So we left Worcester and onto the River Severn. Not a lot to report, except that it was a little bit boring, not a lot to see except trees, trees, trees. Although meeting the Edward Elgar trip boat on a corner gave us a start.

Another boater starting off had waved us ahead, and I shouted across to say “check out our boat name- Trundle” we do not go fast, so you please go ahead. He replied that’s ok, I go slow as well, and am in no hurry. 10 mins later he overtook us. !!!! we all had a laugh about it, and it worked out better,, as they knew how to handle the big locks along this river. They go in first and tie up, and then we strap ourselves to their sides. A very nice couple. We parted company when we got to Stourport on Severn. They decide to moor on the river and we went into the basin to……..
Wait for it…………………………………..PUMP OUT !!!!!!
The first one since Northampton. And no it wasn’t pongy. However, our earlier travelling companions J & M + 2, on Barron, gave us info on another type of tank additive, so we are trying that. Sorry for you folks who not sure what I am talking about. When one has a holding tank , one needs to put an additive in so that it copes with the added extras, so to speak.

Hey what about the duck with the pom-pom? We spotted him/Her after we had Pumped out, and got moored up. I have been trying to send it in to Springwatch, but you have to sign up to Flickr and the instructions are all in dutch.

Friday( yesterday) we moored at Whittington. What a lovely lock and the houses are incredible.
Today we have moved about 20 mins to a place called Kinver. Lovely town, great mooring, with a park nearby for Freaked-out Finlay. Mick has a signal for the Footy, and a Solo boater on NB Beau, gave us info on a pub called The plough and Harrow, that does a lovely local beer for £2.15 per pint.( we have been paying £3 – much to Micks disgust) He says it wouldn’t be so bad if I wasn’t matching him pint for pint. He has asked if I would be happier with a glass of tap water/ !
Errrr………NO.

Tomorrow we will take a right at a place called Stewpony Lock. !!!!!

This was a bit of a surprise coming around the corner ! If only the "ugly sisters" had worn a pom-pom hat for The Wedding, like this. !!! Does anyone know what sort of bird this is?

Recognise any of these, Sue ???

A lovely mooring after Tardebigge.

Tardebigge flight of 31 locks was brilliant, once Mick and I had sorted out our rhythm.! It always starts off with a load of shouting and being rude to each other, but eventually we each take a job. E.g.Micmk closes down the lock whilst I am opening the next etc. and to top it all, we had a pub at the bottom.

Sunday we stayed at the bottom of Stoke locks, and went for a pint and a baguette, beer was soooo good we had another pint.! Especially as the bloke undercharged Mick for the first pint. It took him all of 3 seconds to decide as to whether he was going to tell him or not. ! tch tch.

Has anyone ever seen the Mr Bean goes on holiday film? Where he is trying to get down a staircase and keeps coming across an elderly lady in front of him ?

We had the same situation at the next set of locks..

On Monday, we were preparing to leave, the lady on the hire boat in front of us was also preparing to leave, she took one look at us and started flying about untying her ropes, shouting at her husband to “get off the phone and phone later, come one lets get going”. Away they went, we leisurely got ourselves sorted and away we went to the lock. The Hire boat still in there, and the lady was walking very , very slowly. In fact, I thought it was a different boat, as this lady seemed to be very frail & elderley in deed.

So to give them some breathing space, we decided to stay in the lock above and have breakfast = 20 mins, also I started my washing, and then we moored up and topped up the water another 20 mins. When we arrived at the next lock………………………they were just leaving. So we had this all the way down, and when we eventually passed them,( they got the last good mooring at a pub> Ghrrrr) she was neither elderly or doddery, had a bit of a jaunt in her step. Well I can understand folks working carefully around locks, but that was painful, and with more locks coming up, we got in front and moored up in the countryside to get ahead. Didn’t want to try that pub, anyway. Na na nee na na.

Dennis phoned to say that they were watching Julia Bradbury’s Canal Walks, and it was the stretch that we had just done. Cor, if we were there earlier in the year, we could have had our mugs on the tv. !!!

By the way,dropped me windlass into the lock. After I had nearly fallen off the balance beam. The lock paddle was VERRY stiff. So got the sea search magnet from the boat, and did the very same thing that we did the last time we went trawling for a windlass. Started yelling that I had retrieved it, only to find that I had caught myself a whole paddle mechanism, and then the magnetic was stuck solid. So a bit of jiggling, tugging, pulling and it came free, and I left it to Mick to get the windlass, which he did. He likes searching for lost things, and seems to have a knack of finding them. And No Comments about wallets…………Scooby !

Wednesday we met up with Sue Saunders’ mum and Dad, May and Derek. They bought me some more bizzy Lizzies as mine had caught the frost and died on me, and came and sat on the boat( well done, May !.... she was a bit nervous) and had coffee and biccies.

We also has some over-enthusiastic ducks hanging around looking for bread etc, and as we left to go into Worcester, they were flying all around May’s head. Looked like a scene from The Birds. !
we went off into Worcester and had lunch and a good catch-up. What a lovely couple they are. And thank you for looking after us in your lovely city. I know Sue will pass on the message. Diglis Basin and Worcester, are great places to stay and visit. If only I had been able to find Mick’s wallet. ! The cathedral was magnificent. I am sure we will return.

