Wednesday 14 December 2011

New Phone

image
Three Bridges (Grand Union near Ealing)

Finally managed to get a new phone. Had to wait because the one I wanted wasn’t in stock.
It’s an Android and this its a test post with a photograph using it.
The picture is ‘Three Bridges’ on the Grand Union near Ealing (railway line underneath, canal aqueduct in the middle and a road bridge [Windmill Lane] above). Technically only two bridges, but locals know it as three bridges.
About half-a-mile away is a superb pub ‘The Fox Inn’, about 50 yards from the canal (plenty of mooring) well worth a visit. A regular entry in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide.
Posted from Android

Friday 9 December 2011

Oct11 Trip - Friday and end of trip

Bit of a delay posting this. Several reasons (as well as just being lazy). Helped with the Birmingham Beer Festival and also involved with my local Unison branch in organising for the national strike on the 30th November.
Worked our way up Farmers Bridge locks during the afternoon and moored the boat in the Gas Basin just down from the Canalside Cafe, where we had arranged to meet some friends for a meal and a few drinks. A choice of 3 real ales, just a touch too warm, but otherwise all in excellent condition. The meals were very good. All in all good beer, good food and good friends made a very convivial atmosphere and we had a throughly enjoyable evening.

Vasthill
Vasthill Tunnel

On Saturday we had a slow trip back to the boat yard. Stopping at Birmingham University to wash the outside of the boat. We also saw some sloes and quinces, which we picked. Sloe gin for christmas – excellent. Spent Saturday evening in the Weighbridge at Alvechurch, another excellent CAMRA pub. Consistently in the Good Beer Guide and regularly voted as Pub of the Year by the local branch – not difficult to see why.

Kings Norton
Canal building at Kings Norton Junction

Sunday morning spent cleaning the inside of the boat, topping up with fuel and water. Nothing very exciting until the very last job of the morning. Whilst walking along the gunwale with the hose, after topping up the water, I managed to slip and had my first (and hopefully only) unwanted swim/wade in the canal. Fortunately Josie was inside in the boat at the time and I was able to get to the bank and out of the canal before any photographic evidence of the incident could be taken. No real damage was done (apart from my badly dented pride) but I did manage to water-log my phone and ruin it.

Cleaning Eos
Cleaning Eos at Birmingham University

Our next trip on Eos is in February, don’t expect we will be going very far, but at least it will give us the opportunity to test out the solid fuel stove.

Saturday 15 October 2011

Oct11 Trip - Tuesday to Thursday

Spent the next few days cruising up and down the Birmingham & Fazeley (B&F) Canal. This was to enable Josie to get to the office for Wednesday morning and then again on Friday morning.

Eos
Eos tied up at Faraday Wharf

Tuesday down the Aston locks (11, 1Hr 50 Mins) and then along the B&F to just past Minworth Greves, where we turned round. We managed to get as far as Tyburn before stopping for the evening and Josie caught the bus to work for Wednesday morning.

Aston Locks
Coming down Aston Locks
Tyburn
Tyburn Mooring

Whilst Josie was in the office I cruised down to Salford Junction to wind Eos, and then back to Tyburn to meet Josie.

Willow Wren
Passed by Willow Wren whilst waiting for Josie

In the afternoon we cruised along the B&F and almost reached Bodymoor Heath. Unfortunately time was against us and rain had set in at about 4 o’clock, so we were quite wet when we finished at about 6. The village and pub were only about half-an-hours walk away, but we decided not to get any wetter and spent the evening in the cosy warmth of the boat.

Curdworth
Moored at Curdworth

The following morning we went through the last lock to Bodyheath Moor and immediately turned round to begin the journey back to Faraday Wharf, so that Josie could get to the office first thing Friday morning.

Crossing
Eos crossing between two locks on way back to Birmingham

On the way through the locks at Bodymoor Heath & Curmoor we kept pace with two BW contractors who were cutting the grass. They were very friendly and helpful – closing and opening lock gates for us.

BW grass cutters
BW grass cutters move on to next set of locks.

The only other thing of note during the journey was a need to stop and clear the propeller. Part of a blue plastic tarpaulin had wraped itself round the propellor and took over 15 minutes to cut free – the worst problem I’ve ever had clearing the
weed (Peoples’ rubbish) hatch.
Luckily most of the locks going up the Aston flight were set in our favour and we ascended them in 1 Hr 45 Mins (5 minutes quicker than when we came down).

Thursday 13 October 2011

Oct11 Trip - Monday – Gas Basin & Farmers Bridge

I had intended to update the blog via my phone, but that hasn’t been very succesful. Especially as all the draft blogs I’d save on my phone were lost when it became water-logged – more about that later. Instead I shall post some short excerpts that will cover the weeks cruising.
On Monday afternoon Josie had to go into the office. That meant, as we were slightly behind schedule, an early start to go through Birmingham’s Gas Basin and down the Farmers Flight of locks.

