston Junction, the head of the Aston locks where we should have come up from. We went round to the left heading for the Farmers Bridge flight passing this official graffiti onthe off side. The Farmers Bridge flight of 13 locks are not bad but not only were they all against us but over half the top gates were open and every third one had a duff paddle.
Work is ongoing removing cladding from the buildings by and over the canal, this work hadn’t started last time we were this way but the exhaust had to come down due to overhanging scaffolding.

As you make your way up the flight lots of the offside has been fenced off for the overhead work, this young Heron found it a very useful floating fishing platform.
Looking back you can see all the offside scaffolding to remove cladding, you can also see the BT tower disappearing into the mist.As we needed water and knowing the tap at Cambrian Wharf is dead slow we wend through Gas Street Basin to  the services at Granville Street only to find a row of boats moored right across the service moorings. You may say why didn’t I draw along side and clamber over the boats, well the decks were covered with bags of rubbish. So back up to the mail Box and then return to Cambrian Wharf. The tap was so slow we were able to sit in for a cup of tea while it filled. Once topped up we reversed, yet again to the moorings on the Old Main Line.

Todays Journey 6½ miles 24 locks in 6 hours