15 May
Well Richard and Nikki visited us yesterday and a very pleasant day was had by all, it was good to see then. This morning we set off and cruised 6 miles through leafy suburbs of Birmingham before tackling 25 locks that would bring us up to the village on the hill that is Brum. After an interesting climb through subterranean caverns and locks buried under buildings to emerge at the top and managed to moor in Cambrian Basin and after a walk round to Gas Street and back we sat on the terrace of a canalside pub next door to the NIA now renamed the Barclaycard Arena.
17 May
After a day in the city and followed by a visit to Pizza Express at the Mail Box to use up our Clubcard points :) we were awoken at 6:30 by someone locking down having heard someone else locking up at 11 last night, the locks being outside our window, talk about the city that never sleeps! We topped up our water tank and set off toward Wolverhampton 11 miles away but only 3 locks, the new main line is straight and wide and pretty boring, after 6 miles we arrived at the 3 Factory Locks to find them devoid of water and a lonely looking lock keeper fishing around the bottom of lock 2, we had no choice but to turn round an motor 2 miles back to an arm of the canal that would take us up to the old main line and back round to rejoin our route above the empty locks wasting 2 hours, we finally made Wolverhampton 6 hours after we left Birmingham, we've moored above the top lock ready to descend the 21 locks tomorrow.
19 May
Woke up yesterday to a grey day and forecast promised rain so decided to forgo the locking for the day and spent it looking round Wolverhampton. This morn we woke early to sunshine and got underway at 7.45 only to find the locks against us meaning twice as much work, 2nd lock down a lock keeper wandered up to tell us a boat had gone down at 7, how they managed to sneak past as we were moored just above the top lock we've no idea! The lock keeper walked down filling the first 7 locks then he vanished, never to be seen again, we met a few boats working up which made our life a little easier, reaching the bottom and the junction with the Staffs and Worcs canal in 3 hrs 15 mins. Here we went a bit off piste, we were going to turn onto the Shropshire Union canal at the next junction but decided to carry straight on as I have never done this part of the Staffs and Worcs canal and may not get another chance so we cruised up to Penkridge where we are spending the night after turning to head back to the Shroppie tomorrow, we will do the rest from the Trent and Mersey on our way back.
20 May
Heading back towards the Shroppie today, not much to see in Penkridge, village is half a mile away and not worth the walk as I found out last night! We met lots of boats today, probably the busiest we've seen it for awhile, we joined the Shropshire Union after lunch and cruised up under brooding skys to Brewood ( coincidently pronounced 'Brood') to moor for the night, within sight of the Bridge Inn as it happens :) The Shroppie was one of the last canals to be built and the surveyor decided the quickest way to get from A to B was to go from A to B hence they filled in the valleys and cut through the hills so it is fairly straight and flat with few flights of locks unlike the canals that preceeded it that hugged the contours and wound round the hill sides.
22 May
If you are ever out this way Don't bother with the Bridge Inn, we went for a pint, were ignored at first as two barmaids tried to work out how to make a cup of instant coffee as coffee machine broken, we finally got served and finally sat down for a game of cards which promptly stuck to the table! Set off next morn and cruised up to Gnosall to moor above the tunnel for lunch then on to Norbury Junction where we were going to get fuel but saw diesel cheaper at bridge over canal where the owner of a garage there had installed pump for boaters, very enterprising, we arrived at Norbury just as the heavens opened so decided to stay there for the night. This morn we awoke to sun so set off to cruise 11miles and 5 locks to moor at Market Drayton and go in search of a Sunday roast.
24 May
We found our roast in an old 16C pub at an early 20C price and very good it was too. Stayed in M. Drayton on monday morn to check out shops and stock up then motored out into the country to moor for the night after descending the 5 Adderley locks before tackling the 15 Audlem locks just after. We awoke early so set off and were at the top of Audlem by 8, we dropped down to Audlem mill and stopped to look round the canal shop and have a coffee then on to Nantwich where we arrived at lunchtime, afternoon spent wandering the streets of this quaint town with it's black and white timbered houses and shops, tomorrow we leave the Shroppie and turn onto the Llangollen canal at Hurleston Junction just 2 miles further on and another chapter will begin.
