Monday - Hockley Heath to Lowsonford

Monday was not the weather we hoped for, it dawned with an overcast sky and promised rain for later.
We headed for Lapworth Locks in slight drizzle.

Gill operating Hockley Heath drawbridge.

Waiting for lock 8.

Only saw one boat on the move up Lapworth Locks, of course we met this at the awkward corner between lock 7 and 8 where it is difficult for 2 long boats to pass. The drizzle became heavy once reaching the main flight down to Kingswood Junction so we moored for a long lunch after lock 15.

Heavy drizzle, time to moor up.

After a lunch of Heinz Big Soup, ham sarnies, and local pork pie, you cant beat this on a wet day! we carried on down to Kingswood Junction, taking on water, I noticed the pump out is not working here.

Kingswood Junction.

The next part of the Stratford ranks as one of my favourites with delightful locks quite evenly spaced making for good exercise when lock wheeling.

Lock 29, one of the prettiest.

It must have been a hard summer down here, a number of the locks are showing some sign of wear or misuse, there is yellow hazard aware tape everywhere down these locks with some problem or another.

Broken Edging at this lock.

Broken beam held together with a large plank, the CaRT message on the
beam says do not sit or stand on this beam.

We finished up the day moored at Lowsonford visitor moorings, hot showers all round after a drizzly day.

Sunday, Alvechurch to Hockley Heath

A lovely sunny autumn day for a leisurely cruise down the Worcester and Birmingham Canal to Kings Norton Junction, then down the Stratford Canal as far as Hockley Heath.

Heading for Wast Hill tunnel.

First sign of another boat on the move, NB Skintus!

After a wet Wast Hill Tunnel we met a few other boats near Kings Norton then turned onto the Stratford Canal, the guillotine lock looks quite uncared for here.

More boats about near Kings Norton.

The first section of the Stratford is quite boring, being lined with vegetation as it passes through urban areas and this does not really open out till Shirley and Dickens Heath.
At Earlswood we moored for a while and took a stroll to have a look at the engine house at Earlswood Reservoir. This feeds the Stratford canal with water pumped up from Earlswood reservoir into a feeder that joins the canal at Lady Lane. There used to be a steam beam engine, but now has electric pumps. The engine house has a "sold" sign so no doubt will be developed as housing.

Earlswood Engine House with feeder to Stratford Canal under bridge.

Earlswood Reservoir.

Now moored at a quiet Hockley Heath. Good day, hoping for more of the same weather tommorow.

Saturday at the boat

We drove up from Norfolk today to spend a week on Centurion. A lovely sunny day we should have set off from Alvechurch and at least have made Hopton but father not arriving on the train till 3-30 and the need for shopping at Redditch put paid to that.

Centurion in the sun.

Was very quiet at Alvechurch Marina, not many hirers or shareboaters leaving the moorings.

The canal was very quiet too with only a couple of boats on the move.

Quiet on the cut.

Had a nice meal on board and settling down to a bit of telly.

Past Narrow Boat Trips 2004

February 2004 was very cold, our first time out at this time of year. now moored at Kate Boats at Warwick every trip started with a hat full of locks. We headed off through Leamington Spa and Stockton locks towards Braunston.

Climbing Stockton Locks.

During our overnight stop at the top of Calcutt locks we became frozen in although we where snug and warm in the boat.

Frozen in at Calcutt Locks.

We tried to get away but the boat would only plough a straight line in the ice.

You can just see the straightish line the boat took from the mooring,
straight to the opposite bank, it would not turn.

We had an enforced extra day stay here until a BW work boat cleared a way to Braunston. We only made it to Braunston that day where most moorings where taken and the Marina area was thick with ice so we had to reverse back to the North Oxford moorings. Tricky with the ice.

Braunston Mooring.

The following day we where told that the South Oxford was passable so we headed for Napton locks, there was still a bit of ice about, tinkling away on the hull.

Path through the ice.

After over nighting at Marston Doles we carried on along the summit, plenty of loose ice about, roughly an inch thick.

Ice.

On through Fenny Compton and the opened out tunnel, through Claydon locks our destination being Cropredy.

Fenny Compton "Tunnel"

Claydon locks.

We then winded and made our way back to Warwick where on the last night we had snow.

Snow covered NB Centurion.

Other trips that year was a cruise down the Grand Union to Cosgrove, Another trip up the Leicester arm to Welford and a trip to just before Shirley on the Grand Union.

Too Many Convertibles?

How many convertibles is too many, we seem to be collecting them.

1 Convertible. The original.

2 Convertibles. New one for me.

3 Convertibles. Gills convertible.

Is that too many? No room for any more at the front of the house.
Yep Triumph Friends I have now gone over to the Dark side, I have now got a MG TF 135 in Le Mans green, originally I wanted a Mazda MX5, but after driving a few 1.6 and 1.8 Mk2's and a Eunos I decided they where too small for my frame, I spotted a couple of MGF's and the TF, the TF drove very well and seems more comfortable and certainly cheaper than the Mazda. Really I should have got a cheap Yaris or similar, but then life would be over!

Past Narrow Boat Trips

With nothing much planned lately I thought I would do a few quick picture posts of previous boat trips to remind us of where we have been with share boat NB Centurion since it was launched in 2003.

Launch Day 2003 at Rugby.

Our first trip on NB Centurion in 2003, Braunston locks.

In Foxton Staircase Locks.

Near Watford Locks on GU Leicester Section, now our
favourite stretch of canal.

Foxton.

Market Harborough.

No proper Digital camera in those early days so these are from a early Canon Sureshot on a boots cd. You would be surprised how quick these load into Blogger.

Later in the year we cruised the Grand Union via Calcutt, Stockton, and Hatton Locks to Kingswood Junction, and on to the Stratford, I remember it was our first Autumn on Centurion, first 2 weeker, and hard work with a small crew.

Me lock wheeling at Hatton.

Turning into Kingswood Junction.

Turn Made.

On the Stratford Canal.

Leaving Lowsonford lock on the Stratford.

Edstone Aquaduct on the Stratford Canal.

Stratford Split Bridge.

If memory serves me right we winded at Wilmcote before making our way back to Rugby.

Henham Steam Rally

Pleasant day out today, I visited Henham Steam Rally at Henham Park near Southwold. Had a nice drive out through the Suffolk countryside via Bungay and Halesworth. Lots to see here as usual at this Steam and Country show, there where Traction Engines and steam rollers, vintage and classic cars, classic tractors and farm machinery, classic trucks and military vehicles,vintage and classic motorbikes. Other items of note where a model engineering display comprising large scale steam engines, lorries, scale miniature beam and pumping engines, etc.
The event seems to get bigger every year, the various trade stalls, small displays, country craft and food outlets covered a larger area this year.
There where quite a few car dealers displaying new cars and used cars.
I enjoyed wandering around for a few hours watching the various displays, there where 3 or 4 show rings with various country style events and parades of the classic vehicles.

Showman's Engine

Some of the Classic Cars

1912 Tractor - paraffin fuelled

Early combine harvester's

Think this may be a Healey Tickford, 1952.

Early Ford Escort.

Used to catch the Suffolk tractor boys?

Homeward bound down the Henham dirt road, raised a bit of dust:-)