Minworth

We hadn’t noticed the road being so noisy in the past, so not the best nights sleep. This morning as expected CRT came and lifted a paddle each end of the top lock. Around half nine I heard the paddles rattling so guessed they had finish and just after ten got ready to set off, only to find all four paddles on the lock fully open. A few minutes later two CRT chaps worked their way up the flight closing paddles, apparently the long pound at the bottom had been very low. The good new, all the locks would be  full or near enough full. On the way down we passed a CRT litter bin that looks as if its being used for slightly more than litter with a black bag of something on top.
Down at lock 10 they are installing another new illuminated advertising board, I am sorry, these things don’t do it for me.

With the water levels in the pounds now so high the water was overtopping the paddles at lock ten and entering the locks while we were trying to empty them, giving us problems opening the bottom gates.

Further down we passed the World Junior Ultimate Frisbee Championships taking place at the Birmingham City University sports complex. I didn’t even know it was a spot, I thought it was just something you chucked about with your mates.Down at the bottom of the flight we encountered a slight problem, at Lock 12 I got a jacked round the prop as I entered the lock, it wasn’t helped by being entwined with brambles then at the bottom lock the top gate wouldn’t close, the reason a car tyre, This is the third tyre I have had in a gat at this lock, the one in the bottom gate I had to call CRT out for as I couldn’t reach it, but I have removed both the top two with a short shaft. Once the gate was shut it leaked like an absolute sieve, its the worst we have encountered this trip.

Between the last two locks a team of volunteers were working hard trying to clean the place up a bit, weeding and cutting back the jungle.

From here we headed down under Spaghetti Junction where we were making better progress than some of the HGVs above.

In the distance under the bridges you may just be able to see a toll island, there was a fisherman sat at the very far end, I had to shout to him to lift his keepnet out or it would get squashed. He was proudly showing off the large red clawed crayfish he had caught. On the offside there is another large showing of giant Hog weed. Lets hope its been treated with weed killer.

Our original plan was to revers up to Star City for the night but a change of plan had us continuing on the B&F with a plan to moor outside The Boat at Minworth.
Much to our surprise we met two boats between Salford Junction and Minworth locks, especially as one was under a bridge on a bend.
The house on the off side that has had a bus stop sign among other things canal side now has an ex GPO post box.

We moored a short way before The Boat for two reasons, there was a fisherman set up near one end of the moorings and two the rings are right adjacent to the bridge the new Kingsbury Road.
   
Today’s Journey

7¼ miles, 16 locks in 5½ hours