Into Birmingham

Friday 20th April 2018
Hopwood B68 to Cambrian Wharf
9.5 miles, 0 locks, 2 tunnels

Yet another wonderfully warm sunny day greeted us this morning as we set off on the long, but lock free journey into central Birmingham.  Again this is a very familiar route to us, although at one point I could not remember why it seemed more than a year ago since I travelled this way as I knew we came south from Birmingham at the end of the last cruise.  The penny dropped after a while - it was because Chris did the trip solo whilst I met our daughter at the NEC for the Grand Designs Show and she drove me to Tardebigge at the end of the day.  Senior moments abound.

In our experience it is not often that herons stay put as a boat goes past, but this one did not budge.

The new building in the background (near Birmingham University) could be new student accommodation (?)

as we reckon this is a walkway over the railway and canal to the university itself

As expected we came across signs alerting us to major work at Edgbaston Tunnel which is now only one way traffic - I wonder if it will be controlled - traffic lights for boats perhaps?

We had not seen any boats moving all day, but where does one meet one?  At the one way point of course!!

The walkway is certainly going to be wider, but I am not sure how much easier it will be for pedestrians if cyclists try to go too fast.  The head room will still be limited.

It was an uneventful trip.  We paused briefly near the Mail Box, so I could get a few bits from the Tesco Express there.  This was a sunny Friday lunch time with many workers sitting out enjoying an alfresco lunch.

Going past Gas Street Basin the eyes were drawn to this rather sad sight.

Yet more people enjoying the weather as we pass The Malt House

to turn right towards Cambrian Wharf and a mooring that will make life very easy in the morning when we head off down Farmer's Bridge flight.

It did afford us a good view from the side hatch

The Volunteer Lock Keeper told us that this pub - The Flapper and Firkin - is due to shut this summer.  Apparently the brewery got an offer from a property developer that they could not afford to refuse.  It certainly is not due to being a failing pub - with the wonderful weather it was heaving and was busy late into the night.  We gather it will be replaced by a tower block.  Once complete it might make the Wharf a quieter mooring, but I guess there will be months if not years of noisy construction.

After lunch we headed out to try and access Sherbourne Wharf on foot to try and get some anti freeze.  Well we tried every which way and failed spectacularly - all routes seem to lead to locked gates.  Maybe we should have taken the water bus?  In the end we gave up and headed back to the boat for an early night in the hope we could ignore the noise from the pub.