So Thursday onto the River Severn and upto Stourport and onto the Wonderful Staffs and Worcs Canal.

Wast Hill Tunnell. Not xsure what happend on the last post. But, we did this tunnell behind a load of drunks on a day-hire boat,. As we passed them, they were nearly all elderley and quite sozzled. Honestly, what is the world coming to. Perhaps being a coffin dodger wont be so bad after all. !! hee hee

Wednesday we moored outside the dog n doublet at Curdworth. Mick treated us to a meal. Mmmmm

Early start next morning. The minworth 3 locks we had done before.so no surprises there. Then it was the Aston 11 into Brum. Depressing area. And then it waS the Farmers flight of 13. these were strange and interesting, going further into Birmingham, beneath tall buildings etc. It felt like being in the bowels of the earth at times. By the time we arrived at Gas St Basin, we were very tired and not too impressed with what we saw……HOWEVER after a night out with Debs-( Sue Saunders cousin= Sue is my great friend who lives in Spaino). We had changed our minds. Firstly a big thank you to Debs. We had a great time and thank you al,so for all your offers of getting us some shopping. Hope your hair dresser treated you gently, what with a sore head and all. !!!!!

Birmingham is amazing. Moorings everywhere, beautifully kept and no numpties. !! We will be back through on our way home. I mioght even have a look on a website and see if there are any concerts we fancy.

As we left, there were quite a few hire-boats with young folk in fancy dress passing us, most were in various strengths of inebriation. !!! That guy standing on the top, nearly fell off, when the bloke at the tiller hit the side. we also did Wast Hill Tunnell ( 2,760 yards) behind

Sat evening and we are moored at the top of the Tardebigge flight of locks ( 31 locks). Down to Worcester and a catch-up with Sue Saunders mum and dad( Derek and May). By the way, thank you for the comments Melva and Scooby. I had been forgetting to look at them.

this labby appeared at the window when I was getting Finlay's dinner ready. Typical !!!!

We moored up for the wedding week-end, opposite a field of ewes and lambs, and each morning we were treated to the sight of about 3 to 13 lambs having races along the bank, with a few high-jumps thrown in for good measure. So funny. A lovely mooring with lovely weather.

Tuesday morning we left Hawkesbury junction on the Coventry Canal, but not before Mick took an early bath !!!!!
I was just rolling up the side of the cratch cover when I saw micks head passing by the other side.! OMG! On investigation, he was waist deep in the canal, he had missed his footing and very slowly slid in. Friend Jim helped him out, whilst trying to keep a straight face. Wish I had been quicker with the camera!. Macho Mick said that the water wasn’t that cold, anyway. And more importantly, he managed to keep his wallet dry !!!!!

We passed quickly through Nuneaton- YUK. ! Down the atherston flight- absolutely lovely and moored at the bottom of the flight with J&M+2. This would be our last night of Towpath Tipples with them, as we are going in a different direction tomorrow , and as it was Jim’s turn to “do” the drinks, we had 3 !!!!! It was extremely hot, so the washing was in the hedge-row, and I will try and get a photo on for Scooby. As he always seems to have a comment about our washing. !

On towards Birmingham, and hopefully a meet up with Sue Saunders’ cousin Debs.

Floods Ferry to Gayton Junction

April 28th.

Well I hadn’t planned of starting the blog until we were on the way to Brum and pastures new, but a few funny things have happened, as usual.


On leaving P’boro , we were told by a boater travelling in the opposite direction to keep to the right on entering Alwalton lock. Hmmm, his right? or our right?, so Mick decides the best place is in the middle of the nene. NO> ! with a “schlursching” sound we ran onto a large bank of shale. ! A passing canoeist asked “ isn’t it marked on your map?” errr, if it had of been we wouldn’t be here, would we. Says I.
He said sorry and went on his way. A phone call to the Environement Agency, and within 30 mins, they opened the lock gates and flushed some water down to us, and they put us through the lock. Well done, blokes.

We cruised on the Ashton backwater and waited for J&M+2 to catch up with us, and enjoyed flying displays by 2 nesting Red Kites. Also there were members of a boat club, and they were in party mode, for sure.We were invited to join in the gossiping and slurping around the camp-fires, but we have a job staying awake after 10pm.!

Our chums soon caught up with us, as did Steph on Witchboy, with her elderly dog Bess and the new pup, Midge( 9 months old). Blimey, she is into everything, chasing the other dogs, nicking their sticks and toys and to top it all, she went sniffing along the party boats and came racing back with something shocking pink in hr mouth. On closer inspection they turned out to be a large pair of lady’s knickers belonging to the large lady on the boat in front. !!!!!!! We were howling with laughter, when we heard the folks coming back along the tow-path, so Steph was sent back to replace the pants. I think she threw them into a patch of nettles.

Bye Bye

Thats it until next year.


Next year proposed cruis will be Oxford Canal, Kennet and Avon and London then up the Grand Union.

Bye for now and thanks for following...........Is there anybody there ???????