Gas Basin
Cruising through the Gas Basin

After topping up with water by Old Turn Junction (why does filling up the water tank always take ages, even if you only topped up the day before?) we then went down the locks (13 in 1 Hr 55 Mins) and moored at Faraday Wharf at the back of Aston University. The mooring although busy, with pedestrians, during the day is quiet at night. The area is well lit and we felt quite safe leaving the boat to go the Sack of Potatoes for our tea.

Farmers Bridge Locks
Framer's Bridge Locks - Passing under an office block

Farmers Bridge locks pass under several blocks of flats and offices in the centre of Birmingham. These include the Assay Office, the BT Telecom Tower and the train lines as they emerge from Snowhill Station.
Faraday Wharf
Faraday Wharf

The Sacks is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide listed pub and only 5 minutes walk from the mooring. The beer as to be expected from a GBG listed pub is always excellent and it has just recently increased the range of beers on offer ( the number of hand pumps has increased from 3 to 6). Of those 6 on this occasion 3 of them were ‘hoppy’ beers all under 3.8% in strength, just right for quaffing. The food although just ‘standard’ pub grub is filling and just what is needed after working through the Farmer's Bridge flight of locks.
Sack of Potatoes
Josie with our friend Keiren outside the Sacks

Thursday 29 September 2011

Trip Planning (Sep 11)

Been thinking about next weeks trip and what was going to be straight forward has turned into a bit of a logistics nightmare. Initially the week was clear and we were going to cruise from Alvechurch, down to the new Droitwich ring and back.
Then my wife, Josie, had to go into work for three days, fortunately only for half a day each time and it is in the centre of Birmingham, but it was the Monday, Wednesday and the Friday. That was the first change, instead of heading for Droitwich we are now going to go in the opposite direction towards Birmingham and cruise around the BCN. On the positive side however it did mean that we would not be going down and then back up the Tardebigge flight of locks.
We have also invited a couple of friends to join us. Originally they were going to join on the Tuesday stay with us for the turnround point on the Wednesday and leave on the Thursday, when we got back to their car. Unfortunately they now can’t join us until the Friday. On Friday we will be in the middle of Birmingham, so no where to park their car for three days. Revise the plan again so that they are able to join us at a place safe to park their car.
It will be interesting to see if the plan works out, probably not, but that is the point of narrow boats – go with the flow, but not too fast.

Tuesday 27 September 2011

WELCOME (Sep 11)

To the worlds gazillonth blog. According to something I’ve read on the web (so it must be right) , most blogs only last for one post and only a very small percentage last longer than a couple of months. I’m hoping to fall into the latter category, but only time will tell. The purpose of this blog is to record our trips and the pubs we visit on the narrow boat we have bought a share in. After waiting more than six months since we paid our deposit the NB Eos was launched in September and our first trip is in October – hence the timing of this blog.
Our first experience of narrow boating was 2 years ago (September 2009). After that first trip (a mid week break with friends on the Ashby Canal) we were hooked so much so that within a week of arriving home we had booked a two week holiday for the following June.

Ashby Canal
The two weeks in June (round the Stourport Ring, down to Lapworth and return via Birmingham) were followed the following March with another midweek break with friends (Market Harbrough & Foxton Locks). After this trip we were already beginning to think about future holidays, the Falkirk Wheel, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct were just two trips we were already planning in our minds.
Tardebigge Locks
Tardebigge Locks - Stourport Ring
At this point we also started to think, like most people who get the canal bug, about owning our own boat. Unfortunately a small thing called work put paid to that (the ultimate catch 22 – you need to work to pay for the boat, whilst working you can’t use the boat, if you stop work to use the boat you don’t have the money to pay for the boat).
Foxton Locks
Foxton Locks
Whilst idly looking at boats we couldn’t afford we came across the concept of shared ownership. It didn’t take long to decide. The only real decision was whether to buy into an existing syndicate or to purchase a share in a new boat. After a look at some boats with shares currently available and a couple of boats that were being built, we decided to purchase a share in a new boat. The only drawback was that the boat would not be available until September 2011 and depending on our luck in the draw, for holiday weeks, we may not ‘get aboard’ until the end of the year.We decided to have one more ‘hire boat’ holiday. We combined it with a days training for the RYA Helmsman Certificate. The trip was along the Trent & Mersey in Cheshire so of course we had to visit the River Weaver via the Anderton Lift.
Top of Anderton Boat Lift
Top of Anderton Boat Lift
Anderton Lift
Anderton Lift - from the River Weaver
Our first trip on Eos is next week, I shall try to send updates from my mobile phone (new to this blogging lark so not quite sure how that will work), will update with fuller details when I get back home.
Eos being put into the water
NB Eos, being lifted into the water in May (2011)
Eos Launch Day
NB Eos Launch Day 4th September 2011

Sunday 25 September 2011